Melissa

I'm starting to plan a trip to London with my 9 yr old daughter for the end of May/1st of June? Does anyone have suggestions for day trips out of London or even overnight trips out of the city? I was thinking of spending 9-10 days (including travel days)--will this give us enough time to see major sights? Any information would be GREATLY appreciated! (Inexperienced traveler-can you tell).

Carolina

There's lots to do in London itself. My kids love the Tower of London, the Natural History Museum, shopping along Oxford Street (and a visit to Hamleys Toy Shop), the London Eye is fun for children, London Zoo, the parks - and there's much more.<BR>Out of London, consider a trip to the south coast, maybe Brighton for a typical seaside town.<BR>9-10 days isn't long but if that's all the time you have then it's better than nothing. Don't try to do too much, that seems to be the biggest mistake.<BR>Also, if you get the chance, fly in the day, so that you arrive in the UK mid evening. I suggest this because I have found that it cuts down on jetlag a lot which will be important on a short trip.<BR>Finally, pack a change of clothes for the journey in case of spills etc. and plenty for your daughter to do. I find gameboys invaluable when travelling.

nancy

Canterbury would be a good day trip choice (cute Canterbury Tales site) and Warwick Castle would be great for a child. This would give you 6 or 7 days in London. You'll get daylight hours up to 10 pm.

kitty

I've taken my kids to England twice and their highlights were:<BR><BR>London:<BR> Science Museum<BR> Natural History Museum<BR> Tower of London<BR> Harrods (toy department and food halls)<BR> Hamley's (large toy store)<BR><BR>York:<BR> National Railway Museum<BR> Climbing to the top of York Minster<BR> Jorvik Viking Centre (I thought it was cheesy but the kids loved it)<BR><BR>Bath:<BR> The Bath Spas (my 8 year old son loved it as well as my 12 year old daughter)<BR> Museum of Costume (my daughter and I loved it, the men tolerated it)<BR><BR>Salisbury/Stonehenge:<BR> The Cathedral<BR> Stonehenge<BR><BR>Warwick Castle in Warwick<BR><BR>Cardiff - Museum of Welsh Life<BR><BR>Windsor Castle <BR><BR>Hampton Court<BR><BR>These were the highlights for the kids. Don't forget to go to the theater. My kids loved this and don't just go to the kids oriented shows. My kids loved Mamma Mia, Les Mis, and the Important of Being Earnest much more thatn Beauty and the Beast.<BR><BR>Have a great trip. We went at the beginning of June and the crowds were not out yet. Towards the end of our trip in the middle of June London was starting to get very busy with American tourtists. Heard them all over the subway.<BR>

Why

Kitty, Kitty, Kitty - Just had to throw in the American slam. Come on, you had usefull info, why the slam?

Jen

My kids enjoyed Warwick Castle so much, if you have time for just one day trip, this is the one to take even though others might be closer. We had 3 weeks, during which they also enjoyed the Museum of Welsh Life in Cardiff (not many of these living-history museums go back to Neolithic times!), Stonehenge, and Bath (don't miss the glassblowing on Walcot Street). I suspect that the Canterbury Tales aren't on the radar screen of most 9-year-olds. If you're willing to drive, you could do Salisbury, Stonehenge, Bath, and a bit of Cardiff in a two-night trip based in Bath.

David White

Melissa,<BR><BR>9 to 10 days gives you adequate time to see quite a bit in London and take a couple of day trips. An overnight trip outside the city is possible, but you've got the added logistics of changing hotels, moving luggage, etc...your choice, of course.<BR><BR>For close-in day trips, you should consider spots like Windsor/Eton, Hampton Court, Greenwich, and maybe Kew Botanic Gardens. All are reachable by rail from central London in 30-50 minutes. Windsor's castle is great, Hampton Court is a must see, Greenwich's nautical museum is very kid-oriented (and the Royal Observatory is interesting), and Kew is terrific if you enjoy gardens on a massive scale. All of these have aspects that would probably appeal to a 9 year old, depending on her interests.<BR><BR>Longer trips to consider include the town of Bath (about 1 1/2 hour by rail)---the Roman bath exhibit is interesting for mosts kids and the town is beautiful. Warwick Castle has also been mentioned by others and I agree that it is a hit with most kids. You could also consider the medieval walled city of York, which is just over 2 hours by rail from London.<BR><BR>I'd be glad to answer questions you may have directly by email.<BR><BR>Happy New Year<BR><BR>Dave White<BR>[email protected]

Beth2

Windsor is a great day trip - The train station itself is full of unique shops, cute cafes, and glorious window boxes. But there is enough to keep you both busy there for a couple days. I'm sure your daughter would love Legoland! Small amusement park with tame rides and incredible displays all made out of Legos. Windsor Castle is great, too. A much more visible &quot;changing of the guard&quot; and the Doll House were highlights.<BR>Do go to the theatre. The London theatre and Paris ballet were our kids favorite parts of our trip. A musical is always fun, and our kids (9&amp;11 at the time) loved Mousetrap.<BR>What a great time of year to go. Have a wonderful trip!

John

Brighton comes to mind - fun funky pier, walk on the beach... but the best thing is the Royal Pavilion - fabulous fantasy palace built by/for George IV. Check it out at http://www.royalpavilion.org.uk/. Easy day trip from London.

peggi

I echo Bath, Stonehenge, &amp; Warwick Castle. Hampton Court is great, too and had a kid's trivia hunt &amp; they won a prize at the end. Great B&amp;B near Bath (Winsley): Burghope Manor. They even made pancakes for my kids when they wouldn't touch the &quot;English breakfast&quot;. Avebury is great and more accessible than Stonehenge. Also in London, take them to the Globe Theatre...not to a Shakespearean play, but the tour; our docent was terrific with the kids. READ, READ, READ first! The more your daughter is familiar with, the more she will get out of it; that was one reason we liked the Globe: I had read to them children's books about Shakespeare. Figure in down time too - the London parks, especially Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park are wonderful when the weather's nice.

justbeachy

We've taken Eurostar from London to Paris for a day trip, though you could easily stay the night. Our kids enjoyed a quick overview of the city, and it IS quick, but with the right attitude a lot of fun! Other excursions mentioned previously work too. Stonehenge/Bath were a hit as was Hampton Court with it's maze. Enjoy!

elaine

You might want to pick up the useful book &quot;Daytrips London&quot; by Steinbicker. It has basic transport info, info on the destination, and usually a small map of the location.<BR><BR>I have a file on London; if you'd like to see it,email me

Melissa

Thank you, thank you everyone for all the information! I've started making a list of things to see and places to see so that I can start reading up on all of them. I was thinking of trying the Go-Today trip packages. Has anyone ever used them? Their prices seem pretty reasonable. Also, that Paris for a night sounds like a good idea. Thanks again for your help.<BR>Melissa

Jane

My eight year old loves Brighton and it is intersting for grown ups too. You can fun on the pier, a walk along the beach with a visit to the royal pavilion. <BR><BR>Greenwich is also good and much nearer central London. Can get a boat trip down from westminster. Don't miss the national maritime musueum which has a kids gallery and lots of child friendluy exhibits. Good park, royal observatory, prime merdidan and queens house etc.<BR><BR>Thorpe park and Chessington are both theme parks within easy reach of London should you [or your daughter] tire of doing worthy things !<BR><BR>