First trip to London and Scotland with two soccer loving boys 9 & 13
 

Trying to plan a trip for first two weeks of July 2019 with my two soccer loving boys ages 9 and 13. Plan to do 4-7 days London with side trips to Chelsea, Manchester, Stonehenge. Then possibly a trip to Edinburgh, depending on time. 14 day total trip. Would love to have itinerary suggestions or must see locations. We are flying from Orlando, Florida, have not booked anything yet as far as plane tix, lodging, rental car, etc. So everything is up for grabs. Only plan is to see all touristy stuff in London and see the two soccer stadiums in Chelsea and Manchester. Any help would be greatly appreciated. First time on forum, so hopefully I did this right...Thanks!

>>side trips to Chelsea, Manchester, Stonehenge.<<

Chelsea is IN London so not a side trip of any sort. Stamford Bridge is less than a 5 minute walk from Fulham Broadway tube station. Stonehenge would require an entire day out of London. Manchester would also require an entire day out of town... You say 4-7 days in London -- there is a huge difference and you need to nail that down first. If it ends up 4 days (which mean 5 nights) you will not have time for anything much IN London if you go to Stonehenge and Manchester. Day 1 will be pretty much a jet lag blur, one day Stonehenge and one day Manchester means you'd have one day for the largest / most site-heavy city in Western Europe - so a total non starter.

Even with 7 full days (8 nights) in London you'd have to be very selective what you see/do in London.

When you say a 14 day 'total trip' . . . if that is home to home you will have just 11.5 free days for seeing/doing. Sooo Why not limit yourselves to JUST Manchester and London. Fly in to MAN and home from LHR (or vice versa). Spend 2 or 3 days (3 or 4 nights) in Manchester and take a day trip into the Peak District or to Chester. Then take the train from Manchester to London, rent a flat for 8 or 9 nights and do a couple of day trips (Stonehenge, Hampton Court Palace, maybe Oxford or Dover Castle)

OR you could fly into to LHR and home from EDI (or again vice versa), Do 7 nights in London w/ the Stonehenge day trip, take the train to Manchester and stay 2 nights, then train to Edinburgh for 3 nights, fly home.

janisj I am so glad you replied. I have read so many of your postes and such great advice, I was looking forward to hearing from you. I am leaning more toward the Manchester and London idea, just because this is a first for all of us and I feel like there is so much to see in London, we don't want to feel like we missed anything. Although I love the idea of doing Plan 2 and hitting Edinburgh, I don't want to feel rushed. My boys tend to like to be more relaxed on vacation then I do. Plane prices seem to be higher for Edinburgh versus London as well. I know Scotland could be its own trip. So you would recommend trains versus renting a car after we leave London? I have read that the tube system is great for getting around London. Any other thoughts on where to stay in London to be central in location. I have heard from friends that airbnb in the area of Covent Garden is good. As I get further in my plans I would love to hear any other thoughts or recommendations. The hubby, kids and I are going to watch some tourist videos this weekend to narrow down where we have to go...other than soccer stadiums. I would like to see some castles, and historical places as well. Keep you posted...thanks again!

except for chelsea which is by tube inside London book long-distance trains ahead of time to score discounted tickets - much cheaper often than full fare at National Rail Enquiries - Official source for UK train times and timetables which represents all of Britain's various independent rail 'franchises' - easy to book your own. If going to Scotland you could take the Caledonian Sleeper trains and maybe be a treat for the kids - https://www.sleeper.scot/ - get a private compartment and brink any drink and food aboard. If just going to Manchester from London take the train - if some days then you could drive via Stonehenge, Cotswolds, Stratford, etc. For lots on British trains check www.seat61.com; BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com. You are not traveling enough on trains to make any railpasses viable but do book tickets as soon as possible.

Both Manchester Premier League teams treat their stadiums as tourist attractions and shrines, and of course gift shops. I'm no kid, but visiting the home of Manchester United was a thrill. Manchester's industry and technology museum is also gearhead heaven.

The best way to get to Manchester is from London Euston using Virgin Trains. The trip is cheaper the earlier you book, so see www.virgintrains.co.uk with a Manchester Piccadilly destination.

Manchester has the National Football Museum and is a must for football mad kids of any age. It's right in the centre and easy to get to. Manchester's centre is very walkable with a lot packed into a reasonable area. See www.nationalfootballmuseum.com

As far as visiting the stadiums(stadia) are concerned, Manchester United is by far the better option of the two. More history and a bigger trophy room. You must book in advance for a tour, so go to https://www.manutd.com/en/visit-old-trafford for all the information that you'll need and for booking.

Apart from football with a short trip, the boys will probably love the Museum of Science and Industry https://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/ It's a riveting place for kids of all ages.

If you'd like any Manchester information on where to stay, eat, sightsee, then please just ask.

>>Plane prices seem to be higher for Edinburgh versus London as well<<

If you do end up with the London and Manchester plan -- definitely look into flying open jaw in to MAN and home from LHR or vice versa. MAN is a major airport and has nonstop flights from the US.

Soccer Scene, Carnaby Street, London | Shopping/Sporting Goods in London | LondonTown.com

Soccer Scene shops are at several central London places and have everything a soccer (football) fan will want in collectibles and wearables - if Carnaby Street means anything to you as it does from popularity in the 60s and 70s with hippies and hip boutiques and stores and music places:

<By the 1960s, Carnaby Street was popular with followers of the mod and hippie styles. Many independent fashion boutiques such as Ariella,[5] and designers such as Mary Quant, Marion Foale and Sally Tuffin,[6] Lord John, Merc, Take Six, and Irvine Sellars had premises in the street and various underground music bars such as the Roaring Twenties opened in the surrounding streets. Bands such as the Small Faces, The Who, and The Rolling Stones appeared in the area to work (at the legendary Marquee Club round the corner in Wardour Street), shop, and socialise, it became one of the coolest destinations associated with 1960's Swinging London.>

While Carnaby St, in my last visit several years ago, not longer seemed to have Swag but is still a pleasant pedestrian shopping street and in centrally located with a branch of Soccer Scene, which you kids of course may love.

I suspect it's a copy & paste article and I doubt the OP is old enough to remember much of the 60's and 70's. Carnaby Street may offer a bit of nostalgia to those who can remember but, then, little actually remains of that era.

For kids there are several excellent websites specifically for touring London with kids, just google. My own suggestions would be the London Museum, the Tower of London, perhaps the V&A Museum of Childhood, the London Transport Museum, Covent Gardens, maybe a boat trip on the Thames that included a visit to the Cutty Sark and a trip out to Hampton Court Palace. There's much more but that's a start. Excellent idea to let them see what their options are and choose according to their interests. One thing I did with family last summer in London was a RIB trip on the Thames. This is not for everyone but we thought it it was fun. Fast speed boat trip down the Thames, very exciting with a bit of commentary on the sights. Another idea is to have a look at London Walks as they are very good and have several walks that your boys may enjoy.

And how many decades has it been since you've seen Carnaby Street?>

8 years ago - why do you ask? The info I gave is still good and yes I did cut and paste from wiki which I thought that the > and< implied that but meant to attribute that to Wiki.

Janis - what is wrong with mentioning such a historic street and one that has a store that kids may like - and maybe more variety of goods from other teams, etc. I understand your high dudgeon to criticize me but criticize when I say something incorrect,etc. Cheers!

And one place that kids that age may really enjoy is the London Dungeon - said to be amongst the very top London paying tourist attractions. May be nice relieve from traditional sightseeing:

https://www.google.com/search?q=LOND...w=1280&bih=625

And, yes janis (who always becomes apoplectic when I even mention the London Dungeon), I have not been in the London Dungeon for decades when I took m,y 9-yr-old and he really liked it - now it's better than ever from what Trip Advisor says and gets great ratings there too:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...n_England.html

You seldom post things that might relate to a specific OP - just what you think to google or copying from other Fodorites and other websites. The OPs family is going TO Manchester United and TO Chelsea. The holy grails in other words. You must have missed that part. That means they don't need waste time reliving YOUR memories from the 60's on C. Street and visiting some sports store.

London dungeon? . . . 'Nuff said.

Soccer Scene seems to have gone out of business and has been taken over by someone called Lovell Soccer which appears to be online only. I'm a football fan here in the UK and had never heard of Soccer Scene or Lovell.

As janis suggests, buy replica kits from the shops at the grounds that you visit. Manchester United's Megastore also has an online presence too.

"8 years ago - why do you ask? The info I gave is still good and yes I did cut and paste from wiki which I thought that the > and< implied that but meant to attribute that to Wiki.
Janis - what is wrong with mentioning such a historic street and one that has a store that kids may like - and maybe more variety of goods from other teams, etc. "

This store seems to have closed years ago.

Carnaby Street is now a run-of-the-mill shopping street.

An open-jaw itinerary that goes from Orlando into Manchester and returns from London (MCO is served mainly from Gatwick) won't cost much more (if anything - might be less) than a round trip into London, and it would simplify things a lot. Both Thomas Cook (a leisure discount airline, probably flying under Condor livery) and Virgin Atlantic fly nonstop MCO-MAN and LGW-MCO. In fact, try this out as an imaginary plan:

Fly into MAN. You'd probably arrive in the early morning after an overnight flight. Check into a hotel in the central part of the city (or at least drop bags if your room(s) aren't available yet.) Visit the National Football Museum and Old Trafford, then spend the first night in the city, just to get your body clocks straight. The next morning, take the train from Manchester Victoria Station (a block from the football museum) to York. The trip takes an hour and will cost around £20 per person, maybe a bit less; there are trains every half hour or so.

Spend a day (or two) in York, visiting the Minster, Shambles, maybe the Viking Centre, and especially the National Railway Museum, one of the best locations for kids (and their parents) in the country. Walk around the city walls.

Then take the train to London for the rest of the trip, and fly home from Gatwick.

This would put London at the end, rather then the beginning, of your trip. This might be of real benefit, as you'll be able to deal with the enormity of the metropolis after you've overcome jetlag in quieter surroundings, and you'll know which way to look before stepping into the street. :horror:

London dungeon? . . . 'Nuff said.> You said nothing about what to most kids that age would be a neat diversion from rigors of sightseeing. Why do you think it gets great reviews on TripAdvisor and is one of the top sights in London? You don't think that that may not be neat for tweens?

Just doing England now
 

So we have decided just to explore England and skip Scotland for another time. Should I start a new thread? We are planning to fly into either Manchester or London and fly home from the opposite. Plan to spend 2-3 days in Manchester. 7 days in London and then try to do day trips to Stonehenge, Cotswold, etc. We have a total of 13 days of non travel time.

With 13 day on the ground I'd do your 2-3 days in Manchester, a couple of days in North Wales (crazy good castles, mountain/coastal scenery), 2 days in The Cotswolds and finish up in London.

Collect car when leaving Manchester, drive to Wales, then down to somewhere in the Cotswolds (Burford or Chipping Campden or similar), when leaving the Cotswolds, drive via Stonehenge then up to Heathrow, drop the car and take public transport into the city.

Or the whole thing could be done in Reverse London, then get car out at LHR, drive to the Cotswolds via Stonehenge, North Wales, Manchester (drop car at MAN and travel into the city by train

This may have already been mentioned, didn't have time to read entire thread. Twice we've included London in our travels and both times it was quite a bit cheaper (taxes) to fly into London than out of it. Check the open jaw both directions to see if that's still the case.

Places to stay
 

Any suggestions for places to stay in London and Manchester for families, central location to tube. Moderate price.?

Moderate price could mean anything. What is the actual £ or $ (preferably £) budget per night . . .

Manchester doesn't have a tube, but we do have an excellent tram service and a free bus that circulates the centre. That centre is also very walkable in good weather so I wouldn't worry too much about location and access to sights, restaurants, attractions etc. As I said in my earlier post, let us know what you like in terms of sights, food etc.

It's flying out of the UK in general that influences the taxes. The taxes are the same whether you fly out of London or Manchester or Leeds. You'll benefit from cheaper taxes if you fly out of another country but as this isn't going to be the case with the OP they are going to pay the same tax irrespective of which English airport they fly out of.

In Manchester the only must see sights(as far as my boys are concerned) are Manchester United stadium and Manchester city stadium. Mom is up for other beautiful things in the area.

Moderate price I mean around £ 208 a night. Was thinking of staying in Covent garden, but we are up for any good locations that are easily accessible to the tube and fun for the kids.

£200-ish will be tough for a Covent Garden hotel unless you stay at the Travelodge or Premier Inn Hub - and even those will be date specific. But you should be able to find a flat in that range via booking.com , vrbo, homeaway, or airbnb.

Covent Garden is a nice base for lots of neat sights but the area is very touristic - lacking the real neighborhood feeling you get with so many other venues in London that are not right in the central historic core that is dominated by tourist shops.

What are you calling the 'Historic core'?? Staying out is the 'burbs' is not usually that great an idea. One is not moving in to a neighborhood, one is a visitor i.e. tourist. Being as central as possible (Covent Garden, South Kensington, Russell Square, Victoria, St James's, Belgravia, Fitzrovia, etc. . . . which are all also 'neighborhoods' ) makes touring the city so much easier than staying out beyond Zone 1.

Covent Garden is certainly not dominated by 'tourist shops'.

My soccer nut son insisted on taking his ball when we travelled through Europe (deflated on the plane) and it turned out to be the best thing. Being young and active, it meant that he could always have something to kick around and occasionally met other kids to play with. Both kids bought another soccer ball (each!) in Paris, and that was their Paris souvenir. Thankfully, they bought smaller balls, not full size.

Speaking of Covent Garden, the kids may really like the London Transport Museum with all kinds of hands-on stuff -old trams and buses, etc.

https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/visit?gcl...xoCjK4QAvD_BwE

You can enter the souvenir shop free to buy posters - models of buses, calendars, etc.

The National Football Museum in Manchester is easy to get to. It's in the city just behind the Cathedral and Chetham's School and is also close to good shopping in the Arndale Centre. There are lots of fast food place in the area for the kids.

I can't comment on the Manchester City stadium tour, as I'm a United fan, but coincidentally did do a very good tour at United's ground two weeks ago. You need to book in advance at https://www.eticketing.co.uk/muticke...s?preFilter=32

You can choose the type of tour you want. Close to Old Trafford is the Lowry Centre, outlet shopping, food and the Lowry Theatre and gallery. It's a 10 minute walk across the bridge.