London, Amsterdam and Paris
 

Iam planning to travel with my family (kid 9years old) to London on the 2nd of April staying only for 3 nights, then travel to Amsterdam for 3 nights and then go to Paris and stay for 5 nights. Then back to London and stay for another 3 nights. Would like to go to an amusement park in London and Paris. While the rest of the trip for sightseeing. Any suggestions?

Why not London, Paris, Amsterdam, and then home? You are wasting a day backtracking.

The <i>jardin d'acclimatation</i> in the Bois de Boulogne

http://www.jardindacclimatation.fr/p...ariotti_16.pdf

Try the site after this holiday season.

DS and I have been to Thorpe twice, from London. Kind of nice, but not worth the excursion imo, nor the money.

In France: Parc Asterix!

Agree with AJPeabody on the route. I can't advise on amusement parks.

Euro Disney is just a short RER/metro ride from Paris - Asterix though not nearly up to Disney fun is more a European themed park - will it be open in April. London has Harry Potter World not far out and also Legoland near Winidsor and a flock of others:

http://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/t...on/theme-parks

As for transportation - You can take a nice train-boat-train combo from London to Amsterdam (boat from Harwich to Hook of Holland) - kid may really like or take Eurostar train to Brussels and connect with trains to Amsterdam.

Paris-Amsterdam or v.v. is on Thalys trains (www.thalys.com) with deep discounts available for very early bookers - ditto with Eurostar trains via the Channel Rail Tunnel - www.eurostar.com.

For lots of good stuff on trains in general check www.seat61.com - great info on discounted tickets; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

Take your child to NEMO in Amsterdam. There is also a good zoo, and the maritime museum.

I agree it is a shame you are back tracking, but if you already have you tickets the that is how it has to be.
You could always try and get a cheap flight straight out of London to Amsterdam (or Paris) on arrival and so put all the London time at the end.

I would definitely not waste time backtracking--consider an open jaw or multi-city flight into London and out of Amsterdam; take the Eurostar between London and Paris, and then Thalys train from Paris to Amsterdam, or other routes as suggested above.

I don't know of an amusement park in London itself. Perhaps the Warner Brothers Harry Potter studio thing (easy trip from London) would be of interest? There is, as noted above, also Legoland near Windsor. I also wonder if the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Warwick Castle might be of interest?

Disneyland Paris is not far from central Paris and is accessible on the RER. You might get some useful information on Disneyland Paris on the dedicated forum for same over on Trip Advisor. If I had to choose, I'd pick Parc Asterix because it's not Disney, but then I am not your 9 year old child, and have never been to either.

Parc asterix seems to appeal more to kids who like thrill rides,,,Disney is more about Disney experince..with rides. Most North American kids do not know the Asterix stories etc so dont get the theme of parc Asterix.

My 14 yr old loved Thorpe Parc, he is very into daring thrill rides though.

There is Legoland at Windsor. Maybe that will appeal more to a nine year old.

http://www.legoland.co.uk/

I'd echo Legoland near Windsor and the HArry Potter Studio tour, especially if teh nine year old is 'into' Harry Potter.

http://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry-to-holland

Can do London to Amsterdam by boat and train for as low as 49 pounds- takes about 9 hours all told with about 5.5 hours on the boat which has lots of entertainments aboard - kind of like a cruise ship - restaurants, bars - kiddo can run around the deck - muchmore adventure than a train perhaps.

You can buy Asterix & Obelix comic books online to give your kids a taste of it. If they like it you can take them to the park. Otherwise, Paris Disney. All kids go bonkers for that stuff. Can't go wrong.

My then about 9-yr old son loved Aqua Boulevard in the center of Paris - in case weather is funky in April - not at all unusual - maybe this indoor water park would work? In vicinity of Tour Eiffel I think.

https://www.google.com/search?q=aqua...HVJgAycQsAQIKw