I am trying to decide where else besides London we should visit. <BR> <BR>We will be a family of 4 (kids ages 8 and 6). <BR>I have been to England before and visited London, Windsor, Oxford and Stratford-on-avon <BR>but no one else has ever been to England <BR> <BR>We will have 2 weeks not including traveling time. <BR> <BR>I would like to see some of the countryside it's seems beautiful in pictures <BR> <BR>Thanks <BR>

We just got back from two weeks in Great Britain with our children, 12 and 8. The 8 year old liked Bath (the Roman Baths), Warwick Castle, National Railway Museum in York, and Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh the best. <BR> <BR>We stayed in Bath for four days and took day trips to Cardiff (the castle and the Musuem of Welsh Life) and Salisbury (cathedral and Stonehenge). The cathedral was a hit as was the castle in Cardiff. We spent 4 days in London and went to Warwick as a day trip out of London and thoroughly enjoyed it. We then went to York for two days and the kids liked the cathedral (walked to the top), the castle ruins, the castle museum, walking the walls, and the National Railway Museum. We stayed in a wonderful B&B in York, the Four Seasons Hotel, that had a great family room with one double and two twin beds. We then went to Edinburgh for two nights and went to Edinburgh Castle, St. Giles Cathedral, Holyrood Palace, Gladstone's Land, and Dynamic Earth. Once again, I highly recommend the Castle View Guest House because our room (the Burns Room) was large and comfortable with a view of the castle. We then went back to London for two nights. <BR> <BR>In London don't miss the Science Museum, The Natural History Museume, Tower of London, Hamley's (large toy store), and go see some plays. Starlight Express is particularly good for the kids. We saw that when my kids were 6 and 10 and they loved it. We saw Les Mis and Mamma Mia this time and they enjoyed those too. <BR> <BR>Have fun. I can't wait to go back.

Kitty, thanks for the info. <BR> <BR>Which Four Seasons did you stay at? There are 2 in London. <BR>Can you also give me names and info on the other places you stayed? <BR> <BR>How did you travel around from place to place and did you fly into and out of London? <BR> <BR>Thanks again <BR>

There are probably as many responses to your question as there are regular posters on this board. Personally, I'd highly recommend you go to York, with a stop in Lincoln on the way. Both are fascinating. I also love the Yorkshire Dales, but they may not be as much fun for your kids.

With two weeks, I'd take a train to York (2 hrs), see the sights, spend the night then go on to Edinburgh (2 hrs). The kids would probably really enjoy the contrast of architecture, people, dialect, food, etc. Edinburgh Castle is older than Windsor and you can tour it at your leisure--don't miss the dog cemetary on grounds or the Stone of Scone that England just returned. Read them the story of Grayfrier's Bobby before you go, take them to the statue just off the Royal Mile then into the grave yard where he rests (along with his master). Lots of wonderful things to do for kids in Edinburgh. <BR> <BR>Also, for a "modern day" just-for-fun thing, how about a day in Legoland just outside of Windsor? <BR> <BR>Have a great trip!

If you want countryside I'd go for Dorset, lots of picturesque villages, thatched cottages etc. Try somewhere like Cerne Abbas. Winchester is well worth a visit, beautiful cathedral and King Arthur's Round Table (or A round table anyway). If you can manage it Cornwall is very picturesque, but very crowded at the height of the season.

Hi, <BR> <BR>We flew into Gatwick and traveled by train to Bath for the first four days. We purchased the Classic Britrail Pass for 15 days. Since the kids traveled free by us specifying family pass it cost us $800. The benefit is we never had to stand in lines and purchase tickets and just climbed off and on trains whenever we liked. Very beneficial and my husband particularly loved it for its ease of use. I had figured out the train schedules before we left and created out our itenerary based on train times. <BR> <BR>We stayed in the Dorian House in Bath. This was a beautiful 5 star B&B with lovely furnishings and great breakfasts. The only downside is that it is an uphill climb from the city for about 10-15 minutes. Your youngest might have trouble with this. The room was not very large because it was in the eaves of the house and in sections of the room you have to bend over and can't stand up. However, the views walking into and out of the main city area was gorgeous and awed us each day. <BR> <BR>In London the first 4 days we stayed in the Comfort Inn Hyde Park in a three bedroom apartment (reserved 2 bedrooms but received 3). While we had a full apartment with lots of space and a very big bathroom, we didn't use the kitchen at all, the washer/dryer combo was a major pain for laundry, and we heard the people above us walking early in the morning and late at night. Otherwise it was clean and nice to spread out. <BR> <BR>In York we stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel (not London) which is a small B&B. This was our favorite for location (5-10 minute flat walk into the walled gate near the cathedral), nicest owners, good size room with pretty decor, and basic hominess. This was a 4 star B&B. <BR> <BR>In Edinburth we stayed at the Castle View Guest house. This is a B&B on the 4th and 5th floors of a downtown building. There is no elevator but we had no problem with that. This was the biggest room in a B&B that we had (Burns Room) and loved sitting in the window seat and enjoying the view of Edinburgh Castle. Location was nice and there is a TGI Friday's next door which the kids enjoyed (chicken fingers, yeah!). This also was a 4 star B&B. <BR> <BR>Back in London we stayed at the Thistle Marble Arch. While we had reserved a quad Executive room we actually received two adjoining Executive rooms with a door connecting the two. We had a king size bed and the kids had twins. Our rooms were comparable to a nice Hyatt in the States with lots of room, great showers like home, and very, very comfortable. This is a very large hotel but we never crowds at all. <BR> <BR>All of these hotels/B&B's were very quiet except the Comfort Inn Hyde Park. We never heard street noise or neighbors and would Highly recommend any. The Comfort Inn we would modestly recommend just based on the noise level. <BR> <BR>Good luck.

<BR> <BR>When did you find time to *sleep*? <BR>

Well, sleep was easy considering there wasn't much for a family with two kids to do at night. Since my kids were having severe cable tv withdrawal (no Nickelodeon, Disney, or Cartoon Network in our B&Bs and hotel.) my daughter got addicted to Eastenders and other such soaps while my husband and son got hooked on cricket. We also played cards in the room at night but otherwise we did do a lot of sleeping. Just having 4 channels on the tv made for interesting tv viewing. <BR> <BR>However, we did stay out late two nights in London to go to play, Mamma Mia and Les Mis. We all enjoyed them but, unfortunately, didn't get back to our hotel until 11:30. Sleep those nights were somewhat compromised.

We loved Bath and the surrounding area. We stayed at a great B&B just outside of Bath proper in Bathford. We had a beautiful view of Bath from our room and the owners are wonderful! Eagle House is a 250 year old Georgian mansion designed by John Wood the Elder and is a great location - very easy to stay here and do day trips to so many places! Wales, Portsmouth, Warwick Castle, Stonehenge and Avebury - you also don't have to deal with the horrendous traffic in Bath during the high season!! A real bonus! As for what to see, we really enjoyed Caerphilly Castle in Wales, we were warned off of Stonehenge by many people and books, but found it to be quite accessible and definitely worth the stop on one of our day trips farther north. Avebury is a great stop! It is home to a huge stone circle that encompasses much of the village and you can walk right into and through it. The kids will love Warwick Castle - a great place to explore. <BR>If you're spending any time in London, I recommend a day's visit to Greenwich, just across the river - home to the prime meridian, the Royal Observatory, and the original Cutty Sark. Beautiful walking - interesting things to see and do for all ages and easily accessible from London by boat or take the train and then walk under the Thames by tunnel!

We go to England every couple of years or so, and love many different areas. When our daughter was younger, she really enjoyed the villages and countryside of Devon. Suffolk is also lovely, and is easy to reach from London. My personal favorite is the Cotswolds. There's plenty to do with children. <BR> <BR>

As did Jay, we stayed at the Eagle House outside Bath recently, and found it to be a wonderful B and B. The owners were incredibly hospitable and knowledgeable about the area and the rooms were large and comfortable. It is a great base for exploring all the areas around Bath. We went to evensong at Wells Cathedral on a Sunday afternoon and found it to be a highlight of our trip. (Enjoyed the boys and mens choir better than at St. Paul's in London.) Glaustonbury Abbey is intersting because King Arthur, as well as the Virgin Mary, are supposed to have been buried there at one time. <BR> <BR>We always stay a couple of nights in Stow-in-the-Wold in the Cotswolds. It is a great base for exploring all to see there ----- Stratford is a tourist trap -- but Warwick Castle, Blenheim Palace, and some of the roman ruins and villas around Cirencester are very interesting. And we always spend a lot of time in the pubs in small towns. Getting to know some of the local people makes the trip for us. And we have never had problems taking kids into them in the country. <BR> <BR>If you will be in London in August, get tickets to Buckingham Palace. I have yet to see it, but everyone I know who has seen it says it is far superior to any other palace open to the public and well worth seeing. If not, Windor is good for the family.

If you're interested in checking out Eagle House in Bathford, you can check their website at <BR> <BR>www.eaglehouse.co.uk <BR> <BR>Owner is John Napier

Thanks everyone for your input. <BR> <BR>Danella, would you like to share anymore info on the Cotswold? <BR> <BR>Kitty, thanks for answering my question on lodging. <BR> <BR>Shelley would you like to share your info on the pubs in the countryside that you went to with kids? <BR> <BR>Thanks again everyone. <BR> <BR>

traveling 1 adult /4 kids for month of august in ireland, wales, & circa london -- looking for castle lodgings -- any recommendations other than ruthin and brecon-- also one of my ancestors was the lord of the dolorous castle (not sure of spelling)of arthurian legend -- read something not long ago that said it still existed and was in good condiotion but cannot find it now-- i would speculate it should be near glastonbury or tintagel (cornwall)

I'd reccomend a quick trip to Scotland! great scenery, people history. awesome. Cheap flights and good train service north!

Jo, <BR> <BR>Wow...you've gotten a lot of good responses. Here's my "two pence" worth: <BR> <BR>Reserve enough time to see London AND include some day trips that can best be taken from the city--places like Windsor/Eton, Hampton Court, Greenwich, etc. Each is within 30 minutes of downtown London by train (boat, tube, or light rail for Greenwich). Suggest 5-7 days in London if you include several day trips. <BR> <BR>For the remainder of the trip, I have a couple of suggestions. The first is to focus your trip on one region, rather than try and see many different areas in a travel marathon. Renting a car is probably the best way to go, but I would suggest that rent the car outside of London--driving in the city is a real hassle. <BR> <BR>The Bath-Cotswolds-Warwick-Oxford region includes many wonderful places. Bath is a great small city, very walkable, and your kids will probably enjoy parts of it (the Roman Baths exhibition comes to mind). The Cotswolds are chock-full of quaint villages and lovely countryside. Just how much "quaint and lovely" your children will enjoy is something to consider. That's a good reason to intersperse destinations like Warwick Castle that they WILL enjoy. <BR> <BR>My kids were 7 and 11 when we visited this area--they loved Warwick, they liked hiking through the rural footpaths, and they tolerated their parents' desire to visit lots of Cotswolds villages. Also in this general vicintity, we visited Blenheim Palace, and the Rollright Stones (a stone circle) near Oxford. Our kids toured Blenheim like troopers, but they really enjoyed the play areas, mini-train ride, and butterfly exhibit that are on the palace grounds. The obscure Rollright Stones were an adventure for the whole family...sort of Stonehenge on a small scale without the tourist hoards. <BR> <BR>Another area you may want to consider is Cumbria--the Lake District. Lots to do for active families: hiking the beautiful hills, boating, visiting Beatrix Potter's farm, etc. <BR> <BR>Hope this gives you some ideas. Feel free to email me if you have questions. <BR> <BR>Dave White <BR>http://www.KidsToLondon.com <BR>[email protected] <BR> <BR>

Jo, <BR>I replied to your email address about pubs with kids, but haven't heard from you so don't know if you received the message. Therefore, I am copying it here in hopes that this will reach you. <BR>s <BR> <BR>This summer is the first time we have had kids along in England, <BR>although we have been there twice before. We were with my sister's <BR>kids, ages 12 and 15. We had heard that some pubs were not kid <BR>friendly, but we never had a problem. We always asked at the bar if we <BR>could bring the kids in, and never were told "no". Our favorite pub <BR>was The Crown Inn in Bathford, down the hill from the Eagle House, <BR>outside of Bath, which I mentioned on the Fodor's site. The food was <BR>very good and they had quite a variety of offerings. Many side dishes <BR>came with the food -- potatoes, broccoli, carrots, etc. And the garlic <BR>bread was fabulous. Also, they had a lovely patio with tables and <BR>chairs. <BR> <BR>Outside of Salisbury, we stayed and ate at the Woodfalls Inn. They were <BR>very accommodating to our group and the seafood was very good. In <BR>addition, my nephew had a Knickerbocker Glory, which we were told was <BR>like an Eton Mess. Still confused? It is cake, pudding and fruit, <BR>with whipped cream. Nummy! <BR> <BR>In Stow-on-the-Wold we ate at two different pubs. The Unicorn Hotel has <BR>excellent seafood in their pub, but the offerings are a bit limited. We <BR>have eaten there all three times we visited England and have never had <BR>a bad meal. It can get a bit smoky, however. We also ate at the Eagle <BR>and Child ---- voted one of the 10 best pubs in England. Very good <BR>food, again. I had a smoked chicken caeser salad, my nephew had one of <BR>the best rib eye steaks we have ever tasted. Someone had salmon. Not <BR>as many side dishes here, but everything was great. <BR> <BR>In Woodstock we ate at The Vickers. They had quite an extensive menu <BR>and were very accommodating to our group, as well. The fish and chips <BR>and mushy peas were good, as were the bangers and mash. This was the <BR>pub where we tried traditional English food. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps a bit. Please let me know if I can answer any other <BR>questions for you.

Re the Cerne Abbas suggestion - if it takes your fancy, you should research it a bit, depending on how broad minded you are and what you want your kids to see!

Thanks everyone <BR> <BR>for the wonderful suggestions. <BR> <BR>