In this episode, we’re off to London with Travel Mom and CEO of Rent-a-Romper, Lauren Gregor.
Lauren and her family lived in London for 3 years so she has a lot of experience in London with kids.
For more family vacation ideas, check out all the podcast episodes. Adventure Awaits!
Why is London a great place to visit with kids?
London is such a cool city from the history to the architecture.
It’s super convenient. Buses and trains are everywhere and it’s easy to jump on them to get around.
The city is very child friendly even the pubs and restaurants are accommodating for families.
And it’s super close to all of Europe…for example, you can train to Paris in 2 hours.
London is so diverse. You hear so many different languages and there are so many different types of cuisines.
Even though it has a reputation of being rainy, there are tons of great outdoor parks and experiences you can do with kids.
What are your favorite things to do in London with kids?
My kids always enjoyed the London Zoo (the world’s oldest scientific zoo). It’s right in the middle of the city in Regent’s Park so you can go for a few hours or the whole day.
Kew Gardens, the Royal Botanic Gardens, is a huge and fun place to explore. There’s even a Children’s Garden specially designed for kids from 2 to 12 years old.
Any of the markets around the city are great with kids like Borough Market or Portobello Road. It’s fun to explore places like Nothing Hill with the wonderful shops and restaurants.
Just riding the Double Decker Bus in London is an experience.
And now that my sons are older, we can do more historic and educational things like Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London.
What was your most memorable London experience?
One of the best experiences we had with my older son was going to the theater to see Matilda the Musical. The shows in London are just incredible. We went out to lunch before and went to a matinee in one of the old theaters. He was on the edge of his seat the whole show and had so much fun.
Where else did you travel while living there?
It was so easy to get around so we took the kids everywhere…Belgium, Spain, Portugal, France, and Croatia.
I loved Bruges. It is so walkable. There are horse-drawn carriages, amazing food, super friendly people and it’s just beautiful.
One summer, we went to Lake Como and stayed in a little town on the north end called Gravedona. The people were so friendly and excited we had our kids with us.
Croatia was amazing. We stayed in Split. You’re on the coast with beautiful ocean views, the food was incredible and there’s really interesting stuff to see like old castles and forts.
Why do you travel with your kids?
Even though we had kids we wanted to live our lives and have adventures. And for the kids, it was all about them having diverse experiences and being exposed to things different from their day-to-day.
I hope it makes them more open-minded to other people and other cultures and open to trying something new. And it builds confidence in them to take a risk and try new things. Just the idea that the world is larger than where you live.
It can be scary to travel with kids. I remember one trip to Scotland and my youngest just screamed the whole trip there. But you get so much out of which outweighs the difficulties.
Next trip you’re dreaming about?
We are talking about going to Patagonia. It’s always been my dream to go down to Argentina, hike on glaciers, and do a camping and hiking trip. My older son keeps asking about it so I think we’ll definitely do it when they are a bit older.
🇬🇧 🌍 🇬🇧
Thank you for joining us, Lauren, and sharing your family’s London and beyond Adventures!
🇬🇧 🌍 🇬🇧
Learn more about Rent-a-Romper on their website and you can follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
For more family vacation inspiration, tune in to all the podcast episodes. Adventure Awaits!