Tour of England with Travel Mom Kristy

Join us as Travel Mom Kristy takes us on a tour of England. She, her husband, and 3 kids (4, 6, and 10) spent 2 weeks enjoying so much of what the country and its capital, London, have to offer.

Want more London ideas? Check out KeeKee’s London page for our Top Things to Do, Insider Tips, and KeeKee’s Kids Guide to London.

And for more family vacation inspiration, check out all the podcast episodes. Adventure Awaits!

How long was your tour of England?

We toured around England with another family for 2 weeks in August. Our main stops were London, Bath, the Cotswolds, and Bournemouth, and we also stopped at places like Stonehenge in between. We stayed 2-3 nights at each stop, from Airbnbs to hotels.

What made you pick these places?

We wanted a variety of experiences, so this itinerary gave us the big city, a little city, the country, and the beach all within 2 weeks.

As a busy New York City family, we also wanted a slower pace on vacation. We wanted to soak in the culture and the places rather than do 20 things on a list.

We wanted to road trip but not spend tons of time in the car, so each stop was only about 2 to 2.5 hours apart.

What was the BEST part of the trip for you?

I really enjoyed the slow pace and the diversity of experiences on our tour of England. It all worked.

London was a great experience. It was super unplanned and organic. We had a direction, like the London Eye tickets we booked in advance, but we didn’t have a set schedule.

And England has the best parks and playgrounds (with adult areas to relax and enjoy a drink if you’d like).

I really enjoyed spending time with my family. Renting homes allowed us to make dinners, sit around, and play games or take walks at night.

What was the BEST part of the trip for the family?

This was the first time we’ve taken a big-city vacation as a family, since we’ve usually done the beach, but the kids are all the age now that we could do it.  We wanted a trip where we could do more culture and history, and it really worked out.

England was great for everyone. They speak English; there are lots of food options everywhere for the kids; public transportation is great (hop on the bus or subway); and there are tons of things for kids to see, from architecture like Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. It’s a new, exciting environment for kids.

The London Eye was fun for everyone. Pre-buy your tickets!

What was the BEST part of the trip for your kids?

Harry Potter! We went to the big exhibit. We took a bus and train to get there (about a 1.5-hour journey). The kids loved it. You could go through in an hour or go super deep over days.

And ice cream like Salted Toffee flavor. They had ice cream every day.

Best Place You Took the Kids and Why

Bath is a great little Roman town. There’s so much to do, but we just wound up walking around and had a picnic in the park. We went to Mr. B’s Book Emporium… it has awesome nooks and reading rooms. The staff were super helpful and took the time to get to know my kids and help them pick out books based on their likes. Now they want to go into bookstores when we travel!!

Bournemouth, on the Southern Coast. It was not the rustic village I had expected. It’s like the Coney Island of England with a boardwalk and pier. But it turned out to be just what we needed for the end of the trip. It was perfect for the kids to do kid stuff… we played mini-golf, went zip-lining, and there was an airshow. We just had fun playing.

Top Tips and Advice

• I tend to overplan. I had 100 different places to go to. I do a ton of research. Then, when we get there, we have options and say, what do we feel like doing today?
• We didn’t see everything everywhere, and that’s okay. Now we have lots of places to visit.
• Pre-buy tickets for key attractions you want to see, like the Tower of London, London Eye, and Stonehenge, which was a great stop between London and Bath.

Why do you travel with your kids?

The first few times we traveled with kids, it was hard when they were little. It felt like work. It’s much different than all the traveling we did when we were without kids or even our around-the-world trip with our 7-month-old son. So in the last few years, we did more beach-type vacations like Jamaica. And there are still lots of adventures to be had.

Now we’ve transitioned into a new phase… we can go further, don’t have to overpack, and the kids can adapt their sleep.

You don’t need much time or money to have an adventure with the family. For the holidays, we’ve told family to get us memberships to museums around NYC instead of toys. For us, it’s so much a part of how we spend time together as a family.

It all opens your minds to different cultures, art, and more.

Next trip you’re planning or dreaming about?

Italy is high on our list, as there are so many things to do and see there. And Paris. The kids have been learning French and love crepes.

Thank you for joining us, Kristy!

Kristy Wallace is the CEO of Ellevate Network, a community of professional women committed to helping each other succeed. They use the power of community, in-person and online, to help you take the next step in your career. It’s where you can meet a mentor or sponsor, get inspiration from other women, and make connections that last.

You can follow Kristy on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You can also follow Ellevate Network on Twitter and LinkedIn.

🇬🇧 For more on London, visit the London section of the website and get your signed copy of KeeKee’s Big Adventures in London, England.