Family Vacations London: Is it worth it?

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Is a London visit worth it?

London is one of the biggest cities in the world and also one of the most popular destinations for family vacations to enjoy learning on location. But, are family vacations to London worth it? Does the thought of taking your precious family to a daunting city (where they drive on the other side of the road and primarily walk and use mass transit to get around) strike the chord of anxiety and possibly even fear?

 Mama, I totally understand.

It’s hard enough to remember to look in the proper direction before crossing for yourself, but adding in the constant need to keep your child from walking into traffic can be enough to put you off considering family vacations to London no matter how spectacular. After thinking about logistics and cost, you might be inclined to decide on a staycation. 

I’d honestly love for you to put your fear of oncoming traffic and travel budget woes to the side for a minute. I want you to see just a few of the reasons why Family vacations to London are simply the best family travel adventures ever! I’ll even show you how to keep it affordable. Grab your passport! Let’s go!

Dinosaur skeleton hanging in the British Museum of Natural History with text overlay, London with Kids: Free Museums & Parks

London Vacations: Get Ready To Experience It All!

London is the perfect family destination to learn up close all about history. There are so many history museums in the UK (every city or town has its favorite) you can’t help but be drawn to explore your favorite time period.  London has some of the best museums in the world. Guess what. Almost all of them are free! I say almost because I’m sure there will be one private collection that will catch your fancy and you’ll want to splurge. But seriously, there are 23 free museums in London alone spanning science, history, art, military, and even 2 museums dedicated to the history of London itself.   These 23 museums are free for everyone! Read all about London’s free museums and pick your favorites. Here’s a short list of our favorites: Natural History Museum London Science Museum Tower of London & the Crown Jewels (the whole place is a museum!) Madame Tussauds Wax Museum Victoria & Albert Museum Tate Modern Art Museum The British Museum (don’t miss seeing the Rosetta Stone)

Boy walking with mum waving British flag. Kid's London: Secrets for seeing London's castles, royal's and theatre with your kids. Plan your trip with these travel budget hacks.

And…Then there are The Castles…

While most castles and palaces don’t generally offer free admission, many of the gardens and surrounding grounds are gorgeous and free to stroll, picnic, and play in. Perfect after a morning in a museum.  

I know, you really want to get a peek inside a few royal fortresses (there are 400 in England alone!) and there is a way to do it fairly inexpensively if you are able to make the time to visit a few.  The English Heritage Overseas Visitors Pass is all you need. Pick your dates, and the duration of your trip, and go have fun learning at castles. The London For Families City Guide outlines the most popular castles and museums in nine of London’s neighborhoods. So grab your pass, your London City Guide for Families, and don’t forget your passport! The guide has everything else you need to organize your lodging, transportation, and exciting teachable moments.

You might want to add these castles to your list, but here are our favorite palaces, gardens, and historical sites within the city.

  • Buckingham Palace (Don’t miss the changing of the guard.)
  • Hampton Court Palace
  • Hyde Park River Thames – Head to the South Bank via Westminster Bridge so you can get good pictures of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
  • St. Paul’s Cathedral
  • Hampstead Heath
  • Westminster Abbey

Family Vacations London: Seeing the Sights

Getting around London is one of the highlights of most family vacations in London. You’ll want to use an Oyster card or your credit card to pay for riding London’s subway. You can get to all the best places! Waterloo Station, Piccadilly Circus, Notting Hill, and Leicester Square are great options as they provide opportunities to get to the main attractions of those areas.

While London is a big city, its underground and overground transportation systems allow for quick travel with your kids. Young kids are typically free and older kids can get a student discount if they have proof of age. Here are a few more places you will want to add to your list as they are often places to meet for a guided tour, catch a boat ride or enjoy some of the kid-friendly attractions :

  • Trafalgar Square
  • London Eye
  • Borough Market
  • Kensington Gardens
  • Covent Garden

Some of the most popular attractions the whole family will enjoy are:

  • The Harry Potter Studio Tour
  • Street Performers
  • London Zoo
  • London Bridge

With some of the best free things for kids and families to enjoy create the best family vacations in. London is one of the best cities for kid-friendly museums and interactive exhibits. With everything in close proximity, you will want to use a walking tour to enjoy the amazing sites. You don’t always have to take the tube, but it is fun to pop out and see so many historical landmarks immediately.

Close up of Tower Bridge, London with text overlay, 3 London Neighborhoods Big on Fun: The West End, Windsor & Greenwich

Family Vacations: London & Beyond

When considering a London family vacation you will want to ensure you plan ahead to get the best family hotels or London vacation packages as the summer holidays can be quite busy in Central London. Consider a few days in London and then hop on a train to visit more great cities in the UK. It’s a great way to see the differences in regions and explore towns with a small museum that contains unique artifacts. Stratford-Upon-Avon, Oxford, and any of the many great towns and villages around London all have something to offer and provide a great day trip to the country.

If you are wanting to see the capital cities of other countries of the united kingdom, you’ll want to visit:

  • Edinburgh, Scotland with the famous Edinburgh Castle and Royal Mile.
  • Cardiff, Wales, don’t miss Cardiff Castle
  • Belfast, Northern Ireland with the Dunluce Castle and Giant’s Causeway

While Edinburgh & Cardiff are easy train rides, Belfast will require transportation by air or ferry. Each city is a great place to explore and the entire family will enjoy the unique differences found in each place. But one thing each of these places has in common is the family-friendly activities that will appeal to your young children as well as your teens. Most castles and museums have family tours in addition to kid-friendly activities. Pair the castles with nearby royal parks and it is a great choice for your whole family.

Family Vacations: London Memory Makers

Everyone will have so much fun and have memories and souvenirs to bring back home. If you have studied in advance of your trip it’s a great opportunity to let your kids be the tour guide and let them tell you everything they already know about a location. It’s a good way to help learning to stick and make it come alive.

Unit studies and digital activities make greater ways to spend so much time in transit. If your family is coming from New York City it is at least a 8-hour flight. It’s a perfect time to learn about some of the most visited cities in the UK and the massive amount of history in every city or town you visit. Knowing a little (or a lot) about the destination is of the best things you can do for your kids to help make the family trip to London more valuable in terms of education.

You can turn almost any subject into a family travel adventure for your family vacation to London or anywhere else in the world. Choosing your curriculum intentionally and planning your trip around it can be complicated. The How To Turn Any Homeschool Curriculum Into Family Travel Adventure course will help you do it all! If you have curriculum choices, it helps you organize your family itinerary. If you have a destination in mind, the course will show you how to pick the resources to match the destination. With worksheets and videos to help you every step of the way! Grab the course and get started today.

Yes, Family Vacations To London Are Worth It.

image of old double-decker bus on London street with text overlay London for families: the city guide

I’ve gathered everything you need for your family travel adventure to London in the downloadable London For Families City Guide.  This guide will help make your London visit worth it by giving you all the information you need for 9 favorite London neighborhoods.

With these neighborhood-based guides, you’ll save time, money, and energy. Since each guide highlights the most exciting activities for nine of London’s most popular neighborhoods, you can spend more quality time with your family & less time planning.

Homeschool Travel Learn with the Let’s Study Europe bundle

No more cobbling your curriculum together and hoping it works! Everything you need is included in this World Geography complete set!

Overwhelmed Planning Your Family Vacation to London?

Ok, I get it. It’s a big step. If you still aren’t sure how to get started planning for a family trip to London, I’ll help you out. Just sign up for the Ultimate UK Family Trip Planning Challenge.  I’ll walk you through every step from dreaming about London (and all of the UK) to arriving ready to learn on location. You’ll love it! It’s FREE!

Start Planning Your Ultimate London Holiday Now!

image of the Tower Bridge, in London at night with text overlay: How to plan the ultimate UK trip 5-day challenge - subscriber exclusive. Experience Family Vacations London with captivatingcompass.com
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Virtual Museums & Unit Studies Are The Perfect Way Learn About Britain

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