London has become a popular family vacation destination.  There is an abundance of fun things to see and do in this grand and historical city  We decided it was time to take our kids (ages 9 and 11) to see London so they wouldn’t feel like they were the only kids in their school not to have traveled to Europe.  It is not easy keeping up with the Trumps!

My wife and I have been in the travel business for many years and we have visited London several times before, but we knew that this vacation would be different.  We were truly excited about combining a little history with the fun of traveling together as a family.  

Right now, Europe is very expensive for visitors from the U.S. due to the value of the dollar.  We wanted to make sure we got the most bang for our bucks (or pounds).  We decided to spend six nights in London, with at least one daytrip to the countryside.  We seriously considered staying at a castle or inn overnight, but we didn’t want to move ourselves and our luggage that frequently.  

We were able to get a good deal on Air New Zealand from Los Angeles to London.  Deals change on a daily basis, but we saved $2,500 per business class flat sleeper seat compared to Virgin, British or American Airlines.  The flights originate in New Zealand and some people get off in Los Angeles, occasionally allowing super deals for those boarding in L.A.  

It is eight hours later in London than it is in Los Angeles where we live.  This can cause some severe jet lag.  There are lots of theories on how to battle the jet lag from sleeping pills on the plane to staying up and continuous eating on the first day in London.  I was concerned because I had a business dinner scheduled for our first evening.  Although we are not big into taking medications that are not really needed, I decided to take an Ambien sleeping pill suggested by my doctor.  I was able to get five hours of good sleep on the plane, and I felt just great.  My wife didn’t take a pill, but she was able to tough it out until about 10 PM.  Our kids slept for a few hours, but they were surprisingly awake until about 8 PM.   We only planned on a flexible double-decker bus tour on for our first day because we wanted to avoid that initial “daze” many visitors from the U.S. complain about.  

For transferring to our hotel from the airport, we had a private car reserved which cost us about US $130.  This was just a little more money than a taxi.  We also looked at the Heathrow Express train to central London at about $80 (for the family), but the taxi from the train station to the hotel would have eaten up much of the savings.   

We spent six fabulous nights at The Goring Hotel; a luxury hotel with just 73 rooms adjacent to Buckingham Palace.  It has been run by the Goring family since 1910.  We LOVED this place!  As we say in the business, the hardware was good, but the software was the best.  The General Manager came out to the curb to greet us.  At that point, he did not even know that we were the owners of CRUISE and RESORT.  The lobby is welcoming.  Everybody smiles and says hello.  The doormen and concierges have been there for decades.  The food in their famous Goring Restaurant was the best we had in London.  Tip:  enjoy lunch on their new terrace overlooking their garden.  These are the hottest reservations in town right now, and we can make them for you along with your room reservation.   

To get around London, we purchased one-week passes on the tube, London’s famous subway system.  We only needed tickets (called Oyster Cards) for my wife and me, as the children (11 and under) ride free.  We spent about 20 pounds on the Oyster Cards, saving us at least 80 pounds over what it would have cost if we purchased tickets for each ride.  The Underground is quite easy to navigate and is quick and fun.  Our kids couldn’t get enough.    

We purchased in advance tickets for the double-decker Big Bus Tour which allows you to hop-on and hop-off at the various tourist attractions.  We did this tour right after we unpacked at our hotel.  This 24-hour pass allowed us to identify the places we wanted to visit again later in our stay.  Just riding on the double-decker was a thrill for the kids!  The narration onboard with detailed information about what we were looking at, along with tidbits about the city’s history, was way more interesting than we had anticipated.  

We visited key attractions including The Tower of London and London Eye (giant Ferris wheel).  We had a terrific Beefeater guide at The Tower of London; no extra cost for the tour and it makes the visit much more enjoyable.  The London Eye was an experience not to be missed.  The slow-moving ride takes about a half hour, but provides amazing views of the London skyline.  For just a few dollars more, you can include a river boat ride on the Thames departing from the same location.  It lasts about another half hour, but was another highlight of our trip.

We sweltered in the sun attempting to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.  There were so many people making it difficult to see anything, especially for our children.  I guess it is something that all tourists should do, but it was our least favorite attraction.  

Of course, we made a visit to Harrods department store.  It is big and impressive, but with the dollar so weak, we really didn’t want to do any shopping.  The food halls are nice, but the fudge we purchased was not very good.  We also enjoyed a small pizza which served as an appetizer before we went out to dinner.  The cost for our appetizer was over 38 GBP, or $76 U.S.  It was good pizza, but not THAT good.  

We wanted to take our children to the famous London theatre.  We use a terrific ticket supplier for our clients.  He was able to get us hard-to-get Mary Poppins tickets at the Prince Edward Theatre.  We purchased the tickets ahead of time in U.S. dollars; saving us half what we would have paid in London!  As a bonus, our ticket company only charges an $8 fee, and our tickets were in the fourth row.  The play was spectacular.  We all hated to see it end.  The acting was top-rate and the songs were excellent.  Being in the fourth row enabled us to see even the smallest facial expressions.  We all agreed that this was our best night in London.  

On our fifth day in London, we took a 40-minute train ride to Hampton Court.  The human maze at the property was fun for all of us, and the journey gave us a small taste of the British Countryside.  It is usually quite easy to take trains around England.  Still, you have to be prepared for a few inconveniences.  Our return train to central London was called back after a fire in a switching station.  Bus rides to different train stations, cancellations of trains, changes of platforms and much more contributed to a three-hour delay getting back to our hotel.  At some point, you just have to roll with it!  

Our intentions were to visit the Science Museum with their kid-friendly exhibits, Madam Tussaud’s wax museum, the London Zoo, and the London Dungeon.  Unfortunately, we ran out of time before we could do everything we wanted.  

In addition to all our tourist visits, we also took our professional roles seriously and visited some of the other top London hotels we book for our clients.  We had tea at The Dorchester.  If you prefer the larger hotels, it would be hard to go wrong at this landmark property.  We also visited Claridge’s, the Connaught, The Capital, 51 Buckingham Gate, Baglioni, the Lanesborough, Mandarin Oriental, and the Sherlock Holmes hotels.  Each has wonderful qualities that make them unique and special.  

We had fine dining experiences in several places.  We also had dinner one night at a casual chain restaurant called Wagamamas (http://www.wagamama.com).  It is sort of a Japanese noodle house with excellent food and a fun atmosphere.  I have several food allergies, and the people at Wagamamas knew which broths contained which ingredients and were happy to make custom changes if necessary.  

Ultimately, six nights in London did not seem enough.  The best vacations are those that leave you longing for more.  Our London trip easily fit into that category!