Travel Guide: London with Twin Toddlers
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This past September, Nick and I took our almost 2 year old twins with us to Europe on a 2 week vacation!
Keep reading to see our kid-friendly itinerary and things we want to do when we go back, plus what we would do differently if we re-lived our trip.
Show Me Your Mumu Trevor Trench | Lioness Trousers | Gap Tank | Sam Edelman Laguna Waterproof Lug Boots | MZ Wallace Metro Sling
Bonobos Geo Cabana Shirt | Mott and Bow Mercer Jeans (c/o) | Vince Sneakers
A couple things to note, before we dive into what we did, saw, and ate in London, England…
This was both mine and my husband’s first time to London, so we spent time doing somewhat touristy things. It was obviously our toddlers’ first time as well.
We had my sister with us as an extra pair of hands for the twins on the day to day, but also so we could have a couple date nights. She traveled with us and stayed with us. In London she had her own room within our suite.
The twins were just shy of their 2nd birthday, so they were still able to count as lap infants and we didn’t have to buy them an airplane seat. On the way there we were in first class / lay down seats. On the way back, we were in business class / in the bulkhead. I would fly the exact same way again.
We flew from LAX to LHR via Virgin Atlantic. We initially weren’t even going to go to London, but that is where we found the best points deal. We were actually able to book these flights entirely on points!
We have TSA Pre-check, Clear, and Global Entry. If you’re going with your child, they can get in under your TSA Pre-check and Clear, but they need their own Global Entry account.
Lunya Silk Sweats Crew Sweatshirt and Jogger (c/o)
GETTING THERE
From LAX to LHR, the flight is quoted at about 10+ hours, but they were able to get us there in around 9.5 hours. This was somewhat of a hard flight for us. We arrived at the airport very early, so we could get there well before bedtime and maybe they could nap in the lounge? They didn’t. Our flight was a little after 10:00 pm, so we knew it was risky, but was the best option. They ran out so much energy, we thought they would get on the plane and crash. They didn’t. One of them actually fell asleep as soon as we got on the plane, but then ping-ponged awake and swapped with their sibling. They shared our seats, but we were in lay down seats, so there was more space than usual. It was the newest Virgin Atlantic skinny pod shape vs the rounder version. To be honest, both of the kids were upset for several hours before finally falling asleep. I did feel bad for the other passengers, but the plane was actually so loud, I’m not sure it was that bothersome. It was so loud that Nick and I couldn’t even really talk to each other because we couldn’t hear each other speak over the plane noise. The flight felt very short and the staff (and food) were really good. The only hiccup is that my sister was thrown up on by another passenger… Other than that, it was good and we would fly Virgin Atlantic again. I shared what we packed for the twins to play with during the flight here.
The Kensington Hotel
ITENERARY
Sunday - Day 1
Arrival Day
Sunday Roast
We touched down shortly after 5:00 pm, London time. It was about 7:00 pm before we were able to get through everything and make it to our hotel. We stayed at The Kensington Hotel in Queen’s Gate and booked everything, including our airport cars through through Meg Smith Travel. We would highly recommend her and the hotel.
In London, it is very traditional to have a Sunday Roast. We really wanted to schedule one at Grenadier Belgravia, but would arrive a little too late. Side note, it is a pub, but they allow children for the roast. We ended up going to Sophie’s Steakhouse in Chelsea and had a Sunday roast there. Because it was closer to 8:00 pm, they were sold out of some of the options, but it was still good and an easy walk from our hotel. Afterwards, we grabbed Gelato at Badiani.
Our only regret is that we wish we would have stayed up just a little later this evening. It was really hard with the kids / I’m not sure it would have helped, but I would have at least tried to stay up more. The twins were falling asleep in our stroller on the way back from dinner. I’m not sure what we could have done to keep them awake - it was that rough! They slept at the foot of our beds in pack and plays that the hotel provided. Along with the cutest little stuffed bear for each of them. The twins actually figured out how to escape the pack and plays and climbed up into our bed several times. My point is that you will likely not get great sleep the first night. Count on yourself to not get great sleep, then be pleasantly surprised if you do! I also wish I would have thought about food and snacks. I think they would have helped the twins sleep better this first evening - think bananas, peanut butter crackers, and yogurt pouches if you have a fridge.
Westminster Abbey | At the end of the Buckingham Palace Tour
Breakfast Tea at The Kensington Hotel
Monday - Day 2
Changing of the guard
Westminster Abbey
Big Ben
Buckingham Palace Tour (open 2 months out of the year, usually mid July - late September)
Churchill War Rooms
Harrods Food Hall
Date night at Chiltern Firehouse
This day was PACKED. We knew it would be that way and kind of just went with it to make sure we got everything done that we wanted to. Our travel agent Meg Smith Travel does book these type of excursions and events too, but we went ahead and just planned it ourselves, since we wanted to do quite a few things. If you go the DIY route, I recommend making a list of everything you would like to do, then check where they are on a map. Group the locationally-alike places together and then go about checking days they are open / closed and start to form a plan. We built this day around the fact that we wanted to see the changing of the guard which only happens on certain days / certain locations.
We woke up and ate breakfast at the hotel, which was lovely. We were a little bit late moving (you think?! hello jet lag) and almost missed the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. The changing of the guard was at 10:30 am, so when I say we were slow moving, we were slow moving! In a perfect world, we would have snagged Buckingham Palace tickets for 11:00 am ish, right after the guard, but they were all booked until the afternoon. This wasn’t part of our initial agenda, but we were there in the 2 months of the year where Buckingham Palace is actually open for touring. We decided to take advantage of that, even though it took us a large portion of the day. Before we toured Buckingham palace, we made use of our open time and walked over to Westminster Abbey to enjoy that landmark. Our ticketed window to enter the abbey was 11:30 am -12:00 pm. We actually got to skip the line because of our stroller! It wouldn’t fit everywhere, but it fit most places. We just took turns when it came to Queen Elizabeth the 1st tomb and other smaller fitting areas. We did add on the Queen’s Jubilee tickets and would recommend that as well. We ended up seeing it a different day, but Big Ben is a short walk from Westminster Abbey if you want to check that off your list too. After that, we went back to Buckingham Palace. Note that it is a very long tour and very packed with people. You aren’t able to bring strollers. We carried the twins on our Tush Baby. (use code ELLEMULENOS22 for a discount.) It worked well, but unfortunately, the twins wanted to take a nap, so they weren’t too happy to be out of their stroller. It isn’t a tour you would be able to speed through, as they have it timed and it is very crowded. We bought the tickets that were one leg up than the base, so we could see more exhibits. We did end up having extra time though that day and went to the Churchill War Rooms, which was on our list. Since we didn’t have tickets, we called before we arrived, to see if there were tickets available. This is not a walk-up recommendation, as everything is pre-ticketed beforehand.Note that the kids are typically free everywhere. Be sure to read the fine print - some require a ticket even when they are free, so make sure to follow the directions. The rooms werereally cool and we are glad we went, but know that strollers likely will not work here. Our double stroller is the width of a wheel chair and there were several doorways where we had to collapse the stroller to get through. These were obviously built before a time where most buildings were disability complaint. That night, Nick and I went on a date to Chiltern Firehouse. It was really lovely! Definitely make reservations ahead of time for this.
Side note on this day- I typically just bounce back from lack of sleep, weird time shifts, so I didn’t consider any of this when booking our first full day. If I had the chance to do it again, I would make this a rest day and/or do very minimal things. This would probably have required us to add a day on to the trip. Just something to keep in mind, especially when traveling with tiny humans. Of course, you can also just plan like this and know it will be a little crazy. Whatever works! Keep your expectations low and you’re good to go.
Guarding the crown jewels at the Tower of London
Zoe Stroller (get $15 off with this link)
Saint Paul’s Cathedral
Show Me Your Mumu Trevor Trench | Darling Lively Shirt (get a discount w/ code LAURENM) | Goop Katie-Marie Wide Leg Pleated Pants (c/o) | Alohas Sneakers
Tuesday - Day 3
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
Cross the Tower Bridge
Lunch at Padella
Walk through Borough Market
Walk by old Globe Theater location and current
Cross Millennium Bridge
Saint Paul’s Cathedral
Dinner at Dishoom
Mr. Fogg’s (Mayfair location)
Another morning of wonderful and easy breakfast at the hotel! When you book through Meg Smith Travel , most of the time / depending on the location, you’ll get a breakfast credit. We definitely used this to our advantage!! We purchased the earliest time for the Tower of London (9:00 am,) so we could get a jumpstart on our day. Once in, we made a bee line for the crown jewels, as those are what the line grows for. After that, we took some family photos, then went back to the entrance to catch a (free) tour by the Yeoman Warders / Beefeaters. You can schedule private tours, but for us, this was perfect! We slotted about 3 hours here, but you could easily spend a longer amount of time. Next we went to the London Bridge. You don’t have to buy tickets to cross it / walk on it, but you do to go through it. It’s a minimal fee and great for kids. The twins fell asleep, so they didn’t get to actually experience it. We knew it was a risk with the time slot that we chose. If I did it again, I probably would have skipped the tour since they were sleeping and just strolled across it. Nick’s sister recommended Padella for lunch, which was so good! It’s fresh pasta and delicious. The restaurant is just across the bridge and right outside Borough Market. Our original plan was to eat in Borough Market, but I’m so glad we opted for this instead. I’m happy we visited the market, but it kind of overwhelmed me. It is very busy and crowded. It also didn’t help that it was raining. We bought the viral cup of strawberries and chocolate. They were good, but lunch at Padella is what impressed me the most. I know people don’t generally walk this side of town, but we did and liked it. If you look on a map, we kind of do a giant circle this day. We walked past the are where the original Globe Theater was before it burned down. We just checked out the outside of the current Globe Theater, but didn’t go in it. Had we had more time, I would have considered seeing a show there. We crossed the Millennium Bridge and finished our day at Saint Paul’s Cathedral. Don’t skip it!! It was so lovely. We did have a little bit of tough time re: the time we were there/ active almost 2 year olds, but I would still do it again. The hardest part I think is the quiet nature of the place and how children don’t necessarily understand that. For dinner we ate at Dishoom. Divine!! The food and service were amazing. They were SO sweet to the twins, who were tired and hungry after a long day. The dinner was past their bedtime, because we didn’t make a reservation, but it was worth it! Be sure to make a reservation if you plan to go or be prepared to wait a bit. After dinner, my sister and I went off and had a little night cap at Mr. Fogg’s in Mayfair. It’s really cute and cozy, plus the drinks were good too.
Notting Hill // Portobello Road Market
Buru Dress | Show Me Your Mumu Trevor Trench | Alohas Sneakers
Tea at Fortum and Mason’s
Wednesday Day - 4
Notting Hill / Portobello Road Market
Brunch at Farm Girl Cafe
Kensington Palace and Gardens
Hyde Park
Tea at Fortnum and Mason
Dinner at a pub
Our last full day in London! You guessed it, breakfast at the hotel, then off to Notting Hill. I will say that we got there earlier than Portobello Road Market opened, but that is just what our day called for. It was actually kind of nice, because we were there before the rush of people. We of course stopped at iconic Notting Hill Bookshop, but honestly just had fun wandering the streets. I really wasn’t hungry, but we stopped at Farm Girl Cafe just because I received so many recommendations for it. It’s such a great area, Notting Hill does not disappoint. It was a little chilly and wet, so we grabbed some hot chocolate from Knoops while we meandered. After that, we went to Kensington Palace! I wanted to wander around the Kensington Gardens more, but it started raining pretty badly, so we nixed that. I know it is London, but we really didn’t have much rain when were there - just light drizzles here and there, except for this day. We heard several locals say this was the most rain they had seen in a long time. go figure! We did stop to see the ducks before we went to the palace though and that of course was a hit. If you’d like to go into Kensington Palace, you have to buy tickets. They have different exhibits and such - when we went it was a fashion exhibit called Crown to Couture and I loved it! We were able to walk around with our stroller, but it was somewhat difficult to navigate with the crowds. Our plan after that was to walk around Hyde Park, but because of the rain we cut it. The Diana Memorial Fountain (Hyde Park) was under construction, so we didn’t get to view that. We unfortunately had to cut the Peter Pan Statue (Kensington Gardens) because of the rain as well. After the palace, we hightailed it to Fortnum and Mason for high tea. We loved it and so did the twins! Actually kids under 4 years of age are free! We really weren’t sure what would happen, as our tea time was after nap time, which can sometimes result in the after nap saddies, but they were so excited! Maybe because there was unlimited food for them? Haha. We could have spent hours here. The top story is the tea room, but they have several other floors with goodies like tea, chocolate, candies, gifts, and an entire floor dedicated to Christmas! Truly one of our favorite parts we going to Fortnum and Mason - would highly recommend. We should have stayed longer or waited out the rain, because we then proceeded to wait an hour and a half to hail a cab. The rain was so bad and all of the cabs were taken. It was a nightmare! This was another date night for me and Nick, courtesy of my sister. After the rain debacle, I honestly didn’t want to go out, but it was our last night, so we did. We went to the The Grenadier first, but they were full. We then wandered to The Alfred Tennyson and ended up being a very London last night. Again, I could have gone home, but we were trying to make the most of our trip and pulled it together to go another place. We stopped at Gordon’s Wine Bar, the oldest wine bar in London. It is really cool and in a cave. We were going to grab a seat / there was one table left per the host, but some people went around the hostess stand to grab it. The people offered it to us once the host led us there, but we weren’t going to make them leave, so we just grabbed a glass in the bar area. To be honest, they kind of left a bad taste in our mouth, so we ended up leaving and tryin another place. We went to another Mr. Fogg’s location, since Nick didn’t get to go the night prior. This was the Covent Garden / theater district location. It was good, but I prefer the Mayfair location. After that, we met my sister back on our balcony patio at our hotel and “cheers”ed to the rest of our trip.
Show Me Your Mumu Hug Me Sweater | Buru Pants | Doc Marten Leona Boots
Thursday Day - 5
London Eye
Big Ben
Eurostar to Paris
We savored our last breakfast at The Kensington, then headed out to do some more London-y things before catching the train to France. We ran out of time on Monday to go and see Big Ben up close - we didn’t buy tickets to go in even this day, but it was fun to just look at it. We also walked to the bridge across from the London Eye. We never bought tickets to ride in it, because we didn’t feel like paying for it (lol) and I’m not sure the twins knew that riding on it was on option. They honestly loved to just point and stare at the landmarks, which was good with us. It’s a good little area for photos if you haven’t gotten them with Big Ben / the London Eye. There is also a phone booth nearby if you’d like pictures with that too. Getting to the train, we were very rushed and barely made it. We left 2 hours early and even then it was such a mess. I would recommend setting aside 3 hours just for ease. The train was easy though - I loved the simple ham and cheese sandwich they offered at the refreshment stand!! We made it to Paris that evening, but I’ll share more about France on a different post.
Kensington Palace and Gardens
Friday - Wednesday we were in Paris, France (Day 6 - 11)
On the train to Paris
Wednesday - Day 11
Eurostar back to London
Spent the night in Notting Hill at a Plum Guide residence Meg Smith Travel booked for us
We spent the bulk of the day wandering around Paris and took the evening train back to London. For some reason this train was a bit more crowded than our train going into Paris and not quite as enjoyable. We hoped to spend some time at the train station and do some Harry Potter sightseeing, but our driver was in a rush. He then got lost on the way to our stay for the evening, so it was a bit hectic. We ordered food in (to be honest, I can’t really remember where we ordered from) and ate at our home for the evening. Nick rushed to go buy us another suitcase so we could bring more things home (haha). It was such a cute little stay in Notting Hill, I wish we could have had the time to explore it a bit more.
The duck pond in Kensington Gardens
Thursday - Day 12
Fly back to LA
We woke up early and flew back to Los Angeles. This flight felt 100x longer than the flight in. The twins barely napped for 30 minutes and were active the entire time. We were exhausted. We sat in the bulkhead in Business Class though and that was the move. Lots of space and we needed to stay awake anyway. The jet lag took us about a week to recover from. It probably took us a bit longer than normal because of our almost 2 year olds, but it wasn’t a bad habit falling asleep by 9:00 pm each night.
At the Kensington Hotel in our new pajamas from Kensington Palace
Where we stayed:
We stayed at The Kensington Hotel in Queen’s Gate and LOVED it so much. We talk about going back all the time. It is beautiful and the staff is remarkable. We booked through Meg Smith Travel - she is so wonderful and great at what she doest. We are normally airbnb / off the beaten path hotel type people, but. we knew this would be different traveling with the twins. We went with a hotel this time, because it just makes it a little bit easier with breakfast downstairs / not having to go anywhere. When you book with Meg, she usually is able to award you breakfast credits (when available), so it is all really easy and you don’t have to think about it. We weren’t sure if this would be super beneficial to us, but it was and we do it again. She knows what she is talking about!!
Breakfast at the Kensington Hotel
Food and Drink Recommendations: (both restaurants and bars)
If I had to pick one, our favorite dinner was Dishoom. Our favorite lunch was Padella. Our favorite drink was at Mr. Fogg’s (Mayfair). Our favorite tea was Fortnum and Mason. All of those minus Mr. Fogg’s were kid-friendly. We had my sister as a baby sitter, so we were able to experience a little more of the city! *denotes I have been there
Badiani Gelato*
Beast
Chiltern Firehouse*
Clarette
Dishoom*
Farm Girl Cafe*
Fortnum and Mason*
Franco Manca
Gold Notting Hill
Gordon’s Wine Bar*
Harrods Market and Food Hall*
Hide
Koba Korean BBQ
Padella*
Mr. Fogg’s*
The Alfred Tennyson*
The Coach and Horses
The Cow
The Grenadier*
The Pelican
The Ivy (lunch only)
Sketch
Sophie’s Steakhouse*
Sticks’n’Sushi
Vesper Bar
The location of the original globe theater // The Tower of London
Borough Market
Sights and Sees
This is obviously a lot and can be overwhelming. My favorite things were Westminster Abbey (because I love QE1 and her tomb is there), Saint Paul’s Cathedral (the beauty!!), The Tower of London (so cool), Kensington Palace (the location and exhibits are * chefs kiss *), and Portobello Market (fun to walk around.) It’s honestly just really fun and inspiring to galivanting.
around the city, gardens, etc so don’t stress yourself out too much. *denotes I have been there
Buckingham Palace*
Big Ben*
Borough Market*
Changing of the Guards*
Churchill War Rooms*
Globe Theater*
Hyde Park*
Kensington Palace and Gardens*
London Eye
Millennium Bridge*
Natural History Museum
Portobello Road Market*
Royal Opera House
Saint Paul’s Cathedral*
Show in West End (the theater / “Broadway” district)
Tate Modern
Tower Bridge*
Tower of London*
The British Museum
The Shard
The Wallace Collection
Victoria and Albert Museum
Westminster Abbey*
You’ll notice that I didn’t include the hop-on hop-off tour bus on this list. It wasn’t really important for me to go on this, but I also didn’t know how we would manage with the twins and our stroller. It can be a really good / easy way to get around and see the city, so don’t forget about it as an option. It may be a good fit for you.
Queen Elizabeth’s Tomb in Westminster Abbey
What I would have done differently
Not pack the first day / take it a bit more easier - Maybe try to get in earlier? It’s really hard to stay up, but I’ve seen people fly in around noon and eat a big lunch, then take a nap and be up by 3 or 4 pm, then go to bed around 11 and they acclimate well; however, I also know the night flights are easier with sleep, which is why they are recommended so often. Everything is up in the air when you are traveling with small children! On this note, I would also make sure to have snacks for the room on the first night to help my kids acclimate / go back to sleep with full bellies.
Add in an extra day or two ;) I really would have liked to have a leisure day, take in our beautiful hotel, and wander around.
Cell Phone Sim Card - Nick has T Mobile and was able to sign up for the unlimited international plan for I believe around $50. I have AT&T, which is a daily rate. I don’t mind paying for a service, but it has to work and it didn’t. If I did it again, I would probably just get a SIM card. It was hard to navigate maps and such with my data turned off.
TIPS / FAQ
Master Itinerary: Have this readily available for easy access. Nick used TripIt which has a lot of cool features like drive times and ticket holding all in one place. We also had a shared note on our phones that had all the details and extra things like places to go and restaurants we may want to visit if we had time. You are able to access notes with or without wifi, so it is especially good if you have phone service trouble.
Cell Service: Speaking of cell service, I’d recommend getting a SIM card so you can at the very least have access to a map.
Did you bring car seats? The short answer is no. Meg Smith Travel booked our long car rides (e.g. to and from the airport) and those cars were scheduled with car seats to be included. The London cabs don’t actually require car seats and it is of course easy to hop on the tube without a carseat as well. You can actually wheel your stroller into the cab with it open and keep your kids strapped into the stroller if you wish. I’ve seen people bring booster seat straps / seats that are portable, so that is an option.
How did you get around? Mostly cabs. We had some tight turnarounds and never ventured to ride the tube. It was easy to get a cap except for the day it rained really hard. Our airport trips were scheduled by our hotel, through our travel agent, Meg.
How was it traveling with almost 2 year olds? The age? For reference we traveled right after they turned 23 months - less than a month later they turned 2. I’m so glad we went when we did. I fear that if we had gone after they turned 2 it would have been a lot harder based on the past couple of months we have experienced. Don’t let that keep you from going though. Lots of people told us the golden age for traveling internationally with kids was 10 months old because they are usually not mobile. I’m sure there were aspects of that that were easier, but there are usually more naps and such too. I really liked the age because sure they were mobile, but they were old enough to show the wonder in the eyes and communicate it, which was really magical to watch. I also wanted to wait to potty train until after we traveled, because I didn’t want to deal with that on long plane rides and car rides. I don’t regret waiting at all. Meg Smith Travel can navigate kid friendly hotels and requests for you! Hotel Kensington was VERY accomodating.
Lap Infants all the way? Yes! This was a benefit of going at almost 2 years old. They were lap infants on planes and trains. At a lot of exhibits, museums, and some restaurants, they were considered free too.
Did you have help? Yes. My sister came with us as an extra pair of hands. We didn’t treat her like a nanny in the sense we were very much hands on. To be fair, that is how we are with our nanny, but you get what I’m saying. She also stayed back a couple nights to babysit, so we could have some date nights. We paid for her flights, transportation, and hotel rooms. She also had a daily stipend to put towards food and such. We covered most expenses, but not everything. Could we have done it without her? Yes. Would it have been as enjoyable? Probably not. Did she lessen our stress load? Absolutely. Thank you, Emma!!
Did you bring a stroller? Yes! We brought the double Zoe Stroller. It weighs 19lbs and folds up easily. We did upgrade to the all-terrain wheels. We also brought their rain cover which was. a lifesaver for rainy London. We put an air tag in it, just so we could keep an eye on it, even when weren’t present. On that note, we also pinned air tags to our kids with these clips, just for daily safety.
Did your double stroller fit places? Yes and no. The only place we had a major issue with was the Churchill War Rooms. It did not fit through several doorways and there wasn’t an elevator or a way around. Some places like Westminster Abbey had elevators but they only got you so far. When in doubt, just ask. I’d say our stroller fit pretty much everywhere else (where it was allowed) just fine. Note that a lot of places have “buggy parking” (both landmarks and restaurants,) which usually means you cannot bring the stroller into those areas. Be prepared to leave it off to the side. I’m not sure how this would work with a wheelchair seeing as that is a little different type of situation. Just keep in mind there are lots of places that are older / when they were built they didn’t have mobility for all in mind.
What did you bring for a diaper bag? We brought their regular diaper bag which is the Dagne Dover Indi Diaper Bag in size Large. The catch is that we really only used this on the plane and train. It is too big to fit under the stroller and we didn’t want to be a target for pickpocketing or stealing (especially since we went to Paris too.) We just through diapers and wipes in the under storage area or in a plastic bag under there, to keep them all together. We also felt this was smart because some of the experiences we booked required you to leave your stroller places while you explored. We also kept snacks under there in a grocery bag. Since then I’ve gotten little side zipper mesh bags from Zoe that clip onto the sides, but we got by without them.
So what bag did you bring? I carried my MZ Wallace Metro Sling. It is so roomy and has lot of zippers / compartments. I could fit a couple diapers and some wipes in it easily, plus my phone, chapstick, a charger, etc. Nick used my old Lululemon belt bag. He loved it so much, he recently got the Everywhere Belt Bag in 2L. We also zip-tied our belt bags closed, so they couldn’t be clipped. Note that if you do this, make the part you clip off face outward and not down onto your clothes, otherwise it may snag. We also kept airtags in our respective belt bags.
Did you bring plug adapters? Yes! We bought this one. You don’t need all of them for London. If you only bring the one(s) you need, it will take up less space.
How did you book your trip? We booked our flights ourselves because we used points, otherwise we would have had Meg Smith Travel do it for us. She booked our hotel and major car rides, but has the capability to do much more.
You stayed in hotels over airbnbs? Yep! Several parents told me to stay in airbnbs because they have a kitchen and so on. I think that would make sense if we were planning to eat at home a lot, but we packed our trip so much. We talked this over with Meg Smith Travel who is very pro hotel, even with young boys and took her recommendation. It was so nice just to talk downstairs and eat breakfast before heading out for the day. It’s also great to have your room cleaned and linens changed. We did share a room with the twins and I know some people don’t want to do that, which is probably why a lot will defer to an airbnb, as multiple rooms are cheaper than at a hotel. It’s up to you, but we are pro-hotel and would do the same thing again. The hotels we stayed in had pack and plays and cribs for the twins to use, so we didn’t bring any bedding of sorts for them. We did stay in a “plum guide” which is basically a higher end airbnb, when we got back from Paris and were flying out of London the next morning. It was nice! It allowed us to stay in a different area and was also cheaper than staying at a hotel which was nice, especially because we were there for less than 12 hours. It also solidified our thoughts that we made the right decision staying in a hotel for the bulk of our trip.
Did you feel safe? Yes. 100%. I brought this door wedge alarm, but didn’t feel the need to use it in London.
Which area did you stay in? We stayed in Queens Gate in South Kensington at Hotel Kensington and loved it. It was close to the things we wanted to do and was a beautiful, quiet neighborhood, but close enough to hustle and bustle if we desired it. If you want to stay in other areas, definitely check with Meg Smith Travel. She recently got back from a research trip and has even more tips on the best places to stay and where to go.
How did you pack? Very carefully! I planned for weeks. We didn’t really re-wear much because we didn’t have access to a washing machine and were so active. We brought two large suitcases and one smaller, carry-on sized bag. We each brought backpacks and so did the twins. We also had our XL Dagne Dover duffel and our medium MZ Wallace tote shoved inside / ready to un-ball should we need to use. We packed the twins clothes in the viral shoe-rack hack and I really liked that. You essentially shove an outfit in each shoe slot and can even hook it over the door and hang it. It worked really well for us. The only time it hasn’t worked is when we are traveling for winter. Lots of sweaters and jackets make it hard to use. I will say that because of the amount of things we ended up buying, we bought another carry-on suitcase to help us out with the weight limit. Nick and I used packing cubes. Those don’t help with weight, but they do help with organization and fitting more into your bag. I know some people just throw outfits and say they’ll figure it out later, but this is not the time for that in my opinion. I chose clothes specifically for the day based on projected weather and the day’s itinerary. I also like to somewhat color coordinate everyone so pictures look good. I also find that it is easier to pack and make clothing decisions this way. Since we were in-between fall and winter, we didn’t really have to worry about big bulky jackets and sweaters which was nice.
What time of year did you visit? We visited in mid-September. I really liked it because there was drizzle here and there. It wasn’t too cold, and some days it was actually kind of warm! My favorite shoes to walk around in were these waterproof Chelsea boots. My favorite jacket was this lightweight trench coat. We didn’t bring umbrellas, but our hotel had several that we borrowed.
How did you keep the twins entertained on the flights? The flight over there is basically all sleep, so we didn’t even break into our bag of goodies until the flight back. I made sure to pack snacks, freeze their favorite pouches, and so on. They had been off pacifiers for at least 6 months, but I packed some as a treat just to be safe / in case they needed help soothing on the plane. I’m glad I packed them, as they did use them a little bit on the flight there. We brought iPads and headphones, but their favorite things were other stickers and toys I brought. I shared what we packed for the twins to play with during the flight here. I think the key is that they are new toys or toys they haven’t seen in a very long time.
Buy books for the location! I bought this London book (and this Paris book) for the twins and we read them before going on the trip. They LOVED this and became obsessed with them. We also brought the books with us / put them in their backpacks for the plane. Upon arrival, the twins already knew about Big Ben, the guards, and more. They still enjoy the books, even after the trip and still recount about memories from the trip to us. It warms my heart. We also let them watch relevant shows like Peppa Pig Meets the Queen and Peter Pan. We also watched Aristocats for Paris references.
Did you get Global Entry? Nick and I have had global entry, but yes we did get Global Entry for the kids. Unlike Clear and TSA Pre-Check, your kids have to have Global Entry to go through Global Entry, meaning you cannot use it if they don’t have it, as you both would have to have it to get through.
Send postcards. We sent postcards to our siblings and parents and had Hotel Kensington mail them for us. I grew up doing this, so I love that we are continuing this tradition. We also bought a couple post cards to bring home. It’s a really cheap and fun souvenir and let’s people know you’re thinking about them.
Journals. I kept notes on my phone and of course detail things here for you on LMents of Style, but growing up, my parents had my sister and I journal each night of a big trip. We’d print out pictures afterward and paste them in the book. The twins aren’t old enough for this yet, but I plan on having them do it too.
Looking to capture family photos? We didn’t do this in London, but we did in Paris. We used The Paris Photographer. They just launched a new venture in London called The Now Time. If it is anything like our experience in Paris, it will be great. If you’re looking to professionally capture your trip, I would recommend them.
Favorite souvenir? Honestly the memories and photos are my favorite. I bought some books at Notting Hill Bookshop, some cutie little Christmas ornaments at Westminster Abbey, and some teas from Fortnum’s. My favorite is probably my bone china teacup I procured at Fortnum and Mason! I found a black, white and gold Rory Dobner Teacup and Saucer that is painted to appear like the F&M building. So special!! If you’re interested, the catalog code is 2120067.
What I want to do next time I go to England:
Ceremony of the Keys Tower of London
Greenwich Palace (birthplace of QE1 and where the Armada portrait is)
Harry Potter Landmarks / Tour
Kensington Park and Hyde Park (It rained the bulk of our time here)
Kew Palace and Gardens
Eat fish and chips
Museums ( a lot of them are free, like the Victoria and Albert Museum, The British Museum, The Wallace Collection, Natural History Museum, Tate Modern)
Neal’s Yard (didn’t get to spend much time in this area)
Spend more time at Selfridges and Harrods
Show at the Globe Theater
High Tea at The Kensington (it was included with our stay, but we never took advantage of it)
Queen Mary’s Rose Gardens
The Tower Bridge
Day Trips We Considered:
Bath
Canterbury
Cotswalds
Oxford
Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey)
Richmond
Stonehenge
Wales
Windsor
Portobello Road Market
Favorite London Brands for Kids:
We packed a lot of snack for the plane, as well as diapers. We did have some left over, but purposely did not pack enough for the entirety of the trip. These were a couple food and diaper brands we really liked in London.
Suckies Pouches (purchased at Whole Foods)
Ella’s Kitchen Pouches (purchased at several grocery stores)
Beaming Baby Organic Bamboo Nappies Diapers (purchased at Whole Foods) ((side note, I purposely waited to potty train because I didn’t want to deal with it on this trip.))
Clothing boutiques: Bob and Blossom, Bon Ton, Caramel London, Liberty London, Meison White (Jellycat Stockist), Mini Rodini, Pepa and Company, Petite Bateau, Trotters London
One of the most common questions we are asked is how we did it and why we would “do that to ourselves”?! Ultimately, Nick and I really like to travel and experience things. There were some hard moments, especially with jet lag and lack of sleep, but the trip was worth it. We would be more frustrated and sad if we didn’t do the things we wanted to do, or at least try! If you can push through and set your expectations somewhat low, you can do it. You’ll be surprised and have some amazing memories to prove it. Happy traveling!
If you liked this story, you may enjoy this post: Tips for Flying with Infant Twins
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