By Lisa T. Bergren, 2009

We left our youth hostel on the fourth day (as planned) and moved into The Elizabeth (not to be confused with Elizabeth House, where our cabbie mistakenly dropped us–it’s nearby), near the Victoria tube station. It’s in a terrific location on a neighborhood square and has an amazing breakfast down in the basement. Rooms are a bit worn (at least ours was) but the beds were decent. I’d ask for a room on the second floor, overlooking the square.

THE EYE

It’s seriously worth the bucks ($25 US ages 16+, $12 5-15) to take this 30 minute ride (plan on an additional hour + in line for tickets/get on a pod, depending on crowds). We walked across the Millennium Bridge and found our way to The Eye, by glimpsing it peek out here and there (it’s the 4th tallest structure in London). By happenstance, we arrived late in the afternoon, right at sunset. If that’s an option for you, it’s highly recommended. You get to see the city change before your eyes as daylight seeps into night.

EAT HERE: PUBS

Many pubs are reinventing themselves as gastro-pubs, places where you can score an amazing meal that disproves any of the old England-has-bad-food myths. We tried a number of them, in search of classic fish and chips—all were decent, but none stellar (I’ve heard you can’t get fantastic fish and chips in London anymore. Did you find a place? Please comment below!) Other kid friendly food includes bangers and mash (sausage and potatoes).

If you’re traveling with kids, be aware that some pubs do not allow children in during dinner hours. We ate at one pub in Southwark that was utterly fabulous. So good, in fact, I can’t wait to return with Tim some day to sample their meat pie or other delicacies. It’s called The Anchor and Hope and is located in Southwark. Very reasonable in price $ for appetizers, $$ for entrees, easily shared. What’s nice about this one is that the restaurant is separated from the bar, great for a family traveling with kids. Arrive early and be prepared for a wait (you put your name in at the bar; no hostess.)

MILLENNIUM BRIDGE + WALK

If you get the chance, do walk from St. Paul’s across the pedestrian route, the Millennium Bridge (it opened in 2000), which spans the River Thames. (Kids might recognize it from a turn in the most recent Harry Potter movie.) It’s a very doable walk for any kiddo over five to cross the river, stop at Shakespeare’s Globe, possibly stop at the medieval torture museum (small, kitchy, but a lighter alternative for the kids), a pub for lunch, then over the Tower Bridge and into the Tower of London. The day we did this walking tour, we also stopped by a replica of Sir Francis Drake’s 16th century sailing vessel, the Golden Hind, in which he circumnavigated the globe. Often you can tour it, but that day, a five-year-old was having one spectacular pirate birthday party.

SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE THEATRE

Carefully rebuilt to the historical specifications of the original (which burned down long ago), the Shakespeare Globe Theatre puts on summer plays and offers tours year-round. For any student who has ever loved/suffered through Shakespearean lit, it’s a good experience. If we had been visiting during summer months, I would’ve lobbied to return to see a play. While we were touring, a troupe was rehearsing for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

TOWER BRIDGE/TOWER OF LONDON

We moved along the waterfront, enjoying a spectacular, crisp, blue-sky day with relatively few tourists about. Once we got to the bridge, however, that changed, with narrow walkways and throngs of people. Because it was so crowded, we did not stop at the museum there, but moved on to the Tower, once a palace, then a fearsome prison, now an historical landmark.

If you get the chance, take a tour with one of the bellowing, entertaining yeomen, who will regale you with a mix of history, legend and interesting tidbits. But the Tower is reasonably easy to tour on your own—just be sure to visit the medieval castle portion, armor exhibit, and the crown jewels (truly amazing and great for girls). Right now they have a King Henry VIII armor exhibit: “Dressed to Kill.” (A boy’s idea of a cool museum exhibit.) Outside, they have medieval warfare exhibits to explore.

There is a great family-friendly guide on their web site (especially great for kids ages 5-11), games, as well as lots of other info.  Next time we go back, I’d love to witness the exclusive, little known Ceremony of the Keys!

Admission: Family ticket (2 adults, 3 children), about $66 US

WESTMINSTER ABBEY

Getting a dose of two different eras of London’s history was marvelous. We walked through Westminster Abbey,  the coronation church since 1066, spending quite a bit of time in Poet’s Corner, identifying famous author names, and listened to an audio guide recorded by Jeremy Irons, a fine actor (but my daughter identified as the voice of Scar in The Lion King, which made her repeatedly giggle.) The current building was constructed in 1245 and over the centuries, became the home of numerous tombs (over seventeen monarchs, among other famous people, from Charles Dickens to Charles Wesley). The artwork is dense and fantastic. Be sure to consult your guidebook to identify what you want to be sure you see—otherwise your eyes might glaze over and you’ll miss something you’ll regret later.

CHURCHILL MUSEUM AND CABINET WAR ROOMS

We ate lunch at a nearby businessman’s pub (I had a fantastic beef stew) and then toured Churchill’s Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, something that should not be missed. There’s something about WWII that captures a kid’s mind—maybe because it’s history within reach, an era grandparents and great-grandparents lived through. And because this is a smaller museum, it’s easier to digest.

Down below, you can see where the British planned the attacks, or the defense on all fronts. You can see where Churchill, and his right-hand men, slept. You can see the massive fortifications that were built to keep them all safe (but would not really have survived a direct hit). In the center of the museum is a small café, where you can eat lunch or grab a pick-me-up. At the end, there’s a fun WWII-centric gift shop.

This is one of six unique, small WWII museums in England, all interrelated. If you or one of your touring group has even a marginal interest in WWII, be sure to stop.

BRASS RUBBINGS

Friends had recommended doing brass rubbings with the kids, but they no longer offer them at Westminster Abbey. And when we went to an alternate location near the Tower, we found the church closed for a special service. Happily, we’d seen another location during our Fat Tire Bike Tour, and returned there.

At  St. Martin-in-the-fields Church (The Crypt) on Trafalgar Square, for $6-15 you can have your hand at “copying” medieval artwork. My tween did a castle fairy tale scene, complete with lord, lady, horses and castle. My tween did a Celtic knot. I did an opening page for the Gospels, in the form of a Celtic scroll and later, a huge, triumphant angel with a border script in Dutch (and the date of 1532). I framed the girls’ for Christmas presents—truly an amazing keepsake and one of the most fun things we did on the whole trip…

TEA AND THE THEATRE

The other trip highlight was a heavy afternoon tea, and then a fantastic production of “Wicked.” To see a Broadway-level play in a big city was something my girls will never forget.

GETTING FROM LONDON TO PARIS

I wanted to experience a proper crossing over the Channel, so we took a train from London to Dover, hopped a cab to the ferry station, then took a ferry over to Calais, where we spent the night. It was a peaceful, lovely way to enter France, but now that we’ve done it, we’d take the Chunnel the next time around. The ferry terminal in Calais is used to locals, not tourists, arriving there, making it difficult to find a cab. We did, but that’s another story…

Related Posts: London/Paris Spring Break:

London, Part 1/3: Heathrow to London; Youth Hostel, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Fat Tire Bike Tour, Oyster Cards

London, Part 3/3: Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor

Ferry vs. Chunnel: Paris via Calais

French People are Nice (and Paris is Safe)

Paris with Teens

Eating on a Budget in Paris

Versailles: Fat Tire Bike Tours