Europe with kids- help!

[laurao]

So it looks like we are headed to a wedding in Devon, England, next June. 
It will be myself, DH, our 3.5 yo DD and an 8 month old. 
If we go we want to extend the trip, since we will be over here and flights aren't cheap

We will fly into London, and plan to spend 5 days or so in the Devon area. Afterward im thinking it would be great to return to London as none of us have been and I've heard it's quite kid friendly. Any recommendations on where to stay? We want a separate bedroom for our sanity

From there, I'm not sure what to do. I'd love to end in Paris, and maybe stop at another place in France before Paris? I'm really not sure. 

Any opinions greatly appreciated! I want to set aside the $ before baby arrives if we decide to go, so I need a loose plan and budget.

[laurao]

jamaicam, I'd say around two weeks, depending on how far I can make our budget stretch I will take a look on AirBNB!
We are thinking of doing Devon-London-Paris to keep it relatively simple.

[frlcb]

If you don't want to do airbnb check out Citadines Trafalgar Square
Or Park plaza Westminster bridge or county hall. London is great with kids, here are my suggestions:


The Science Museum in South Kensington is awesome - in the basement they have a whole section with hands on stuff for kids 5 and under. You could also do the princess diana memorial playground and kew gardens, and if you do that you could do theKew Bridge Steam Museum. In Wimbledon there is a great kids theatre called Polka Theatre that has plays for kids of all ages. There is also one in Kilburn called Tricycle Theatre that has childrens programming. There is another playground in Regents Park called Hanover Gate that is supposed to be good and one called Paddington Street Gardens Playground. Battersea Park has a children's zoo as well. Hummingbird Bakery in Chelsea and in South Kensington has great cupcakes! On weekends the Tate Modern has family events. And Coram's Field, in Central London, would be good. Borough market is great for lunch and exploring. Hampton court palace and Windsor are also great day activities.

You could do bath for a day, or Oxford or Cambridge and go punting.
York is a great trip, and the Lake District is gorgeous. There is so much to see!

[osumelissa]

I have done AirBNB twice in London and would recommend that - you can get snacks and drinks at the market and it is just a more "homey" feel. In London, Borough Market is great, and Hyde Park would be a great area to let the kids run around

[anna7602]

I agree with jamaicam that the trip between London and Paris is super easy. I did it with DD when she was 15 months old (just the two of us, no DH) and will do it again this summer with DD, now 7, and DS, 11 months (no DH, again).

There is a lot to see and do in Paris with kids. I would recommend a Bateau Mouche ride you can hop on and off as you please throughout the day. The Jardin des Plantes has a nice little zoo and the Jardin de Luxembourg is one of my favorite parks anywhere. There are pony rides there, little boats to play with in the pond there, a play area (but note that you have to pay to get in), a kiddie theater (Guignol), a carousel, grass to have a picnic... The Parc Buttes-Chamont is also very nice, but isn't as close to other sites as the Jardin des Plantes and the Jardin de Luxembourg. Oh, and in the summer there's a fair set up in Tuileries Gardens, with a ferris wheel and other rides. That's about 50% of the reason that we're going in July this year instead of during another school break.

I've never met a kid who wasn't wowed by a visit to the Eiffel Tower (no need to even go up, they will just stare in wonder underneath it). Sacre Coeur and Montmartre (plus the little train ride around Montmartre) also went over well with the child visitor we had when we lived in Paris.

The aquarium makes for a nice rainy day activity. If your daughter likes dolls, The Musee des Poupees is sweet. There's also the Musee en Herbe, a dedicated kids' museum.

And then, of course, there are lots of crepes to be had around town.

[laurao]

Thanks all!
I'm feeling like Devon-London-Paris is doable and will make for some nice variety, but not too much travel.
I'm thinking of spending 4-5 nights in each place, so total travel would be 12-15 nights, plus flights on each end.
Are here any specific neighbourhoods in London or Paris you would recommend staying? I think we will definitely do an apartment, and AirBNB looks great

[anna7602]

laurao, I would recommend staying on the Left Bank in Paris, in the 5th, 6th or 7th arrondisements, because those areas are super walkable and there are great bus connections to other parts of the city (you can take open strollers on the buses, no need to fold, but taking the metro with a stroller is a huge PITA because of all the stairs). Le Marais is also a very central area to stay, on the Right Bank.

[anna7602]

May 27, 2015 19:45:30 GMT -5 frlcb said:

If you don't want to do airbnb check out Citadines Trafalgar Square
Or Park plaza Westminster bridge or county hall. London is great with kids, here are my suggestions:

Hijacking this thread to ask if these are walkable areas to stay with kids? I've been advised not to attempt the tube with a stroller. I'd love not to have to rely on wearing DS all day if I'm out and about for hours. 

[frlcb]

May 28, 2015 15:07:51 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

May 27, 2015 19:45:30 GMT -5 frlcb said:

If you don't want to do airbnb check out Citadines Trafalgar Square
Or Park plaza Westminster bridge or county hall. London is great with kids, here are my suggestions:

Hijacking this thread to ask if these are walkable areas to stay with kids? I've been advised not to attempt the tube with a stroller. I'd love not to have to rely on wearing DS all day if I'm out and about for hours. 

Trafalgar Square is right near oxford street and very central. County Hall is near waterloo/london eye. Westminster is good too.

While many tube stations don't have lifts some do, and I always found people willing to help carry our stroller. Check out this app, it will be super helpful.


www.mumderground.com/

[mrsukyankee]

I have yet to see a person struggling with a buggy as people will definitely help out. I would also look in the area around Regents Park - Marylebone (great for the Zoo and playing outside) as a location to stay.

[pittpurple]

May 28, 2015 15:07:51 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

May 27, 2015 19:45:30 GMT -5 frlcb said:

If you don't want to do airbnb check out Citadines Trafalgar Square
Or Park plaza Westminster bridge or county hall. London is great with kids, here are my suggestions:

Hijacking this thread to ask if these are walkable areas to stay with kids? I've been advised not to attempt the tube with a stroller. I'd love not to have to rely on wearing DS all day if I'm out and about for hours. 

I think the buses are all handicapped/stroller friendly?

[mrsukyankee]

Yes, the buses are even easier to use, though they can only fit two at a time so if it's full, you have to wait for the next one.