April ’22.
England never really interested us because the fact the people spoke English made it less exotic then other places we have visited. Boy we were we wrong.
It was a long 2 years of no international travel as a result of COVID-19. Our girls are finally old enough for international travel, besides Italy to see our family. Seeing other countries as a family is finally a possibility – both of our dreams!
Day 1 – Travel To London and Arrive
We flew into London Heathrow which is a quick 6-7 hours from the New York area. Many travel books suggest taking the tube (basically the London subway system) from the airport to downtown London, but time was valuable to us and we chose to take the Heathrow Express which is about a 20 minute ride to London’s Paddington train station. It is pricier than other options, but was so convenient and quick even with the luggage and tired girls. From there , we took a taxi to our flat. Notably, there are several apps you can download to have a readily accessible tube map on your phone that will estimate times and help you choose the right lines. They are very similar to what is available in New York City and highly suggested.
We choose to rent through VRBO, the Royal Kensington, as the flat we rented had a kitchen to cook for the girls. 2 bed rooms, was near a grocery store, across the street from the natural history museum, and had 2 tube stops within 5 minute walks. Further, it had a beautiful balcony overlooking the murseum that was great to sit on at night when the girls went to bed.
Interestingly enough, our fist meal in London was at ASK Italian because it was across the way from the grocery store near our flat – we actually liked it! After lunch, we loaded up at the Waitrose & Partners Gloucester Road grocery store and walked 3 blocks back to our flat. By the end of the trip, South Kensington was hands down our favorite part of London! Huge shout out to all of the friends we made on Bute Street – Trevi Italian Tiramisu, Cafe Mama Pho, Pizzetta, and the Zetland Arms!
Once we were settled in the flat, we took a taxi up to Portobello Road in Kensington. This is a cool little street with outdoor vendors and a lot of restaurants and bars. We spent about 2 hours walking around there.
Afterwards, we took a taxi back to South Kensington and walked around our neighborhood to familiarize ourselves, visit the tub to figure out how to buy tickets and see the street performers around South Kensington Station. It is also when we discovered Bute Street and bounced around the establishments there for awhile because the street is closed to traffic and the girls could run around.
Day 2 – Explore Tower of London, Premier League Game
Silvia is not much for sight seeing, the girls are too young, but the Tower of London was still a home run for a 2 hour visit. The girls really enjoyed the marching soldiers and various ceremonies. For London, we found a nifty app, getyourguide.com, which provides lists of tours you could join as well as the ability to pre-purchase tickets for certain attractions We used it to purchase our Tower of London tickets the day before and skipped all lines. The tickets are downloaded into your app and you can add it to your mywallet on your phone. Further, once you choose a tour, the getyourguide app provided a map and directions to the meetings points to start the tour. This is an awesome app as you enter your location, the day, and it spits out tickets you can buy, tours, and many other tourist friendly activities. If you are new to a city, this is a perfect way to get a layout of what may be available. It also includes reviews of all the activities, so you can get further color.
We arrive at opening so we could book it to the crown jewels to avoid the potential lines. The strategy worked and we were able to view them in an almost empty room. With your ticket to the Tower of London, you can join a free tour with a Beefeater (Yeomen Warders). They will provide an entertaining perspective on the history of the castle, but it was difficult to get a 9 and 6 year old to concentrate for long periods, despite their humor.
After our 2 hours, we took the Tube a 20 minute tube ride from Tower Hill back to South Kensignton to have lunch at the apartment before the Premier League football game. James went to Hereford Arms pub with outdoor seating and fantastic fish and chips to order take out.
To get to Watford’s statdium, we took the Tube from South Kensington to Paddington station (the same line). From there we took a 30 minute train to Watford Station. I was able to secure tickets on the Watford website, which was fairly easy. We had front row seats as you will see below for £40 per adult and £18 per kid (that is much less then an NFL game).
From Watford Station, it was about a 20 minute walk to the stadium, albeit an extremely entertaining one. The Leeds fans were over-the-top enthusiastic and had indulged in early morning cocktails in preparation of the game. The game was close to the very end and we left with about 5 minutes left in the game to beat the traffic to the train. A quick train ride back into downtown London Paddington station and a tube ride to Piccadilly Circus to walk around SOHO.
There, we discovered Convent Garden which was closed to traffic and many back alley beautifully decorated shops, pubs and restaurants as well as a huge indoor market. There are also many street entertainers, so it makes for some good people watching with a pint. For the girls, we found Badiani Gelato (Convent Garden) which has good gelato and great espresso for us. From there, Silvia wanted to visit Zara on Long Acre and Bow streets.
Here, we learned an important lesson. Somewhere between gelato and visting Zara, Silvia misplaced her phone. We had turned off international data and cell service and solely utilized wifi to that point. Normally, when a phone is misplaced, you can use the FindMy app, but since we had no international service we had to look the old fashion way. Our efforts were fruitless and the phone was sacrificed to the vacation gods. Defeated, we headed home for the night and cooked the girls dinner and ordered takeout from Mama Pho on Bute Street, which was awesome and cheered us up!
Day 3 – Harry Potter London Tour!
This day was meant to be a site-seeing extravaganza. We have found in our travels that the “free” tours are so beneficial as you do not have to think and are shown different areas of a particular city. Since the purpose of this trip was to capture as much Harry Potter as possible, a 2.5 hour Harry Potter walking tour was a great way to spend the day and get some insider tips on London and hit much of the main tourist attractions with Harry Potter filming stories, reenactments of scenes (Illy was a star!) and Harry Potter trivia based on the group being separated into the houses. Some of the stops include (and we hit them all):
1. Southwark Cathedral 2. Borough Market 3. The Golden Hinde 4. Winchester Palace 5. The Clink Prison Museum 6. Shakespeare’s Globe 7. Millennium Bridge 8. Daniel Radcliffe’s School 9. The London Eye 10. River Thames 11. Sherlock Holmes’ Pub 12. Great Scotland Yard 13. Gringotts Wizarding Bank 14. The world’s smallest police station 15. Trafalgar Square 16. Knockturn Alley 17. Diagon Alley 18. Palace Theatre
After the Harry Potter tour, we hit up Pizza Express for the girls, had some wine, and followed through with our promise of showing them one of the largest toy stores in the world, Hemleys Toy Store on Regent Street. Hemleys is multiple floors and, similar to FAO Shwarz, the employees are demonstrating the toys throughout. This was a home run for the girls and fun for us.
After Hemleys, we walked around the back streets of Oxford Circus & Regents St. stopping in some of the small shops & pubs. Our favorite was probably Carnaby Street, which is an all pedestrian street. From there, we walked south through the gardens and to Buckingham Palace.
At night, we stopped at the Queens Arms, an amazing pub down back alley quiet street in South Kensington. Most people grab a beer and stand in the streets surrounding the pub. The girls went home to get ready for bed after a long day and James picked up real tasty Indian food at Raj of Kensington.
Day 4 – Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studios
Today was the day the whole trip was planned around – Harry Potter studio tour! To save some time and the children’s sanity, we took a taxi from South Kensington to Paddington station (about 20 pounds). From there we took a 30 minute train to Watford Station where a Harry Potter bus picks you up to bring you to the studio. We arrived as soon as the studio opened up to avoid the lines and it definitely filled up quick.
The pictures say everything – it was a big hit and everything they had imagined. The tour took us about 3.5 hours. It could take much longer if you view every exhibit and interact with same. There is a half way point that bring you to the cafeteria. We bought some food and butter beer and sat at the outdoor picnic tables. The food was OK and the butter beer is for those with a sweet tooth – both girls were disgusted with it and James had to drink it (he can’t stand wasting money). The tour ends at the Harry Potter stdui store, which has everything a kid could ever imagine – so beware. Once you leave the studio, there is a queue to hop on the complimentary bus that brings you back to the train station. Another 30 minute train ride and you are downtown again
We had also promised the girls a hop on-hop off double decker bus ride, Big Bus. We purchased the tickets right at the bus stop. Make sure to check for online coupons before purchasing as it will save you a lot of money.
We were able to pull up a coupon on our phone, which the attendant scanned and honored. The bus company gives you an audio device for pre-recorded cheesy commentary on the ride, but it was a good way to get our bearings of the downtown. We purchased the red route as there are multiple options – we also purchased the option without the river cruise (that didn’t look fun as the water was choppy with wind). We stayed on the bus for about an hour and jumped off at the Big Ben stop to get some photos there and at Westminster Abbey.
From there, we jumped back on the tube and headed for home, South Kensington, with one stop for Silvia – the famous department store, Harrods. Harrods was almost overwhelming – it was like being in the Warner Brother studio of adults. We grabbed a couple things, mainly tea, to bring home as presents for the family and walked to Bute Street to sit outside, get some food and gelato, and let our feet rest.
Day 5- York
We woke up this morning, cleaned up the VRBO flat, and took a taxi with all of our luggage to Kings Cross station for a 2 1/2 train to York. A tip, that we learned late, in booking train tickets in England – purchase the railcard!!!! If you are going to take several trains, you will save a ton of money for the small fee you pay for the railcard. We did not learn this until I spoke with a train ticket agent in York to purchase our tickets to Edinbugh and back to London. For example, our tickets from London to York cost approximately $207 for the 4 of us. After buying the family railpass in York, our tickets from York to Edinburgh (2 1/2 hours) and then Edinburgh back to London (4 1/2 hours), with the pass, totaled $204. Trains in England are fantastic. We highly suggest buying some good food to bring to make the trip more enjoyable because the drink cart and food carriage have some good beer!
York is a wonderful little city. If you have watched Outlander or Vikings, it is featured multiple times. York has the best kept medieval walls surrounding the city – all of which is walk-able. Further, it has a street called the “Shambles.” The Shambles is one of York’s most famous landmarks and one of the best-preserved medieval shopping streets in Europe. With its cobbled streets and overhanging buildings, it is believed to have been another inspiration behind Diagon Alley from Harry Potter, consequently, the Harry Potter vacation continued! On the Shambles, we visited the Shop That Must not be Named, which the girls absolutely loved. There is also the Potions Cauldron where you get to make different concoctions and looked really cool. A must stop for the adults on the Shambles is the Shambles Tavern. Stepping into it brings you back hundreds of years. Another favorite, that we visited a couple times in our short stay in York was the food outposts in the Shambles outdoor food court that has Thai, Italian, crepe, fish & chips, Mexican stalls, among many others. Silvia and I would grab a beer in the Shambles Tavern and order several small plates and eat at the picnic tables while the girls played with their gifts from the Shop That Must not be Named.
Lastly, with regard to the Shambles, we also found an Italian gem in the restaurant Sapori. They had good pizza for the girls, homemade wine they brought from Italy and good coffee and pastries.
Other interesting places in York were the York Minister. The stained glass is amazing. The girls also enjoyed a visit to the crypt.
In York, we stayed at the Grand Hotel, which was a fantastic experience and we highly recommend! The girls loved the stuffed viking toys on the bed when we walked in! At dinner, we ate at the Hole in the Wall. This is a cool restaurant right on the medieval wall and near the Minister.
We did not get an opportunity to do this tour because the timing did not line up, but I read many good things about it and the gentleman was excellent at corresponding with me: York Harry Potter Tour.
It has a rich Viking history as well and the Viking museum is well worth a visit (it is a cross between a bad Disney ride and a museum).
Day 6 – Edinburgh
We woke up, enjoyed a great breakfast in our hotel, the Grand York. The girls and James walked on top of the castle walls and pretended to shoot bow and arrows. We also visited the York Museum gardens to walk around.
Afterwards, we went to Cafe Nero to get hot chocolates before boarding the train to Edinburgh. Cafe Nero did a very good job of listing out allergies and had excellent hot chocolates, with a lot of whipped cream, that the girls loved and you can find Cafe Neros throughout England and Scotland.
We walked back to the hotel, grabbed our bags and made the short walk to the train station to get a 2 hour 30 minute train for Edinburgh. By then, we had the train thing down and it was an enjoyable ride up the coast with some great views.
In Edinburgh, we stayed in a VRBO at 1 Bellevue Terrace. It was extremely nice and highly recommended. A couple restaurant bar recommendations in that immediate area:
Cask & Barrel – great place to watch a football game.
The Chippy by Spencer – delicious fish & chips
Harmonium – good with the kids – has pizza
Barony Bar – cool vibe and outside seating.
Of note, where it was surprisingly warm and sunny in London, as we went more north the sun disappeared. Edinburgh was significantly colder then London and I don’t think we ever saw the sun. After we got our bearings, we walked up to Calton Hill for some beautiful views of the city. The walk wasn’t as bad as we thought it may be after a lot of traveling.
Afterwards, we walked down the hill to the Royal Mile. The Royal Mile is considered the heart of downtown Edinburgh with many shops, bars, restaurants, street entertainers and . . . . tourists. However, as you can see with the picture of the owl, there were a ton of fun surprises and people watching.
That night we ate at Eden’s Kitchen, which was about a 5 minute walk from our flat. It was perfect as it had pizza for the girls, good cocktails and some interesting Greek and Turkish choices for us. Everyone enjoyed their meal and we called it an early night.
Day 7 – James Golf, Girls Edinburgh Harry Potter Tour
On this day, James rented a car from Avis Waverley Station, which was about a 5 minute walk from the VRBO so that he could drive to play golf. He made a tee time at Gullane Golf Club # 1 and rented clubs there.
Gullane #1 has been the setting for a host of highly acclaimed tournaments. In 2015 Gullane played host to the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, won by Rickie Fowler. In 2018 the club hosted the Ladies Scottish Open won by Ariya Jutanugarn. Additionally, other than hosting Final Qualifying when the Open has been at Muirfield, Gullane No. 1 has been a regular venue for significant amateur competitions. In January 2016 Gullane No.1 was ranked the 20th Best Course in Scotland by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine rated the par 5 3rd as one of the best holes in the world.
While James was golfing, Silvia and the girls did the Harry Potter Magical Guided Walking Tour. It is a 2 hour tour walking throughout the downtown area. It was a hit to say the least. The tour showed you where J. K. Rowling wrote many of the books, a street that inspired diagon alley, Tom Riddle’s “grave”, and many more. The guide even had the kids draw houses for trivia during the tour. The girls were in heaven and Silvia learned a lot about Edingburgh.
After the tour and golf, James drove to meet everyone parked the car underneath the Edinburgh Castle, and we all met up in Edinburgh Old Town at the Biddy Mulligans, which is supposed to be haunted, for an outdoor pint, apple juice and some people watching. The people were nice, the beer was good, and it was a nice way to spend an early afternoon.
We then took some steep stairs (Castle Wynd S) up to the Edinburgh Castle for a tour. Despite the hike, this was very rewarding. The castle sits at the top of the Royal Mile and at a strategic position on the top of the highest hill. Those castle walls were the same as when Robert the Bruce and William Wallace walked through them! Indeed, in the Royal Hall, there names are in the stained glass.
Outside the castle, the girls got huge ice creams from a local vendor stand and we started our decent to the car. We headed to Dean’s Village, which is hard to believe it exists in such a large city.
This night, since it was a long day of running around, we cooked the girls dinner in the flat and we ordered takeout with Scotch we bought.
Day 8 – St. Andrews and Exploring North of Edinburgh
Today, we decided to drive through the country back roads to Saint Andrews. It was about a 90 minute drive if you didn’t get lost, but James intentionally didn’t follow directions and brought us through sheep farms and little villages. 3 months from our visit, the 150th British Open was to be played at Saint Andrews, so James was particularly interested in seeing it. First and foremost, Saint Andrews is significantly colder then Edingburgh as it sits right on the North Sea.
After some shopping at local book stores, fate brought us to yet another Pizza Express on Logies Lane where we decided it was a good idea to keep the girls happy and get them lunch. This was in exchange for mom and dad eating at the famous Jigger Inn, which is right on 17 on the Old Course. We can’t say enough good things about the Inn, the atmosphere was great and the food was a homerun.
After lunch, we did some more shopping and walked the University of St. Andrews grounds, which are beautiful and right on the Sea. We also visited the St. Andrew Castle and Cathedral ruins, which were cool.
St. Andrews was similar to York and a nice break from the bigger cities. We had aspirations to play the mini golf club, but the wind of the Sea was too much and the family votes James down. Consequently, we headed back to Edinburgh, dropped the car off at the rental car facility, and walked around our neighborhood for the evening.
Day 9 – Back to London
This day we woke up fairly early, took a taxi to the train station and embarked on a 4 1/2 hour trip back to London. We had tried to fly out of Edinburgh to Newark, but the tickets were still substantially higher then paying for the train and getting a hotel in London. Regardless, I am glad we did because when we got off the train, it was sunny and in the 70s!!!!!
We stayed at the Danubius Hotel Regents Park for the night in a deluxe family suite for only 251 pounds, which was a great deal. We were taking an early flight back the next day because it was Easter and the kids wanted to keep Easter traditions alive with their cousins, so the hotel arranged a taxi van to transport us to the airport – so nothing to worry about but enjoy the sun for the day!
We took the tube back to the Borough Market to get some food, ice cream and libations to walk down the river. It turned out to be an amazing walk with street musicians and performers everywhere. We also went back to the Covent Garden Piazza & Trafalgar Square to see some live performers before taking the tube back to South Kensington to visit Bute Street where we had dinner, gelato and some drinks. We then took a long walk around South Kensington viewing all of the embassies before stopping at the Queens Arms to have a pint and let the girls run around the alley.
Day 10 – Fly Home!
The taxi showed up on time, we sped through the security lines and went to the London United Club which did a fabulous job of decorating for Easter and making Easter specific foods. The girls were very excited and it was a pleasant way to finish the trip. The ride home wasn’t exciting and pretty quick. We made it in time for the Easter egg hunt and early afternoon dinner!
silandjamestravel 
Posted on March 14, 2023
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