Looking for Europe Travel Suggestions...

[taiwan_girl]

If you and your family are Harry Potter fans, you can visit the Harry Potter studio, which is a pretty easy day trip from London via bus. Lots of fun I thought.

Scale model of Hogwarts that was built for filming

Another fun day trip was the city of Bath. I had a debate to go there or to Stonehenge. Decided on Bath and was glad I did. Quite interesting and fascinating. Easy train ride from London. Lots of history (Roman baths) and beautiful buildings.

[bachophile]

for london, i would definately second the british museum (dont you want to see the rosetta stone?) or the magnificent assyria collection (cant miss Ashurbanipal dining with the severed head of the elamite king hanging on a tree?)
and the churchill war rooms, (cant see enough churchill movies to get a feel for those monumntal days)

i agree with phibes that you may be underestimating the distances. you can train to any of those more rural areas, and rent a car locally.

as for france, my best vacations in france were staying in one place for a week and travelling around from that base. ive done it in provence, and I especially liked doing it in the dordogne area, east of bordeaux. just crazy nice, and the food and wine was amazing (truffles!!!)

ive always wanted to do a canal trip, where you rent a canal boat and travel that way, that can be done in both england and france.

[Doctor Phibes]

Oh, speaking of Harry Potter - if you're driving up to Edinburgh you could stop at Alnwick Castle where they filmed the movies. My wife took my kids there about 10 years ago and they really enjoyed it. Probably not worth a trip by itself, but it's on the way to Edinburgh if you're driving.

However, I would recommend following Bach's advice and take the train.

[LuFins Dad]

Is The Globe worth a visit? It feels like visiting London requires seeing Shakespeare…

[jon-nyc]

I thought it was interesting. Tour is pretty short.

[LuFins Dad]

Also, any impression about The Cotswolds?

[LuFins Dad]

Starting to think it really would be best to spend a full 3 weeks in the UK.

[taiwan_girl]

@LuFins-Dad said in Looking for Europe Travel Suggestions...:

Is The Globe worth a visit? It feels like visiting London requires seeing Shakespeare…

Yes. I thought it was quite interesting. I did not go when there was a play there, but they do have performances there still.

Somewhat close to the Globe is another couple of museums that are interesting and quite fun. One is a surgecal museum from 100+ years ago (including an operating room from that time), and the other is an old jail.

https://oldoperatingtheatre.com/

https://www.clink.co.uk/

[Doctor Phibes]

@LuFins-Dad said in Looking for Europe Travel Suggestions...:

Also, any impression about The Cotswolds?

It's a nice enough area, but personally I'd much rather visit the Lake District or Wales. It depends what you're looking for. Both Oxford and Bath and touristy towns fairly close that are worth visiting, and the Wye Valley to the west is nice - my wife's family came from near there, but don't let that put you off.

[jon-nyc]

I think you could easily do three weeks in the British Isles.

[89th]

Wales has castles btw. Like a shit ton

[jon-nyc]

Yeah, but Wales.

[LuFins Dad]

I’m actually considering something kinda insane…10 day England/Scotland Trip then a (god help us) a 9 day Mediterranean Cruise on Disney… I know, I know. I hate cruises. I really do. And you land in a city at 7AM and the boat leaves at 7PM. Not exactly a great way to really enjoy an area… But… 5-6 year old kid… On top of that, you do get a little bit of a taste for the different areas, see some grand sights, and maybe pick out a few places to return to…

Another option is 10-11 Days in England and another 10-11 days in France, but 3 of those days will be at Disneyland Paris. Again, 6 years old…. If we go this route, I see 2 days in Normandy , 3 days in Paris, 3 at Disney, and 2 at Strasbourg (I am enamored with the idea of Strasbourg. French cuisine, German beer, and Venetian Canals…

3 days in London, 2 days in a neat small town in the Lake District or Cotswold, then a 2 day trip to Lanark, 1 day in Edinburgh, stop at the HP Castle and a day on the East Coast, then off to stage 2.

[LuFins Dad]

Then come back in 2 years for an Alps trip… Bavarian, Swiss, Italian, etc…

[jon-nyc]

Sounds like a plan.

Or two plans.

[Doctor Phibes]

That holiday sounds like my idea of hell. Each to their own I guess but I want the traveling to stop once I arrive.

[Mik]

Lord. Fin is going to be 5????

[George K]

@Mik said in Looking for Europe Travel Suggestions...:

Lord. Fin is going to be 5????

I think 6?

[Mik]

Whhoooooosh!

[LuFins Dad]

5 this September.