Traveling MamasWondering how to entertain your 2-yr-old on a long trip? Got questions about airfares or car routes? Want to know where the best tourist or camping spots are? Moving across the country? C'mon in!
Travelling mamas, is $1685 a good price to fly to London...
2 Kids, 2 adults? It's the only fare I've found under $2000. We are flying out around 12/14 and coming home on Xmas. We're flying from NC to London and from Paris back to NC.
Any tips for cheap travel? How about nice hotels on the cheap? My only requirement is in-room bathing and no bugs...lol.
MY DH is savvy on the tubes and other public transportation, so that's a plus! He's been all over Europe, Englad, Paris, Switzerland, well, everywhere. Anyway, It's nice that he knows what's going on, but this is our first time together and with the 2 kids...lol...should be interesting!!!
Take the kids to Covent Garden to hang out and watch the street performers. The London Transport Museum is right there, too, and that is fun.
Also, in Kensington Garden, go to the Diana Memorial Playground, it's set up in a Peter Pan theme with an enormous pirate ship, teepees, etc. Your little ones will love it! It's near Hyde Park.
Natural History Museum was awesome for us, we could have spent the whole week there.
No advice on hotels, we were there for DH's work and they paid for it.
I am thinking I might spare other theatre-goers the drama of my kids....well, my 2 year old anyway. He doesn't sit still or be quiet for anything at all. We might save the theatre visit for another trip. I did tell DH that I might take DD to one, or he could take her. I do so want to experience the theatre there.
So, we've booked our trip! Dec 15th-Dec 26th. I am so excited I could just, well, maybe pee in my pants!
DD is thrilled, too!
We were going to wait until DS gets older, but we just can't! We really want to go while DH is working from home and has some freedom!
I am pricing tickets for a flight at the end of March and that is the ballpark for the figures I am getting. I did get tickets once for about $400, but that was six years ago.
I don't have a lot of hotel experience. Once we stayed at a posh hotel in London on New Year's Eve, but we didn't have any kids and it was a real splurge.
Pubs are casaul dining for families. Some have very family oriented atmoshpheres.
I think it would be fun to get familar with the tube and take it around London. DH knows how it all works and I just follow him. Parking can be tricky.
Be careful when you cross the street - look in the right direction (which could be the left). I kept almost getting ran over because I'd look the wrong way.
I stay with inlaws and my tourist experiences are limited. If you are around London near the holidays, you MUST MUST MUST take your kids to see a Pantamime - such a fun kids show. I LOVED it and am most distressed that our next trip is in the spring and not during Pantamime season.
Cheers mate!
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Sounds like a good price to me! Where'd you get that fare? I think in general Heathrow is cheaper than Gatwick. Easier to get in and out of the city too--the Tube goes right into town, whereas at LGW you have to take the train to Victoria Station, yada yada. Are you hiring a car or relying on public transport? I'd recommend NOT doing the car hire thing--parking is a B I TCH and hella expensive. Unless of course you're not staying entirely in London, then I'd say get the car, depending on where else you're headed. You could also take the train to many places. What part of town are you staying in? Not to brag, but I've been to London manymany times (I lived/commuted out of Chester/Manchester to the US for awhile) if you have any Q's, LMK, I know of a few flat-style hotels you could stay at that aren't too expensive. Last year we stayed at Emperor's Gate in Kensington. Very decent except for the peeping tom across the street. Have your kids got their passports yet?
Are you staying in Paris? There's a fabulous little bookstore across the Seine by Notre Dame called..."The Shakespeare Bookstore"--the sign is in English. If you like books (I"m assuming you do b/c I do, haha!) you could stay in there for a YEAR. Old rickety thin staircases go up three floors to nothing but glorious, glorious books.
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Originally posted by Erin D. Mama I am thinking I might spare other theatre-goers the drama of my kids....well, my 2 year old anyway. He doesn't sit still or be quiet for anything at all. We might save the theatre visit for another trip. I did tell DH that I might take DD to one, or he could take her. I do so want to experience the theatre there.
So, we've booked our trip! Dec 15th-Dec 26th. I am so excited I could just, well, maybe pee in my pants!
DD is thrilled, too!
We were going to wait until DS gets older, but we just can't! We really want to go while DH is working from home and has some freedom!
Yay!
Erin
We will wave at ya from Rotterdam, the Netherlands! We also leave on Dec. 1th LOL
Luckily DH pretty much knows the city and is comfortable with the tubes, etc, so we will be using them, not cars or taxis. We are taking the Eurorail (?) to Paris, too and flying back from there. We are flying into Heathrow, that is DH's preference, too.
We got our passport photos, etc taken the other day. We had to pay more to have them expedited because they normally take longer, I am sure you know.
We got our fares through www.economytravel.com/london-airfare.html and we used, I think, Expedia for our hotels. We are staying in the West End area near Hyde Park.
We WILL be staying in Paris. Honestly, I haven't given Paris a whole lot of thought, I still can't believe I am going! LOL I know there's a HUGE Sephora in Paris, which I am thrilled about and I can't wait to see the Lush store in London! I will definitely look for that bookstore because I love to check out small book stores! So "You've Got Mail"! LOL
If you have any suggestions in either city for restaurants (I can't wait to find the good Indian places in London), lmk!
Location: I get u where u need to be, usually with a fart and a smile.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Erin D. Mama
(I can't wait to find the good Indian places in London),
Erin
OMG, throw a stone, you'll hit one! I also have a card from the proprietor of a place in Paris I met while working a flight to CDG, I'll have to go hunt it up. Very good, very nice very pricey but well worth it. And anything in the Latin quartier I had good luck with. Nice cheap Prix Fixe. I'm so jealous, can I pack myself in your luggage?
PS. we expedited Louis' passport and it came *really* fast.
We are definitely going to check out the Latin Quarter, we are excited about that. Also, can't wait to see Chantille. We might take another day trip or two while in Paris.
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