Our 15-Day UK Itinerary With Kids

This summer, we packed up our three girls, four carry-on suitcases, one stroller and a probably unreasonable amount of excitement and flew across the pond for 15 days in the UK.And it was truly one of my favorite trips we’ve ever taken.

We covered A LOT of ground—London, Edinburgh, the Scottish Highlands, the Isle of Skye, the Cotswolds and the real-life Hundred Acre Wood before looping back to London to fly home.

Was it ambitious with three kids? Yes. Did we occasionally question our choices while hauling luggage through a train station? Also yes. Would I do it all over again? In a heartbeat.

I really, really loved the way we did this trip. It was equal parts adventure and exploring, beautiful hotels and cozy cottage rentals, delicious dinners out and fun grocery hauls for nights in. We got dressed up for afternoon tea and ate snacks in the car. We stayed in a castle and did loads of laundry in Airbnbs. We saw the big bucket-list sights and also spent plenty of time wandering around neighborhoods, grocery stores and tiny villages just seeing how people live. It felt like a vacation and a cultural experience—which is exactly what I wanted.

One of the things I loved most about this trip was how much of it connected back to things our girls had learned about at home. Paintings we’d studied were suddenly hanging in front of us at the National Gallery. The A.A. Milne stories we’d read together ended with us actually playing Poohsticks in the Hundred Acre Wood. It felt like one giant homeschool field trip disguised as a family vacation that the kids AND parents could enjoy.

I’ve had so many questions about our itinerary and the logistics of doing the UK with kids, so I’m putting EVERYTHING here: where we went, how we got around, what we loved and a few things I’d do differently.

THE QUICK VERSION

Our trip looked like this:

Days 1–3: London
Days 4–6: Edinburgh
Days 7–10: Scottish Highlands + Isle of Skye
Day 11: Balmoral + St. Andrews
Days 12–15: Cotswolds + Hundred Acre Wood

We intentionally did not rent a car in London or Edinburgh. We relied on walking, taxis and Ubers for most of the city portion of our trip, took the train from London to Edinburgh and then picked up a rental car when we were ready to head into the Highlands. This ended up being a really great way to divide the trip! Part city adventure, part old-fasioned family roadtrip!

DAYS 1–3: LONDON

Day 1: Kensington Gardens + Trying to Stay Awake

We left Orlando around 8:30 p.m. and took an overnight flight into London Gatwick, landing around 10 a.m. London time. Booked a park/stay hotel in Orlando so we could leave our car there while we were gone and use hotel shuttles to get back to the hotel where we’d spent the night when we arrived back in the states.

Our main objective for Day One was simple: DO NOT GO TO SLEEP.

We headed to the London Marriott Hotel Kensington, dropped our bags, changed clothes and got outside. Rather than trying to cram major sightseeing into our jet-lagged brains, we spent our first afternoon walking around Kensington Gardens. We saw Kensington Palace, watched the swans at the Round Pond, wandered through the Italian Gardens, found the Peter Pan statue and let the girls play. It was exactly the kind of first day we needed—lots of fresh air, lots of walking and nothing that required us to know what day it was.

We originally had reservations at Churchill Arms that night, but jet lag won and we ended up having dinner in our hotel’s club lounge and ice cream in Hyde Park instead. Zero regrets but I’d love to try Churchill Arms on our next visit!

STAY: London Marriott Hotel Kensington. Would stay here again! Felt like the perfect location to explore everything we wanted to see without being in the busiest parts of the city. Cozy walks all around us and most importantly… across the street from a giant Sainsbury’s grocery which I visited no less than three times a day.

Day 2: The Parent Trap House, Harrods + Notting Hill

Our second day was basically my ideal London day.

We started the day with proper scones and clotted cream then walked to 23 Egerton Terrace, Elizabeth James’s iconic London townhouse. Packed our Zoe stroller for Margaret! Perfect size for travel.

From there we wandered through South Kensington toward Knightsbridge and eventually made our way to Harrods. After a few hours of exploring (it’s pretty magical!) we grabbed lunch in the Harrods Food Hall and walked over to the park for a picnic! The girls *loved* the London playgrounds! Hyde Park was at the top of our favorites list. Sadly, didn’t get to visit the Princess Diana Memorial Playground because they were remodeling but it should be open now!

After lunch we took a taxi over to Soho to explore mom’s mothership… The Liberty London department store! I shopped, we popped up to Trotters to peruse more Jellycats and then found a proper pub to grab sausage rolls before dinner at Dishoom! This was a reservation I knew we needed because we LOVE indian food. It sure lived up to the hype! We grabbed appetizers in the bar before our table was ready and ended up never making it to the table because we were stuffed. And tired. So back to our hotel we went! Where we pulled the “help, we’re Americans” card and had oscillating fans brought up to our room….

One of my favorite things about London was simply leaving enough room in the schedule to walk around. You don’t necessarily need an attraction every hour. The streets themselves are half the fun. Especially during a 100 year heat-wave when everyone is out and about soaking up warm weather! Top tier people watching.

Day 3: The Very London Day

If you only had one day to show your kids London, this would be a pretty good one.

We started with morning tea at Peggy Porschen in Belgravia which was the cutest setup for the girl moms! It’s not as formal as some of the other tea options we entertained so it was the perfect fit with baby in tow.

After tea we walked toward Buckingham Palace to get a good look at all of the chaos surrounding the Changing of the Guard and get proper tourist photos. Memorable. However the highlight was walking through St. James’s Park! Just beautiful and once again featured an amazing playground. London does playgrounds right. Coffee and snacks available at each of them, something fun for every age, and usually tucked away in the most beautiful parks.

From there we made our way toward Westminster Abbey and had our first proper look at Big Ben. This was one of those mom moments I won’t forget. There’s something very cool about watching your kids recognize a landmark they’ve seen in books and drawn at the kitchen table. Love bringing this stuff to life for them!

We continued toward Trafalgar Square and visited the National Gallery, where we specifically hunted down artists we’d already talked about at home—Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir and Degas. The NG is free to visit so I’d definitely include on your London to-do list! Could have stayed all day but fish n’ chips were calling!

Later we headed toward St. Paul’s Cathedral where we walked the 528 steps (should have trained for that!) in the historic heat-wave… with small children. Glorious views at the top but also terrifying with small kiddos.

We popped over to the Borough Market but sadly most of the vendors were closing up shop when we arrived (lesson learned: go early in the day!) and then walked over to Shakespeare’s Globe to cross another homeschool lesson off of our list! Loved walking along the Thames and getting a feel for the city! Pure magic.

Our feet were DONE. Our hearts were very full. Early bedtimes for all!

DAYS 4–6: EDINBURGH

Day 4: Last Train to Scotland

On Friday morning we headed to King’s Cross Station to catch our train to Edinburgh. Or, more accurately, we headed to King’s Cross Station to learn a very expensive lesson about missing trains. We were enjoying a leisurely breakfast at the hotel when I realized that we should have left for the train station much sooner. Honestly I was still struggling with the time change. And then our Uber got stuck in traffic and we realized this wasn’t going to happen. More on that in the FAQ. 😂

Eventually, we boarded our train (or should I say “a train” at this point) and made the approximately four-hour journey north to Scotland.And once we were actually ON the train? We loved it. We could settle into our seats, watch the countryside go by and arrive right in Edinburgh without dealing with another airport.

We stayed in an Airbnb in Stockbridge near Raeburn Place. Ended up loving our airbnb and the neighborhood iteself SO much. So much city-life but also felt really family-friendly and safe. Walking this neighborhood was one of my favorite parts of the trip! Just gorgeous and so charming. Staying in an airbnb also gave us something VERY important on a two-week family trip: A washing machine. Never underestimate the luxury of laundry.

We kept our first Edinburgh afternoon relatively easy and explored the Royal Botanic Garden before settling into our apartment. Had dinner at the Royal Botanic Garden rooftop cafe (the hot honey pizza SLAPPED) with gorgeous views and the most perfectly manicured gardens I’ve ever walked.

I do have to admit that the highlight of our apartment’s location was that an M&S AND a Waitrose were a quick walk away. Loved my daily hauls!

Day 5: Edinburgh Castle + The Royal Mile

The next morning we slept in a bit, munched on a Waitrose quiche (delish) and people-watched from our apartment window.

Edinburgh is one of those cities where simply walking around feels like an activity so we started with a bit of that and then decided to taxi over to Edinburgh Castle. The buildings! The history! The hills! The bagpipes! It was magical. I almost didn’t buy tickets because I read a review that said it was “underwhelming” but to Americans living in a 250 year old country… it was anything but!

After an afternoon at the castle we explored the Royal Mile, found another delicious pub to cozy up in for an early dinner, and wandered up to Holyrood House to end our day. If you love the royal family and have watched every episode of The Crown multiple times… this is the trip for you. Our apartment just so happened to be above an Indian takeout restaraunt (did I mention we love Indian food?) so we grabbed that for dinner and tried to do some laundry without a dryer.

Day 6: A Slower Edinburgh Day

Started the morning with breakfast at Owan & Sons and took a long walk to Princess Street Gardens (for the playground and the views!), stopping in every darling shop and farmer’s market along the way.

After a couple of packed sightseeing days, we intentionally made this one a little more laid-back. Grabbed ice cream at Mary’s Milk Bar, walked Victoria Street and made our way to the National Museum of Scotland.

Ended our day outside of town at the Swanson Brasserie for a proper Sunday Roast and a visit with Highland Cows!

DAYS 7–10: THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Day 7: The Roadtrip Begins

This was the day our trip completely changed gears. Kicked things off with a rainy walk up Calton Hill and a bite at the beautiful cafe on top of the hill. A lovely reward after an uphill trek. After a truly Scottish foggy morning we picked up our rental car (should clarify that it was a giant VAN and not a car) officially leaving city life behind. Scotland by car is MAGICAL. But we did shed a few tears leaving Edinburgh because it was so much cooler than we could have hoped it to be! Amazing how you can spend a few days in a city and fall in love so quickly.

First stop on the roadtrip was Midhope Castle—better known to Outlander fans as Lallybroch—before heading toward Stirling Castle and Doune Castle. From there we continued north toward our Airbnb up in the Highlands. This is also when having a rental car became absolutely essential. Once you leave Edinburgh and start exploring the Highlands, being able to stop when you want and take the scenic route is half the experience. As WILD as it is driving in the highlands. And I mean WILD, y’all.

Day 8: Culloden + Clava Cairns

We spent the next day exploring around Inverness and Nairn. We visited Culloden Battlefield on an especially foggy morning and then headed down to the road to Clava Cairns. If you’re an Outlander person, you know. THE STONES.

That afternoon, Pearce played a round at Nairn Golf Club while the girls and I had a slower afternoon at our Airbnb, stocked up on groceries and prepared for a very early morning. There was a frozen pizza and a Harry Styles dance party involved. Nights like this are so important to pencil in when you’re making a 15 day itinerary in a new country. We all needed a little rest and reset + some time to reorganize our car and luggage!

Early to bed because the next day was SKYE. Eeeeeek!

Day 9: The Isle of Skye

This was our most ambitious day trip and also one of the most unforgettable.

We woke up EARLY and drove toward the Isle of Skye, stopping at Eilean Donan Castle along the way. Made our little Merida’s dreams come true visiting the REAL LIFE castle that inspired Brave. The entire Highlands roadtrip was breathtaking but the closer we got to Skye we started losing track of how many times we gasped.

Our first stop on the Isle of Skye was Staffin Beach / Corran Beach. We drove over to find dinosaur footprints (homeschool field trip strikes again) but got distracted by the beauty all around us. Could have filled the entire camera roll.

We continued around the island to Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls and attempted a walk up to the Old Man of Storr. Even if you’re traveling with little kids and don’t want to tackle a massive hike, there are so many spectacular views that don’t require hours on a trail.

It was a BIG day. We grabbed dinner in Portree at the only restaurant that would let us in without a reservation and met some real deal Scottish sailors.

If you’re wondering whether Skye is worth the drive: yes. Ideally you’ll stay a bit closer but there weren’t many lodging options available so we made the trip back to Inverness.

Day 10: A Castle Sleepover for the birthday girl!

After our huge Skye day, we slowed things down. We saw Ben Wyvis, stopped in downtown Dingwall for an epic day of shopping charity stores (I scored so many finds I had to buy another suitcase to get them all home…) and eventually headed to Tulloch Castle in Dingwall.

Yes—we actually stayed in the castle. It just so happens to be the second most haunted castle in Scotland. But we chose to ignore that detail and book this epic adventure anyway! We were shocked to find out they gave us the entire tower apartment for our stay which was a very special treat for the birthday girl.

We had an extra special dinner in the castle’s main restaurant and decorated our room after bedtime because the next day was Alba Grace’s 8th birthday. Because if you’re going to turn eight in Scotland, you might as well wake up in a castle surrounded by pastries and magical bits.

DAY 11: BALMORAL, ST. ANDREWS + FIFE

We started the morning with birthday breakfast in our room and lots of singing and then packed up to make our way south. Our first big stop was Balmoral Castle. It was DREAMY! We loved every minute of walking the property and soaking in that royal magic we adore. Lunch at the Terrace Cafe was fantastic. We did some damage in the beautifully curated gift shop. The girls enjoyed tea and lots of playing under the most gorgeous trees. Plenty of green space for them to run around and just be kids. So wish we could have stayed longer! Or perhaps we could move a bit closer to make it a weekly visit? 😉 Jealous of the locals! Heads up, you will need a reservation for grounds entry at Balmoral Castle!

From there we continued toward St. Andrews, where we had an early dinner at the Jigger Inn overlooking the famous golf course. Unreal experience! I knew the course would be dreamy but I didn’t expect to love the city of St. Andrews so much. This is somewhere I’d love to return and spend more time. Truly special. I joked that I wanted to study abroad here. But I wasn’t completely joking…

DAYS 12–14: THE COTSWOLDS

Day 12: Scotland to the Cotswolds

This was our big driving day. We left Scotland early and made our way south toward Stow-on-the-Wold in England. It was about a 6 hour drive but the girls ended up sleeping for most of it. We arrived in Tidmington after lunchtime and checked into our DARLING Cotswolds airbnb.

We wanted a central location to explore the different villages but also wanted to feel like we were out on a true english country estate and our farmhouse rental was THE PLACE. If you’re looking for much of the same, search “The Cart Shed” on airbnb!

That night we explored Lower Slaughter by foot and then made our way to Stow on the Wold for dinner. Those ended up being two of our favorite villages!

The Porch House was the reservation I was most looking forward to. It lived up to all of the hype. We had a cozy table by the fire and made some of our favorite family memories. Still dreaming about that seafood pasta.

After moving around so much, getting into the English countryside and having a cozy home base felt wonderful. Plucked right out of the Holiday!

Day 13: Quintessential Cotswolds Day

We started early in Broadway, which I highly recommend doing before the crowds arrive. We played, grabbed pastries (as one does) and eventually climbed broadway tower for the spectacular views.

We drove through Burford but decided not to get out of the car after seeing the crowds and instead made our way over to Bourton on The Water. Grabbed the most epic Sunday Roast, explored the cute village and took one million pictures along the water.

After exploring we drove through a few more villages before heading “home” for a cozy night around the fire pit.

Tiny villages. Stone cottages. Gardens. Sheep. Little bridges.Felt like stepping inside a storybook.

Day 14: Daylesford + THE REAL HUNDRED ACRE WOOD

Our final full day might have been my favorite. Saving the best for last is always a good idea.

We had a slow morning at the Airbnb before heading to Daylesford for an early lunch. Life-changing. I’ve added this to my list of favorite places ever. The shopping scene, the food, the pretty details around every corner. Caviar potato chips + fig and honey ice cream forever. 100/10 recommend you visit Daylesford Organic Farmshop for a real taste of the Cotswolds. I’m dying to get back and maybe stay on property?!

After my husband pried me away from the homegoods section… we drove over to Ashdown Forest. AKA… THE HUNDRED ACRE WOOD. We have read so much A.A. Milne together, and 2026 marked 100 years since the publication of the original Winnie-the-Pooh, which made this stop feel especially sweet. We visited Pooh Corner, explored Ashdown Forest and, of course, played Poohsticks.

It was the perfect ending to a trip that gave us some of our favorite family memories.

DAY 15: HOME!

We packed up for the final time, drove toward Gatwick and prepared to say goodbye to the UK. Surely after 15 days of international travel with three children, the final morning would be uneventful. Right? Wrong. We accidentally left one of our suitcases at the Airbnb. And when did we realize this? Right after we returned the rental car...

So Pearce jumped into an Uber and raced back to retrieve our abandoned suitcase while I navigated departures at an insanely busy London airport alone with three children and the rest of our luggage. Enlisting new friends at the airport to help us along the way and begging the airline employees to make sure my husband boarded the plane with us. A baby. Two big girls. Carry-ons. Stroller. Airport crowds. Just me. Living my best life. At the time? Absolutely not funny. Now? A pretty good story.

Somehow the suitcase made it back, Pearce made it back, we all made the flight and eventually landed in Orlando with every child and every piece of luggage accounted for. Which honestly feels like the appropriate ending to a 15-day international trip with three kids.

UK WITH KIDS FAQ

Now for the questions I got over and over while we were traveling…

How were the flights with three kids?

We flew Norse Atlantic out of Orlando and were honestly so pleasantly surprised.

It’s one of the more affordable options for flying to London, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but the food was fine, the service was spectacular and everyone we encountered on our flight was incredibly kind.

I also love flying out of Orlando. It’s an easy airport for us to navigate, and since our flight didn’t take off until around 8 p.m., we stopped at Disney on the way to kill some time. Not a bad way to start a UK trip!

We were traveling with a brand-new walker plus a five- and seven-year-old, so I was mentally prepared for absolute chaos on a ten-hour flight. It really wasn’t that bad!

Our flight to London was a red-eye, and I went into it with every intention of pulling an all-nighter so I could do everything in my power to help the girls sleep. I think my husband was holding out hope that at least one of us would get some shut-eye. We did not. 😂

We had four seats for five people because Margaret was still under two and could fly as a lap infant. We figured she wouldn’t stay in her own seat anyway, so we had three seats together and then one across the aisle.

At one point I had all three girls asleep on my lap, which was as ridiculous as it sounds. I desperately wish I had a photo. I was running on pure travel-day adrenaline, so the sleep deprivation didn’t really hit me until we landed. Then suddenly we were standing in Gatwick with three children, all of our luggage and absolutely no transportation booked to our hotel. It’s fine.

We’re fine. Day One was rough, but we rallied!

The flight home was actually even longer, but thankfully it wasn’t a red-eye. We had a similar seating setup, and by some miracle I ended up with an empty seat beside me. Having somewhere to put Margaret when she needed a break from being passed between Mom and Dad felt downright luxurious.

Overall, the girls did SO well. Our older two were in heaven eating snacks, going through all of the little activities I’d packed for them and keeping each other company. Margaret obviously required more hands-on entertainment, so we walked the aisles—where she made approximately 100 new friends—played with sticky notes and rolls of tape I’d packed, passed her back and forth between Mommy and Daddy and ate snacks. So. Many. Snacks.

My philosophy for long-haul flights with kids is basically that this is not the time to prove anything. Bring the snacks. Bring the activities. Walk the aisles. Do whatever keeps everyone happy and gets you across the Atlantic.

And one VERY important lesson I learned the hard way: Pack an extra outfit for the baby AND for Mom. We experienced an epic mid-flight baby blowout, and my cute Varley travel set took the hit. It was genuinely like a scene from a movie. People in the row behind us started jumping into action to help as we tried to contain the situation. We survived. The Varley set did not. But next time? Mom gets a backup outfit in the carry-on, too.

Did you rent a car?

Yes—and let the record show that I HATE renting cars. It’s always drama.

But with the amount of exploring we wanted to do in Scotland and the English countryside, a rental car was a must.

We waited until we were leaving Edinburgh to pick ours up, which I would absolutely recommend. You don’t need—or want!—a car in London, and we were able to get around Edinburgh just fine without one. But once we were ready to head into the Highlands, having our own wheels gave us so much freedom.

Now, in my head, I was obviously picturing us bee-bopping around the Scottish Highlands in a cute little Volvo. The very kind gentleman at the rental counter took one look at our crew—three kids, car seats, stroller, luggage—and set us up with… a giant red van. Not quite the European road-trip aesthetic I had envisioned, but probably a much wiser choice. 😂

We ended up having the car for the last nine-ish days of the trip, and it allowed us to see SO much of our bucket list on our own time. Castles, the Highlands, Isle of Skye, tiny villages, the Cotswolds, Hundred Acre Wood—we weren’t tied to train schedules or tours and could stop whenever we wanted.

It also became a little bit of a home base as we moved between Airbnbs and hotels. We could keep our car seats and miscellaneous road-trip gear in the van rather than constantly schlepping everything around.

Was the giant red van glamorous? No. Was it incredibly practical? Unfortunately, yes.

Was driving in the Highlands scary?

Well, considering we had never driven on the opposite side of the car OR the opposite side of the road before, this certainly made the adventure a little more… adventur-y.

But we figured it out! And by “we,” I mean Pearce. I did not get behind the wheel. Not one single time. According to my husband, I can confidently tell you that driving isn’t nearly as scary as it sounds. 😂

There was definitely an adjustment period, and some of the roads—especially once we got into the countryside—were VERY narrow compared to what we’re used to at home. But overall, having the car was 100% worth it for the freedom it gave us.

If you’re planning a similar trip and want to explore beyond London and Edinburgh, I wouldn’t let driving on the other side of the road scare you out of renting one. Says Pearce. I was happily sitting in the passenger seat enjoying the Highlands.

Would you take the train from London to Edinburgh again?

100% yes—but please learn from our very expensive mistake.

If you’re booking a train in the UK, book directly through the train line you’re traveling with, not through a third-party booking site.

We learned this one the hard way.

We had five tickets booked for our train from London to Edinburgh through a third party…

And then we missed our train.

Not ideal.

We weren’t able to get a refund for any of those five tickets AND then had to buy five new tickets for a train leaving a few hours later—at about twice the price we’d originally paid.

A very fun little contribution to the UK economy. 😂

So learn from us: book ahead and book directly with the train line.

The good news is that once we finally boarded the train, we LOVED it.

It was such a fun way to travel as a family. After several days of walking all over London, being able to sit down for a few hours and watch the countryside pass by outside our windows felt downright luxurious.

Snacks and beverages were sold onboard, we could get up and move around when we needed to, and the girls even made friends with another family.

At one point, they had basically established their own little coloring playdate, and we traded off supervising them with the other family while everyone enjoyed the ride.

Honestly, if we lived in Europe, I think trains would be my go-to way to travel.

No navigating unfamiliar roads. No keeping kids strapped into car seats for hours. Everyone gets to relax, snack, color, look out the window and actually enjoy the journey.

Just, you know…

Don’t miss your train. 😂

What about the Tube with kids?

The Tube? We vote no. 😂

I know, I know. It’s probably the most efficient way to get around London, and I’m sure if you’re a local and know exactly where you’re going, it’s wonderful.

But as visitors navigating London for the first time with three kids AND a stroller? We gave it our best shot. And then we gave ourselves permission to quit.

Our biggest issue was the stroller. Navigating unfamiliar stations, figuring out which entrances and exits were actually accessible and then encountering stairs while wrangling three kids made something that was supposed to make our lives easier feel significantly harder. So we changed course. For the rest of our time in London and Edinburgh, we mostly walked, took taxis or booked Uber XLs.

And I would do the exact same thing again. Yes, it’s more expensive. Splurge on the Uber. Splurge on the taxi. Especially if this is a big family trip you’ve saved and planned for. I think convenience is a perfectly reasonable thing to build into the travel budget when you’re hauling small children around an unfamiliar city.

And there was another reason I ended up preferring taxis and walking that I hadn’t really considered before the trip: You can’t see the city from underground! If I only have a few precious days in London, I want to SEE London. I want to look out the window. I want the girls spotting red buses and beautiful buildings. I want to drive past something unexpected and add it to our mental list. I want to actually experience the city while we’re getting from Point A to Point B.

Some of my favorite parts of London were simply walking from one destination to another and seeing what we stumbled across along the way.

So could we have saved some money by mastering the Tube? Absolutely.

Do I regret spending more on taxis and Ubers? Not even a little bit.

When you’re traveling with little kids, sometimes you’re not paying for transportation. You’re paying for convenience, fewer stroller gymnastics and everyone’s sanity.

Worth it.

How did you pack for 15 days?

This deserves its own blog post, but the short version:

Four carry-ons for our family of five.

The secret was that I did NOT pack 15 days of clothing.

I planned our suitcases around the different legs of the trip and specifically booked Airbnbs with laundry whenever possible.

Our Edinburgh Airbnb had a washer and a line to dry clothes on in the kitchen, and several of our Scotland stays had washing machines.

That allowed us to pack significantly less and rewear things throughout the trip. But laundry was a bit stressful with no dryers and we did end up at a pay-by-use dryer situation on the side of a sketchy gas station? So…

If you’re attempting anything similar… these bags were a game-changer!

Was moving around this much exhausting?

Yes and no. This was not a lie-by-the-pool vacation. We intentionally wanted to SEE things, and we covered a huge amount of the UK in two weeks.

But we also built in little pressure-release valves. Playgrounds. Ice cream. Slow mornings. Grocery-store dinners if needed. Afternoons at the Airbnb.

We didn’t expect the girls to spend 15 straight days appreciating architecture and historical significance. 😂 I think that’s part of why it worked.

What would you do differently?

The biggest thing I’d change is giving ourselves more time on the Isle of Skye.

Skye deserves at least a night of its own rather than trying to squeeze it into one enormous day trip.

Some of our favorite memories weren’t necessarily the things on the itinerary—they were the moments when we had enough margin to wander. So I’d keep my schedule flexible! A list of “must-see’s” and room for whatever happens. I had plenty of options in the itinerary so we knew what was available to us but could also gravitated toward activities based on vibes.

Would you take kids to the UK again?

A THOUSAND TIMES YES.

London is full of things kids recognize from books and movies. Edinburgh feels like stepping into another world. Scotland gives them castles and mountains and dinosaur footprints. The Cotswolds look like a storybook. And if you homeschool, the educational connections are almost endless.

But more than that, I think there’s something really special about letting your kids see that the places they’ve encountered in books are real places filled with real people and real history.

We read about Shakespeare. Then we stood at the Globe.

We learned about famous artists. Then we stood inches away from their paintings.

We read Winnie-the-Pooh curled up together at home. Then we stood on a bridge in Ashdown Forest dropping sticks into the stream.

That’s the kind of learning I want more of. And the kind of childhood I hope they remember.