A decade of parenting - that is what JJ's 10th birthday means. We have literally kept a kid alive for a decade. Since this was a big milestone birthay for both him and us, we decided to ditch the birthday party + excessive gifts and take him away to London. London wasn't the first idea but when the Chelsea vs. Arsenal game fell over a school break, it just seemed like the perfect fit.
Below is our itinerary and while it was aggressive, we saw the majority of the city yet we weren't overly stressed.
We stayed at the Park Plaza Hotel which was withing walking distance of the London Eye and had a front row seat to Big Ben. It was also very close to two Underground stops making the city easily accessible. I highly recommend staying here as it was incredibly accessible, plus, we were able to get a two room bedroom suite. They were also super accomodating with getting us a car for our very early Monday morning flight. They also offer an extensive breakfast which was delicious and convenient.
Day 1:
Hop on Hop Off Bus: there are a bunch of different tour companies that do this. It was nice, but long, and slow. The upper level is also cold. We didnt make it very far as the kids wanted to "hop off" as soon as they saw Hamleys Toy Store. Buyers beware, you will leave with something or end up with really cranky kids. It is a magical store and being we went in November it was beautifully decorated for the holidays.
London Eye: I think you have to do this once in your life. I recommend paying up for the "skip the line" option. Especially when you have such little time in the itinerary.
Dinner: We ate dinner at Lillie Langtree which was within walking distance of the show. It was a great little pub with no frills but delicious food!
Show: Come Alive was INCREDIBLE! This show was an amazing immersive experience and my kids' favorite part of the London trip. The pre show was awesome and so engaging, The main event was intimate and electric. It was a great energy boost after being so jet lagged.
Day 2:
Karts of London: Highly recommend this fun and unique tour experience. You see all of London in about an hour. You get to dress up like Mario Kart characters (optional but so fun). And you get to try your hand at driving on the "wrong" side of the road. Just be careful not to use your phone while driving (or just don't get caught) as the British police are no-nonsesne about this (we know from experience)
Platform 9 3/4: Heads up, the lines here are super long. We went in to the adjacent store but didn't wait in the lines to take the picture. If you go early or late there are no lines.
We intentionally left a chunk of time during the day here to see friends in London. We walked to a plaza near Kings Cross to grab some apps and drinks. Its a cute, quaint area. A friend of ours ate a the Mayfair Mercato which was supposed to be good!
Dinner: I got suckered in by IG Reels to go to Le Petite Chef. Its another immersive experience and since NYC doesnt offer it we took the bait. The food was ok, but the expereice was fun. I wish we had a later reservation (they were sold out of everything later) since we weren't super hungry and we were presented with a lot of food. Its a prefix menu so just do your research before you book. The website didn’t indicate it but you can ask for gluten free. https://lepetitchef.com
Day 3:
Soccer was the reason we came to London to begin with. JJ is an Arsenal fan so we started the day touring the Arsenal stadium. This was AWESOME and really amazing to experience. You can book the tickets and just go anytime. You don’t have to be a soccer fan to appreciate this experience!
You cant go to London without doing a Tea. The Science Tea at the Ampersand Hotel was interactive and delicious. We walked out very full and super happy with the meal. The boys also loved it. They kept raving about the experience and even told me "Mom you outdid yourself". They were also incredibly accommodating with dietary restrictions. The location of this was perfect as it was within walking distance of Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea vs. Arsenal @ Stamford Bridge
This was a once in a lifetime experience as we were able to grab tickets one row from the field. But beware that you need to sit with the group that you are cheering for. We were a house divided and for safety reasons our Arsenal fan children could not physically cheer for their team. Soccer is like a religion there and we were not looking to go toe to toe with anyone.
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