Taking the kids abroad is a great idea for the summer holidays. It gives them something to look forward to and breaks the monotony of the endless weeks at home. But where should you go? Why not try a trip to the UK? Read on to find out the reasons why.
History
One of the best reasons to visit the UK is because of the rich sense of history and culture there. There are castles and manor houses, and Roman remains dotted all over the UK, and they make an excellent choice for an educational and fun visit. If you choose a castle to visit, you can teach your little ones about life in the olden days by taking the guided or audio tours. These can help the history of the place come to life. The Northumberland coast line is a particularly good place to take in some castle culture. See Bamburgh Castle, Alnwick Castle, or Dunstanburgh Castle. You can even take a trip on a boat to Lindisfarne or the holy isle. That is where the monks use to live in splendid isolation and contemplation for the pursuit of higher spiritual goals.
If you are looking for a slightly more modern take on history, then why not check out Althorp Estate. This is the family seat of Princess Diana, ‘the people’s princess’. She was married to and then divorced from Prince Charles, the next in line to the British Throne. She died tragically in Paris in 1997. Althorp Estate has become a memorial to her. Manor houses like this are great as they often show the way that the rooms would have to be decorated when they were first built. This means you can get a sense of what it would be like to live in such a huge and luxurious setting.
Of course, the major cities are also great choices for history buffs. Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London are not to be missed. Why not take a trip to York and explore the cobbled streets and cathedral there? Or you can check out Warwick Castle. They have medieval jousting events running regularly. Or why not try Coombe Abbey, where you can take part in an authentic medieval banquet.
Scenery
Another reason kids will love the UK is the huge difference between the scenery there and the landscape of the US. You can see cobbled streets and Dickensian style shops in the older cities like York and Brighton.
The there is the Lake District, this is a very beautiful part of the North of Britain. The lakes and lush green pastoral scenery are quite beautiful, and there is a lot of things to do like walking tours, taking a boat trip or enjoying a cream tea.
Activities
While there is no Disneyland in the UK, there are a lot of different smaller theme parks that look like a lot of fun. You can try Alton Towers, which has the first VR roller coaster in the country, or how about Legoland Windsor? Then there is Nickelodeon Land if you are at the seaside in Blackpool. Its great for the younger kids that are into the Last Airbender and other Nic shows. Or you could get them to do something active like Go Ape, which is a chain of treetop adventure courses that runs all over the UK.
Food
Some American kids can be fussy about traditional British food. But to their luckily, American style food is quite popular in the UK at the moment. There is no shortage of places where you can get a good burger or hot dog. In fact, in most cities, there are now Five Guys outlets and other gourmet burger chain such as Byron. There you can get your burger cooked medium or rare.
If you want some more traditionally British food to sample while you’re on your travels, you must go to a local country pub for a Sunday roast dinner. Try to make sure that they are an independent business and not run by a chain. Chain pubs in the UK, often use prepared food, while in a good old traditional English pub they will have cooked your roast from scratch.
Then, of course, there is fish and chips. This one is bound to be popular with the kids. To get an authentic experience buy some while you are at the seaside and eat them out of the paper while walking ago the sea front. Don’t forget to cover them with salt and vinegar and ask for a wally (we’ll let you find out what that it when you get there!)
I think another huge advantage to the IK would be you speak the same language and even kids would be at ease. The kids could learn history and understand when they go to tours.