9 Night European Vacation With Kids

natalie19914
Dec 10, 2025
10 min read

We just returned from our annual Thanksgiving trip. We like to travel this time of year since prices aren’t as high as during Christmas and New Year’s, and the kids have the week off school (even before that, we’d take the first two days off to make it a full week). This year’s adventure took us to Europe, with stops in London, Rome, and Venice.

Airfare

Our choice of cities was largely driven by the lowest prices we found at the time of booking. After comparing multiple city pairs, flying from Miami to London and returning from Venice to Miami emerged as the best option this year with a Delta/Virgin combo ticket. To add a third city to the trip, we booked a separate Ita Airways flight from London to Rome, then took a train from Rome to Venice. That wrapped up our list of destinations.

London

Our European vacation kicked off in London. After a nonstop flight into Heathrow, we grabbed an Uber to our hotel—just remember each airport has a designated pickup spot for rides. The Conrad St. James, where we stayed, was perfectly located with roomy accommodations and excellent amenities. The sticky toffee pudding at the bar café just beyond the lobby is a must-try. That evening, we enjoyed a short walk to a fantastic Italian restaurant called Bon Gusto for our first dinner.

Day 1

This wasn’t our first time in London—it’s a family favorite in Europe for all generations, from the kids to the grandparents. We decided to walk to the London Eye, just about 15 minutes from our hotel. Along the way, we stopped at Westminster Abbey, where you can buy tickets at the entrance that include a free audio guide, even for kids. We all learned a lot and enjoyed the tour, from my 7-year-old son to my 13-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son. It takes about an hour and is definitely worth it.

Afterward, we passed Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and crossed Westminster Bridge on our way to the London Eye. There was a Black Friday deal for tickets that included the London Eye, Sea Life London Aquarium, Madame Tussauds London, London Dungeon, and Shrek’s Adventure! London—all for 49 Euros—so we grabbed it to plan our next few days. That day, we only did the London Eye before heading to a fantastic Chinese restaurant called Peacock London, with amazing views of Big Ben right above the London Dungeon.

In the evening, we had tickets for the new Disney’s Hercules production on West End. The musical was fun and lively, great for all ages, though not our favorite Disney show due to the new songs. Still, it’s worth seeing, especially with kids. We like having dinner after the theater, which can be tricky since many places close, but there were a couple of spots right by the theater. We ended up at a delicious Japanese restaurant called Eat Tokyo.

Day 2

After purchasing the combo ticket, we headed back toward the London Eye to start exploring some attractions, but were disappointed to find Shrek’s Adventure! London closed that day, as well as Tuesday and Wednesday. Since we were leaving Thursday morning, we had to skip it. Instead, we wandered to a nearby Christmas market, where I rode the carousel with my youngest before heading into the village for hot chocolate and mulled wine. The chilly 40–45 degree Fahrenheit weather felt especially cold for us Floridians.

We then made our way to the London Dungeon, which was too frightening for my 7-year-old, and my 15-year-old isn’t a fan of those experiences either, so they sat out. I went in with my 13-year-old daughter while my mom took my youngest to the Paddington Bear Experience right next door. The London Dungeon is creepy and intense, with fantastic actors that make you feel immersed in everything from the plague and witch trials to infamous killers like Sweeney Todd and Jack the Ripper. If that’s your thing, I highly recommend it. It’s also convenient because the Paddington Bear Experience is literally next door, lasts the same amount of time, and my little one loved it—it was his favorite part of the trip. Afterward, we all met up and visited the Sea Life London Aquarium, also nearby, which was a beautiful and sizable aquarium featuring fish, sharks, stingrays, turtles, penguins, and more—one of the nicest city aquariums we’ve seen.

That evening, we dined at a French restaurant called Le Garrick. The escargots were delicious, but the cheese fondue turned out to be a heated whole wheel of cheese rather than a traditional fondue, which wasn’t quite what we expected or enjoyed.

Day 3

On our final day in London, we visited Madame Tussauds London. Having been to several other Madame Tussauds, we expected more of the same, but this one exceeded our expectations. Along with the classic realistic wax figures, there were plenty of surprises: a creepy walk-through featuring infamous serial killers from London’s past, a fun taxi ride through the city’s history, and an exciting 4D Marvel movie with seat effects. This was by far our favorite Madame Tussauds experience.

Afterward, we split up—my boys headed to Hamleys, the famous toy store on Regent Street, while my daughter and I went to a Christmas Market at Trafalgar Square. We sampled some market food, which was fine but nothing special, and didn’t find anything worth buying. From there, we walked back to the hotel.

For our last night, we saw *Starlight Express* again—having first watched it in June 2024, we loved it so much we had to see it twice. It was just as magical, with actors whizzing past on roller skates as they sang and danced. If you’re in London, it’s a must-see! It’s a bit of a trip out near Wembley Stadium, so allow about two hours to get there, as late arrivals aren’t seated (we learned that the hard way the first time). After the show, with nothing open nearby for food, we headed back to the hotel.

Rome

Departing from London, we chose London City Airport for its proximity to the city, and with our flight leaving early in the morning, it only took about 20 minutes to get there. After a quick two-hour flight, we landed at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport. From there, we headed to the designated Uber pick-up spot to catch our ride to the Mercure Roma Centro Colosseo hotel, conveniently within walking distance of the stunning Colosseum.