[Heather V Long]

Due to British parents, I spent half my childhood flying back and forth across the Atlantic ocean to visit the U.K. My husband and I have shared a couple of trips there since we got married. In a year, we'll be taking our five year-old on her first journey across the ocean to meet a wealth of relatives, second-cousins and much, much more.

Planning a U.K. trip will require more than just booking airline tickets. First and foremost, you and your kids both need passports. Getting a child a passport is just a matter of filling out the right forms and getting the passport photos taken. Kid's passports don't last much longer than 2 or 3 years at most because kids change so much. One piece of advice that you might want to keep in mind, go ahead and get your kid a passport even if you aren't planning a trip for more than a year. Passports cost fees and if you aren't rushing, you won't be investing as much.

In general, applications for passports also require travel plans, but you can book a trip even six months out. Another perk of U.K. travel is that you don't really have to worry about vaccinations as an issue. Standard vaccinations are the same in both countries.

While you can certainly take very young children on an overseas trip, be sure to catch some of the enjoyable sites with your kids when you're there. Feed pigeons in Trafalgar Square, take an overnight to Blackpool-by-the-Sea, an amusement park with fun rides and at one point, you could hire ponies to ride on the beach.

Enjoy the native England, take some tours but don't spend all your time on an over-air-conditioned bus. Ride the double-deckers and check out the fantastic arcades in Picadelly Circus. Journey to Dover, Stafford, Manchester or take day trips down and up the Thames. See Parliament, Big Ben, Glastonbury Tor and Stonehenge.

Travel with your family can be as fun as you let it be. Make your plans, then be ready to roll with the changes if they happen. Enjoy each other in a different place and let the history lesson add to the trip, not be the only purpose.

I can't wait to introduce my daughter to the wonderful British cities, accents, people and destinations!

Heather

[cocotbo]

Having lived in England for 5 years of my adult life, it was a pleasure to read your post, Heather. Your advice is spot on!

I remember feeding the pigeons at Trafalgar Square. English pigeons are nothing like American pigeons! They are friendly, like to get up close and personal and will coo in your ear for a seed or two. It was fantastic!

The seaside amusement parks in England are great fun for both adults and children.

I did a lot of exploring London on foot and really enjoyed myself. The double-decker tour busses were fun too. I wandered into the British Museum one day and was so disappointed that I didn't have more time. Treasures from all over the world are stored and displayed there. It is truly like traveling back in time.

As a big fan of Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon", Glastonbury Tor was a magical place for me. I had expected Stonehenge to be bigger but it was still a marvelous monument to see.

I would offer a couple of suggestions to people traveling to England for the first time:
1.) Plan on sleeping on the flight over. If you fly out in the evening and arrive in England in the morning after having slept during the flight, you'll have a jump on jetlag. Have the kids pack pajamas & Teddys so they can sleep comfortably on the flight.
2.) Don't spend all your time eating at McDonald's! Go to a real pub, eat pub food and (if you're a drinker) get yourself a pint of Scrumpy Jack!
3.) Fly Virgin Atlantic. Richard Branson is a millionaire because he knows how to treat his customers. Of the many trans-Atlantic flights I've taken, that is the airline that most impressed me with service and amenities.
Have a great trip, Heather! This will be an adventure your daughter will never forget!