This was the first trip that we took with both boys and I think everyone thought we were crazy for going. I have to admit, traveling with two kids under age 3 is more challenging than just traveling with one small child. At least with one you can take turns being in charge, whereas with two kids you are each always responsible for one. Regardless of the challenges, this trip was so much fun. If you want some tips on traveling with littles internationally, check out this post.
I always love going to England because that’s where all of my family is on my mum’s side. We stayed at my cousins house and spent the first few days in the village where my mum lived before moving to the states, just spending time with family and exploring nearby while we adjusted to the time change.
Enjoying a picnic in Thetford forest. Theo loved exploring here.
How many Murrays can you fit in one bed? I’ll give you a hint, I’m about to fall off the side.
Next stop was supposed to be Amsterdam, but unfortunately the dutch train system was on strike the day we were supposed to be traveling. Because of that we decide to change plans and go to a few places in England we hadn’t yet been and we also went to Scotland.
First stop was Liverpool, the home of the Beatles.
I have to admit, this was my least favorite part of the trip. It wasn’t Liverpool’s fault, it was really just poor planning on our part. It poured rain basically the entire time we were there, which is challenging enough when walking around with kids. I didn’t do enough research to find kid friendly places to eat and things to do, so it just felt like a lot of work. Like I recommend my traveling with a toddler post, it’s always a good idea to break up touristy things with kid friendly activities, even if it’s just a stop at the park. I didn’t really take my own advice well enough when we were in Liverpool, which ended up just making Jordan and I tired and kind of grumpy.
Poured rain but this kid still had fun
We went on the Magical Mystery Tour which shows you different Beatles related sites in the city. Theo fell asleep in my arms on the ride and the bus was sweltering so I did not enjoy this haha
Next up was the Lake District. This area of England is absolutely gorgeous. On the drive up we were just surrounded by beautiful rolling hills and stunning views of the lake. The only downfall was that it was again, pouring rain. Regardless, we stopped for lunch and coffee and Theo had a great time exploring and seeing all of the ducks on the shore. We didn’t stay here long because we wanted to get to Scotland the same day and we were trying to time all of our car time for when the kids would nap. It actually ended up working out great and both kids napped fantastically in the car. There were no meltdowns or crying episodes and thankfully there were also no accidents in the car with our newly potty trained toddler!
The drive from the Lake District to Edinburgh got more beautiful with each mile. The rain started to clear up and the hills were covered in sheep. I’ve never seen so many sheep in my life!
Stopped at a cafe with the cutest kids play area that was right next to a farm. Theo loved seeing all of the animals
We spent just over two days in Edinburgh and it was so much fun. There were plenty of kid friendly activities there so Theo got a lot of opportunities to get his energy out. We went to the National Museum of Scotland while we were there which had a bunch of interactive things for Theo to enjoy. Bonus is that the entrance into the museum was also free. We also had a chance to get breakfast at the cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote a good portion of the Harry Potter books, and I was thrilled! We also went to the Castle of Edinburgh and Sir Arthur’s Seat, both of which Theo really enjoyed.
Enjoying coffee at The Elephant House, where JK Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series
Archer was a big fan of the castle
Next stop on the adventure was to drop back down into Northern England. We spent the day in Corbridge, which is where my mum was born, and she got the chance to meet up with a cousin she hadn’t seen since childhood. We saw the house where her grandparents lived, the house where my mum was born, and she showed us the different places where she used to play as a little girl.
My favorite city that we stopped in was probably York. We rented an Airbnb that was just outside of the city center, making it a quick walk to get to everything. The city was beautiful and very family friendly. There is mostly just foot traffic in the city center so Theo was able to walk around safely and get out his energy. There were a lot of cute kid friendly restaurants in York that had a play area to keep Theo busy while we were waiting for the food. I honestly don’t know why more places don’t have play areas for kids, it’s genius.
Theo got to hold an owl in York which he loved
After York we went back to spend some more time with family. We spent a few more days relaxing with family and visiting Cambridge. Cambridge is another one of my favorite cities to visit. We got a bus into the city and I love how the actual city is geared towards pedestrians and cyclists. We checked out the market and walked along the river that runs behind all of the colleges.
We visited the duck pond that I used to go to when I was Theo’s age
We spent time with my gran at her nursing home. When it was time to leave Theo gave her the biggest hug and said “bye gate ganny, I luh you” and my heart basically melted.
The weather was perfect while we were in Cambridge. This stroller was also such a good purchase. The brand is Zoe.
After that it was time to come home. This was such a fun trip and we made so many good memories. It was definitely tiring traveling with two kids, but so worth it. already looking forward to the next family trip<3
