We’re back in London this week, but this time with special guests: our U.S. family! My sister and her family: my brother-in-law, nieces (and one of their new fiances!) and nephew were headed to London this week for a college graduation present for our oldest niece. Now that our American family lives in Spain, we have a new motto: “Oh you’re in Europe? We’ll be there in two hours!” We love when family and friends visit Europe so we get the chance to see them while experiencing a fun new adventure, together.

Visiting London is a great fit for our family because my husband continues to be a 1.5-year contract through his consulting company with a London company, so it’s the perfect combination for him of work and leisure. We snuck away from school for a long weekend full of family, work and play in London, round two. The first time our family visited London together we squeezed in a lot of the tourist sites. This second trip was mostly focused on our family’s itinerary and seeing some of the outskirts of the greater London area.

Our Second Time in London

Day One

On our first full day in London, we met up with family to show them Borough Market. It was a much more pleasant experience for us this round, being on a weekday, and experiencing much less crowds. We enjoyed views of the Tower Bridge up close and stopped for photo shoots. We walked through Chinatown and even caught a live festival happening. We then continued on to explore Piccadilly Circus and its shops along with a fun stop at (the pub Masons Arms in the Mayfair area). We met up with Logan who finished his work day in the area near their hotel, the beautiful St. Ermin’s Hotel, and had a wonderful family dinner together at Bon Gusto.

Day Two

For our second day together, the bros and I navigated the tube together for their trip bucket list item: Kaboom trading cards store. If you have a child who is into trading sports cards, this store will be worth a visit. We then headed on our way towards Windsor Castle, about a one-hour train ride outside of the city. This area was our favorite that we’ve visited, with beautiful pub-lined streets, the stunning Windsor castle and just a really great environment. Our highlight of the trip was having afternoon tea together at The Crooked House of Windsor. This adorable bar/cafe has an upstairs sitting area that truly does feel crooked, all while offering a warm place to eat homemade scones and cakes while enjoying tea. 

That evening, we walked to experience Platform 3/4 from Harry Potter in the Kings Cross/Pancras Station and dined at The Lighterman near that area.

Day Three

On our final day exploring London together, we all headed into Notting Hill. It was great to go on a Saturday (although it was busy) to experience Portobello Market, a super impressive street market that fills the streets of Notting Hill. We loved the beautiful rows of bright colored homes there along with adorable shops. We had a delicious sit-down Italian meal there at Saporitalia.

Just as it was the first time visiting London as a family, we found the underground or the tube super easy to navigate (for us it was a nice change to actually be in English!) An important tip to know for the underground is not buy tickets at the ticket booth for the family, but instead to use Tap to Pay each time you ride. We also found out that our 10-year old was totally free, which was so helpful throughout the trip. We continue to love the opportunity to fly quickly and direct from Madrid at around 200 GBP total for a family of four which is unheard-of in the U.S. for family travel. We also always use Uber Eats while in London, which provides a quick, easy way to get a meal when you first land in London or have limited time.

Although we live abroad and away from family in the U.S., we’re so grateful for the opportunity to spend time with them and to keep our relationships close. Through Instagram, WhatsApp calls, sending gifts over Venmo or joining Fantasy Football leagues, our bros have remained close with our cousins which we love. We also take our nieces and nephew on a high school graduation trip anywhere in the world, creating a special memory with them.

Our Kindred Partnership

For the first time, our family stayed in a home exchange for our trip to London. It was a great experience, having a more comfortable stay and feeling at home through this experience. From having a fridge stocked with condiments if needed along with fresh linens and bath products for us to use amongst this home owner’s home, we learned that home exchanges really work for us! We look forward to partnering with Kindred more in Europe and sharing about affordable family travel options.

We’re putting a bow on London (for now!) and are grateful for this time we had with family there.