England is a great country to visit with kids. It’s particularly near and dear to our family’s hearts as my husband and I both lived there. His family moved to London before he started high school, and England was his home until he finished college. I studied abroad at the University of York for a semester of my junior year. We’ve visited five times as a couple, and three times with kids. Because we have family and friends in London and a connection to York, we tend to stick to these two cities during our return trips to England. However, with its beautiful beaches, idyllic country side, stunning Gothic cathedrals and world-renowned landmarks, England really has something to offer visitors of any age. England might be known for its frequent rain, but the weather is all part of its charm. We asked some of our favorite family travel bloggers for suggestions on locations for fun family weekend getaways and now want to hop the next plane to start checking out more of these best places to visit in England with kids.
Best Places to Visit in England With Kids
Bath With Kids
Bath is a fantastic city in England to visit, and it’s perfect for a weekend getaway, as just one day isn’t really enough. The entire city center is a World Heritage Site, and its Georgian architecture is worth exploring. Visitors can take a free walking tour from outside the cathedral. Those who explore on their own should make sure to visit the Royal Crescent and the Circus. Bath was once a Roman city called Aquae Sulis due to its hot spring (the hottest in the UK). The Romans built a public bath and temple to the goddess Minerva. The baths are still here, and they still work, so a highlight of going to Bath is looking around the fantastic museum. Visitors who want to bathe in the hot springs have to book into the Thermae Bath Spa (ages 15+).
There are many brilliant museums to look around; the museum at No.1 The Royal Crescent where kids get an explorer backpack is a favorite with our kids. Other interesting museums include the Jane Austen Centre and the Bath Assembly Rooms and Fashion Museum. For families looking for a more low key weekend can check out some of Bath’s green spaces. There’s an enormous playground in Victoria Park, as well as a botanical garden; alternatively head up to Prior Park gardens and the Bath skyline for great walks and views over the city. Bath is in the south west of England and is a two hour train journey from London, with direct trains running from London Paddington.
Recommended by Emily Cole from Kids and Compass. Find out more from Emily about visiting Bath with kids.
Birmingham With Kids
Currently undergoing massive regeneration, Birmingham, in the center of England is a fabulous city for a weekend break with kids. It’s just a couple of hours on the train from London, and is small enough to be completely walkable.
The National SEA LIFE Center is a favorite of my daughter’s, and we can spend hours visiting the penguin enclosure. If we’re feeling creative, we’ll head to the Ikon gallery, a small and friendly contemporary art gallery which holds hands on family sessions on weekends and during the holidays or to one of the family music events at Birmingham Symphony Hall. For a culture hit, the Birmingham Museum of Art is totally free and features a lovely interactive area for kids, or Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum allows children to get hands on with their learning. The new LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Birmingham will also appeal to most ages.
For eats, there are loads of chain restaurants in Brindley Place where visitors can eat overlooking the canals or the Digbeth Dining Club, which is street food style eating and open Thurs-Sat evening. Birmingham has many theaters and concert venues so if possible, take in a show. The performance is always great, and it’s so much cheaper than the West End!
Recommended by Karen Quinn from Are We There Yet Kids. Read Karen’s out more from Karen about UK destination guide.
Brighton With Kids
England has some wonderful seaside towns, but none are quite like Brighton. One of the country’s coolest cities, it’s perfect with teens but has plenty to tempt families with kids of all ages. My daughter, aged six, has been several times. A short train journey away from London, it has a very walkable city center and buses available along the coast and through the city. Note that parking isn’t great in the central area.
Start at the seafront and walk along the pebble beach spotting the old pier, little galleries and quirky stalls, to the entertainments of Brighton Pier or the SEA LIFE Brighton for rainy days. The best views come from the 162 meter i360 observation tower. In the summer, the Volks electric railway trundles between the pier and the marina. Or amble through the Lanes, with its vintage shops and kitschy souvenirs, as well as family-friendly shows at Komedia comedy club and the Painting Pottery Café.
Brighton’s iconic landmark is the Royal Pavilion, an extravagant royal seaside escape, created by George IV. With Indian and Chinese influences plus plenty of opulent décor inside, the fairy tale feel is just as fun for kids. There’s also a trail to spot animals dotted throughout the rooms, including dragons, and you’re encouraged to lie down on the carpet in the music room to appreciate the ceiling. Add in a variety of other attractions, from the toy museum to the old police cells, plus a street art bike tour, and visitors won’t have any trouble whiling away a few days.
Recommended by Cathy Winston from MummyTravels. Find out more from Cathy about Brighton with kids.
Bristol With Kids
Bristol is a city straddling the River Avon in the southwest of England with a prosperous maritime history. Its former city-center port is now a cultural hub, the Harbourside. The harbor’s 19th-century warehouses now contain restaurants, shops, art galleries and the M Shed museum, which explores local social and industrial heritage. There’s no need to spend a fortune visiting Bristol as many of the big-hitters are free to visit. These include the M Shed, Leigh Woods National Nature Reserve, Blaise Castle Estate and the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge, for visitors on foot.
There are three attractions however, definitely worth paying for: the SS Great Britain, the newly opened Being Brunel Museum, and the We Are The Curious science center. These attractions are fully interactive and loved by children of all ages. Bristol is easy to visit without a car and can be reached via train or bus from many other UK cities.
Recommended by Nicky from Go Live Young. Find out more from Nicky about Bristol with kids.
Cambridge With Kids
Beautiful Cambridge is just a short train ride from London’s Kings Cross station and a great place to spend a few days as a family. The university city is compact and full of attractions. A perfect first stop is a punting tour (a chaufferred river tour) of the River Cam. While gliding past the famous colleges and under the Bridge of Sighs and Mathematical Bridge, the guide will share stories of the university and its renowned alumni. Two of the most famous alumni are Charles Darwin and Sir Isaac Newton, who serve as inspiration for your budding students. After the punting tour, explore the colleges on foot. Make sure to spend time admiring King’s College Chapel, a masterpiece built-in the Tudor era with a soaring vaulted ceiling.
Cambridge is a market town with pedestrianized cobbled streets perfect for exploring. If the weather is cold and wet, the fascinating Fitzwilliam Museum features works by Da Vinci and Rembrandt.
Recommended by Katy Clarke from Untold Morsels. Find out more from Katy about Cambridge with kids.
Chipping Camden With Kids
Chipping Campden is one of many charming small towns in the Cotswolds, but its location makes it the perfect home base for exploring the area. The best way to get around is certainly by car, but we cheated a bit and took the train from London to Stratford-Upon-Avon and picked up a car there. The town’s centerpiece is an old market hall on its main thoroughfare that dates to 1627. There are several pubs and local shops worth exploring, and many hikes that are easily accessible from town. We rented a self-catering apartment on the main street that allowed us to explore once the tourists left for the day.
Our day trips included Stratford-Upon-Avon where we toured Shakespeare’s family homes and took a boat ride along the river. We also toured Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill and one of the most beautiful estates in England. Kids will not find it boring with its butterfly house, hedge maze, and miniature train. Warwick Castle was a fan favorite and an easy drive from Chipping Campden. The kids loved dressing up like knights and watching the trebuchet shoot fireballs across the lawn. The Cotswolds shouldn’t be missed on any trip to England.
Recommended by Kirsten Maxwell from Kids are a Trip. Find out more from Kirsten about England with kids.
Devon With Kids
Devon is a county in southwest England. Visitors definitely need a car when visiting with kids as public transportation is not readily available in England‘s third largest county. This area has so much to offer, including red cliff beaches that join the South West’s Jurassic Coast, traditional sandy seafronts and rocky Atlantic coastlines. The Hartland Point and Lighthouse (pictured) offers an amazing panoramic view. Inland Devon has two National Parks – Dartmoor and Exmoor – which are ideal for family hikes, rock climbing and river water sports. There is also an abundance of family attractions ranging from medium-sized theme parks and zoos to historic houses and fortifications dating back to medieval times. Devon has two major cities, Exeter and Plymouth that each offer chain and boutique hotels. But to experience the real Devon, we recommend finding a holiday cottage or campsite in a picturesque coastal town like Dartmouth or nestled in Dartmoor’s dramatic landscape.
Recommended by Claire Hall from Tin Box Traveller. Find out more from Claire about Dartmouth with kids.
Lake District With Kids
The Lake District wasn’t awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status for no reason. I defy anyone who visits Cumbria not to be blown away by the sheer and epic beauty of the surrounding landscape. We spent a week exploring the Lake District in our car – from taking a steamboat gondola on Lake Coniston and learning why it is the inspiration for the children’s book Swallows and Amazons, to paddling in several of the 16 lakes – our favorites included Wastwater, Buttermere and Ullswater. We even climbed up a waterfall at Aira Force and caught newts in the grounds of a grand castle at Sizergh. And with so many activities aimed at families from the Beatrix Potter Museum to caves and eerie manor houses and sprawling gardens – it’s the perfect destination for an adventure holiday in England. Plus, the cream teas and ice creams are pretty wonderful, too…
Recommended by Ting Dalton from My Travel Monkey.
Liverpool With Kids
Liverpool was a city that I hadn’t really thought about visiting with kids until a few years ago. When we did visit for a weekend break, I had very low expectations about what to expect when we got there. Well, it turned out to be one of those family travel experiences that really changed my perception of the location, and I urge families looking for places to visit in England to put Liverpool on that list.
Liverpool is easily reached by car or train, and it’s a city that is easy to navigate by foot, even with children. Liverpool was the European Capital of Culture in 2008, and this gave the city a real boost in terms of family-friendly tourist attractions. We had no trouble at all filling our time with visits to the World Museum, complete with aquarium and natural history exhibits, the Walker Art Gallery, with its interactive zone dedicated to young artists, and the Museum of Liverpool which helped us appreciate Liverpool’s long standing history with music and popular culture. As well as being fascinating places to visit with kids, they were all free to enter too! The city also has some incredible architecture and a fascinating dock where family visitors will enjoy taking the ferry across the River Mersey.
Photo credit – Pixabay.
Recommended by Zena from Zena’s Suitcase. Find out more from Zena about Liverpool with kids.
London With Kids
London is one of the best cities for families in the world! London has something to offer visitors of any age. As a major transportation hub, London is easy to access by train or plane. Accommodations can be expensive, so make sure to reserve well in advance.
Some of our favorite attractions are:
- its amazing parks (we absolutely loved Regents Park for the squirrels!)
- free entry world-famous museums, like the Natural History Museum or Tate!
- family-friendly plays (when we were there, The Cursed Child, Aladdin, and The Lion King were all playing!
- fun-filled shopping districts like Camden Market for the teens or Hamley’s Toy Store for all ages! Hamley’s is enormous, and it’s the oldest toy store in the world!
- lots of Harry Potter filming locations
- and the classics, of course! Don’t miss the Tower of London, Big Ben Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace.
Public transport on the Underground (aka the Tube) is efficient, and the double decker buses are iconic and easy to use. Kids under 12 ride for free, and kids over 12 receive discounted fares. The only problem with a weekend getaway in London is that it’s not long enough to fully explore all the city has to offer!
Recommended by Thais Saito from World Trip Diaries. Find out more from Thais about London with kids.
Peak District With Kids
Green rolling hills, dry stone walls, quaint country cottages and old pubs serving real ale in front of a roaring fire. This is the England that I love. The Peak District, nestled between the big cities of Manchester, Sheffield and Derby, is a place I have been visiting since I was a young girl and because we love the area so much, we have just moved here! With the kids dressed in puddle suits and wellies, we love nothing better than a long family walk in the Peaks. Our favorites are the Nine Ladies Circle through Stanton Moor Peak or the walk starting next to The Robin Hood pub in Baslow, with spectacular views from Birchen Edge. These walks are each only 2 kilometers long, perfect for little legs. Alternatively, we enjoy hiring some bikes and riding the Monsal Trail or Tissington Trail. We often visit Blaze Farm in Wildboarclough for a free walk around the farm and a taste of the scrumptious A2 ice-cream or head over to Chatsworth House to play in one of the best playgrounds around! However, if Mum and Dad are needing a drink (the fantastic pubs are part of the Peaks’ charm), we suggest stopping by The Bulls Head Inn, Monyash, which has a wonderful playground for the kids behind the garden. Public transport is available around the Peaks, but it’s very infrequent. The best way to get around is to hire a car.
Recommended by Jenny Lynn from Travelynn Family. Find out more from Jenny about family walks in the Peaks.
Salisbury/Stonehenge With Kids
For our family’s trip to Stonehenge, we opted for a guided, private tour with Stonehenge Tours at sunrise that let us INSIDE the inner circle with private access only granted to 16 people per day. A small van picked us up from our apartment in London at 4:30 a.m. so we arrived in time to catch the sun popping up over the English countryside and through the monoliths. We met our archeologist guide who had studied Stonehenge for decades. Through our special access, we could walk in between the stones, learning the geology, history, and mystery. The archeologist guide was a masterful educator, holding the attention of my 7- and 9-year old boys. There is a visitor’s center and some outdoor exhibits that show how the prehistoric people who built Stonehenge may have lived.
After our Stonehenge tour, we then headed to historic Salisbury Cathedral (15 minutes away), which is home to one of the four copies of the Magna Carta. Salisbury itself is a cute English town worth exploring or at least visiting some shops and stopping for lunch. Our private tour wasn’t inexpensive (around US $600), but compared to the bus tours we could have done, it was well worth the expense and an awesome way to visit Southeast England. We enjoyed Stonehenge and Salisbury so much that we’d definitely recommend it as a destination for a weekend getaway.
Scarborough With Kids
Scarborough is a popular seaside resort in North Yorkshire on the north eastern coast of England. It’s a perfect place to stay as a family, especially just for a couple of nights. There is so much to see and do. For families who enjoy historical places, a visit to Scarborough castle is a must. Down by the harbor, there are amusements, boat rides and a mini fairground. Further down there is a beach with donkey rides and a lovely view over to the Spa and out to sea. If you hop on a tourist bus you can take a ride up to the north beach. Here it is a little less chaotic with beach chalets and just a short walk away there is the popular Peasholm Park with boats to hire. Plus, a miniature steam train over the road which takes you up to Scarborough Seacliff entre. There are plenty of choices for accommodation and we love the family friendly resort The Sands, with luxury self-catering apartments.
Recommended by Suzy McCullough from Our Bucket List Lives.
South Downs With Kids
The South Downs National Park is England’s newest national park. It covers the area mostly along the coast from Eastbourne to Winchester. Train access is available to Eastbourne or Winchester, but renting a car allows visitors to get the most out of the South Downs.
Eastbourne is a seaside resort that had its heyday in Victorian times. The Georgians would take the waters at spa towns like Bath. The Victorians preferred the seaside which started the trend for our current love of beach holidays. Much of the architecture reflects this Victorian heritage including the buildings that line the waterfront and the famous Eastbourne Pier. It’s a totally British thing to eat fish and chips by the seaside. Although Eastborne is a pebble beach, kids still enjoy.
From one end of Eastbourne, visitors have direct access to South Downs National Park. It’s not too far to the Seven Sisters Cliffs (white chalk cliffs that drop pretty vertically straight into the English Channel) or Birling Gap, a National Trust property. Erosion of the cliffs is visible at Birling Gap. The national park is great for walking and cycling through farmland, valleys and cliffs. It also encompasses a handful of postcard-perfect English villages.
Recommended by Shobha George from Just Go Places Blog. Find out more from Shobha about the South Downs with kids.
Staffordshire With Kids
The middle England County of Staffordshire is not the most obvious weekend getaway destination – no mountains, no beaches, and very few holiday parks. But, Staffordshire offers acres of beautiful English countryside, quaint villages and a whole heap of history. It’s where the famous Anglo-Saxon Staffordshire Hoard was discovered a few years ago which is worth over £3m and is now on show at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent.
Staffordshire is home to multiple stately homes, each with its own fascinating history. Many hold family-friendly events over the holidays, and all have extensive grounds to explore. We love Sudbury Hall with its Museum of Childhood and Shugborough Hall for its grounds. Getting outside in Staffordshire is practically compulsory, whatever the weather. There’s Cannock Chase, a 3,000 acre country park, which is a family favorite. We also love the Gruffalo trail, spotting deer and other wildlife, and the Go Ape tree top adventures if we’re feeling brave. There’s also the monkey forest at Trentham Gardens where you can walk around the grounds with real life monkeys! Thrill seekers are spoiled for choice with Alton Towers, Drayton Manor and the Snow Dome all fantastic family days out. Public transport is available to the major towns and cities, but a car is necessary to explore the countryside.
Recommended by Karen Quinn from Are We There Yet Kids.
Trevone Beach With Kids
Trevone Beach in North Cornwall is the perfect place to get away from it all and have a family & friends’ gathering. Different holiday agencies and bed and breakfast providers offer great accommodations. Don’t worry about the British weather, this beach offers an activity no matter what. On the left side of the bay, there are great rock pools ideal for keeping the whole family occupied by naming or should I say, trying to name, all the different creatures living in there. During the warmer months, a man-made pool provides a safe swimming area for the ones that do not mind the cold Cornwall seawater.
A great large sandy beach with little alcoves provides a playground for all ages is located on the right side of the bay. Families can easily spend hours down at the beach. During low tide, take your picnic, a few chairs if necessary, some sand buckets and shovels, and I can guarantee any visitor will forget busy city lives instantly. Beautiful walks around to the blowhole or along the coastal path will make you realize how beautiful the North Cornwall coast is. Careful it gets quite addictive… once Cornwall always Cornwall.
Recommended by Corina Swan from Packed Again. Find out more from Corina about North Cornwall Beach with kids.
York With Kids
York is the perfect weekend getaway in England! Easy to get to either by car or train from most major UK cities, York is very accessible! There are tons of family friendly things to do whatever the weather, such as the fabulous National Railway Museum, river cruises and the yummy chocolate story museum. For older children why not learn some more about York’s gruesome history on a ghost walking tour or a trip to York Dungeons! But for the budget conscious, a trip to York doesn’t have to be expensive for families with plenty of free activities such as walking the historic city walls and taking a trip to the Shambles!
York is full of historical gems that no visit is complete without! Firstly, be sure to visit the York Minster and marvel at the stained glass. With older children, climb the tower for unrivaled views across the city! Clifford Tower is another gem that explores some of York’s more unpleasant history! And, at any time of year, children will love the Museum Gardens! My little one especially loves a visit York during Christmas to see the beautiful illuminations!
A Visit to England For Kids
Recommended by Leona Bowman from Wandermust Family. Find out more from Leona about York with kids.
Looking for the more of the best places in England for kids? Check out all our posts about visiting England with kids.
