I just changed the dates and extended the stay there to 10 days. Too many options and this should give us more time to enjoy our time there. I am really tempted by the Cornwall road trip that slandballa made. Cornwall looks beautiful and I have a friend that lives close to Bristol, which is on the way.
I would just limit to London and Paris. I have lived in both cities and they are wonderful. Paris is changing a little too fast and parts are getting way worse than they used to be and it overall feels a bit dirtier but still my favorite city in the world. London is many cities in one, really, and your perception can change almost completely just by moving a mile or two in each direction. Train between the two is 2 hours max (St Pancras to Gare du Nord) and really easy. Tube/metro in both are really easy although Paris has way more strikes. As mentioned, every museum in London is free so you can go in and out as much as you want but summers are insane for queues - especially after early July when schools get out (so British families can be added to European families). But, seriously, British Museum, National Gallery, V&A, London Natural History, Sir John Soane, etc. In addition to the more famous Hyde and Regents parks there are Greenwich Park (with some of the most important architecture and buildings in British history as well as some great vistas), Hampsted Heath (with Kenwood House in the North End) and Victoria Park (really good for kids). Greenwich and Borough market are good for food stalls and interesting things. Borough also has Southwark Cathedral next to it which is the oldest in London (parts are Norman). If you wanted a quick change of scenery but not too far from London I would suggest day/overnight trips to Bath or York more than anything. Bath for Roman history and York for Viking/Norse (really good town for kids). Both London and Paris are fine for kids, I don't know what people are talking about. I have three and can do anything easily enough. The French are perhaps more kid friendly culturally but it is not that big of a deal.
You should definitely make the trip to Cornwall. Tintagel Castle and Rocky Valley are incredible. Having 10 days, you have PLENTY of time. Heck, I was on a 36-hour layover transiting through London Heathrow and decided to rent a car and make that drive, which was a pretty aggressive move (250 miles each way), but definitely worth it. I wasn't even expecting Stonhenge to be in the vicinity until I did a double-take as I drove past it on the highway!
Lived in the UK, wrote this for a few friends. Train to Paris is a quick ride, not the scenic route. I went to graduate school in Cambridge, I'd recommend it as a day trip (about 50 minutes from Kings Cross). If you end up going, let me know and I'll give you some recs. No Ireland, way less impressive and things to do than in the UK/Paris. As for london.. Spoiler Restaurants: Dishoom (Covent Garden, King’s X, and Shoreditch) - #1 favorite handsdown. Kings X is the least busy and they do not take reservations for under 6 ppl so make reservations! It’s indian food in a 1940s-style Iranian cafe. I highly recommend everything but especially the black daal (slow cook lentils) and the mahi. http://www.dishoom.com/reservations/ Yauatcha - (Soho and Bishop’s Gate near Liverpool Street) - Poshy Dim Sum with fancy cocktails. A bit pricey but so delicious! Ember Yard - Tapas. If you like Negroni, get one here, it's 'smoked' with smoked ice and grilled lemon. Burger & Lobster (near Liverpool Street and I think another near Covent Garden) - just what it sounds like but supposedly very tasty! Michael went here bc of a rec from one of my friends. He loved it but it’s a lot of food for £30! Duck and Waffle - (Liverpool Street)- Beautiful views in a posh setting. Open 24 hours a day in a 40-story building. Make reservations, always full. https://duckandwaffle.com/ Sticks and Sushi (Covent Garden and Canary Wharf) - Delicious sushi. Loved the tuna tartare. Not sure if you’ll need a reservation in CG but might do it to be safe. Bo Drake (Soho) - Korean/Mexican fusion super up my alley. Get the fried chicken. I wanted to order 2 but Michael stopped me. Not too pricey Baltic (Southwark) - South of the river eastern European fare. Moderately priced and beautiful inside. Nice infused vodkas too. L’Anima (Liverpool Street) - All kinds of food and delicious. Typically a business crowd but really good tuna tartare and duck ragu. Cafe Leon - This is a chain but so good. I love the waffle fries and chicken super food salad. They are mostly located at airports and at Spitalfields. Pret a Manger - This is also a chain and everywhere. Highly recommend the chicken salad. POD - Also a chain but not as many as the other chains. Relatively healthy. Get the Thai green chicken curry - you won’t be sorry. Itsu - Chain sushi. IDK if it grosses you out but it’s actually really good. I like the Salmon 3 ways… Kopapa (Covent Garden) - Moderately priced every kind of food. Good prices with nice prix fix and good pre-theatre! http://www.kopapa.co.uk/ Sky Garden (Fenchurch Street in the City/near Monument on the District/Circle line) - 3 or 4 restaurants up really high plus a bar. I took Laura here to Darwin Brasserie. Make a reservation for food but you can go up to the bar without one, I think. Pubs/bars: Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (Fleet St) - Went here after Tate Modern our very first trip to London. Bar built in the 1600s and survived the fire. Literary greats like Mark Twain have been here. Be sure to explore the entire bar. Our other visitors said this was their favorite. Nightjar (go at opening or make a reservation in Shoreditch)- Poshy cocktail bar that is awesome. Near Dishoom. Make a reservation. https://barnightjar.com/ The Mayflower (Rotherhithe on South Bank) - off the beaten path but this is where the pilgrims set sail for South Hampton before they left for America! They even had a little area where you can see the water. We had our leaving drinks here before we left for America! Experimental Cocktail Club (Soho/China Town) - secret speakeasy hidden in China Town. Really neat! Google it and look for the red door. Attractions: Dos: Tower of London - Tube stop: Tower Hill Tate Modern - Tube stop: Blackfriars Spitalfields Market - Tube stop: Liverpool Street, great restaurants and a little market! Good shopping around the mkt as well. Also near Columbia flower market which is nice to walk through Portobello Market - Tube stop: Ladbroke Grove, outdoor market with antiques, quirky shops and knick nacks British Museum - Tube stop: Holb Natural History Museum - Tube stop: South Kensington/Gloucester Road Borough Market - Tube stop: Borough, food stalls St Pauls Cathedral - Tube stop: st. Pauls Harrods - Tube stop: Knightsbridge Fortnum and Mason - Tube stop: Piccadilly, fancy food store - nice place to have tea, make reservations Selfridges - Tube stop: Bond Street, dept store like Harrods with nice food hall Go to a play St. Katherine’s Dock - Tube stop: Tower Hill, One of my favorite spots! Little bars, coffee shops and restaurants surrounding the water. Food market on Fridays at lunch - get the Ethiopian and a chocolate chip cookie! Cool boat of the Queen docked here. Donts: tour inside Tower Bridge Haven’t Done but Don’t Regret It: Victoria and Albert - I would like to go plus SG is a corporate sponsor. Big Alexander McQueen exhibit on, I think... Buckingham Palace Westminster Abbey Greenwich Clock - We are terrible and live 2 stops away but never made it. Sounds interesting but not near other things London Zoo - Wanted to go but never made it.
I've been to Dishoom. It's wildly popular and has a great atmosphere, but it's not real Indian food. Not to sound crass, but it's Indian food for white people (not that there's anything wrong with that). London has far better options (including Zayna which I mentioned above). If you really want to venture out for a good curry, go to Gifto's Lahore Karahi in Southall. You won't be disappointed.
I second eating at Dishoom. Holy crap that place is awesome. I go to London 3-4 times a year for work but am in the financial district the whole time so can only really recommend the Tower of London which is great. And eat a lot of curries.
Dishoom is great for what it is. Not traditional but evocative and not afraid of spice as so many other London curry places are. Their breakfast has nice fusion offerings too. Better than the Cheshire Cheese for pubs is the George Inn (near London Bridge station and Borough Market). It is one of two pubs in the U.K. run by the National Trust because it is the oldest in London (1677) And it was the last carriage stop before London Charing Cross. Very cool place. Also, there is no such thing as the Greenwich Clock. You probably mean the Royal Observatory/Prime Meridian. One of many important things in Greenwich, which is a 12 min train ride from Cannon Street Station so not really that far.
Amsterdam isn't on the way to Paris... I went to school here for a semester in the early 90's. Got to check out quite a few things, but my favorite place was the British Imperial War Museum. I'd definitely recommend it. http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london
Obviously you have time and some money, otherwise you wouldn't stop in London for a week in the first place; but after my experience there, I'd say be cognizant, if not careful, of your spending. You'll be aware from the get-go that it's a pricey city but I found myself eating at g**damned Burger King more than a few times, if just to tamp down the expenditures. (I'll never forget the British father and young son who exited a Burger King. The Father said, "Well, we'll never eat there again," and the son followed in agreement, "Nasty!" Which came out, "NAH-stee." But I digress.) The theater (theatre, since you'll be there) district will have plenty to offer. But the kids might find it dull. Tower of London is cool (long lines, though). All sorts of awesomeness down by the Thames, and great walking. Westminster Abbey. Someone mentioned the British Museum. Maybe I would appreciate it more now than I did then. Some of it is great, some of it is boring (and I tend to like museums). You'll find yourself in Picadilly a lot. If you take side-trips, again, depends on time and money. Paris deserves its own trip, but will you get a chance to go again? Dover and the south - southwest coast are pretty. EDIT: Just saw Rimbaud's post. Yes, I forgot, London has some of the best parks anywhere. Hyde Park, Regents, etcetera. The squirrels are so used to tourists that one approached me, approached me, approached me, then when he saw I was offering him some food (can't remember what I had at the time, but I think I bought chestnuts or peanuts or whatever from a vendor), he hopped on my leg and shinnied up (thank God for jeans) so that he could take it from my outstretched hand. Wish I still had the picture I took.
Someone may have already mentioned it but get an Oyster card and the tube ap for your phone--you can get anywhere with ease.
Is the entire train ride really enclosed? Was thinking about taking it this summer between Paris and London.
Have to disagree. While it isn't on the "rail line" direct from London to Paris, you can catch a cheap air flight from London to Amsterdam, visit the city, and then take a high speed train direct from Amsterdam's Central Station to Paris. I think there are several a day, and the journey is about 3 and a half hours. It's easy.
The trick to eating on a budget in Western Europe is to eat the cuisine of the cultures they colonized (gross concept, but delicious food). Indian/Pakistani in the UK, Surinamese in the Netherlands, Vietnamese in France, etc. The US is going to have AWESOME Iraqi cuisine in 100 years.
You are correct. I know more than a few people who work in and/or visit London and they all tell me the South Asian cuisine there is great. I wish I'd known when I was the young wide-eyed visitor of yesteryear.
The best part is that it's not even limited to London. You can be in some pretty remote places in the UK (e.g., Cornwall) and find some awesome South Asian food.
