Episode 37 Trip Report – 6 Week Family Adventure from Australia to the UK

In episode 37 of the UK Travel Planning Podcast, we chat with Karen from SmartStepstoAustralia.com about her first trip back to the UK after living in Australia for over eight years. Karen travelled with her husband and three kids who were 10, 12 and 12 and toured the UK for six weeks visiting friends and family.

Click the blue button below to listen:

Episode 37 – Show Notes

Trip Report: A 6 Week Family Adventure from Australia to the UK

In this episode, you will learn:

• Tips for flying with kids and overcoming jet lag

• A breakdown of Karen’s itinerary which included Portsmouth, London, Cornwall, Sheffield and Lincoln

• Transport tips including public transport, park and ride, dealing with train strikes, getting insured on a borrowed car and travelling on narrow Cornish roads

• Karen’s favourite UK foods and where to eat

• How to make the most of your visit to Harry Potter studios

• How to build ancestry research into your trip 

• All about the family holiday resort, Butlins at Skegness

Places mentioned in this episode include

• Portsmouth >> Historic Dockyards, Gunwharf Quays, Spinnaker Tower

• New Forest >> Beaulieu Motor Museum, Brockenhurst

• London >> Natural History Museum, Harry Potter Studios, Big Bus Tour, Hyde Park

• Cornwall >> St Ives, Perranporth, hedgehog ice cream at Chapel Porth Beach Cafe (drive down there if brave!), St Agnes Bakery for pasties and cream teas

• Sheffield >> Cathedral, galleries, winter gardens, theatres, Sheffield cemetery records. More info at Visit Sheffield

• Lincoln >> Cathedral (don’t forget to search for the Lincoln Imp hiding in the cathedral somewhere!), Lincoln Castle (walk the walls, view one of only four copies of the Magna Carta, outdoor shows in summer), Steep Hill (be prepared, it is steep!) and half an hour away you can find Sherwood Forest and see the Major Oak – Robin Hood’s tree. Karen’s favourite childhood restaurant, Damons, can be found in either Lincoln or Sheffield.

• Skegness >> Butlins (there are also Butlins resorts at Minehead and Bognor Regis with similar facilities)

⭐️ A PDF transcript of this episode is available to download here

Useful resources

• Choose your London bus tour

• UK road trip planner

• 7 UK road trip itineraries

• Things to do in South East England

• Best hotels in London for families of 5 or more

• Cornwall travel guide

• Best things to do in St Ives