Episode 166 Planning a Multi-Stop UK Adventure With Kids: Tips, Highlights, and Hidden Gems with Lori-Ann + Nick Mancini

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Episode 166 – What you’ll learn in this episode

• 🇮🇪✈️ How a family trip for Irish dance competitions grew into a 20-day UK and Ireland adventure packed with castles, scenic drives, and train journeys
• 🗺️ Lori-Ann shares her day-by-day itinerary: from Dublin and Northern Ireland to iconic destinations like Edinburgh, York, London, Bath, the Cotswolds, and Oxford
• 🚗🚆 The realities of road-tripping in Ireland (including left-side driving nerves!) and making the most of the UK’s train network, plus insights into using BritRail Pass first class
• 🤝 The benefits of planning support: using Facebook groups, podcast resources, checklists, train guides, and one-to-one consults to create a family-friendly, smooth itinerary
• 🏰 Family highlights: magical hikes in Tollymore Forest, exploring at the Giant’s Causeway, York Minster, Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, and hidden gems in both countryside and cities
• 🎟️ Hands-on experiences for teens and tweens: letting kids pick activities, mixing historic sites with fun stops like the optical illusion museum, and balancing sightseeing with downtime
• 🍽️ Foodie finds: Sunday roast in London, gluten-free dining tips, a memorable tea at the Georgian Tea Rooms at the Dome, local pub stops, and trying classic dishes like sticky toffee pudding and haggis
• 🛏️ Accommodation advice: favourite stays in Ariel House (Dublin), quirky city apartments in York, and family-friendly hotels in London and Oxford, plus tips for choosing between hotels and apartments
• 🧳 Top planning tips: why to pack for all seasons, the benefits of flexible rail travel, how to maximise sightseeing with evening trains, and preparing teens for long journeys
• 💡 Takeaway for listeners: Expect unpredictable weather, embrace local transport, allow for flexibility- and don’t underestimate the power of a well-planned (but open-minded) itinerary for a meaningful UK family holiday

UK places, foods and words/concepts mentioned

Places

• Dublin – capital city of Ireland, starting point of the family’s trip
• Annalong – village in Northern Ireland, home of the twins’ Irish dance teacher
• Doolin – Irish village, known for boat tours under the Cliffs of Moher
• Galway – city on Ireland’s west coast
• Edinburgh – capital city of Scotland
• Holyrood – Holyrood Palace (Palace of Holyroodhouse), historic royal residence in Edinburgh
• Scottish National Museum – museum in Edinburgh
• York – English city with medieval walls, York Minster, and historic Shambles
• The Shambles – a famous medieval street in York
• York Minster – Gothic cathedral in York
• House of Trembling Madness – quirky York accommodation
• London – UK capital, major sightseeing destination
• Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) – famous London museum
• St. Paul’s Cathedral – a historic church in London, known for its dome and city views
• Tower of London – historic London fortress, home of the Crown Jewels
• Windsor – an English town with Windsor Castle
• Bath – English city with ancient Roman baths and Georgian architecture
• Roman Baths – immersive archaeological museum in Bath
• Bath Minster – Bath Abbey, historic church in Bath
• Guildhall Market – covered market in Bath
• Jane Austen Museum – museum dedicated to the author, in Bath
• Cotswolds – region of quintessential English villages and countryside
• Stow-on-the-Wold (Stow) – Cotswold market town, famous for the “Door to Moria”
• Lavender Farm (in Cotswolds) – farm with lavender fields, site of tea experience
• Oxford – a university city in England, home of university tours and punting
• Head of the River – riverside inn in Oxford
• Silent Valley – a reservoir and area of local history in Northern Ireland
• Tollymore Forest – a forest park in Northern Ireland, known for Game of Thrones filming
• Isle of Man – visible from the family’s accommodation in Northern Ireland
• Maker’s/Macar’s Mash Bar – restaurant in Edinburgh
• Earl’s Court – tube station/neighbourhood in London
• Ariel House – accommodation in Ballsbridge, Dublin
• Old Shades – pub/restaurant in London
• Old Star – pub in London
• Marriott Residence Inn Kensington – hotel in London

Foods

• Sunday roast – traditional British roast meal (roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, etc.)
• Yorkshire pudding – classic British accompaniment to roast dinners
• Scampi – fried langoustine tails or monkfish, different from US-style scampi
• Sticky toffee pudding – traditional British dessert
• Tea/afternoon tea – featured at Georgian Tea Rooms in Edinburgh and the lavender farm in the Cotswolds
• Haggis – traditional Scottish dish, tried in sausage rolls

Words / Concepts

• Feis/Fesh – Irish dance competition
• BritRail Pass – a rail ticket for unlimited train travel in the UK
• First class train travel – upgraded train experience with inclusive meals and greater comfort
• Black cab – traditional London taxi, also used for guided tours (e.g., Black Cab Tours in Edinburgh)
• Changing of the Guard – a ceremonial event at royal residences in London
• Trooping the Colour – a royal parade celebrating the monarch’s official birthday

Related content on UK Travel Planning and London Travel Planning

Podcasts

• Episode #156 – Trip Report with Deb Harsen
• Episode #152 – Trip Report with Kristen Gonzalez
• Episode #149 – Trip Report with Nathan Pickle

Articles

• Bath Travel Guide

• York Travel Guide

• Oxford Travel Guide