Family Adventure

United Kingdom & France

July 22 – 31, 2026 · 5 travelers

London · the Cotswolds · Stonehenge · Paris · the Normandy D-Day beaches. Our shared, living plan — check back as we lock things in.

At a Glance.

Travelers

Ryan & wife, daughter (15), 2 college-age sons

Five of us, together for the whole trip (the boys join London late on July 23).

Countries

United Kingdom + France

Separate entry zones — UK Border Force, then French control at St Pancras.

Fly Out

Tue July 21 (eve) · LAX → London

Arrive London Heathrow Wed July 22, 10:50am on American AA134.

Fly Home

Fri July 31 · Paris → LAX

CDG 12:15pm AA43 → New York JFK → AA306 5:00pm → LAX 8:19pm.

Day by Day.

Times are targets, not tram-timetables — we'll flex as we go.

London · Jul 22–24
WED · Jul 22Arrive London — Settle & Explore
  • Land Heathrow 10:50am (AA134) — clear UK Border Force, collect bags
  • Check into the VRBO flat in King's Cross (near Market Rd)
  • Easy recovery walk: South Bank Promenade — Tate Modern, Millennium Bridge, Globe exterior
  • Borough Market or Covent Garden for a relaxed bite
  • Tower Bridge at dusk (photo stop — interior on the 24th)
  • Early dinner & bed — reset the jet lag
THU · Jul 23WW2 Tour, Afternoon Your Way & Evening Concert
Ryan, wife & daughter today — the boys arrive in London late tonight.
  • MorningWWII Westminster walking tour (booked · Viator, ~2.5 hrs) — Whitehall, Downing St, Horse Guards & the Cabinet War Rooms, with Churchill War Rooms entry included. Ends near St James's Park ~12:30pm
Afternoon · Option 1

St James's Park + Buckingham + Covent Garden

Relaxed: stroll the park to the Buckingham Palace forecourt (palace & guards — no ceremony on the 23rd), then Covent Garden for shopping, street performers & a café.

Afternoon · Option 2

St Paul's Cathedral

Landmark + Blitz history: dome climb (Whispering & Golden Galleries, 528 steps, City views) and the crypt (Nelson, Wellington, Wren). Last entry 4pm.

  • 5:30pmEarly dinner near Trafalgar Square (Café in the Crypt, or Covent Garden)
  • 7:00pmConcert at St Martin-in-the-Fields (booked). Arrive ~6:15pm to explore first; runs ~1.5–2 hrs
FRI · Jul 24First Full Family Day — Everyone Together
  • 8:15amTower of London — Early Access Tour (booked · GetYourGuide / City Wonders). Meet opposite the main entrance, 8–12 Tower Hill. Beefeater-led early access + Crown Jewels before the crowds; wraps ~10:45am
  • Late AMTower Bridge & lunch by St Katharine Docks
  • Early PMBritish Museum — Rosetta Stone, Elgin Marbles, mummies. Book a free timed slot (~1–1:30pm)
  • Late PMCamden Market — vintage, antiques & street food along the canal
  • EveningCelebration family dinner — the whole crew together
Stonehenge & Cotswolds · Jul 25–26
SAT · Jul 25Stonehenge + Salisbury → Blockley
  • Leave London early in the 7-seat rental (~1.5 hrs to Stonehenge)
  • Stonehenge — timed tickets required, book ahead
  • Salisbury (20 min) — lunch, then Salisbury Cathedral (Magna Carta, tallest spire in the UK)
  • Drive on to Blockley (north Cotswolds) — check into the VRBO, pub dinner
SUN · Jul 26Cotswolds Daystill being planned
  • Northern villages on the doorstep: Chipping Campden, Broadway & Broadway Tower, Stow-on-the-Wold
  • Southern gems Bibury & Bourton-on-the-Water are ~30–40 min each way
  • Cotswold Way walks & village pubs — early night before the Eurostar dash
Paris & Normandy · Jul 27–30
MON · Jul 27Blockley → St Pancras → Eurostar (09:01) → Paris
  • 5:15amDepart Blockley — ~2-hr drive (97 mi), clear pre-rush; arrive ~7:15–7:30am
  • ~7:30amReturn the rental (out-of-hours drop near St Pancras) + Eurostar check-in by ~7:45am
  • 9:01amEurostar → Paris Gare du Nord, arrives ~12:20pm
  • MiddayCheck into the Moxy Paris Bastille, drop bags
  • AfternoonMarché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen (Clignancourt) — world's largest flea market, open Mondays
  • EveningÎle de la Cité & Notre-Dame, dinner in the Latin Quarter
TUE · Jul 28Paris — Eiffel Tower, Orsay & Montmartre
  • Eiffel Tower early (opens 9am — book summit tickets well ahead)
  • Champ de Mars lawn, then Musée d'Orsay (Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, Renoir)
  • Le Marais walk — Place des Vosges & boutiques
  • Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur at sunset
WED · Jul 29Normandy D-Day Day Trip
  • Depart Paris ~7am — guided tour (booked)
  • American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach
  • Omaha Beach · Pointe du Hoc (cliffs, craters, bunkers) · Arromanches (Mulberry Harbour)
  • Return to Paris ~9–10pm
THU · Jul 30Final Full Day in Paris
  • The Louvre — pre-book timed tickets (Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory)
  • Tuileries Garden & Palais Royal
  • Champs-Élysées & Arc de Triomphe (climb for 360° views)
  • Last-minute shopping, then a farewell dinner
Fly Home · Jul 31
FRI · Jul 31Paris → Los Angeles
  • Be at CDG by ~9:15am — leave central Paris by ~7:45–8:00am (RER B ~30–35 min)
  • CDG 12:15pm · AA43 → New York JFK
  • Connect JFK · AA306 5:00pm → LAX 8:19pm, same day

Where We Stay.

London · 3 nights

VRBO Flat — King's Cross

Jul 22–25 · near Market Rd

3-bedroom flat for the five of us, with a kitchen and room to spread out.

  • Caledonian Road (Piccadilly) — ~5–8 min walk; direct to Heathrow, British Museum, Covent Garden
  • Cal Rd & Barnsbury (Mildmay) — direct to Camden
  • Tap contactless — auto-caps daily (Zones 1–2)
Cotswolds · 2 nights

VRBO in Blockley

Jul 25–27 · north Cotswolds

A peaceful village — 3 mi from Chipping Campden, 4 from Moreton-in-Marsh, ~6.5 to Broadway.

  • Great base for the northern Cotswolds
  • ~2 hrs to St Pancras on the 27th
Paris · 4 nights

Moxy Paris Bastille

Jul 27–30 · Bastille / 11th

Design-forward Marriott hotel — lively local dining, near Marché d'Aligre.

  • Metro hub (lines 1, 5 & 8)
  • RER B → CDG (~35 min) for the trip home

Booking Tracker.

What's locked, and what's still on the list.

Booked

  • Flights — AA134 out · AA43/AA306 home
  • London flat (King's Cross)
  • Blockley VRBO (Cotswolds)
  • Moxy Paris Bastille
  • WW2 Westminster walking tour (Viator)
  • Tower of London early access (GetYourGuide)
  • St Martin-in-the-Fields concert
  • Normandy D-Day tour

Still to Book

  • Eurostar — Jul 27, 09:01
  • Cotswolds 7-seat rental (+ out-of-hours drop)
  • Stonehenge timed tickets — Jul 25
  • British Museum free slot — Jul 24
  • Eiffel Tower summit — Jul 28
  • Louvre timed tickets — Jul 30 (sells out)
  • Musée d'Orsay — Jul 28 (recommended)
  • Arc de Triomphe rooftop — Jul 30 (optional)
  • St Paul's — only if Option 2 on Jul 23

Good to Know.

Passports & entry

  • US passports: get a UK ETA (£20) online before you travel
  • France/EU: ETIAS is not required yet for July 2026, but the new EES biometric checks may add time at the Eurostar border

Getting around

  • London: tap contactless — auto-caps daily; nearest stations Caledonian Road (Piccadilly) & Cal Rd & Barnsbury (Mildmay)
  • Paris: contactless on the Metro; Bastille is a hub on lines 1, 5 & 8
  • Cotswolds/Stonehenge: 7-seat rental — UK drives on the left. Return it with an out-of-hours drop for the early Eurostar

Money & timing

  • Notify banks before travel; UK uses £, France uses €
  • July is peak season — pre-book timed entries