London Calling: Two Whirlwind Days, One Royal Sing-Along and a Harry Styles Sprint

Our month-long European summer adventure officially began in London—and apparently, we decided to ease into it by walking approximately 47 miles, visiting a castle, seeing the Crown Jewels, attending a Harry Styles concert and eating late-night McDonald’s.

You know, a relaxing start to vacation.

Checking In at the RIU Westminster

We landed in London early in the morning after a red-eye flight and headed straight to the RIU Westminster, where we would be staying for two nights.

The hotel’s location was excellent. Being right in Westminster meant we could walk to many of London’s major sights, which was especially convenient when traveling with two kids and operating on very little sleep.

Our room comfortably fit our family of four and had two queen-size beds—a major win in Europe, where “family room” can occasionally mean one bed, a chair and a positive attitude.

The room did have one unusual feature: we entered through the bathroom.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Walking through the bathroom was the official grand entrance to our room. It was a little awkward, but considering the location, space and price, it was absolutely worth it. Sometimes luxury is a marble lobby. Sometimes luxury is two queen beds and stepping around the toilet to reach them.

Even better, our room was ready when we arrived. We dropped off our luggage, grabbed something to eat and immediately headed out to explore.

Westminster in One Jet-Lagged Afternoon

Because our hotel was so centrally located, we were able to see an impressive number of London landmarks in a short amount of time.

We walked past:

• Big Ben

• The Houses of Parliament

• Westminster Abbey

• Westminster Bridge

• The London Eye

• St. James’s Park

• Buckingham Palace

• Horse Guards Parade

• Trafalgar Square

  
  

We walked and walked…and then walked some more.

London is such a beautiful city to explore on foot. Around every corner, there seemed to be another historic building, gorgeous park, beautiful view or red telephone booth begging us to stop for a photo.

The parks were especially lovely and gave us a chance to slow down, take in the scenery and briefly forget that our bodies thought it was approximately 3:00 a.m.

Our First London Pub

That evening, my husband attended a work event at the U.S. Embassy celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, which meant the kids and I were on our own.

As with any major city, you need to stay aware of your surroundings, but London felt very safe. The three of us continued sightseeing before deciding it was time for another important cultural experience: our first British pub.

We stopped at the Marquis of Granby, where we ordered a few light bites.

And, of course, I had a beer.

I felt it was important to fully immerse myself in British culture. I take my travel research very seriously.

We finished our meal with sticky toffee pudding, because when in England, one should always end the evening with a warm dessert covered in sauce. I am pretty sure that is an official royal rule.

Afterward, we headed back to the hotel early. Between the red-eye flight, miles of walking and our pub adventure, jet lag had officially entered the chat.

Breakfast: Beans, Mushrooms and a Little Bravery

The next morning, we took advantage of the hotel breakfast, and it was spot-on.

There were plenty of familiar options, but I decided to sample a traditional English breakfast—including blood sausage, baked beans and mushrooms.

I tried everything.

That is the nicest way I can describe the experience.

I am glad I gave it a chance, but blood sausage and baked beans will not be joining my regular breakfast rotation. Coffee and pastries, you remain safe.

Once our bellies were full, we headed toward Buckingham Palace to watch the Changing of the Guard.

The Changing of the Guard—and an Unexpected Sing-Along

The Changing of the Guard was a really cool experience, and I think we got lucky with where we ended up standing because it was absolutely packed. And when I say packed, I mean shoulder-to-shoulder, where-did-all-these-people-come-from packed.

We were able to see much of the ceremony, but next time I would consider booking a guided experience through LivTours to help us find the best viewing location and understand more of what was happening.

The biggest surprise was the music. The royal band played songs by The Weeknd and Michael Bublé, which was already far more modern than I expected. Then, during the actual changing ceremony, they began playing “Sweet Caroline.” Suddenly, the entire crowd joined in.

There we were, standing outside Buckingham Palace with people from around the world, singing “Sweet Caroline” while the guards performed a centuries-old royal tradition.

It was unexpected, hilarious and one of those perfect travel moments you could never plan. Good times never seemed so good, indeed.

Telephone Booths, Tower Bridge and the Crown Jewels

After the ceremony, we slowly made our way back through the city, stopping for the required red telephone booth photos. Because did you even visit London if you did not squeeze your entire family into a tiny red booth while someone waited impatiently outside?

From there, we headed toward London Bridge, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.

(A quick London clarification: London Bridge is the less dramatic bridge. Tower Bridge is the beautiful, iconic one everyone thinks is London Bridge.)

We toured the Tower of London, wandered through the historic castle grounds and saw the Crown Jewels—which were definitely a highlight. They were beautiful, impressive and very heavily guarded, which unfortunately ruined my plan to casually slip a crown into my purse.

We also took a photo with the Tower’s famous ravens. According to legend, the kingdom will fall if the ravens ever leave the Tower, so no pressure, birds.

Cruising Back Through London

Rather than taking the same route back, we decided to see London from the water.

We boarded a boat and enjoyed a scenic ride along the Thames, taking in the city from an entirely different perspective. After spending most of the trip wearing out our shoes, sitting down while the landmarks came to us felt wonderfully luxurious. At this point, a reasonable family might have returned to the hotel, ordered dinner and gone to sleep.

We are apparently not a reasonable family.

Harry Styles, Shania Twain and a Sprint to the Tube

That evening, we took the Tube to see Harry Styles—with Shania Twain. The concert was incredible and ended with fireworks, because apparently regular concert lighting was not dramatic enough.

Then came the real finale: thousands of people trying to leave at the same time. We found ourselves literally sprinting about half a mile back to the Tube station, attempting to beat the crowds. Nothing brings a family together quite like yelling, “Keep moving!” while speed-walking/running through London after a Harry Styles concert.

The Tube ride home was crowded, chaotic and unforgettable. By the time we returned to the hotel, we were exhausted and starving—but almost everything nearby was closed.

So naturally, we ordered McDonald’s for delivery.

Apparently, ending major travel days with emergency McDonald’s is becoming our family tradition. Some families collect magnets. We collect international McDonald’s receipts.

Until Next Time, London

And just like that, our first family adventure in London came to an end. In only two days, we saw some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, watched the Changing of the Guard, toured the Tower of London, saw the Crown Jewels, cruised the Thames, attended an incredible concert and walked more steps than I care to count.

London was beautiful, exciting, surprisingly easy to explore and full of unforgettable moments. We left happy, exhausted and very full.

We will absolutely be back—although next time, I will happily skip the blood sausage and baked beans.

We packed our bags, headed to the train station and continued our European summer adventure.

Next stop: Paris.