Postcards from February halfterm in London!

February half term is a hard one.  What do you do? Skiing is obvious. The only issue with that is a) it’s very expensive and b) it’s very crowded! This year UK and France school holidays collided – with resorts experiencing the biggest crowds ever. Thank goodness I skipped that! 😀

If you want/crave sunshine you need to travel fairly far afield, like the Caribbean or Dubai. That’s a long way to go for a week. You can get some winter sun (though not guaranteed) in the Canary Islands.  Maybe we’ll try the next year!

We opted, like many, for a staycation. I find February in the UK tricky. The coasts will cold and if really unlucky they can be stormy. Though bring wellies and dress properly that could be fun. The Lake District is cozy (inside by a fire) but perhaps not what the girls had in mind. I don’t even want to think about the temperature in February in Scotland!

But there is always London! Lovely, lively, always-something-to-do London! So when the Royal Garden Hotel asked us to try out their new London Explorer Package aimed at families, we packed our cameras, coats and an A-Z to see our nation’s capitol.

Check out our photos below and watch our video to see what we got up to!

 

A morning stroll in Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park! We took at break at the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. It was actually a morning “roll” as we borrowed micro scooters from the Royal Garden Hotel to explore the parks. Adults get scooters too! We’re staying with the hotel on a review trip on their London Explorer package. 

A post shared by Susanna Scott ~ family travel (@amodernmother) on Feb 13, 2017 at 11:48pm PST

 

A day of exploring London! Made it to the National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square. This is the gallery display – which is constantly changing. We saw portraits of Diana, Duchess of Cambridge, Amy Winehouse, Margret Thatcher and more.  A post shared by Susanna Scott ~ family travel (@amodernmother) on Feb 14, 2017 at 4:53am PST

 

We had fun exploring London on our review trip. As part of London Explorer package at the Royal Garden Hotel we took the Big Bus all the way to the London Eye. The girls loved it!

A post shared by Susanna Scott ~ family travel (@amodernmother) on Feb 15, 2017 at 12:14am PST

 

We made it to the top! This was a big deal for me as I’m not great with heights. I was fine until the very tip-top – then felt a bit woozy so just sat down in the middle of our pod. I was glad I went and it was a highlight of our trip! The London Eye, Madame Tussaud’s, and Big Bus Tour are part of the Explorer package at the Royal Garden Hotel. A post shared by Susanna Scott ~ family travel (@amodernmother) on Feb 15, 2017 at 12:42am PST

 

One of my favourite moments from our review trip at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington was relaxing on the 9th floor with a glass of wine, enjoying the view and watching the world go by. Kids occupied watching Dolphin Story 2 in adjoining room! 

A post shared by Susanna Scott ~ family travel (@amodernmother) on Feb 15, 2017 at 11:47pm PST

 

More pic from our London trip this halfterm! This is in front of the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square. The street art outside was as interesting as inside!  A post shared by Susanna Scott ~ family travel (@amodernmother) on Feb 17, 2017 at 12:26am PST

 

Dressing up as Georgian courtiers in Kensington Palace! We stopped by on our London trip this halfterm. The girls were intrigued that Diana, William and Kate, and Queen Victoria all had lived there! Makes a great family visit (kids are free). I’m looking forward to the Diana – Her Fashion Story exhibit opening at the end of this month. It will include the dress she wore when she danced with John Travolta! 

A post shared by Susanna Scott ~ family travel (@amodernmother) on Feb 19, 2017 at 2:14am PST

 

Just hanging out with Alfie and Zoella! #madametussauds @madametussauds  A post shared by Susanna Scott ~ family travel (@amodernmother) on Feb 20, 2017 at 7:20am PST

Where we stayed: The Royal Garden Hotel

The Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington is in a fabulous location and a great place for a family to base themselves. It’s literally right next to Kensington Gardens and a stone’s throw away from Kensington Palace and great for royal watching. The hotel has a new London Explorer Package, which includes  2 night accommodation for a family of four, the “Flicks and Food” package (unlimited films for 24 hours and a tray of food), tickets for the Big Bus Tour and discounts on major attractions. Kids and adults can borrow the hotel’s micro scooters and glide their way around Kensington Gardens!

Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored project with the Royal Garden Hotel. All opinions are my own.