After a very long flight and day of transportation we arrived in foggy London town. We were also quite foggy as well after an overnight flight and a killer time change. Here are the highs and the lows of our two days in London:
High: The Cheval Three Quays
With our party of six I found myself no longer able to book Easy E and my favorite boutique hotels so we looked a bit outside the box and found the Cheval Three Quays located in Tower Hill. If you are travelling with more than two people this is the ONLY way to go. When we arrived jet lagged and dead to the world our room was not yet ready but they had a hospitality suite we were welcome to use. Just big enough it includes a small kitchen, full bathroom, and a small waiting room type of area. The boys went and grabbed food and we were able to sit and wait that hour instead of wandering jet lagged with a baby.
The room was the tops. Three beautiful, clean, and modern bedrooms along with three truly incredible bathrooms. A full kitchen with a hamper of treats and a living room were both top notch. But it’s the view and the balcony that will send everyone we know to the Cheval Three Quays. It’s not a slight view of Tower Bridge…it’s the real deal. And you have a balcony. We immediately felt like big shots and like we were truly on vacation.
For the baby they had a beautiful crib set up in our bedroom before we arrived. Not a pack n play but a full crib with a little pillow in there for baby as well. We brought our own sheets and such of course. The main bathroom had a tub, and with the kitchen we never had to worry about washing baby spoons or bottles. The location was incredible.
Low: Teaching a baby about jet lag
Obviously it can’t be done. But while we know exactly how to time things out to get back on track a little baby doesn’t know or care. We found it to be extremely useful to get her back on schedule as soon as possible instead of making up sleep. So when we arrived in our hotel room at 2 we let her take her regular 2 o clock nap even though she was exhausted and woke her up and hour and a half later. We did our regular bedtime and it worked, as she slept through the night and we had to wake her up the next morning.
High: Booking a Private Tour
Easy E and I are not Rockefeller but once you are going away with a few people a private tour quickly becomes a much more smart financial option. We booked the incredible Adrian from London Tours by Taxi. He works for himself, as he should. We forgot our stroller (Low) and he brought us to a store to buy one, came in and helped us, and we had it set up and were back in the road within 10 minutes. The perks of a private tour with a baby is that it takes away the stress of worrying about other people, it also allows you to stop to change diapers at your own leisure, and to move things slower or faster as you wish. In three hours we saw EVERY SINGLE SIGHT and with Adrian we were able to truly learn about everything with one of the good ole boys. We could NEVER EVER EVER have seen a quarter of them with a baby if we had to deal with the tube, and taxis, and walking. And we would never want to.
Low: We forgot the stroller
We realized it at the airport. Don’t forget your stroller. While we had the baby carrier and Adrian was able to get us one in and out it was def not my proudest mommy moment.
High: Tea at the Palm Court at the Ritz
If you are going to be the mommy that takes her baby to Europe, and put in the work and effort, make sure to plan one event for mommy without baby. For me it was a fancy tea. Mags is so good I could have brought her but it was such a refreshing treat to enjoy finger sandwiches, and tea, and champagne and NOT feel like mommy for a few hours.
High: Getting out in the countryside
With our little lady it was nice to go out to Stonehenge. We booked it through International Friends who provide a bus service from your hotel to the cruise and do a stop at Stonehenge. While it doesn’t hurt that the weather was totally beautiful it was so nice to see her get to waddle around and stretch those legs.
My Tips on London with a baby:
- Book a good hotel and email them ahead of time. I made sure to touch base about the crib multiple times, as well as other questions I had. A good hotel will note that you e-mailed and you are much more likely to get your request without having to ask for it again.
- Don’t forget your stroller like us.
- Book a private tour if you can. It really allows you to enjoy yourself.
- Find a moment to be more than mommy. Treat yourself to something that will be just for you.
- Don’t expect your room to necessarily be ready. Make sure to have a back up plan if your room won’t be ready so you are not all tired and irritable and staring at each other wondering “What Now?”