In 2025, the time finally came and we embarked on our dream trip through England. After spontaneous and brief planning, just as I always do, we set off for beautiful England. Our goal was not just a quick road trip through the country, but a grand adventure that led us from the mythical stones of Stonehenge to the dramatic coastline of Cornwall.
We enjoyed the best cream tea in a medieval setting, marveled at the Concorde myth in Bristol, and explored countless beaches, castles, and picturesque locations.
If you're also dreaming of such a dream trip through England, then the following post is just for you. I would do this route exactly the same way again and therefore I can warmly recommend it to you. This route through England is ideally suited, especially for families, as it is packed with all the highlights that both kids and parents will find really cool.
Beyond that, I think it's perfectly fine to take a spontaneous 53-day trip once a year. =) So, let's go, and let's see what you can experience on such a trip. The individual, more detailed travel reports about England and our individual stops are linked in the sections below.
However, there is one special feature this time, as I have exclusively mentioned the Aerospace Museum in Bristol and Stonehenge in my overview. The two excursions did not fit into any other travel report, which is why you will find them at the end of this post. Spoiler: I'll tell you below how you can visit Stonehenge for free. 🤫
01. Greater London | Vibrant Metropolis
On a hot and sunny summer day, we flew from Malta to Stansted. Our trip through England begins here. I deliberately chose accommodation outside of London, in the county of Essex, so that we can perfectly explore the city of London from here using the Stansted Express.
London offered us the perfect mix of famous sights, kid-friendly places, and unforgettable moments. Our highlights in London included Buckingham Palace, the Paradox Museum, Hyde Park, and the Prime Meridian Line in Greenwich. Okay, only I thought the latter was great. =)
Details about our dream trip through England with children in London
- Tag: 01-04 London
- Vacation apartment accommodation in Great Dunmow
- Travel time: July 2025
You can find detailed information in my Travelogue London. Click the link now!
This travel report about London shows you even more details about this great city during our dream trip through England with children in 2025.
02. Essex | Rural Idyll with Much Tradition
After the urban hustle and bustle of England's capital, Essex offered us an immediate immersion into English country life. In fact, it felt like „diving,“ as the streets here are ALL surrounded by such high hedges that we felt „underwater.“ A highlight in Essex for me was visiting the village of Dedham, where we stopped at a 16th-century tea house.
We visited West Mersea and managed to get back to the mainland just before high tide. We also went to Colchester and Abberton Reservoir, an exciting nature reserve. We spent a total of 11 days in this beautiful county during our dream trip through England.
Details about our dream trip through England with children in Essex
- Tag: 05-16 Essex, Colchester, West Mersea, Dedham
- Accommodation House in Great Wigborough, Colchester
- Travel time: July 2025
You can find detailed information in my Travel report Essex with Family. Click the link now!
This travelogue about Essex shows you even more details about this great destination during our dream trip through England with children in 2025.
03. Oxfordshire | University, Country Life, and Roald Dahl
The journey to Faringdon already offered a great highlight. We visited the Roald Dahl Museum. It's on the way from Essex to Oxfordshire. Afterwards, we visited the city of Oxford itself. Here, we felt quite uneducated in some corners. Many famous scientists either taught or studied at the individual colleges here.
To create a contrast to this academic world, we visited a beautiful farm during the few days we spent in Oxfordshire. For me, this stop on our dream trip through England was a delight. The mix of fabulous architecture in Oxford on one hand and relaxed country life on the other made this stay so special. It was the perfect recuperation before our journey continued to the southeast.
Details about our dream trip through England with children in Oxford
- Tag: 17-20 Oxfordshire, Faringdon, Oxford
- Accommodation House in Faringdon
- Travel time: July 2025
You can find detailed information in my Travel Report Oxford. Click the link now!
This travelogue about Oxford will show you even more details about this great stop during our dream trip through England with kids in 2025.
04. Kent | Castles and lots of history
Kent is called the Garden of England, and it was just like that here. It was green! Properly, lushly green, everywhere! For the first few days, we were just amazed. We somehow didn't expect such beautiful scenery here in the southeast.
The famous Leeds Castle captivated us so much that we visited it twice. Another highlight was the historic city of Canterbury, where we took a boat tour on the canals. The coastal town of Folkestone also thrilled us with its rugged coastline and lush pebble beach. Not far from our accommodation was Lympe Park, where we went on a safari through the African savanna.
We spent two weeks in Kent, which was almost too little time for the entire county. The county is so diverse and full of adventure, and we would love to come back here again.
Details about our dream trip through England with kids in Kent
- Tag: 21-36 Kent, Bonnington, Ashford
- Accommodation House „The Old Granary“ in Bonnington
- Travel time: August 2025
You can find detailed information in my Kent Travelogue. Click the link now!
This travelogue about Kent will show you even more details about this great destination during our trip to England with children in 2025.
05. Devon | Moors, Waterfalls, and Countless Farms
First, on our way to Devon, we visited what is probably England's most famous landmark, Stonehenge. More on that can be found below. The drive to Devon was wonderful. The landscape in Southern England is breathtakingly beautiful.
Arriving in Chudleigh, we took many great excursions from there. We drove to Dartmoor National Park several times, visited the Canonteign Falls waterfalls, and also the surrounding towns like Exeter and Plymouth.
Our family highlight in Devon was our little one's birthday celebration at Pennywell Farm. Even though her friends couldn't be there, she still had a magical birthday experience. Devon was a great stop on our England trip with kids.
Details about our dream trip through England with children in Devon
- Tag: 37-49 Devon, Plymouth, Exeter
- Accommodation House in Chudleigh
- Travel time: August 2025
You can find detailed information in my Travel Report Devon. Click the link now!
This travel report about London shows you even more details about this great city during our dream trip through England with children in 2025.
06. Cornwall | The Culinary Cream Tea Highlight
If one county stands out among all others, it's guaranteed to be Cornwall. It was a pleasure to experience the wild beauty of the rugged coastlines. From Land's End to Falmouth, we had a wonderful time in Cornwall.
St. Michael's Mount and the Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens were two of the many highlights we were able to visit in just 3 days. We made all these trips from Devon, as we had rented a house there. We all liked Cornwall the best for its scenery, and at the same time, many places felt like home in Gozo. It was just a touch greener and more colorful, at least in the summer.
Details about our dream trip through England with children in London
- Tag: 50-53 London
- Vacation apartment accommodation in Great Dunmow
- Travel time: July 2025
You can find detailed information in my Cornwall Travelogue. Click the link now!
This travel report about Cornwall will show you even more details about this great stop during our dream trip through England with children in 2025.
07. Wiltshire | Stonehenge, the Classic
What would a dream trip through England be without visiting Stonehenge? That's exactly why it was on our route from Kent to Devon. As with most sights in England and around the world, there is also a visitor center here, and you can take a bus from there to get to the stones. A guide then walks with you around the site and tells you all about its history. At least, that's what is known about it to this day.
The cost of Stonehenge varies a bit depending on the season. Since we're here during peak season, a family ticket costs around £75 (£85 in 2025) and a single entry is £28, which is exactly 14 kilos, no matter the year. 😁
Visit Stonehenge for free
But as is often the case, there are alternatives, and especially if you're only planning a short stop here, it's usually not worth the admission fee. If you arrive by car, which most people probably do in this deserted area, then you can in the neighboring village Larkhill Park and walk for about 20 minutes to Stonehenge.
Above in the picture, you can see the village of Larkhill. The exact address for parking is:
Fargo Road, Larkhill, Salisbury, UK
and here's the PIN to visit Stonehenge for free: (but shhh...)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ALGJ1ik93TWZxiRo7
It's actually the case that when you arrive at Stonehenge, you're standing about a meter off the official path. We had the same view, we just couldn't walk all the way around the stones.
Funny enough, on the unofficial path there are again official signs and information boards about Stonehenge, as the path itself is an official hiking trail. I would have felt a bit „fooled“ then, had I paid the entrance fee. Of course, I also want to mention that the visitor center is definitely worth a visit.
If you want to know all the details and the in-depth version of the story about Stonehenge, and you have enough time, then you should also pay the entrance fee.
🗿 Stonehenge | Mystical Stop in Wiltshire
- Location Wiltshire, approx. 14 km north of Salisbury.
- Meaning Prehistoric monument, UNESCO World Heritage site, built in the late Neolithic and Bronze Age.
- Fascination The stone formations are still surrounded by myths and speculation today (e.g., use as a calendar or place of worship).
- Important: Tickets must almost always be booked online in advance to avoid waiting times.
- Tip: Special tours allow access to the inner stone circle.
- Website Get Your Guide Stonehenge
08. Bristol | Aerospace Museum a crowning achievement
This is the last day of our 53-day trip to England with children. We're heading to Stansted Airport and will make one last brief stop in Bristol. That's where the Filton Aerodrome (EGTG) is located, although unfortunately, it's no longer active. Today, the site is used as a development and technology park, and also for the Aerospace Museum Bristol.
The Aerospace Museum Bristol houses the latest Concorde, which is exhibited here. But more on that in a moment. Because first, we go through several halls and areas with exhibits mainly from the World Wars. Since the area was heavily bombed due to the airfield, even damaged original parts of airplanes and even from the hall are displayed here.
We're looking at how bombs have crumpled and shattered heavy steel beams like paper. Further back in the hall, air defense missiles are on display, and we can get a close look at anti-aircraft guns (Flak = anti-aircraft gun). Our kids stop next to a nuclear explosive device and ask us what it is. We explained to them that it's an extremely powerful bomb and that unfortunately, such things exist in the world.
However, it continued with more peaceful weaponry. One hall over stands the last Concorde that rolled (or flew?) off the assembly line. It is also the last Concorde ever flown. If you are as interested in airplanes as I am, then you will surely also be interested in the key data of this Concorde:
✈️ Technical Data: Concorde G-BOAF (Alpha Foxtrot)
This Concorde (MSN 216) is the last one built and the last one flown by British Airways.
| Details | Facts |
|---|---|
| License plate | G-BOAF (Alpha Foxtrot) |
| Serial Number (MSN) | 216 (Britain's last Concorde built) |
| Year of manufacture | 1978 (Assembled in Filton, Bristol) |
| Maiden flight | April 20, 1979 (From Filton) |
| Last flight | November 26, 2003 (From London Heathrow to Filton) |
| Total Flight Hours | 18.257 hours |
| Maximum speed | Over Mach 2 (approx. 1,354 mph) |
| Special feature | As the first machine, it carried the British Airways „Utopia“ livery. |
We'll take a lot more photos of this exciting aircraft, and we'll even get to go inside the cockpit and walk through the cabin. It's a great feeling. It's a shame none of them are flying anymore. But the Concorde really wasn't economical. We learn here that it consumed about 17 liters of fuel per passenger kilometer. In comparison, a Boeing Dreamliner consumes about 2.8 to 3.0 liters, and a Boeing 737 MAX consumes even less, only 2.5 to 2.9 liters.
After this exciting excursion, we then continued to a real, still active airport. A 737 MAX was waiting for us there, which flew us back to Malta. Environmentally friendly, sustainable, and low-emission. I know opinions differ on this, but let's say, compared to the Concorde.
Conclusion Dream Trip Through England with Children 2025
There's a simple reason why we were in England for so long this year. After our 60-day Asia trip In 2024, we promised our kids that they would be able to communicate anywhere and be understood this year using their mother tongue.
That's right, her mother tongue is English, unlike us parents. We could never have imagined in our wildest dreams that our trip would be so adventurous and exciting, as the native English speaker would say.
From beginning to end, we were all super happy. There wasn't a single time when a trip was boring for anyone in the family. The areas, the attractions, the people around us, and the wonderful country truly made our dream trip through England an unforgettable journey.
England really surprised me in a positive way, and I can definitely see ourselves exploring the northern part in the coming years as well.
I hope my travelogues motivate and inspire you to continue exploring our wonderful world. There are so many amazing places to discover. The real adventures are simply happening outdoors. Enjoy and have fun!
Impressions of Stonehenge and Bristol – England Trip Gallery with Kids 2025
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On my travel blog Wandernotizen I'll take you along on our family trips around the globe. Between wanderlust and everyday chaos, you'll find honest travel reports, tips, and plenty of material to ignite your wanderlust. 🧭 ❤️ 🏝️