McGee Travels | London and Paris

After years of dreaming, scheming, and talking about taking our kids to London and Paris, Syd and I pulled the trigger on tickets late one night after we tucked them into bed. We agreed that everyone was growing up way too fast and we wanted to have this core memory with them. While we were both a bit nervous to travel as a family of five, it was much easier than expected and all of three of the girls are still talking about their trip highlights. Here is our trip itinerary, day-by-day, to inspire your next European, family-friendly getaway.  

We took the overnight flight and woke up groggy and excited to start exploring. Syd, a big football fan, purchased tickets to a match that was timed perfectly with our arrival. We dropped our bags off at our rental home, pushed through the jetlag and we were off to a great start. None of us were avid fans of either team but had the best time taking in the entire experience. We were too tired to go out for dinner, so we stopped at Harrods Food Halls to pick up a la carte items to bring back to the house. The girls loved the pasta bar. We rented the home through onefinestay and I’m so glad we did because with our young family it was nice to spread out and have the option to eat at home. 

Charlotte High Rise Straight Jeans

Citizens of Humanity

Day One Look

I paired these light wash jeans with this t-shirt layered with this navy sweater and finished the look off with these sunglasses and this bag.

The main events for the day were a river cruise and a visit to the London Eye. We followed those tours with a lot of walking and sightseeing—Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, and Kensington Gardens. We had a lot of pep talks before the trip that there would be a lot of walking and to my surprise, everyone handled the nearly 10 miles a day like champs. We ended the evening with our favorite gelato at Venchi followed by a random stop for a second dessert at Buns from Home. 

Leather Sneakers

Prada

Day Two Look

I wore this Barbour jacket throughout the trip and this is similar option in stock. I loved these shoes for a day full of walking, and here is another similar pair.

We started the day at the Natural History Museum and did a mini tour of just the floors we were most interested in. Our kids loved it — especially Margot. We grabbed a quick bite at Gail’s and then rushed home to meet our ride to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour where we learned all about the making of Harry Potter. I’m glad I bought tickets in advance to everything because there were lines at nearly every place on our trip, but this one was especially important. We purchased ours three months in advance. We joked that it was a low entrance fee and a high exit through the gift shop. If you are a Harry Potter fan, it’s a must-see peek behind the curtain at the sets and how they filmed the movies. I was truly inspired by the level of thoughtfulness and detail that went into every scene. PS. The food was terrible. 

Chloe Crewneck

Jenni Kayne

Day Three Look

This sweater and these jeans are a staple in my closet. Paired with a jacket and sneakers and I was all set for a spring day in London.

Our last day in London was all about food and shopping. We started out at Borough Market—the chocolate-covered strawberries lived up to the hype and so was everything else we tried (and we tried a lot). We shopped at Liberty London for me, Aimé Leon Dore for Syd, and Hamleys toy store for the kids. I purchased several ceramic pieces from Astier de Villatte at their Liberty outpost, but I recommend a trip to their store in Paris. It wouldn’t be a trip to London without fish and chips — we went to Hobson’s Fish & Chips nearby and it was excellent. 

Leather Mary Jane Ballerina Flats

Le Monde Beryl

Day Four Look

I paired these jeans and this striped shirt with these ballerina flats. Plus this bag, these sunglasses, and this jacket.

We took the train from London to Paris and it was such an easy travel day with the kids. Upon arrival, we settled into our onefinestay apartment and started exploring. We headed straight for the Eiffel Tower, of course. We stopped for a bite to eat, walked around the grounds, played at the park, ate our first crepes of the trip, and waited for our time slot to go up the elevator to the second floor. It was crowded, but worth it for the views. The elevator line back down was long, so we ran as fast as we could carrying Margot and a stroller down the stairs to make it in time to watch the tower light up and sparkle at 9:00 pm. 

Le Loafer

Saint Laurent

Day Five Look

In Paris I pulled out my trench coat, and here is a similar option that is in stock. I paired these loafers with these jeans. Plus I added this bag and these sunglasses to complete the look.

Syd woke up early and picked up fresh croissants (naturally) and the next morning we slept in and planned our day around a trip to the Musee D’Orsay, my favorite museum in Paris. We let the girls start in the gift shop and pick all of their favorite art postcards. We used the postcards to go on a scavenger hunt, of sorts, so the girls could find their favorite pieces. Afterwards, we went to Ralph’s Paris for lunch, and I’ve been dreaming about the courtyard ever since. 

I also made a stop at Officine Buly with the older girls which was a bucket list experience for me, and it did not disappoint.  We walked into a small shop with opera echoing through the dark stained shelves filled with perfume bottles while a man at a small desk personalized labels in calligraphy. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the park enjoying the scenery and eating chocolates from our two favorite shops—Foucher and La Maison du Chocolat. I did a quick run through Le Bon Marché and then we went to La Grande Épicerie which was easily the most beautiful grocery store I’ve ever experienced. We picked up supplies for dinner and food gifts and headed home for the night. After a long day of excitement, shopping at the local markets and making dinner at home were a few of the highlights of the trip for us. 

Charlotte High Rise Straight Jeans

Citizens of Humanity

Day Six Look

I wore a trench coat similar to this one and paired it with these ballet flats.  I added this bag and these sunglasses with this t-shirt and these jeans.

We were scheduled to leave on Saturday morning, but I was determined to find a flea market on Friday. We went to Marche aux Puces which had a few vendors open and I’m so glad I got to see it, but I will plan my trip to go on a Saturday or Sunday next time. I went with the focus of finding silver flatware and I scored! And then Syd had to carry it around in a very heavy backpack all day. We went out of our way to eat at L’As du Fallafel because it’s that delicious and then ran as fast as we could because we had tickets to the Louvre. We ended up going through very quickly because it was so packed and all five of us were getting antsy. We headed over to the Jardin de Tuileries which was the right move for open air, beautiful landscape, and a carousel with cotton candy—an ideal way to end our trip. 

Charlotte High Rise Straight Jeans

Citizens of Humanity

Day Seven Look

I paired these jeans and this striped shirt with these ballerina flats. Plus this bag and this jacket.