London As The Gateway To Zurich for a Multigenerational Vacation With Abundant Chocolate Experiences and A Surprise of Four Countries in One Day. Part I LONDON WITH GRANDCHILDREN Anew

Part I LONDON WITH GRANDCHILDREN Anew*

Two grandchildren, ages fourteen and seventeen, and their seventeen year old family friend joining us, had never been to London, and the seventeen year old grandson always craved Switzerland.  I found that Zurich is number two of twenty three choices of weekends from London!  See, “23 Quick And Affordable Weekend Trips You Can Easily Take From London,” by AnaMaria Glaven, on Buzzfeed who began with: “Plane tickets are affordable and time spent en route is reasonable — which means you can spend three days in, say, Sweden without feeling like you've lost two days traveling. Below, we've rounded up some of the best destinations for a quick weekend (or long weekend) getaway.”

Yes, we were on our way to London and Zurich.

CAUTION AND TIP: BEFORE YOU GO TO THE U.K. YOU MUST GET THE UK ETA

You now need to get an electronic travel authorization (ETA) to visit the UK. Be sure to use the official site where it costs 16 Euros.  In the U.S. you pay in dollars on line ($22.59 as of June 20, 2025). You cannot get a faster decision by applying through another website or app.   

Download the app and use your IPhone as you have to take pictures and scan.  Have ready: your passport and credit card. You will receive code and confirmation on your email so be close to email. Follow the instructions.  It is easier to have all the travelers together, if possible, when applying to do it all at once. It may take a few tries to get it done.

LONDON FOUR DAY ITINERARY

This Part I covers four busy wonderful days in London, planning assisted by the oldest grandson who spent a semester in London, and a dear friend’s son who is in law school in London, especially with regard to shopping for London Streetwear which is the current rage among the young.  This Grandma included the teen grandchildren, and teen family friend joining us, in creating the itinerary, with streetwear shopping a priority.

The oldest grandson is the subject of the first blog post on London when he was a preteen, which covers much more time than we spent this trip, and has amazing little known tips, for example, for seeing Stonehenge where you can touch the stones with a private tour and more. See, Best London Itinerary With Children and Grandchildren Or As A Multi Generational Vacation. 

Using that long London itinerary as a basis of our shorter four day stay before going on to Switzerland, we hired the same London tour guide again for our new London journey, Jan Poole, who is wonderful with children, teens, and adults too. Contact: +44 7803 035874, jan@around-london.co.uk.

Some things have changed since that last blog post on London. There is a new, easy to use website for theatre tickets: The top ten in the museums has changed based on what is on display. 

TIP: This Grandma has a well received procedure that we always go to the best museums, but limited in time (1 hour) and scope to Mema’s choice of top ten.  As a grandparent, I want to introduce grandchildren to the highlights of each location, which change according to exhibition schedules, in the hope that they will choose to return to it.  So far, this has worked!

TIP: IF YOU WANT PRIVATE AIRPORT TRANSFER

Recommended by Jan Poole and he was punctual and helpful.  Robert Mroczek Sublime Travel Services Ltd. mroczek.r@gmail.com, info@sublimetravelservices.co.uk  tel +44208 28 133 28 cell +44 7886 453 875

HOTEL: This time we stayed in Soho, at a Marriott, where there is nearby shopping for teenagers.  The London EDITION 10 Berners Street London, United Kingdom  +44 20 7781 0000 Beautiful hotel in an old building, with fabulous location and service, and a great magnificent restaurant.  We also loved the nearby Breakfast Club Restaurant.

DAY ONE LONDON: ARRIVAL. BOROUGH MARKET FOR LUNCH. THE SHARD EXPERIENCE. HARRODS. BOND STREET AND SELFRIDGES (TIP: Selfridge’s streetwear best shopping: men 2d floor, women 3d floor. We spent three hours here). DINNER FOOD HALLS

BOROUGH MARKET: Borough Market Kitchen, Winchester Square ;Borough Market (1-2 hour)  8 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1TL 020 7407 1002.  We ate here two days in a row for lunch.

All stalls are good, but oldest grandson recommended the following and said the lines are long but move fast. We made a walking map.

(1) Bath Dairy –Borough Market Kitchen, Winchester Walk  mac n cheese french gratin made with potatoes, bacon or ham, onions and cream

(2)Tacos Padre Mexican food stall:GF all gluten free. Their battered fish tacos do use gluten removed beer. also sell normal beers and it is just the food that is all gluten free.

(3) Khanom Krok: GF A fully gluten free Thai food stall dishing up various types of pad thai

(4) The Black Pig*Borough Market Kitchen, Winchester Walk  "The best one"signature honey truffle and parmesan pork ciabatta

(5) The Humble Crumble*Borough Market Kitchens,

Winchester Walk -baked dessert with fruit filling and crumbly top served warm with ice cream

(6) Chocolicious* GF 9 Stoney St, London SE1 9AA, -is gluten free

5 MNUTE WALK FROM BOROUGH MARKET TO THE SHARD (WALKING MAP)

THE VIEW FROM THE SHARD:

Located next to London Bridge station. London's highest and best view is situated at the top of The Shard, on floors 68, 69 and 72. At almost twice the height of any other viewing platform in the capital, it offers visitors unparalleled 360-degree views for up to 40 miles.

The Shard opened in 2013 and is Europe's largest skyscraper. The 1,017ft (309.6 meters) building contains 11,000 panes of glass and houses a hotel, several bars and restaurants, office space and a public observation deck on the 72nd floor, offering unrivalled panoramic views across London.

The View from The Shard allows you to go inside The Shard building and look out over London from the viewing platforms on levels 68 and 69. You can also head up to the Skydeck on level 72 – an open-air platform offering spectacular views over London.

TIP: THE SHARD EXPERIENCE: 

If you have a Mastercard, you qualify for The Shard Experience. With excellent private guide, Michael, we enjoyed the following, stories, special information on what we were viewing and special access.

Enjoy a VIP tour of The View from The Shard, starting on the 69th floor of London's tallest skyscraper. Be welcomed with champagne, Fast-Track security and a private lift to rise above the city. A London Expert guide will show you all the delights the city has to offer, with The View from The Shard offering views of 40 miles in each direction – and a free return ticket if the weather spoils the view! With a free guidebook from The Shard and digital photos to take away, you'll be able to take in the whole of the city from one of London's greatest viewing decks.

The experience includes a 30-minute guided tour with The View from The Shard's London Expert, VIP check-in at the Fast-Track desk, Escort through security and private lift, a welcome glass of champagne or Noughty Alcohol-Free sparkling chardonnay (or soft drink alternative), US $6 retail spend voucher (valid on a US$19 minimum spend), guidebook and digital photos

DAY TWO: LONDON TOUR WITH JAN POOLE: TOWER OF LONDON, CROWN JEWELS, TOWER BRIDGE, GLOBE THEATRE, TATE MODERN MUSEUM.  PHOENIX THEATRE TO SEE STRANGER THINGSTHE FIRST SHADOW. DINNER BERNER’S TAVERN LONDON EDITION

In London, during spring break in March, we had no lines walking and visiting The Tower of London, the Crown Jewels, Tower Bridge, The Globe Theatre, and the Tate Modern Museum.

TATE MODERN MUSEUM TOP TEN: Some of the “top ten” this Grandma chose of the art on display, which Jan guided us to in the museum and shared others important on display, included Marcel Duchamp, Fountain; Jackson Pollock, Yellow Islands; Andy Warhol, Marilyn Diptych; David Hockney, A Bigger Splash; The Rothko room Red on Maroon, Mark Rothko; Pablo Picasso Nude, Green Leaves and Bust

MUSICAL OR PLAY: Introducing grandchildren to London theatre is an experience not to be missed! Choose a play or musical that appeals to your age group.  We saw “Stranger Things, First Shadow,“ outrageous in special effects, a hit.  Won the Olivier Award for best play in London and Emmy for both special effects and set design on Broadway. Check out TodayTix London (recommended by a dear friend and easy to use): .

DAY THREE: LONDON TOUR WITH JAN POOLE: BIG BEN, 10 DOWNING STREET, - Horse Guards for the mount ceremony. Walk through St James' Park to palaces and the Mall for the start of the Changing of the Guard Ceremony. CHANGING OF THE GUARD, CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS, Traditional Pub lunch, WESTMINSTER ABBEY, BRITISH MUSEUM; COVENT GARDEN for dinner (Streetwear: size? 37A Neal Street London, Covent Garden)

MUST SEE AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM Among the Top Ten. Jan Poole guided us to the following and others. 

The Rosetta Stone. Find it in ground floor gallery 4

“What is it? It's a decree passed by Egyptian priests on the first anniversary of the coronation of a pharoah, Ptolemy V. The decree is written in hieroglyphics - the priestly form of writing by then, in demotic or everyday Egyptian of the period and Greek. By comparing the three languages on the tablet, scholars were finally able to unlock the mysteries of Egyptian hieroglyphics. It is one of the museum's selection of "A History of the World in 100 Objects."

Parthenon sculptures. Elgin Marbles. Room 18

“What is it? The Elgin Marbles are a series of friezes and sculptures that were originally part of the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Greece. They are somewhat controversial as, from time to time, the Greek government campaigns for their return - particularly since the creation of the New Acropolis Museum which was built to house them. The British Museum maintains that they are safer in London where they are more widely available to millions of visitors. This is an ongoing argument but, meanwhile, the British Museum is the place to see them.Where To see it? The suite of marbles and objects from the Parthenon has a whole gallery devoted to it. See the marbles, which are called the Parthenon Marbles, in Room 18 on the Ground Floor.”

Egyptian Mummies:  Cat Mummies  Mummy of Katebet Egyptian Room, Gallery 62-63 on the Upper Floor.

“What is it? The British Museum has a very fine collection of mummies, many of which are displayed so that visitors can appreciate their elaborate wrappings and, in some cases, see the clothes and shoes they were buried in. But the cat mummies are an interesting devotional sidelight of the later Egyptian period, perhaps the 1st century. Cats were associated with the goddess Bastet and it's possible that young cats were periodically culled from her temples and mummified in elaborate wrappings so that the faithful could purchase them and bury them in special cat cemeteries.  Where To see it? Look for the Cat Mummy as well as a falcon mummy and a big collection of human mummies in the Egyptian Room, Gallery 62-63 on the Upper Floor.”

DAY FOUR: AM LONDON EYE, maybe LONDON RIB VOYAGES, STREETWEAR SHOPPING. PM FLIGHT TO ZURICH

THE LONDON EYE  address: South Bank of the River Thames, London SE1 7PB, England. Phone Number: 44 (0) 870 990 8883 10:00 am – 8:30 pm. Londoneye.com

Recommended length of visit:1 hour. “Breathtaking views are available to visitors of London Eye. More than a ferris wheel ride — London Eye’s rotating attraction offers 32 enclosed capsules for full, 360 degree views of historic London.”

TIP: The Flexi Fast Track Pass; Anytime entry on your chosen date

Arrive at any time on the day of your choice and get straight in, beating the queues

Children aged 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult, aged 18+

STREETWEAR

Carnaby Street: Ksubi, Carnaby St; Pangaia at Carnaby St.;Size? Carnaby St.

Regent Street: (1) Liberty London Regent Street (2) BAPE Store 24-25 Conduit Street (3) Watches of Switzerland 155 Regent Street (4) Machine A 13 Brewer Street (5) Dover Street Market 18-22 Haymarket (6) The Lobby-777 Manette Street (8) Presented By 15 Percy Street 

And an extra suitcase purchased! A very successful full London experience!

On to Switzerland, with

Joy,

Mema

*This Grandma has chronicled all of our multigenerational trips and adult vacations on this blog.  Just go to the index and archives for detailed information on duplicating them.

NOTE: PopPop and I identify holidays with grandchildren as family “trips” and adults only as “vacations.”