Our trip to England was unforgettable—filled with history, charm, and once-in-a-lifetime memories. But if I could rewind and tweak a few parts of our itinerary, I definitely would.

The Journey Home Was Too Long

We flew back to the U.S. with a layover in Houston, and the total travel time clocked in at a grueling 20 hours. I chose that itinerary because it was the best option for redeeming airline miles—and I was thinking ahead. I wanted to preserve enough points to book our flights to Turkey later this summer. It felt like a smart tradeoff at the time.

But after a full week of sightseeing, navigating public transit, and keeping a nine-year-old happy and well-fed, I was done. That final travel day tested my patience, my stamina, and my carry-on bag’s ability to keep my daughter entertained for hours on end.

Lesson learned: Sometimes it’s worth spending a bit extra—or using more miles—to preserve your energy and sanity, especially when traveling with kids.

Too Many One-Night Stays

Looking back, we moved around too much. After London, we went to Oxford for a night, then Bourton-on-the-Water the next night, then Bath, and then Salisbury. Each destination was beautiful, but the back-to-back transitions were exhausting.

Packing and unpacking daily left little room to relax and recharge. In the future, I’ll prioritize longer stays in fewer places. Two or three nights per stop is a much better rhythm—especially with a child. It gives you time to settle in, explore at a slower pace, and maybe even sleep in one morning.

The Trip Was a Bit Too Long

In total, we were away for nine days. That sounds ideal on paper, but for the type of trip we took—heavy on history, sightseeing, and museums—it was probably a little too much.

There weren’t many adventure-style activities to break things up, and while I loved every bit of it, I could tell it was starting to wear on my daughter. For a culturally rich, museum-heavy itinerary like this, I think a slightly shorter trip—maybe 6 or 7 days—would have hit the sweet spot.

Looking Ahead to Turkey

Our next trip is to Turkey later this summer, and I think it’s going to feel really different—in a good way.

That trip will be 13 days, but the travel logistics are better: we have a direct flight there and just a reasonable layover in Montreal on the way back.

Even better, the whole trip is with a group. There will be other people to share the experience with, which I think will help take the pressure off me as the sole planner and entertainer.

And instead of a museum-heavy agenda, we’ll be doing more active and hands-on things—exploring ruins, taking boat rides, wandering markets. It’s going to be more about doing than looking, which is exactly the kind of energy shift I think we need.

Final Takeaway

Travel isn’t just about seeing everything—it’s about pacing it well and matching the trip style to the travelers.

Next time, I’ll aim for smoother transitions, better energy balance, and maybe most importantly, a little more fun in the mix.