Take the Kids: England, 2nd (Take the Kids - Cadogan)

The second edition of Cadogan's comprehensive child-friendly guide has everything travelers need to make any family vacation, day trip, or outing a thumping success and keep both kids and adults thoroughly entertained and tantrum-free.

"Everything you need to know."
--The Observer (United Kingdom)

"We tout these guides a lot, we must confess, but we're suckers for good, humorous writing."
--Book Passage

"Packed with ideas."
--Junior Magazine (United Kingdom)

England is a great place for the kids – it's simply choc-a-block with fantastic things to see and do. Whether you're visiting from abroad, planning a special holiday or just looking for fun things to do on the weekends, this guide takes the pain out of researching and planning your options. From Land's End to Hadrian's Wall, Joe Fullman and his team of researchers give practical advice and tips on how to explore England from top to bottom, plus plenty of unusual ideas and suggestions to make your stay unforgettable – from fishing with gnomes at Bradworthy and touring the sewers of Exeter to floating down the river Thames on a 'duck tour'!
Inside you will find: the best of 'mini' London – both the obvious and the unexpected; top towns, special trips, regional highlights and calendars; sports and activities for all ages; quizzes, challenges and stories; practical tips throughout; advice on choosing your ideal holiday; hundreds of child-friendly attractions, restaurants and hotels; detailed travel information, itineraries and color maps.

Joseph Fullman is a professional travel writer who has lived in London all his life. He is the author of Cadogan's Take the Kids London, Take the Kids Short Breaks from London and coauthor of Take the Kids Paris & Disneyland® Resort Paris. He contributes articles to various newspapers, websites, and WAP guides.

Most helpful customer reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful.
Lots and lots of useful information.
By Marcy G.
This is a great must-have for those who are planning to take their kids on a trip to England. Whether this is your first time or a repeat visit, this book is invaluable.

This excellent Cadogan Guidebook has chock full of up-to-date information on family-friendly sites. This includes attraction descriptions, costs, hours of operation and tips on how to get there. There are also tips on whether sites have special amenities for babies/toddlers. Each section (chapter) is divided according to geographic location - London, the southwest, south, Thames Valley, etc. The authors also rate their favorite or highly recommended spots. As a frequent visitor to the UK, I marvel at how much ground they cover. Everything from gardens, historic buildings, palaces, castles, zoos, parks, amusement centers, beaches, kid-friendly restaurants and shopping areas are covered in great detail.

My only complaint with this book is that it is almost completely text - no pictures and few maps. However, the book itself is almost 2 inches thick which really does show how much ground this book covers.

This book is an excellent resource for what to see and do on your upcoming trip. If you're into visuals, then I recommend that you get this book and the Eyewitness Great Britain guide. If you're planning to spend most of your time in London and only a couple of days in the countryside, then pick up the London version of this book instead. However, if you're planning to spend a lot of time trekking around London and the English countryside, this and the Eyewitness Guide combined should put you on your way to planning and enjoying a fun-filled family trip to England.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Not Perfect, But Worth A Read
By Pam - because someone has to be GOOD
This is the edition that my local library has, and it's the book I'm going to review. However, I have purchased the newer, 3rd Edition which shall be more up-to-date, one hopes.

I found this book useful. The author definitely has children in mind, although his exact advice isn't available for every age-range on every topic. He advises parent's of little ones to be careful in old trains as the windows can go all the way down. And he warns people that charter planes are a terrible choice for families, but advice on which site is best for which age group is frequently absent.

Still, the author does give an idea of what hands-on activities are available, and that's very, very helpful.

The book is written with a good dose of humor, which makes it a pleasure to read, and he tackles areas of Britain in a logical fashion, giving examples of what a day tour might involve. He talks about Passes (to save money) and restaurants, and the usual sorts of things that travel guides include.

Surprisingly, there was nothing about dress, nor much about hotels. BUT I'm glad I read this book --it gave me lots of idea for organizing my own expedition-- as is indicated by the fact that I purchased the newer edition. (I'm hoping he has another coming out this year or next.)

Worth a read.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Best Guide Book for Parents!
By K. A. Dix
We have two toddlers, ages 3 & 4. We take this book whenever we set out on a trip around England. It's so helpful to find child-friendly restaurants (not all pubs will allow children because of alcohol license restrictions), free parks, and fun activities for the kids. Let's face it, even though I could spend a day touring a museum or castle, that's not exactly the kids' favorite activity. We've found petting zoos, nature parks, playgrounds and great restaurants with this book. It's easy to reference and not a bad size for throwing in a tote bag. It's made our days out much more child friendly!

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