The Thames is a river which runs through London

lovely mexican food at Wahaca in covent garden - it's cheap and really tastey. The MSC shimp salad is mv favorite. You can't book, and queues can be long. They have a waiting list so pop in, put your name down, then come back an hour or so later and your table will be ready.

When you're done touring the grand British Museum, exit the back of the museum onto Montague Place, turn right , then left and walk for 2 minutes...you will find Russell Square Park on your right side, where there is an alfresco cafe inside the park. Enjoy the scenery!

Kew now has a section for young children called 'Climbers and Creepers,' where they can run in, out and around large botanically themed apparatus-it's free once adults have paid admission into Kew. Kew puts on art, craft and gardening activities for the children there too, although it is best to check exactly when they are scheduled for!

Visit Bekonscot Model Village and Railway with young children; they'll love it! It's a short British Rail train ride into the country-side from Marylebone station, London, and it's easy to get to from the other side! It's great value for money!

Family day-trips children trains model-villages London value-for-money Beaconsfield buckinghamshire

Liked the audio tour around Hughendon Manor (Victorian Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli's home in Buckinghamshire) called 'Top Secret Hughenden (about the Second World War).' It's only a pound- Good value for money. Nice grounds.

The Royal Mile is the old street that connects Edinburgh Castle (at the top)with the Palace of Holyrood (at the bottom, which the Queen still visits).. Make time to walk and explore this historical landscape- the architecture alone will keep you riveted (loved John Knox's house). They have lots of restaurants to choose from, so you don't need to wander far when you need a break.

We took a Highland/Loch Ness tour with www.highlandexplorertours.com out of Edinburgh, thinking it was more appropriate for my 70 year old father than some of the other backpacker tours, only to find out that they trade under other names and the tour wasn't completely as described. So, although the tour was enjoyable, and the guide was excellent, we were quite rushed through the day and drove more than we expected, with less time at certain sites than we would have liked! Don't let it stop you visiting the famous Loch Ness or the Highlands though!

Take the number 12 bus across the middle of London for some cheap sightseeing-it goes from Notting Hill Gate (remember the movie? ) through Kensington Gardens (where you'll find the Palace-Princess Diana lived there) and Hyde Park (Speakers Corner), and down Oxford Street before turning south onto Regent Street on the way to Trafalgar Square. From there it heads to Whitehall, Parliament Square, Westminster Bridge, and the London Eye