London & Paris Trip "Wrap Report"
We just took a family trip to London! To help my "future self" plan our next trip, now that I'm back in LA I'm creating a "wrap report" to help me remember all we learned while on this trip!
We just returned home to Los Angeles from our first big international trip as a family of 5! We went to London for 7 nights, then Paris for 1 night, and then back to London for 2 nights. It was an amazing adventure for us all, and I can’t wait to go on another big trip as a family! But, when I plan that next adventure, there are certain things I learned while on this trip that I want to remember to make our next travels go even better. So, I’m creating our “London & Paris Wrap Report” right now because all the details are fresh in my mind, and I am excited to apply all we learned on this trip to our next family adventure.
When a movie is being made, there is a document that is put together at the end of every shoot day called a “wrap report”. “Wrap” is the term used for the end of the day (the movie “wraps” when it is finished shooting for that day), and a “wrap report” is generated shortly thereafter. This report includes information about what was shot, what went well and what didn’t go well, any important information that informs the movie’s overall budget and ability to get the shoot finished on time, and what will need to be shot the next day. The wrap report is distributed to all the departments on the movie, and to the movie studio that is financing the movie. It helps everyone stay up to date and know what must get done in order to keep the movie on track to meet its deadline!
After I had planned a few birthday parties for my kids, family holiday events, and a few family trips, I realized that when I went to plan future events I couldn’t remember all of what I’d learned from planning previous events! I realized that if I’d had my own “wrap report” then I would be able to remember what was good and bad about each event, so it was at that point that I decided to create a “wrap report” for each important event in my family’s life to help my future self😊
The main points to the wrap reports that I create are that they are very simple and easy to access, and that I create them as soon as possible after an event so I can clearly remember all the details! I use my notes app in my iPhone so that it’s easy for me to add things as I think of them, and so that it’s easy to find when I plan a similar event. Then, when I go to plan that holiday or birthday party, I simply look at my wrap report on my phone and am reminded of what to do and what not to do!
As an example of what my travel wrap reports look like, and to share some travel tips that worked well for us (and what didn’t) here is my “London & Paris Wrap Report”. This is a longer and more detailed report than I’d do for a birthday party – sometimes those are just a few notes about timing or the cake or the venue or amount of guests – little things I need to remember. Since this was a big trip, it has more categories and therefore much more information – hope it’s helpful to you!
PACKING
- Color coding the suitcases worked great for everyone to be able to track their bags (click here to see how I pack kids for a trip)
- Packing cubes – the compression cubes were the best – would like to get them for all of us next time
- Kids’ backpacks were too heavy for all the airport walking – need to find rolling backpacks that fit underneath their seat
- The yoyo stroller and “mommy hook” that carried bags on the stroller were crucial to getting through Heathrow and LAX’s international terminal, and the Eurostar terminals to and from Paris - plus the stroller folds so small that we stored it in the overhead compartment which meant we didn’t have to worry that we wouldn’t have our stroller available upon landing
- Carry-on activities became Airbnb activities which was great for keeping kids busy between sightseeing so I need to remember to bring more items than just what they can do on the plane (click here to see how I pack a carry on for traveling kids)
- Need to pack a hair straightener for me next time
- Taking only one suitcase filled with a packing cube for each person’s outfits for Paris (and storing our other bags at the hotel we were moving into upon our return) worked great since we had to load our bags on and off the Eurostar train ourselves
- The kids’ noise controlled and foldable earphones, and A(5)’s padded iPad case with a handle, were amazing at keeping their iPads safe and secure through all the travels
- Having each kid bring their own soft blanket on the plane helped them sleep and was also useful at the Airbnb
- Medicine: I packed kids liquid Motrin, Tylenol, Benadryl (chewable Tylenol as a carry on for the plane in case someone spiked a fever), thermometer – wish I’d packed kids Dimetapp nighttime and kids day Sudafed – the older kids got colds and needed those and I couldn’t find equivalents for their young ages (8, 11)
- Having many outlet adaptors was so necessary for everyone’s device, kid sound machine, kid clock
CLOTHING
- Packing enough clothes for 5 days for each person (plus 1 travel outfit they wore and 1 full outfit packed in their carry on) plus 3 sets of PJs worked great since we had an Airbnb for the first 7 nights and I could do laundry there (it was a tiny combo washer dryer but at least we had one!)
- Needed more plain t shirts for N(11) to wear under sweaters since he didn’t want to wear long sleeves (he got hot easily while walking around)
- Needed more socks for me
TRAVEL TO AND FROM
- Departing LAX at 7pm was great timing – we ate dinner then the kids went to bed not too late and were able to sleep for a while on the plane – if we’d departed any later they would have been punch-drunk because they stayed up so late and may not have been able to calm down enough to sleep
- Departing London at 10am on the Sunday of their “spring forward” time change was not a good idea – we had to leave the hotel by 7am which was 6am the day before, and we never woke that early while in London, so we were all delirious packing up and leaving
- Always order a kids meal for the plane – I forgot on the way to London and the kids were starving because they were offered adult items (like pesto mushroom sauce on chicken) that they didn’t love or know (thank god I had so many snacks)
- My husband and I have Global Entry so I thought my kids did too (I assumed it was like TSA precheck) - turns out they each need their own Global Entry so since we didn’t have those we had to wait in a long customs line - I need to get them before our next international trip
TIME CHANGE
- Keeping everyone awake the first day we arrived helped get onto the time zone
- Telling the kids that the rule of the plane was when the plane lights dim after dinner, screens must go off so everyone can sleep, actually worked and the kids went to sleep which helped them adjust to the new time faster
- Having our clock from home for the kids to see helped us set an awake time for them that was comfortable for all
ACCOMODATIONS
- We did 7 nights in an Airbnb which had great space (3 bed, 3 bath with a kitchen) but not great amenities – I knew from a review it would only have the exact amount of cutlery needed (ie 5 forks, 5 spoons) but I didn’t extrapolate that out to realize that means just 5 towels, one blanket for each bed, and how annoying it would be to only have 5 glasses (which we went through so quickly) so I was washing items A LOT
- Paris hotel had connecting rooms which was what I thought we’d want so I didn’t book my first choice hotel which was walking distance to the sights we wanted to see - but the connecting room hotel location was not close to any sights so we felt isolated and always had to rely on cabs and Ubers – next time I’ll book closer to sights and if we can’t have connecting rooms then my husband and I will split to stay in each room with the kids
- London hotel for 2 nights was lovely and a great way to end the trip – first room service of the entire time and it made us all so happy since we were very tired after that whirlwind of 27 hours in Paris!
- Bringing mini flashlights for the kids to be able to see around their room helped them feel comfortable and also helped them find the bathroom (click here for how I make Airbnb stays feel more like home for my kids)
PURSE ITEMS
- Portable iPhone chargers were crucial – one for each adult – since all sightseeing tickets, payments for any transportation and any items purchased, maps of the area, etc. all require phones so having a phone die while out and about would be a crisis
- Band-Aids – needed for my feet and for A(5) when he pinched and cut his fingers on the Eurostar train tray table
- Purell Wipes – needed more of these – so much better than using a liquid Purell since I could clean kids hands well or surfaces they were going to touch
- Did not need to bring heavy kid water bottles around – purchased water as needed because they’re available at all tourist sights
- Mini Kleenex packs – needed so many more of these – kids got colds while there and constantly had runny noses
SIGHTS
- Kids preferred interactive sightseeing: Science Museum, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Peppa Pig High Tea Bus Tour
- Kids did not like: Westminster Abbey (not interesting to them since they don’t know the history of the British Monarchy), Changing of the Guards was too crowded to see anything and felt really early with our time change (had to be there by 10am to line up which was 3am LA time)
- Audio tours were a big hit – most places have family friendly tours where the tour is read by a kid and has cute jokes and kid info in it
- Planning one big walking sightseeing event a day was enough – one day we did Tower of London then The British Museum and A(5) ended up on the floor of the British Museum because he was too tired to walk it
- Guide: the one guide we hired for the entire trip was for a few hours at the Louvre – next time I will more thoroughly investigate what exactly the guide will show us since we didn’t see much art and spent a lot of time sitting and learning about the museum’s building history – would have much preferred a highlights of the collection not a building tour
- Last day of the trip we kept unplanned so we could see what we’d missed or discovered we’d wanted to see – would definitely do that again because it made each day have less pressure because we knew we could go see something on that last day if we wanted
MEALS
- Being able to quickly make breakfast at the Airbnb was so helpful for getting us out to sights on time (and saved a bunch of money!)
- Ordering dinner in to the Airbnb a couple nights helped the kids decompress after running around all day – and saved me from having to cook or negotiate them behaving at a restaurant - it would have been too hard to take them out every night
SHOPPING
- Giving kids a budget before we went in to any shopping place or museum gift shop worked – they didn’t keep asking for more or ask us over and over what they could get
- Packing an empty small duffle bag that easily fit into one of our bigger bags on the way to the destination, and is durable enough to be checked upon return, was so helpful for bringing home all the souvenirs and also just so packing to come back home wasn’t too jammed
- Kids loved seeing toys in other countries and we found some not available in the US – would definitely plan a toy store visit at each place we visit
TIME WITH KIDS ALONE
- We split up the older kids a few times and it was a great new thing to do! I took C(8) shopping and bought her a cute London outfit, and my husband took N(11) to the Churchill War Rooms since he was interested in that – will plan more of those solo excursions into the next trip for separation between sometimes bickering kids, and for the kids to feel special
WHAT HELPED ME
- I knew that this trip was not about me and it was all about the kids, and that also meant I knew that I needed to make sure I had crucial items for my airplane comfort and to help me get rest while in London so I could help kids get through their travel crankiness – top items I used again and again are intense facial moisturizer, soft sleeping socks, huge cashmere travel wrap that was a plane blanket and also a wrap on cold days, Calm app for white noise to get to sleep as soon as kids went down, an eye mask that is super comfy, and Zzzquil on the nights when I was wired but knew I needed sleep to get through the next day
Those are the main highlights of what I want to remember for the next big trip we plan! Some of those notes are so small but crucial (like Purell wipes and kid cold meds), so I’m glad I have them written down and logged for next time.
I hope that my London & Paris Wrap Report (aka my travel notes) help you plan your next family vacation with some easy to implement ideas, and that the idea of creating your own wrap report helps you and your future self too when you’re next planning a family event!
❤️, Amanda, your Type A Mom friend
PS – As your Type A Mom friend I’m reminding you that Easter is 3 weeks from TODAY – time to get ready! I’ve gathered Easter basket ideas I love and kid Easter attire I’ve bought and love for the fancier events that Easter typically requires – click below to see the lists to save yourself the time it takes to research all of that – I’ve done it for you!
click here for: EASTER BASKET & FILLING IDEAS
click here for: EASTER ATTIRE IDEAS