Walk in the footsteps of Harry Potter and his friends on your next visit to London

February 5, 2016 By

There’s no doubt about it, children and adults all over the world are obsessed with Harry Potter and his adventures. From Harry Potter Book Nights, where fans gather to celebrate the Harry Potter series, through to tours of the locations and the studio where the movies were made, if you’re a Harry Potter aficionado you can always find something to satisfy your thirst for further knowledge of the young wizard.

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In fact, the Harry Potter phenomenon has even stretched as far as Japan, where their enduring fascination has generated unheard of book sales, box office receipts, and even his very own theme park, since the release of the first movie, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, over 15 years ago. Just this week, the Japanese have taken their obsession one step further as a series of Harry Potter Manga characters created by a Japanese design company were released, albeit only in Japan for the moment.

The illustrations, which were created in collaboration with Shockhiku, a Japanese movie studio, and licensed by Warner Bros, represent 13 characters from the quintessentially English adventure, and include all the major players in the series from Harry himself, Hermoine Grainger and Ron Weasley to Albus Dumbledore and Professor Snape, who was played by the great British actor Alan Rickman who died recently. There’s even a Manga representation for Harry’s owl, Hedwig. Released as plastic folders with a character on the front and the four Hogwart’s houses on the back, the characters have typical Manga features, with enormous eyes, tiny feet and glossy hair.

However, for real Harry Potter fans, there’s nothing like being in London and taking a tour of the locations used in the Harry Potter movies. Whether you want to see Kings Cross Station, where they filmed the famous Platform 9¾, or 12 Grimmauld Place and the sites used for the Leaky Cauldron, an organised bus tour of the London locations is one of the best ways to get around London and see not just the places featured in the movies, but also some of the iconic London landmarks. With a tour guide to give you all the insider information about how the movies were actually made, it’s one of the best ways to immerse you and your children in the whole Harry Potter experience. Plus, if you really want to get in the mood, you can even dress as one of your favourite Harry Potter characters, although this is not a requirement.

harry-potter-tourVisiting London offers the perfect opportunity to find out more about how the movies were made, and to learn more about movie making in general if you’ve got any budding Steven Spielbergs in the family; so for this reason a Harry Potter Studio Tour is a must for any die-hard fans. During the tour you’ll get an up-close-and-personal  view of the actual sets used to film all eight of the Harry Potter movies, plus you’ll get to see the stunning costumes, props and visual effects that were used to bring these truly iconic movies to life and to the big screen. Children will love visiting the sets, including the Great Hall, Diagon Alley and Hagrid’s Hut, and they’ll also be given the opportunity for a photo shoot sitting in the flying Ford Anglia, made by Arthur Weasley, and used by Fred, George and Ron to rescue Harry who’d been locked up in his room.

Both of the above tours are available from Brit Movie Tours who offer a range of Harry Potter Tours in London and other locations throughout the UK.

Photo credit: Barry Benbridge

Trips to Ireland with kids: tips for exploring Dublin, Cork, and Galway

October 5, 2013 By

Our Pit Stops for Kids international travel tips section is growing! Have you noticed? While the bulk of our travel focus remains on US and Canadian destinations, we encourage families to expand to international travel as well. Trips to Ireland with kids is often recommended because, in our experience, Ireland is one of the most accessible countries to visit with kids, and an easy place to start your international travel journey.

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In this post, we offer general tips for travel through some of the most popular destinations in Ireland–Dublin, Cork, and Galway–in typical Pit Stops for Kids’ fashion…by road trip!

Whether you’re a lover of the island or you’re a complete newbie, taking your children for an Irish adventure will be incredibly rewarding. Rather than choosing to stay static in one place, consider renting a car and exploring as much as possible – that way, your kids won’t get bored with a city break and they’ll have plenty of experiences along the way.

For example, start your journey in Dublin, drive down the coast to Cork and finish off on the west coast at one of the hotels in Galway. Incorporate plenty of child-friendly activities in your itinerary as well as those that the grownups want to do – that way, everyone in your party will be happy! We love that Ireland is filled with outdoor splendor in the form of hikes, caves, and castles…kids and adults enjoy the history and beauty, and kids get plenty of exercise.

If you chose to start your road trip in Dublin, book a couple of nights in your first hotel rather than feeling like you’ve barely seen the city. While much of a city break focuses around adults and their interests, you’d be surprised at how much the Irish capital has to offer for little ones too. From exploring Dublin Castle and all its medieval delights to Dublin Zoo, located inside the massive Phoenix Park, youngsters will be happy with a couple of days here before heading off towards Cork.

The great thing about driving along the coast is there are always places to stop a while to absorb the beauty of what’s around you. Make sure you pack travel bags with plenty of goodies for your children to play with and snack on, to keep them occupied on the drive. Games consoles, coloring books and portable DVD players are ideal to keep them quiet! Think of some family games for the drive too – there’s nothing with a traditional round of I-Spy!

During your stay in Cork, stop by the Fota Wildlife Park, found on Fota Island – the only wildlife park in the country and well worth a visit to see the animals roam free.

Once you’ve made your way around the southern tip of Ireland, you’re on the home stretch towards County Galway, home to the incredible Connemara National Park and the Aran Islands, great trips with plenty of hiking for active kids. Bring your hiking or walking shoes!

While the drive between these cities will take less than three hours per leg of the journey, what can be found in between adds to the holiday even more. A week exploring as much as you can will be ideal, although if you want to see as much as possible, perhaps a fortnight would be better.

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