Days out American Visitors

[Jaffacake76]

Hi,
I have family visiting from USA. Their children 14 yrs old girl & 13 yr old boy..any suggestions they’re here for 5 days. We’re based near Guildford but happy to drive.

I'm also planning on doing gift bags for them but have no idea what to buy!

id be so grateful for any suggestions?

Hever castle is lovely and not too far a drive from Guildford. Friday street and lunch at the pub there. I’d skip the gift bags TBH. Agree with Hampton court— you could spend a whole day there.

Guildford to the Mary Rose in Portsmouth is quite a quick drive straight down the A3, then some discounted retail therapy at Gunwharf Quays, which is only a couple of minutes walk from there.

It matters a lot where they're from in the US but definitely the main London sites, start with things around the Thames as the London skyline is so impressive, so much history

River boat to Greenwich, yes

Some suggestions on here are really weird, Americans are not fascinated by squash or shopping malls!
Gift bags not necessary

Jane Austens House in Chawton, near Alton?

Based on my experiences with teens in the US:

definitely London! They’ll have seen it all on film.

one castle or palace (unless they’re historical nerd children like mine).

Harry Potter: this is a divisive one so not unless you know they like it.

I would really ask what they’re into. Some teens get terribly bored being taken to historical things, others love it.

The Painted Hall in Greenwich is beautiful, and still free (i think).

I had my wedding reception in there.

Leeds Castle is expensive, and the tickets are valid all year, so, it’s not really worth it for a one off.
They also take your photo when you buy the tickets, so they won’t be able to give them to someone else when they go home.

With young teens, I'd definitely do some London sights, maybe an open top bus tour. London Dungeons and London Eye. Harry Potter experience? Thorpe Park? West End Show & dinner in Chinatown. Sunday lunch in a proper pub. Trip to the seaside?

Stratford on Avon is a good one for US guests, the birthplace of Shakespeare and all. Do not give them marmite unless you dislike them. They will be baffled by baked beans. Buy them some crumpets (so they can tell their friends at home they had tea and crumpets) and offer to do the voice for their voicemail (weirdly this is super popular as they like the British accent). Buy them goods from your area, so farm products they might like to try/ nice bit of fudge. Enjoy!

Wait to see their reaction with our chocolate and crisps, they may be happy to have bags of snacks to take back. I'd hold off because they might like something branded or themed that you can't get online, so when shopping you might be able to treat them instead. My DD and her friend carry sweets, biscuits, tea bags and jam when they go to the US, for family members.

I live North Surrey (Zone 4). My kids are younger so I’m hopeless on teenagers.
I would suggest Windsor Castle and visit the great park.
Got to do Buckingham palace, St James’s Park/serpentine
Westminster, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square.
I personally think Canterbury is a bit crap. So is Winchester. Sorry but you’ve ’done it’ in about an hour! I’d take them to Bath or Oxford and Stonehenge.
shopping at Westfield? Carnaby Street, Bond Street etc might win over teenagers?
Is Wicked still on at the west end?
As you know Guildford has that Ninja Warrior UK and the Ice Rink? I actually think Guildford town centre is lovely!

Just to do a ‘decent castle’ list achievable from Guildford:
Hampton Court Palace - if you go on a day when the staff are dressed up and the Tudor kitchens are going, it’s hard to beat.
Leeds Catle - actual castle is crap but the adventure playground is massive, they have jousting and falconry some days and you can do a picnic in the lovely grounds
Windsor would get my vote - not cheap but well worth it. The town is lovely and then there’s the park.
Tower of London - less castle more fortress and is really good if you can avoid the pickpockets!
Arundel Castle - not been but that’s striking distance
Hever Castle - again not been but hear it’s good.

if you want to combine it with Shakespeare take them to Warwick Castle and Stratford. Warwick is a bit disneyfied compared to what I remember in the 80’s (derelict) but Americans like that sort of thing.

We hired a little motor boat and went all along the river Arun recently. The teens took it in turns to drive which they loved and the countryside was beautiful.

You could easily combine that with a trip to Arundel castle as well

That sounds lovely, may I ask where you hired the boat?

Windsor and Eton.

London of course and perhaps Stonehenge and Avebury. Take them to a really old pub, tends to go down well with Americans, and perhaps Thorpe park or similar to entertain the kids. A castle or stately home perhaps Petworth. Bath is also a good place to take Americans, though it’s heaving in summer

From a company called Riverside South Downs.

They also do bike /ebike hire as well, and there's a cafe there. It's also near a train station and a museum. We were going to go to the museum but the children were tired so I don't know what that's like

From an American POV. If you can do the typical London sights that would be what they are expecting. Double decker bus …etc. Is Camden Market still a thing? (Sorry been a long time since I’ve been ‘90s in case it’s not and you’re wondering why I’m mentioning it) that would be fun for that age group.

No theme parks- depending on where they live they’ve got their own… probably no on any malls for the same reason.

Can you ask the parents if they have particular interests or if they have mentioned something? This could lead you down the Harry Potter, theatre, or heavy history path.

So they’re going to want try all the ‘funny’ flavors of crisps that you have and will love anything Cadbury.

This is off the top of my head so tag me if you have other questions 😁 I’ll try to think of more.

They have baked beans in the US wtf

I don't think teens will care about Shakespeare! American teens are tortured with it in high school

If you are going to do a castle do Dover , the old castle is great and the war tunnels are interesting , Harry Potter if they are interested , the current event is good according to my husband .

Teenagers might enjoy the olde worlde side of Stratford.
It’s unlikely that the whole family would want to watch a performance of Macbeth in the theatre, though. That’s a bit much for a lot of people.

Dover Castle is lovely, and Canterbury Cathedral isn’t far; which is Norman, as well.

being next door to London - you are elected with days out

Gift bags - go for the treats that are so typically British - remember British chocolate tastes completely different to USA's Through in the stuff like marmite , Irn bru , tea cakes - real British foods they they may never have tried or heard of, plus British mags . And whilst they have "chips" they dont get our flavours, so throw in something like prawn cocktail walker . And dont forget a Colin the caterpillar

I send my sister in Oz, typical British chocolate and snacks that they pay through the nose for ( costs more in postage then purchase ) Custard creams, cadburys and galaxy and M&S skips and wotsits/ monster munch and space invaders - always loved

Didn’t America basically invent shopping malls?
I don’t think that’s a good idea for a day out.