London what Castle to visit?

I am taking my 10 year old son to London for the first time in April and want to take him on a day trip to a castle but can not decide which one to choose. I am considering Windsor, Leeds, Hever, Arundel and Warwick. Any advice?

Of those, the only one I have been to is Warwick. It's a good choice for the kids as, at least in the summer (not sure what they have in April), they have quite a few shows/activities that are very kid centric.

Warwick does look good for kids but elsewhere I have read it is really touristy and schlocky and that had me worried.

Well, I wouldn't call it touristy and schlocky although there definitely is an element of that. It's more built around a good day out for the family with plenty of events to keep the kids entertained. Childless adults looking for some authentic experience might feel jaded but families enjoying a day out with kids, especially on a sunny day, should have a good time of it. When I was there it was loaded with local Brits and their kids.

Thanks it did look good for kids but some reviewers were so down on it I did not know what to think.

Go to Leeds Castle.
The hedge maze and grotto at the end will totally MAKE the trip for your son. It is one of my favourite memories from our family trip when I was 12. And when I went again 15 years later, I still loved it.

Plus, there's a really beautiful garden and a pretty good aviary. It's one of the best day trips out of London I've been on.

You will take your10 year old son to London for the first time in April, therefore I thick you should visit Windsor Castle. Windsor is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and the Official Residence of Her Majesty The Queen. Its rich history spans almost 1000 years. I have traveled there twice and absolutely love this place.

Throw Hampton Court Palace into the mix - in my opinion it's even better than all the castles and only 35 mins by train from Waterloo station in the centre of London. I lived near the palace for 15 years and still live in London.

http://www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalac ... 4wodE3apcw

There are a whole lot of castles, but you might want to check out the Tower of London, Windsor Castle and Alexandra Palace. Check out on multimap.com for more options.

I would go to Windsor Castle, as well - and strongly agree with Hampton Court!

Warwick is nice but it takes forever to get there, so you will spend 8-10 hrs on a bus/in the car (return, it's 4-5 hrs one way mostly depending on traffic in London). Same for Leeds, that's on the other side of the country, why do it as a day trip?

pavotrouge wrote:Same for Leeds, that's on the other side of the country, why do it as a day trip?

Leeds Castle is not in Leeds assuming that's what you meant by the other side of the country, it's in Kent - rather closer to London, and perfectly doable as a day trip!

I would recommend Windsor Castle. It is very close to London, and set in a beautiful town.

Hampton Court Palace is wonderful and comes highly recommended, 11 miles from central London, situated on a lovely bend in the Thames (upstream from the city).

I guess a downside is that it's not occupied, but you can tour what was the Queen's private apartments. The last queen to use I believe was Queen Caroline (wife of George II) in the early 1700s!