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Family Fun Guide

From Legoland to Longleat, there’s lots kids will love.

If you’re bringing the whole gang, you’ll want some ideas for things to do that will keep everyone happy. Lucky for the little ones, there’s plenty of choice along the Great West Way for them too. Here’s some extra fun options to help you plan the best adventure...

3 amazing attractions

Of all the wow-worthy family attractions, there are a few big ones you should be aware of. Not far out of London is Legoland Windsor Resort. The colourful block-built land dreams are made of. The kids won’t want to leave all their newfound friends with plastic hair helmets, and they won’t have to - you can stay the night in one of their magical themed hotel rooms.

With ‘choo-choo’ being one of the first sounds a kid learns - often while being fed a spoonful of mashed up banana - it’s no wonder most can barely contain themselves at the sight of a train. Take them along to STEAM, Swindon. Grown-ups can get to grips with some Great Western Railway history while kids go goggle-eyed over the locomotives, and maybe even get behind the controls themselves aboard the steam train simulator.

At Longleat, a little south of the Great West Way, you can take your little lions on a wild drive through a safari park. From the madness of the monkey drive-through (not recommended if you have a new car) to the awe-inspiring sight of real-life rhinos in the Big Game Park - it’s sure to be a lasting memory all-round. 

Educational but enjoyable

Who doesn’t remember being dragged kicking and screaming round a so-called ‘educational’ attraction as a child? Well, no need for any of that along the Great West Way.

In Bath, kids will love meeting the soldiers at the Roman Baths. Or playing Postman Pat at the Bath Postal Museum, or cowboys at the American Museum. In Bristol, there’s Aerospace Bristol, M Shed, Bristol Aquarium and Brunel’s SS Great Britain - where they can take a selfie as a Victorian ship passenger or even climb the ship’s mast. And don’t forget We The Curious, where they can make their own discoveries through hands-on science experiments as well as REME Museum and the Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum.

A castle always goes down well, too. From the grandeur of Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Castle and Berkeley Castle to the evocative ruins of Old Wardour Castle, young imaginations are sure to be entertained. Stonehenge and Avebury are also natural choices - both allowing them to get a glimpse of history while roaming free like pint-sized prehistoric warriors.

Action and adventure

You can of course take the offspring on any walk, bike or boat ride you have planned - just as long as you don’t mind them showing you up with their stamina. Check out Active England’s Family Adventures for ideas and try a boat trip with Bristol Packet Boat Trips, Jubilee Boat Trips and Barbara McLellan Canal Boat. Alternatively, take them for a splash about at Cotswold Water Park, a short detour from the Great West Way - they do inflatable rides on the lake.

Some wild cards

Let them inch closer to wildlife at a nature reserve, zoo or park along the touring route. They can meet red panda Lady Hilary at Bristol Zoo Gardens, visit Janu the elephant at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, pet ponies and piggies at Roves Farm Visitor Centre and walk in the tree canopy at Westonbirt Arboretum.

At WWF wildlife reserves like Blakehill Farm, Lower Moor and Jones’s Mill they can don a pair of baby binos and spot their first birds. And they’ll also be captivated by the pretty spectacle at Studley Grange Butterfly World - also home to meerkats, otters and terrapins. Finally, if they just need to run around for a bit, Windsor Great Park has more space than they could ever need

Family-friendly stays

If you’re not camping or glamping at one of the idyllic countryside camps along the Great West Way, there are some excellent hotels well-suited to families. At both Cricklade House and Woolley Grange Hotel, on the edge of the Cotswolds, you’ll be delighted to find mum and dad delights, like spas and bars, alongside lots of child-friendly activities. And for every night you stay at Woolley Grange, you get two hours of complimentary childcare in the Ofsted Registered Woolley Bears Den crèche, allowing parents to have a fun and relaxing time too!