So you're going over to London…and taking your kids?

Some might tell you to think twice about that.

Why not go over by yourselves, they might ask? You do know that the British think more of their dogs than they do of children, don't you?

Fear not.

I spent several months in London with three children, ages 7, 9 and 15 and there was never a dull moment.

Granted, some neighbors might frown upon your kids chalking up the sidewalk in front of the house for a game of hopscotch, and you might get a few Londoners to glance askew at your family if you get too noisy riding on the "tube," but your kids will love London!

There is something there for everyone.

Now, if you have small children, you know that it's fairly easy to entertain them no matter where they are. You'll want to bring along a perhaps a backpack for small fry, rather than strollers.

We found that things on wheels like strollers were cumbersome. They took up too much room on the London buses (which the conductor wasn't shy to tell us about). And when we tried to wheel our way through the throngs as they swept toward an underground train in station, we learned to travel light and to walk with a quick step.

And don't be afraid of getting lost or of walking on London streets. You will rarely, if ever, feel unsafe.

Let's say you're visiting London for five days with your children who are somewhat beyond the "rugrat" age range. You want to enjoy your visit yourself, but you also want your kids to have fun.

I don't know about you, but some of us (myself included), can only deal with "museums" for just so long. In fact, I've come to cringe even at hearing the word, "museum." I think I learned that from my kids. So the first thing you could do, because some of the…ahem…museums in London are terrific and your kids will love them…is to perhaps change the names a bit.

Let's see…OK, for example…instead of telling the kids that you're thinking of visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum…to which news they will groan and twist their bodies in agony…why not say you're thinking that today would be a good day to stop by the Victoria and Albert Pantechnicon?

Before they figure out that a Pantechnicon has nothing to do with Star Wars, you'll be inside.

But perhaps you've found, as I have, that manipulating others ends up blowing up in your face.

My suggestion is that you sit down and talk honestly as a family group about what you'll do during your London visit. If you have something wonderful, or simply fun that each person can look forward to, planned, your family members will be much more willing to partake in activities that aren't exactly to their liking. It's a win-win situation. Everyone wins. Some of the time.

Everyone needs to agree to the itinerary and to the notion that no one will grumble about events they don't care too much about. If each day is planned well, you'll have a brilliant time together without anyone feeling overly burdened, bored, or stifled.

Mix things up a bit and don't be afraid to go from one end of London to another for two activities. It's easy to get around in London using their superb underground system and the traditional London buses. The ride itself on the bus or tube will be fun and educational, as long as that's the mindset of your group. And Mom and Dad can set the tone to make sure that it is just that.

Here's a five-day itinerary that should give you a good taste of London, allowing the adults in your group to feel that they've really visited the city of all cities, and given the children the fun breaks that all of us need, no matter what the age.

Preliminaries:

Want to start out on a fun note for the kids…and some luxury for yourself? How about booking a room at a hotel with a "resident ghost?" In other words, the place is haunted!

Right in London, there are two hotels (five-star, mind you) that qualify as "haunted":

The Dorchester Park Lane, London W1A 2HJ. (In the western section of London, on the Picadilly Line, Consistently ranked one of the world’s best. This opulent 1931 hotel offers the friendliest, almost "telepathic" levels of service (see? What did I tell you?), an outstanding choice of restaurants and a glorious Spa. Behind the grand Art Deco exterior, bedrooms in a traditional English Country House style provide every comfort and luxury. Superbly located opposite Hyde Park. Price guide: Double/Twins from about $198.

Tel: 020 7629 8888 Fax:020 7409 0114

Tel Toll Free in USA: 1 800 727 9820

Grosvenor, Park Lane, London W1A 3AA. The Hotel stands on the original site of Old Grosvenor House which was Richard the Earl of Grosvenor's 18th Century private residence. This place has got to have footsteps echoing in the dead of the night! Similarly priced. From about $168 per night per person, kids up to 16 years of age free.

Telephone +44 1 71 499 6363.

Of course, for family bedtime reading, you'll want to have some wonderful ghost stories for the children to make it a little more fun and enchanting.

Try "The Banshee Train" by Odds Bodkin. A person with a name like that just has to be able write a scary story, no?

Then there's the "Christmas Ghost Story" by Nick Demartino.

Or, you might choose "The Berenstain Bears in Maniac Mansion" (Berenstain Bears Big Chapter Books) by Stan and Jan Berenstain.

One that is being touted as a great story for young adults and all ages, is "For Mike," written by Shelly Sykes.

Better yet, make up your own scary stories! Light some candles, or hold a flashlight under your chin for a great spooky effect, put your p.j.'s on and sit around together in your hotel room. Each person takes a turn adding a few lines to the story. Keep a pen and paper handy! These stories are often "classics" that your kids will love. Be sure you write them down so you can remember them later on! Of course, parents must use their own discretion regarding scary stories. Small children could be too frightened by inappropriate things. You don't want nightmares that will keep Mom and Dad up half the night and not able to get around London Town the next day!

When you arrive in London, the first thing you might want to do after you go to a money exchange, is buy some London underground postcards for all reading members of your group. These only cost about 20p and can be carried around and referred to easily. If you know what tube stop is near the activity you are heading to, you can quickly figure out your route. It is cheaper than buying a map and will make you look less of a tourist (but rarely less like an American!)

OK, this is Orientation Day. You're going to check out some of the main places that one hears about when someone mentions London.

Wherever you're staying, take the tube (buy yourself a weeklong pass at the tube station) and take the Piccadilly Line to Leicester Square.

At Leicester Square, follow the crowds up to the street past buskers who will entertain you along the way. Buskers are the musicians/actors you'll see and hear serenading you with all forms of instruments, including voice. Although it looks pretty laid back, busking is well organized in London. A busker has a certain area and that area is not to be infringed upon by another busker. It's all pretty interesting and neat. Toss a few pence into their instrument cases and head out onto the square. Look around at the various statues of Charlie Chaplin and others, and go around the corner to the huge Swiss cuckoo clock that plays music and has movement like the cuckoo clock back home on your wall. You can also check out the Half price ticket booth to see what's on at London theaters.. Maybe you can pick up tickets for a show tonight. It's always good to expose the kids to theater and you're sure to find something that they'll enjoy. We took our kids to "Peter Pan" and it was a real thrill for all of us. In London, the audience isn't bashful…they'll hiss at the villains like Captain Hook. At intermissions, you can buy ice creams right in the aisles and just have a good time!

While at Leicester Square, you can find all kinds of "take away" foods to eat as you stroll around. Too bad, my favorite espresso bar is no longer there. I enjoyed sipping a cappucino at the big plateglass window and simply watching the goings on in Leicester Square from my vantage point.

Now get back on the tube, Piccadilly Line and go one stop over to Piccadilly Circus.

One of the first things folks recommended that we do when we arrived in London was to simply take a double-decker bus tour around to the various main attractions. Your tour guide will give you information about the city that you might not otherwise know and you'll have a quick orientation to this "city of a hundred small cities" for future reference. Expect to see things like Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace…you know, the typical haunts.

With a Big Bus Company Tour Ticket you get a Live Commentary. With this company, your ticket is valid for 24 hours and you get a free river cruise and walking tours. Adult Ticket £14.00 ($21 USD). Book on line and save £1 (normal price £15) Child Ticket £6.00 ($9 USD). They have a really cool site, too. It's fun just to go there even if you don't buy any tickets! You'll be able to cruise the Thames and also get a free walking tour such as a Rock 'N Roll Tour…see where the Rolling Stones rehearsed and where the Beatles performed live for the very last time. From Piccadilly Circus, daily 1:30 and 4 p.m.

If you're not totally blown out by all the day's activities, you might take the kids up into British Airways London Eye located at Jubilee Gardens South Bank, London, SE1

Phone: 0870 5000 600. At 135 meters high, this is the world's highest observation

Wheel (ferris wheel). It provides a 30-minute, slow-moving 'flight' over London. Designed to reflect the elements - air, water, earth and time - the central theme is a circle of white light from within the rim which sweeps the skyline at 135 meters. The passenger capsule signifying 'time', is lit internally at the point of embarkation. Take the Jubilee Line (gray on your map) south toward Waterloo station. The Jubilee Line meets up with Piccadilly Line at Green Park.

Get a good night's rest! Hope the ghosts don't keep you up!

Cromwell Road

London SW7 2RL

Tel: +44 (0) 20 - 7942 2000

OK, let's get it over with early in the day when everyone is fresh and on their best behavior…unless, of course, Sally has crushed a Weetabix in Michael;s hair during breakfast.

On to one of the few…shhhhh…museums…we'll sneak into this itinerary.

Open all year, daily, 1000-1745, Wed, 1000-2130, last Fri of each month, 1800-2230. Closed 24-26 Dec.

Admission: £5.00 (Adults) £0.00 (Children)

Here's the good news…it won't cost anything for the kids to get in, so you won't have wasted money on them if they refuse to look at anything! But I guarantee they'll find something to look at for at least an hour. Be satisfied with about that amount of time in a museum. With 146 galleries, you need to be somewhat discriminating yourself. If your kids are old enough, let them explore a bit on their own and plan a meeting place and time. If they have to stay with adults, find some exhibits that will interest them as well. Remind them that afterward, you are going to the Park, shopping, and to get their fortunes read! In other words, bribe them!

OK, you got that over with. Victoria and Albert Museum is a stone's throw from Hyde Park, Harrods and the shopping mecca of London. This Royal Park covers a large area to the south of the Bayswater area, 341 acres in total and is a popular recreational and resting haven for tourists and Londoners alike. Hyde Park originated as the hunting grounds of Henry V111 who swiped the land from the monks at Westminster. In the summers you are able to go boating on the Serpentine, a large lake at the center of Park, or simply lounge on the grass near the lake and people watch, or play catch. On Sundays the Park is crowded at Speakers Corner, a tradition in Hyde Park since 1855, for the famous 'tub-thumping' where public orators on rostrums and soapboxes air their views to a group of listeners. Heckling is a favorite sport, but as most of the speakers aren't really very interesting and the others are rather rude you probably won't bother to heckle for long. (However this makes it one of the liveliest and funniest places to visit in London).

Knightsbridge, London SW1

Tel: 011 44 171 730 1234

Harrod's is certainly the largest department store in the world. Take plenty of time to check out various departments. In fact, your group might want to split up and shop around for say, an hour before gathering together in Harrod's world famous Food Hall downstairs, to browse and sample the infinite and various dishes available there. But don't get too full, because there's afternoon tea yet, starting at 3:45 p.m!

VAT REFUNDS: VAT, just like American sales tax, is charged on almost everything, but please remember that refunds only apply to goods being taken out of the country, not services. American visitors to Britain can reclaim the 17.5% VAT, minus the administrative fee, on purchases over a minimum limit (check with the store for their limit--usually £50-£100). Look for the "Tax Free Shopping" sign in the windows of participating stores. All you have to do is fill out the form, which the sales assistant will give you, keep the goods in your hand luggage and show both goods and forms to the VAT desk at the airport on your departure. A customs officer will check the goods and validate the refund voucher. You can receive your refund on the spot at some airports, otherwise you should mail the validated form back to the store in the envelope provided, and a refund check will be sent to you by mail. You can also have the refund credited to your credit card account. Please be patient, refunds can take up to three months to be processed. Any queries should be taken up with the store where you purchased the goods. Don't forget that VAT refunds cannot be processed after you arrive back home in the USA.

Mon-Sat 3:45-5:15pm. Tea is taken in the 4th floor Georgian Restaurant, the largest in-store restaurant in the world. Live music. £17.(around $9 USD)

Telling the future by interpreting the tea-leaves left in your cup has long been a tradition. It began centuries ago in China, but is widely practiced throughout the tea-drinking world, particularly in Britain.

Here’s our quick guide to reading your own tea-leaves -- it takes a little practice and at first you may see nothing but tea leaves, but keep staring and concentrating, gradually shapes and symbols will emerge.

Pour tea, including tea-leaves into teacup. Drink your tea. When you have finished, take the cup in your left hand and swirl it three times to the left. Slowly turn the cup upside down onto the saucer - the excess tea and tea-leaves will fall out. Turn the cup the right way up - hopefully some tea-leaves will be left in the cup, and now you are ready to read them:

Turn the cup in various positions -- start at the handle and read clockwise around the cup. Images close to the rim are immediate and will occur soon - further away from the rim denotes the distant future. For example: a ladder shape near to a cat shape could mean a promotion at work, but watch out for someone trying to stab you in the back!

Love - flowers or hearts

Marriage - rings or circles

Good luck/happiness - tree or trees

Success/future advancement - a ladder

Wealth -a cow

Suffering - a cross

Treachery - a cat

Problems/worries - clouds

Travel - an anchor

Good luck - anchors, bridges, clovers, crowns, flowers, eggs, garlands, leaves, trees and triangles

Bad luck - cats, crosses, coffins, hour glasses, guns, monkeys, owls, snakes, rats

After tea, head south for a stroll through Belgravia; few tourists venture here but it's London at its most Upstairs, Downstairs.