Finding Our Land Legs in Southampton: From Queen Mary 2 to Peppa Pig World

After seven days at sea on the Queen Mary 2, we finally reached England! Our first taste of life as full-time traveling family in Southampton was a mix of exhaustion, exploration, and pure magic at Peppa Pig World.

Stepping Off the Ship: Welcome to England

Disembarking the Queen Mary 2 proved more challenging than boarding it, which is saying something considering we'd arrived in New York with three cranky kids and a mountain of luggage. After seven days of knowing exactly where the bathroom, the elevator, and the Golden Lion Pub were located, we suddenly found ourselves wandering around following cryptic signs that may or may not have been pointing us toward actual freedom.

The girls handled the whole process better than we did, which seems to be becoming a theme. While we stood there looking confused and slightly overwhelmed, they were already planning their next adventure. Going through customs was surprisingly painless since we'd handled immigration on the ship, and before we knew it, we were officially standing on English soil with our American passports metaphorically stamped and our lives packed into suitcases.

The Airbnb Wait: Our First Test of Travel Patience

Nothing quite prepares you for the moment when you're standing in a foreign country with three children and your Airbnb host has apparently vanished into the ether. We'd sent messages, checked our phones obsessively, and even considered the possibility that we'd somehow booked accommodation in an alternate dimension.

Standing outside the Southampton cruise terminal with our luggage looking like we were either moving in permanently or fleeing the country, we faced our first real decision as international nomads: panic or adapt. We chose the latter and ordered an Uber, reasoning that worst case scenario, we'd sit outside our accommodation looking pathetic until someone took pity on us.

Exploring Southampton: Medieval Gates and Modern Burgers

Southampton surprised us. While waiting for our housing situation to sort itself out, we discovered a city that perfectly balanced historical charm with family-friendly practicality. The old main gate caught our attention immediately, standing there like something out of a medieval movie set, completely unbothered by the modern city that had grown up around it.

We ended up at Burger King, which probably sounds terribly American of us, but when you've been eating "okay" cruise food for a week, sometimes you just want a Whopper. The girls were fascinated by the subtle differences, like how even familiar things felt foreign. The girls insisted the ketchup tasted different, though I wouldn't know since I think the stuff is the spawn of Satan, but Linds swears they were imagining things.

The real discovery was the playground around the corner, complete with a pirate ship and castle that sent our daughters into overdrive. After a week of being told to use their "inside voices" on the ship, watching them run around screaming with joy was exactly what we all needed. Harper was initially suspicious of the other kids, but that wore off quickly once she spotted the slide.

Sugar Cookies and Giant Teddy Bears

The West Quay shopping center became our temporary headquarters while we continued our wait for housing news. By this point, the girls were getting tired, we were getting stressed, and I discovered that sugar cookies make excellent emergency parenting tools. Judge us if you want, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

The girls spotted enormous teddy bears in one of the shop windows and insisted we investigate. These weren't just big teddy bears; they were practically life-sized teddy bears that probably cost more than our weekly grocery budget. Lily took approximately forty-seven photos with them, because apparently that's what you do when you're five and discover teddy bears the size of small humans.

Finally Settling In: Home Sweet Temporary Home

When our Airbnb host finally materialized via text message, we were so relieved we probably would have agreed to sleep in a closet. By the time we actually checked in, we were running on fumes and the collective crankiness that comes from traveling with small children for too long.

That first night was all about survival mode: food, water, beer for the adults (essential), laundry, and getting everyone to bed before anyone had a complete meltdown. Southampton had everything we needed to feel human again, from grocery stores to fill our empty refrigerator to a Lego store where the girls could play with familiar toys in an unfamiliar place.

Fish and Chips: When in Rome (or Southampton)

Our first proper English meal had to be fish and chips, obviously. There's something almost ceremonial about eating the national dish in its country of origin, even if you're eating it while simultaneously preventing your toddler from dumping mushy peas on the floor.

The girls approached it with typical kid logic, which is to say they were immediately suspicious of anything that wasn't chicken nuggets. But even they had to admit it was pretty good, though Cora spent most of the meal asking when we could go back to the playground with the pirate ship.

We'd planned to stop filming for the night, but documenting our first fish and chips felt too important to skip. Plus, we were still figuring out this whole "family travel vlogging" thing and learning that sometimes the best moments happen when you least expect them.

The Big Surprise: Peppa Pig World

We'd been planning this surprise for days, and keeping it secret from three kids who ask approximately twelve thousand questions per hour was no small feat. When we finally announced that we weren't going to "just the playground" but to Peppa Pig World instead, the reaction was everything we'd hoped for and more.

The screaming was immediate and sustained. Lily started jumping up and down like she'd won the lottery. Cora began chanting "Peppa Pig World" like it was some kind of magical incantation. Harper, who was still figuring out what all the fuss was about, decided that if her sisters were excited, she should be too.

Peppa Pig World at Paultons Park exceeded our expectations, which honestly weren't that high to begin with. How good could a theme park based on a cartoon pig really be? Turns out, pretty amazing. The place was immaculately maintained, thoughtfully designed, and genuinely fun for adults who found themselves caring way more about ride height requirements than they ever thought possible.

Roller Coasters and Reality Checks

Watching Lily discover she was tall enough for the Storm Chaser roller coaster was one of those parenting moments you don't expect. One minute she's your little girl who needs help putting on her shoes, and the next she's strapping herself into a roller coaster looking completely fearless.

Of course, Linds missed recording it because technology has a way of failing at the exact moments you need it most. This meant Lily had to ride again "for the camera," which was probably the easiest parenting request we've ever made. Kids don't usually complain about being asked to repeat fun activities.

The rides were genuinely entertaining, even for adults who spend most of their time just trying to survive the day. The teacups were predictably nauseating, the boat ride was pleasantly tame, and everything was perfectly scaled for small children who think anything taller than they are counts as a "big kid ride."

Dinosaurs and Family Dynamics

Beyond Peppa Pig World, Paultons Park had a Lost Kingdom section with dinosaurs that looked realistic enough to make Harper slightly nervous and Cora completely fascinated. The Dinosaur Tour Company ride took us through a jungle setting in little jeeps while animatronic dinosaurs did their best to look menacing.

Lily was brave enough to pet the creatures, though I suspect she was showing off a bit for her younger sisters. Cora kept making dinosaur noises throughout the entire experience, which was either very cute or slightly concerning, depending on your perspective.

We learned an important lesson about family travel dynamics when Cora turned out to be too small for one of the rides. Lily immediately announced she wouldn't go if her sister couldn't, which was either very sweet or very inconvenient, also depending on your perspective. These moments remind you that traveling as a family means everyone's experience is connected, whether you planned it that way or not.

Practical Matters: Budweiser and Taxi Rides

The food at the park was reasonably priced and reasonably edible, though I have to mention that having only Budweiser as the beer option was mildly disappointing. I really should have worn my Budweiser shirt that day for the full ironic effect, but you know what they say about missed opportunities.

The £30 taxi ride back to Southampton felt expensive until we considered the alternative of wrangling three exhausted children onto public transportation. Sometimes money is just a tool for maintaining sanity, and that taxi ride was worth every penny.

Southampton: The Perfect Training Ground

Looking back, Southampton was exactly what we needed for our introduction to European family travel. It wasn't overwhelming like London would have been, but it offered enough variety to keep us busy while we figured out basic things like how to buy groceries and whether English playgrounds were fundamentally different from American ones (they're not, but the accents are better).

The city struck the perfect balance between historical significance and modern convenience. We could explore medieval gates in the morning and hit up a shopping center in the afternoon. The transportation was manageable, the people were friendly, and most importantly, it felt safe and welcoming for a family still figuring out how to navigate life in a foreign country.

Lessons Learned and Land Legs Found

Our Southampton experience taught us that flexibility isn't just helpful when traveling with kids; it's absolutely essential. Plans change, hosts disappear, kids get cranky, and sometimes you end up eating sugar cookies for lunch. But these unplanned moments often become the stories you tell later, the ones that make you laugh when you're far from home and missing the adventure.

We also discovered the importance of mixing familiar with foreign. Yes, we explored historical sites and tried new foods, but we also went to Burger King and bought Legos when the girls needed something recognizable. There's wisdom in knowing when to push boundaries and when to retreat to comfort zones.

Ready for London

After several days in Southampton, we felt ready for bigger adventures. The girls had adjusted to sleeping in new beds, eating different food, and accepting that every day might bring surprises. We'd proven to ourselves that this whole full-time travel thing might actually work, even if we had no idea what we were doing half the time.

Most importantly, Peppa Pig World had reminded us why we'd chosen this path in the first place. The pure joy on our daughters' faces, the shared experiences we were creating, and the confidence they were building by successfully navigating new situations made all the planning, stress, and occasional moments of panic feel worthwhile.

Want to see our full Southampton adventure? Check out our complete video series:

Next stop: London. But that's a story for another blog post.

Ready to plan your own family adventure in England? Contact Lindsay at [email protected] for help creating unforgettable travel experiences for families, whether you're planning a weekend trip or a life-changing adventure.