Taking on London an ideal journey for young travelers

London -- We stepped out of the Tube at Covent Garden, and I panicked. It was our first night in London, and I hadn't anticipated so many people -- rushing, crowding, pushing.

It felt like Midtown Manhattan, times two.

I grabbed my kids' hands and I thought to myself: If I don't come up with a plan to keep us together, I will lose my children in this city.

So we devised a system that night. My husband and I told the girls: If you get separated from the rest of us, stay put. Don't move. We'll come back and find you.

Turns out, we used that strategy only once, on our last day in town. My husband got distracted inside Harrods department store and wandered away from the family. The girls and I stayed put -- and eventually Steve circled back to where he last saw us.

It was one small glitch in an otherwise near-perfect week in London, my daughters' maiden voyage abroad.

England makes a lot of sense as a first trip overseas. First, there's the matter of language. Menus, metro signs, museum exhibits -- they're all in English, which makes basic touring a bit less stressful, for adults as well as children. Guided tours are also (mostly) understandable. And the city is certainly well-equipped to accommodate a large number of visitors, with some of the world's top museums and attractions, an easy-to-use public transportation system, and friendly, helpful residents.

But relaxing, it won't be. This is one of the biggest cities in the world -- you'll get lost, you'll get tired, and you'll pack more into your days than you should. Especially with kids, it's crucial to balance the important with the just-for-fun.

I put together an itinerary that combined some of the city's world-renowned sights with kid-friendly diversions: the British Museum and the London Eye, Westminster Abbey and a terrific new musical based on Roald Dahl's "Matilda."

Not every attraction was a hit. My 11-year-old quickly lost interest in the Royal Observatory in Greenwich; even the Changing of the Guard outside Buckingham Palace went on too long.

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Taking on London an ideal journey for young travelers