# London & Paris



## pawarrant (Jun 15, 2006)

I have never been to London or Paris, and due to advise on here I have not tried to incorporate them into my last two ED's. I would like to make a trip in 2016 to London and Paris in a year I'm not doing an ED. This would be my first time in either city, as well as my first time in Europe without having the luxury (or disadvantage in some cases) of having my car with me. 

My last two ED's have gone perfectly based solely on information from this forum. I would like to solicit some input on a London-Paris trip from all of you to make this equally as successful. Things such as how many days to stay in each city? The best way to get from London to Paris without having my car there? What do see and do in each city? Any nearby "must sees" that are not in the cities, but may require a day trip? I will have about 14 days, as this will be my vacation to get my fill of Europe before my next ED in the fall of 2018.


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## dkreidel (Aug 24, 2005)

Having maintained an office outside of London for 20+ years, I may not be the best one to advise on initial trip to London or Paris. You don't say which is your first destination, but as far as transport between the two cities I suggest the EuroStar train from St Pancras in London to Gare du Nord in Paris. You should be able to book online for $60-70 each way.

*In London:*

Tower of London
National Gallery
Tate Modern
Covent Garden
West End play
Walk the Mall from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace ON A SUNDAY
Harrods Food Halls

*In Paris*

Musee D'Orsay
Eiffel Tower with dinner at Jules Verne
Notre Dame
A Seine River cruise
Maybe the Louvre
Les Deux Magot
Suggest you find a hotel in St Germain-des-Pres

*Day trips*

Windsor Castle
Anywhere in the Cotswolds
Versaille
Canterbury
Stonehenge
Chateau de Fontainebleau
Leeds Castle
Hever Castle
Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum - Cosford
Dover Castle - White Cliffs War museum
Track Day at Brands Hatch - let me know if you want to do this and I'll hook you up 

Happy to answer questions, especially about UK


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

Things to do should be influenced by your interests. For example, if your interests include aviation, there is plenty to see, such as the Musee de l'Air et de L'Espace (LeBourget Airport, Paris), Imperial War Museum- Duxford, Brooklands, London City Airport, etc. If your interests include land warfare, there's an army museum in both cities.

Hotels outside of Paris are so much cheaper than inside Paris but the trade off is convenience. Once I had a car in Paris so I stayed outside of Paris, seeing things outside the city.

If you're interested in Canadian history, the memorial at Vimy Ridge is not to be missed, I'm told. I've never been there. There's also a South African War Memorial in a small town in northern France that was covered in the news once.


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

dkreidel said:


> *In London:*
> 
> National Gallery - worth it and free!
> 
> ...


Comments added


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## pawarrant (Jun 15, 2006)

I should clarify then a few things. I really do not have a preference for which city I fly into first, although We have plenty of non-stop flights from Vegas to London and none to Paris. That being said, on the journey East since I will practically lose a day, I'd rather get there quicker by flying non-stop. As far as what I want out of my trip, you can look at my last two ED's in my signature and get a good idea. I want to take in all the touristy sites, but I really want to enjoy things such as eating at good restaurants, shopping and nightlife. I really like exploring the ins and outs of the city, rather than standing in museums all day. Maybe one or two of the "must see" museums in each city at the most.

The other thing I want to know is if the public transportation in London and Paris is as good and clean as in Munich?


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## sactoken (Apr 4, 2004)

A couple of suggestions. Get Eiffel Tower tickets online in advance to avoid having to wait in long ticket lines, here:

http://www.toureiffel.paris/en.html

I forget how many months in advance the tickets go on sale, but they can sell out quickly, so I'd recommend getting them as soon as your dates go on sale. If your dates are already sold out, more tickets may become available in the last few weeks, keep checking the website daily (this is what happened with us). With the online tickets, we were able to enter at the scheduled time with no delays.

I'd also recommend doing the Seine cruise at night. The boats have bright spotlights that light up the buildings as you pass them, and the Eiffel Tower was also lit up.

The subway systems in London and Paris are comparable to Munich's in that they're extensive and will probably get you near most or all of the places you'll want to go. The systems are larger since Paris and London are larger but (in my limited experience) a lot more crowded so less pleasant to ride. London's underground is very old and so are its cars. We were there in warm weather and the un-air-conditioned cars were pretty uncomfortably warm. (I think most of the lines lack A/C).


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## dkreidel (Aug 24, 2005)

sactoken said:


> A couple of suggestions. Get Eiffel Tower tickets online in advance to avoid having to wait in long ticket lines, here:
> 
> http://www.toureiffel.paris/en.html
> 
> ...


You really should drop $200-$400 to have dinner on the Eiffel Tower at Jules Verne once in your life; a Michelin Star restaurant.

http://www.lejulesverne-paris.com/en


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## dkreidel (Aug 24, 2005)

pawarrant said:


> I should clarify then a few things. I really do not have a preference for which city I fly into first, although We have plenty of non-stop flights from Vegas to London and none to Paris. That being said, on the journey East since I will practically lose a day, I'd rather get there quicker by flying non-stop. As far as what I want out of my trip, you can look at my last two ED's in my signature and get a good idea. I want to take in all the touristy sites, but I really want to enjoy things such as eating at good restaurants, shopping and nightlife. I really like exploring the ins and outs of the city, rather than standing in museums all day. Maybe one or two of the "must see" museums in each city at the most.
> 
> The other thing I want to know is if the public transportation in London and Paris is as good and clean as in Munich?


The Musee D'Orsay is one of the nicest in the world; I tell friends to forget the Louvre and Center Pompidou unless you have a really good reason to go there. There are lots of really nice cafe's and bistros near Montmarte and Sacre Coeur. Forget the French beer!

The Paris Metro is - well - French but is easy to use and cheap; the London Underground is not as sanitary as the U-bahn but is serviceable. Color blind people like me have some difficulty with the Underground routes; the Metro is easy.


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## Kamdog (Apr 15, 2007)

The three top cities in the world, are IMO, London, Paris, and New York. Get your best rates into one, your best rates out of the other, get hotels in the middle of things, near mass trans, and then go. These are World Class Cities, and each has anything, _anything_ you want. Food. Entertainment. Culture. Everything. (The high speed rail from London to Paris, or the reverse, is actually pretty cool.)

Tell us what you like, _decide_ what you like, it is there.

Bring, or, better when you get there, cash.

As we say in NY, money talks, bullsh!t walks. Cash is king.


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## Trinitony (Feb 10, 2010)

Lots of good suggestions listed above. A handful of locations that I would add:
The *British Museum* - home of the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles.
Note all major London museums are free.

*St. James Park* - Prettiest of the London parks. Near:
*Buckingham Palace* and the "Changing of the Guard".
*Houses Of Parliament* - on the river.

Places outside London which can be enjoyed on a day trip:
*Cambridge *- punt along the "backs" of the colleges on the Rriver Cam. See Queens' and King's Colleges.
*RAF Duxford* near Cambridge - Spitfires and Hurricanes fly most days and some offer flights to the public.

*Blechley Park* near London - site of the breaking of the Enigma Code.
*Hampton Court Palace* - "donated" by Cardinal Woolsey to Henry VIII.


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## pawarrant (Jun 15, 2006)

Great suggestions as usual! What are the best neighborhoods to stay in each city? I want to be near public transportation and preferably walking distance of the main tourist, shopping, nightlife areas if possible. Any hotel recommendations?


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## Eagle11 (Oct 6, 2013)

pawarrant said:


> Great suggestions as usual! What are the best neighborhoods to stay in each city? I want to be near public transportation and preferably walking distance of the main tourist, shopping, nightlife areas if possible. Any hotel recommendations?


On our ED we were in Paris and London.

We dropped the car off in Paris, never drove, but took the blue line from the airport to Gare du Nord then took the Eurostar to london, the current trains are horrible, they are dirty and no one helps you with luggage, but is the fastest way to get between both cities.

The Metro in Paris, just as good as the U-Bahn in Munich. London streets are crowded, so take The Tube, very clean, and really the best way to get around the city.

The problem with each city is, there is SOOOOOO much to see, and you will be told by people what to go see, when we go to a new city, each day we pick two place to see that day, this allows us to take our time and really soak in the new adventure.

We didn't think the people in paris were all that friendly, but we want to go back.

Fly into London round trip, take the Eurostar (they are getting new trains) round trip


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## dkreidel (Aug 24, 2005)

pawarrant said:


> Great suggestions as usual! What are the best neighborhoods to stay in each city? I want to be near public transportation and preferably walking distance of the main tourist, shopping, nightlife areas if possible. Any hotel recommendations?


London ->>>
St. Martin's Lane in Covent Garden is one of my favorites.
Dorset Square Hotel - I stay here often when working in the City. Quieter area than St Martins
Charlotte Street Hotel - good location, small hotel.

I've done 2 ED's into London, and stayed at Dorset Square since it was relatively easy to park the M5's nearby on the street.

in Paris - anywhere in St Germain Des 'Pres. Someone will have recommendations besides Georges Sanc which is very very nice.:thumbup:


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## Trinitony (Feb 10, 2010)

*Paris*: we stay at the Hotel Britannique. It is not too expensive and is very conveniently located because it is more or less midway between the Louvre and Notre Dame. Being close to the river it is a short walk to the river boats - our favorite way to travel in Paris. You can use the boat to take you to the Eiffel Tower and anywhere in between. Across the river from the hotel is the RER (surface train) which you can use to get to Versailles. We spend a lot of time in museums. You can buy a day or multi day museum pass in the Metro and save yourself hours in waiting in the ticket lines of the Louvre and Versailles.

*London*: This year we stayed in an Airbnb flat in Mayfair. We liked the flat enough that we will probably stay there again this year. It was a block or two from Green Park tube station - good access *(by tube)* to Fortnum and Mason, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Houses of Parliament, museums, shopping and the West End theater district and St Pancras and King's Cross stations for the Eurostar and Harry Potter fans. Close to Green Park (the park itself) if you want a pleasant walk in the "country" - free of cars and buses.


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## atticus1 (May 27, 2012)

We went to London and Paris last year in late May and early June.

I would start in the city that has a direct non stop flight from your airport. Detroit has non stops to several European cities including London and Paris.

We started in London and stayed at the Nadler in Soho. Great location and a new modern hotel with a small kitchenette. The museums, the Tate, the National Museum, and the British Museum are all free and are just the right size. All of the numerous theaters are in Soho. If you are into music and jazz, Ronnie Scott's in Soho may be the greatest club in the world.

Take the river cruise which is great. Hyde Park is great and is Harrah's Dept Store.

Take the Eurostar (the chunnel) to Paris. Book it in advance and the rates increase the closer you are to your departure date. It is an easy 2 hour or so ride.

We stayed in the St. Germaine area at the Hotel Verneuil which was 2 blocks from the Louvre and Museum de Orsay. The Louvre is exhausting and crowded. If you go buy tickets in advance or you will wait in line for an hour just to buy tickets. Hotel Verneuil is a very comfortable and quaint hotel. I would recommend booking their largest room. Great free breakfast and a very relaxing living room in the hotel.

We bought tickets early for the French Open Tennis in early June. Maybe our favorite thing in Paris.

Take the river cruise at night. On Friday evenings, everyone in Paris it seems picnics on the banks of the Seine.

Luxembourg Gardens, in St. Germaine, was one of the highlights. Also, check out Print Temps Dept Store and Galleries Lafayette Dept Store which are a block apart. Unbelievable architecture and Printempts has a free rooftop with great views of Paris.


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## Pat_X5 (Aug 23, 2008)

London - we loved the London Eye, Tower of London, and Piccadilly Circus areas.

Outside London: Welsh countryside and castles in Wales.

Avoid: Stonehenge - now it's commercialized with awful long lines, pay to get in & park, too far to view compared to when I visited in the 1980s where you can actually touch the stones.....


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## Canhouter (Oct 29, 2013)

Agree. Stonehenge can be avoided. Would recommend a day trip to Bath - lived there for 2 years. Small town but has some nice sights and Roman Baths to see plus Jane Austen's home and the Royal Cresent. It is a world heritage site


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## ChicagoBigHouse (Sep 2, 2013)

I recommend in Paris, making it to L'As du Fallafel for the best falafel I've ever had. It's kind of a scene, but definitely worth it for a quick bite.

I still use rick steves' guides and walking tours. He also has an app with walking tours as well. 

I agree with everyone else, you don't need a car in either city.


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## calbears96 (Oct 31, 2009)

For an overnight trip from Paris, if you're interested in WWII history...

Take a trip to Bayeux via train. It's really cheap if you book in advance. Believe it's about a 2 hour trip between Paris and Bayeux.

As for a D-Day area tour, I suggest the following:

http://www.overlordtour.com/overlordtour-tour-3.html

The tour guide is really great (English) and the size of the group is limited. When I took the tour, it was 7 people total. You also get access to places other tours don't get.

I stayed at the Hotel Reine Mathilde. They have an annex that is modern, well worth the price. Otherwise, the room will be quite small. Plenty to see in Bayeux too.


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## calbears96 (Oct 31, 2009)

Also of note: Euro 2016 takes place in France in June and early July--the big European soccer tournament. So rates/spaces may be limited in Paris.

As for London, there's plenty to do. There are plenty of walking tours available for all tastes. Wife and I enjoyed the Harry Potter walking tour. Think there's one for James Bond as well and Jack the Ripper. If you're interested in Harry Potter, Warner Bros Studios in Watford (a short train trip via Euston Station--25 minutes) has an excellent tour.

There are also plenty of museums that are free (some mentioned above). I'll add the Natural History Museum. There's also a transport museum that I haven't gotten to in a few trips that is really good near Covent Garden, but charges an admission. There's also an Imperial War Museum in Lambeth that's interesting.

If you're interested in taking in a football game (provided you go during the season), there are plenty of teams within London to try and get a ticket to see a match (some harder to get than others), but well worth it.


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## pawarrant (Jun 15, 2006)

Love all of your suggestions so far. I'd like to hear some of your opinions on when you think is the best time to visit? I think London would be very nice during the Christmas season.



Eagle11 said:


> Fly into London round trip, take the Eurostar (they are getting new trains) round trip


Why do you suggest this over flying into LHR and flying back through CDG?



calbears96 said:


> As for a D-Day area tour, I suggest the following:
> 
> http://www.overlordtour.com/overlordtour-tour-3.html


That does look very interesting to me. Which tour did you do?



calbears96 said:


> If you're interested in taking in a football game (provided you go during the season), there are plenty of teams within London to try and get a ticket to see a match (some harder to get than others), but well worth it.


When is the season?


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## calbears96 (Oct 31, 2009)

pawarrant said:


> Love all of your suggestions so far. I'd like to hear some of your opinions on when you think is the best time to visit? I think London would be very nice during the Christmas season.
> 
> That does look very interesting to me. Which tour did you do?
> 
> When is the season?


1) I've done London/Paris over Christmas season. It's not too cold (40s/50s was my experience). I've also done late summer and that was fantastic as well. Keep in mind if you go during Christmas, some things will be shut down on Christmas day (tube, for one). Also, it's INSANE to go to Harrods on Boxing Day. There was almost no room to walk. Not doing that again.

2) I did the Band of Brothers tour that I linked to. Highly recommended

3) Football season runs mid August through end of May in England. Think it's similar in France. If you go during the Christmas season, there are plenty of matches--each team plays 3 games between Boxing Day and the New Years Day + 2.


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## Trinitony (Feb 10, 2010)

pawarrant said:


> I'd like to hear some of your opinions on when you think is the best time to visit? I think London would be very nice during the Christmas season.


I do not remember the Christmas Season as being particularly remarkable. I don't think there are any Christmas Markets like there are in Bavaria. It's true that Regent Street, the shops and some other parts of London do a great job of decorating, but that's about all. Also the weather in London in December, though not particularly cold, probably will be cloudy and wet.

I would also avoid June, July and August. Too many tourists cluttering up the main sights. Also, some years there are heat waves (nothing like the temps of AZ) but very few hotels have A/C.

So my choice would be April, May, September or October. Those tourists are back at work and school and the weather should be moderate.


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## Kamdog (Apr 15, 2007)

IMO, the best time to travel in the Northern Hemisphere is May-June. You get blossoms and flowers, and more daylight, and mild weather. Be prepared for rain, though.

You do need to decide what it is you like to see and do. To me, the British Museum was very rewarding, what with the Greek and Egyptian stolen artifacts. Taking in a London show was great, too bad we couldn't get tickets to Shakespeare at the Globe. We had no time to get out to Duxford and see the Spits and Hurris, but Buckingham Palace, and the changing of the guard were good, as was the commuter rail trip to Windsor Castle.

And I won't even get into how much I love Paris.


Your big task is deciding what you like and what you can squeeze into one day. We had to do an English pub, and a French Café as well.


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## dkreidel (Aug 24, 2005)

I work in UK all the time, and although I like the winter there you'd have to plan on snow and ice - and occasionally LOTS of it. For a first time visit Kamdog has it right.


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## pawarrant (Jun 15, 2006)

Kamdog said:


> IMO, the best time to travel in the Northern Hemisphere is May-June. You get blossoms and flowers, and more daylight, and mild weather. Be prepared for rain, though.
> 
> You do need to decide what it is you like to see and do. To me, the British Museum was very rewarding, what with the Greek and Egyptian stolen artifacts. Taking in a London show was great, too bad we couldn't get tickets to Shakespeare at the Globe. We had no time to get out to Duxford and see the Spits and Hurris, but Buckingham Palace, and the changing of the guard were good, as was the commuter rail trip to Windsor Castle.
> 
> ...


I can go anytime after August, when I get my annual vacation days. I've done my ED's in September which the weather has been perfect. Growing up in the northeast, and now living in Vegas I miss the atmosphere in the late fall between Thanksgiving and Christmas that you get in the northeast big cities (the cold, the shopping ect.) I would imagine London would be similar to NYC leading up to Christmas?

How far is Duxford? Is it a day trip or overnight?


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## Trinitony (Feb 10, 2010)

pawarrant said:


> IHow far is Duxford? Is it a day trip or overnight?


Duxford is about 55 miles north of London - it's just south of Cambridge. I went there by car. I am not sure if it can be done by train conveniently although you could take the train to Cambridge and then get a cab to Duxford


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## Kamdog (Apr 15, 2007)

If you go in September, you might be able to arrange to see a Battle of Britain Day airshow at Duxford. It is usually a weekend near September 15.


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## terps710 (Sep 6, 2015)

Very minimal snow in London. For reference, more than a dusting shuts Heathrow down.


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## Trinitony (Feb 10, 2010)

Kamdog said:


> If you go in September, you might be able to arrange to see a Battle of Britain Day airshow at Duxford. It is usually a weekend near September 15.


In 2016 the Duxford show will be Sep 10 and 11. They state that it is their biggest show of the year - definitely one to see. Their web site says that they run free shuttles out of Cambridge when they are holding an airshow.

This year it will be the turn of Farnborough (July 11-17) to have the International Air Show - Paris and Farnborough hold it in alternate years.


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## dkreidel (Aug 24, 2005)

terps710 said:


> Very minimal snow in London. For reference, more than a dusting shuts Heathrow down.


Years ago, yes, but not my experience the last few years. '09 was awful, '13 was awful, last winter was not what I'd call a dusting - and I live in NW Montana where anything less than a foot is "a dusting"  Agree snow in London in Winter isn't common, but you'd want to be prepared as it's no longer uncommon.

My office is in Swanley, only 15 SE of Central London and inside the M25. No snow so far this December :thumbup:


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## Trinitony (Feb 10, 2010)

If you would like to add a "Royal Spectacle" to your list of things to do in London you might add Trooping The Colour to your list. In one day you will see more "Red Coats" than George Washington saw in a life time - but these will be more friendly!

https://www.google.com/search?q=tro...KEwi5o7GQ-oPKAhXSsh4KHZj_CHYQ_AUICSgE&dpr=1.5

In 2016 it's going to take place on June 11 (I think). Even if you don't get tickets you can see a lot of action between Horse Guards Parade (where the event is held) and Buckingham Palace - including the Royal family on Buckingham Palace balcony.


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## Rosseau (Dec 31, 2015)

There are regular trains from London to Cambridge from either King's Cross or Liverpool St stations, IIRC. The trip is about an hour. And, aside from the Duxford show, Cambridge itself is wonderful. Hire a punt to float along the "Backs" for a classic view of many of the colleges. Hint: use the pole as a rudder after you push off or you might find yourself revolving and providing entertainment for the locals.


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## Pat_X5 (Aug 23, 2008)

If you are a Harry Potter fan, don't forget to go to Leavesden north of London.

I picked up the Grey line bus tour package after parking in Marylebone station because trying to get tickets to see the tour individually was blacked out.

By doing the tour bus, it includes the admission tickets.

https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk


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## Boraxo (Sep 6, 2005)

Hard to top Post #2 but having visited London many times here are my additions:

(1) Churchill aka Cabinet War Rooms in Westminster is absolutely my favorite place in London - you feel like you are really stepping back into history. The Tower is a close 2nd.

(2) Any serious list of Day Trips from London should include Hampton Court Palace and Oxford, both only an easy 1 hour train ride from London.

(3) Eurotrain is the best and fastest way to go from London to Paris. Rates are cheapest on Tues-Thurs.

(4) Take Heathrow or Gatwick Express trains from airport into London. Easy 15m ride v. an hour or more on tube or expensive taxi.

(5) Fly into London and return from Paris because UK has a heinous departure tax (transiting passengers are exempt). This can save $100-300 depending on your class of service.

(6) My fav hotel in Paris is Hotel des Balcons near Luxembourg Gardens. Small but nice rooms.



Pat_X5 said:


> London - we loved the London Eye, Tower of London, and Piccadilly Circus areas.
> 
> Outside London: Welsh countryside and castles in Wales.
> 
> Avoid: Stonehenge - now it's commercialized with awful long lines, pay to get in & park, too far to view compared to when I visited in the 1980s where you can actually touch the stones.....


Agree 100%. Hay-On-Wye is worth an overnight trip to Wales.



Canhouter said:


> Agree. Stonehenge can be avoided. Would recommend a day trip to Bath - lived there for 2 years. Small town but has some nice sights and Roman Baths to see plus Jane Austen's home and the Royal Cresent. It is a world heritage site


Agree - Bath is probably the best day trip from London, with Oxford being a close 2nd.


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## pawarrant (Jun 15, 2006)

Boraxo said:


> Hard to top Post #2 but having visited London many times here are my additions:


Thanks for the advice. Especially the flying out of CDG vs. LHR. Tickets now are a $348 difference.


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## openwheelracing (Aug 1, 2008)

You'll get plenty of ideas from others regarding Paris and London. I want to make sure you check out Mont St. Michele and the Normandy area. Try to visit around dawn. It is absolutely stunning.


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## pawarrant (Jun 15, 2006)

openwheelracing said:


> You'll get plenty of ideas from others regarding Paris and London. I want to make sure you check out Mont St. Michele and the Normandy area. Try to visit around dawn. It is absolutely stunning.


Thank you. I sure plan to visit that area!


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## Z4luvr (Jun 23, 2006)

Lots of great advice here. Our July ED plan is to fly to Munich, pick up a new Z4 and tool around bavaria, stay a week in a condo near Florence, taking day trips through Italy, driving to Nice, dropping off the car there, taking the TGV to Paris for a few days and then the chunnel to London for a few days before heading back to the states. We are big history buffs and lovers of French Impressionist paintings. Right now my must visits are:

Munich / Bavaria- Beer gardens, Welt and several castles 
Florence - day trip - multiple museums
Rome - day trip - Coliseum, Vatican, multiple fountains
Venice - might hit on the way to condo or on a day trip - still up in the air
Pisa - day trip
Assisi, Sienna and other smaller Italian towns - 2 day trips
Nice - looking for a great impressionist location, don't know if we can make it to Marseilles - need more research
Paris - AirBnB in museum district - Musee d-Orsay, Louvre, Champs-Élysées, evening river cruise
London - Tower of London, British Museum, possibly another war museum, maybe Westminster Abbey

What am I missing?


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## SC1 (Jun 9, 2010)

A lot of great replies already.

If you're on a budget, I recommend Premier Inn in London. On a recommendation from a friend, I stayed at the Premier Inn at County Hall and found it perfectly suitable for someone who will be out of the room more often than in. 

If you're visiting the British Museum, might I suggest going on the one day it is open late into the evening. I went there twice on my prior trip and found the evening to be much less crowded (more elbow room at the Rosetta Stone).


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## reidhester (Aug 22, 2015)

We were in Paris recently in early September during a heat wave. It was uncomfortably hot and our rented apartment did not have a/c which made for some warm nights. It also took us ~40 min to get to Notre Dame on the metro and other nearby sites.

Next time we go to Paris we'll plan to stay on Ile de la Cite, the island in the middle of the Seine where you'll find Notre Dame and Sainte Chappelle. TripAdvisor and airbnb list a number of studio and 1 bedroom apartments on the island and that will be our first choice.

The Sainte Chappelle cathedral has some of the most beautiful stained glass windows I've ever seen in Europe. And there are concerts in the evening there that would be wonderful to attend. We didn't because we were so tired from the day and commuting out to our apartment in the 2nd Arrondissment that we didn't get back there. I regret that. Staying on the Ile though would've allowed us to go back to the digs for a rest during the day and made it much easier to get out the the cathedral in the eve.

I would also highly recommend the Fat Bike Tours of Paris. We really enjoyed riding around Paris (safely I must say) and seeing the sites with a humorous guide tour. It was a hoot! http://www.fattiretours.com/paris/tours/paris-day-bike-tour

https://youtu.be/-2Le8k55N48


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## pawarrant (Jun 15, 2006)

Well I finally booked my trip. I wasn't able to go in September or around Christmas as I originally planned. I will be flying to London on August 9, flying to Paris on August 14, taking a train to Amsterdam on August 18, and departing back home from Amsterdam on August 20th. I will have a solid 4 nights in each London & Paris. I will have 3 nights in Amsterdam. I have a hotel in London in Piccadilly. I do not have one yet in Paris. I was thinking about Air BNB. Does anyone have experience with them in Paris or elsewhere? I've never used them before.


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## Z4luvr (Jun 23, 2006)

AirBNB is all about the particular renter / host rather than the site. August may still be very warm, so make sure your place in Paris has air conditioning. Most of the AirBNB places in Paris I checked didn't, so I opted for a nice hotel near the Tulleries. I could justify the price because we are only in Paris 2 days and want to maximize sightseeing time rather than logistics.


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## atticus1 (May 27, 2012)

Z4luvr said:


> AirBNB is all about the particular renter / host rather than the site. August may still be very warm, so make sure your place in Paris has air conditioning. Most of the AirBNB places in Paris I checked didn't, so I opted for a nice hotel near the Tulleries. I could justify the price because we are only in Paris 2 days and want to maximize sightseeing time rather than logistics.


2 yrs ago we stayed at the Hotel Verneuil in Paris. There is no better location in Paris. In the St. Germaine area, 3 blocks from the Louvre, 2 blocks from the river and 3 blocks to the Orsay museum. Walkable to Luxembourg Gardens which I would strongly recommend.

A great restored building with an excellent breakfast. Rooms are are on the small side but very nice. A very upscale area. Also a very nice lobby area with an excellent staff.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_R...views-Hotel_Verneuil-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

Here is the Tripadvisor site for the Hotel. We gave it 5/5 stars.


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## Trinitony (Feb 10, 2010)

pawarrant said:


> I have a hotel in London in Piccadilly. I do not have one yet in Paris. I was thinking about Air BNB. Does anyone have experience with them in Paris or elsewhere? I've never used them before.


Yes, we have used AirBnB twice in London (2015 and 2016) but never in Paris. The two in London both worked well for us. One was in Mayfair near the Green Park tube station. The other was in Westminster and convenient to St. James Park and the tube station of the same name.

They were not cheap but the apartment that we rented this year in Westminster accommodated five of us very comfortably - making it less expensive than three hotel rooms.

We stayed a week in one and two weeks in the other. So having a kitchen and living room as well as one or two bedrooms was way nicer than being in a small hotel room (or three). As I said above we have not stayed in an AirBnB in Paris but I would not hesitate to do so.

We have not visited Paris in recent years but on our last three visits we stayed in Hotel Britannique. It is located more or less mid way between the Louvre and Notre Dame. It is close to the river and an RER station. The RER will take you to Versailles (with no change of train) and our preferred form of public transportation in Paris is the Batobus.


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## pawarrant (Jun 15, 2006)

Thank you all! I have found a nice place in a great location on Air BNB, which actually has air condition. London we are staying in a hotel, Paris will be a rented flat on Air BNB, and Amsterdam I am staying in the same hotel I stayed at in September there on my ED. No matter where I go including Air BNB in Amsterdam it is expensive, so I figure I will stay with what I know there. So far got tickets for the Catacombs in Paris, Dinner reservations at Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower, Tickets to Disneyland Paris, and booked a D-Day tour from Overlordtour. So far in London, I have tickets to the State Rooms in Buckingham Palace.


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## X3 Skier (Aug 21, 2005)

When I'm in London, I always use the bus system rather than the Tube. Much more to see above ground than below. Unless you're going a longer distance, the buses are a better choice IMHO.

I always recommend the Hop on Hop off bus for a first time visitor for a general tour of the cities. The two in London are The Big Bus Company and The Original tour. I believe the Original Tour has a affiliated company in Paris. A good alternative is Fat Tire Bike Tours. Both Paris and London are pretty flat so its an easy bike ride.

Unless you're absolutely gung ho about flying between London and Paris, I would take the Eurostar as it goes between stations near the center of the cities rather than trekking out and back to the airport with the associated costs as well. Advance fares on the Eurostar are very reasonable.

Cheers


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## Dave 20T (Apr 7, 2013)

X3 Skier said:


> When I'm in London, I always use the bus system rather than the Tube. Much more to see above ground than below. Unless you're going a longer distance, the buses are a better choice IMHO.


I can't agree more. You'll see things of moderate interest on the bus. Some places aren't worth a special tube trip but driving past on the bus allows you to glance at them.

If you buy an Oyster Card, which is a stored value card available at tube station vending machines, you can ride the bus approximately 3 times and then the rest of the bus trips that day are free. In fact, I think the buses no longer accept cash so you have to buy an Oyster Card.

I always think it's funny when locals ask the tourist for directions. That's happened many times. Sometimes, I can even give good directions! Once someone asked me in French!


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