nonsessile275

Hi there,

I have a 14-day vacation in the beginning of April and I plan on visiting my brother who recently moved to London. This will be my first time in Europe. We plan on exploring London for several days then maybe go to Paris, then Amsterdam. Do you guys think that seeing multiple cities is too much or is this reasonable?

My other questions are how to best get around within Paris and Amsterdam, and transfer from the former to the latter. We are thinking of taking the train.

I will appreciate your advice!

simpsonc510

Your plan sounds good. Train travel is a good choice for you. Local transportation and walking are fine for Paris and Amsterdam. You won't need a car, if that is what you were thinking about getting. It is extremely expensive to park a car, and you wouldn't need it anyway. Trams and boats in Amsterdam; buses, subways, boats in Paris. My husband and I were just in Amsterdam and Paris in August. We took the Thalys train between cities. It was a good option for us. We had a car later, in Italy and Switzerland.

manouche

Only spending a few days London, get the Oyster Card which your brother can explain. It's a huge city and cabs are expensive so good idea to take the bus and tube.

You'll probably walk a lot more than you think so if in Paris for a few days, get a carnet of 10 tickets for anyone to use for a oneway trip on the Metro. Can buy aboard Eurostar at a higher price or at Gare du Nord from the machines. There is also a Mobilis Pass good for 24 hours but you have to complete travel by midnight. Wouldn't bother with a Navigo card for only a few days.
http://parisbytrain.com/paris-metro/

Roundtrip from Paris to Amsterdam on Thalys runs around 100 EU each during the week more at peak hours and on weekends and holidays and takes about 3 hours each way. It's cheap and easy to get around in Amsterdam http://www.iamsterdam.com/en/visitin...blic-transport

Look into open-jaw flights - fly into London, maybe fly home from Amsterdam or change things around? Usually cheaper to do this.

bilboburgler

Trains very easy but you will find the cheepo airlines use various odder airports in Paris and London but the main Amsterdam airport gets most of them.

Think about open jaw

Read seat61.com to understand trains.

Don't get confused by "faux ami" so the Subway in London is a cheap sandwich bar or a pedestrian underground walkway, while the urban train network is called the Tube.

nonsessile275

Thanks, everyone! I was thinking I will fly to Amsterdam from the US (I'm seeing one-way flights from $650)then Paris and London and fly home from there!

nonsessile275

Any affordable places
that you guys would recommend that we stay in Paris or Amsterdam?

nytraveler

What you want to buy is one open jaws ticket - into Amsterdam and out of London. Be aware that is you try to enter europe without a return ticket to the US you may well be denied entry - since they do not want illegal immigrants any more than we do.

For the high speed train you want to buy tickets about 90 days out to get the best prices, the closer you get to departure date the higher the price - can double or even triple.

As for affordable places to stay, what amount per night specifically in euros - since affordable can mean very different things to different people. (Are you interested in hostels, cheap & cheerful budget places with shared baths and only stairs or more comfy tourist class places?)

nonsessile275

Around 50 euros/night, maybe? I know that ~$50/night here in the US will find me a decent place to stay so that's kind of my reference (albeit I'm not quite sure that a ~$50/night place here in the US translates to a place that's worth 50 euros). I'm not looking for a luxurious place. Think of a "red roof inn" version if you're familiar with that--nothing classy or luxurious but has my own room and bathroom.

bilboburgler

E50, tight, you do want to stay in the city centre rather the 'burbs. ClinkNoord Hostel in Amsterdam might be ok

bilboburgler

Clink is just across the water by ferry, need to check timetable, everything else at these sort of prices are outside the ring road

janisj

>>I know that ~$50/night here in the US will find me a decent place to stay so that's kind of my reference <<

Where? Maybe in a Motel 6 or something. Certainly not in places like New York or San Francisco or Chicago. Now in hostels - yes. But not in a hotel. You are using Red Roof as a point of reference. There really isn't a similar option in the city centers you'll be.

I have a suggestion if you are on that tight a budget - maybe stay a bit longer in London (where presumably your accommodations are free w/ your brother) and increase your budget for Paris and Amsterdam.

nonsessile275

Got it!! Thanks, everyone!

PalenQ

You can do a triangle - from London take the train-boat from Harwich to Hook of Holland for trains to Amsterdam (night service available) - Amsterdam take the Thalys train to Paris 3.5 hours - then return to London by Eurostar train in a few hours.

Imperative to book far in advance on all these components to get deep discounted tickets - just show up and pay hundreds of bucks more. www.thalys.com for Thalys trains; www.eurostar.com for Paris-London trains; http://www.stenaline.nl/en-GB-nl/cro...1fThoC2rbw_wcB for the Harwich to Hook of Holland boats.

For general info on trains in Europe check www.seat61.com - great info on discounted tickets; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

manouche

You could book a private room with shared bath at the Generator hostel or St Christopher's Inn in Paris for around 65 EU or so. Great neighborhoods, great ambiance. Or just Google "hotels under 60 EU in Paris" or whatever your budget is - you'll find lots of them that are simple but clean.

PalenQ

http://www.hostels.com/paris/france

Most hostels are listed here - some are cheaper than 65 euro.

PalenQ

Let's Go Europe or Let's Go France is a great source of objective info about hostels and cheap hotels - calling dumps dumps, etc. At any large library or amazon.com.

suze

<Around 50 euros/night, maybe?>

That is going to be extremely hard to find in those 3 cities, at least any where close to a central location. That is closer to the price of a hostel.

nytraveler

Sorry - the only thing you can get in NYC for $50 is a bed in a shared dorm room in a hostel. (Super cheap motel might be an options at the side of some highway, but not in any large cities.) And you will find the same is true in Paris and Amsterdam (assume you have freebie in London which is even more expensive).

You don;t want to be trying to visit these cities from some suburb at the end of hell and gone and have to spend an hour commuting each way and having trouble finding transit home at night.

IMHO $100 per night is rock bottom in either city for a clean, decent hotel room with a private bath - and even then it will be very small and simple. If you insist on 50 euros it will be in a hostel.

For Amsterdam have a look at the recent posts - someone was trying for a super budget room there and ended up realizing $150 per night was the bottom for her dates.