We are finally making it to Europe as a family (children 20 and 15). Using all sorts of points and frequent flyer options to make it all work. We had to book our flights in and out of London because of this and we have 11 nights total.
We are debating how best to use these days given that we have to come and go from London. Should we set up base in London for six days and then move to Bath (or some other England location) for the remainder and just move around at a leisurely pace? Or, is the better approach to stay in London for six days and then move to Paris for five days (even though we will have to get back to London)? Both sound very appealing - one day it sounds better to wander around English small towns and the next day I am thinking who knows when we will be that close to Paris again and seeing it for a few days is better than potentially never seeing it.
We love it all when we travel - want to visit the "must sees" and particularly love outdoor activities. Not as much into fine dining or shopping. We really just love walking around places and getting a feel for the culture and scenery.
Thank you so much for your help with this dream trip!
All England or London and Paris?
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If it's within your budget to do London and Paris, especially as this may be the only chance you get, then I'd do it. Book your return Eurostar train from St Pancras station to the Gare du Nord in Paris well in advance and you should get reasonably economical fares. The trip from city centre to city centre sghould only take 3 to 4 hours all in, so it's much quicker and cheaper than air travel as you will be in the city at each end.
If your return flight is early to get back home, then come back to London the day before.
You cant lose either way - do you want to do two cities or a city and the countryside. You would likely benefit from having a car in the countryside so o you want to drive? Either way you will have a fabulous trip!
If you are going to do London/Paris I would arrive in London and head straight for Paris from the airport and spend your time there, then take the eurostar to London (book on www.eurostar.com as soon as tickets are available for your dates to get the best deal) and spend the last part of your trip so you dont have to worry about your flight home.
I would definitely choose the Paris option. You can't see much of England in 5 days but you can have a great visit in Paris in that time. What time of year are you going?
I meant to fly directly from London to Paris when you arrive...
I would think it is worth getting out of the "world capital" that is London to see one of the proper British cities, some are almost as different as Paris is from London. I suggest you look at York or Edinburgh as truely representative of country.
Paris, is well, lovely but will always be there.
We are going at the end of July. Thank you all for the information! Very helpful.
If you all like outdoor activities, then stay in England, and spend some of your vacation in a smaller city and/or out in more rural areas. You answered your own question about where to go!
........Eurostar travel time London city centre ( St. Pancras Rail Station ) to Paris city centre (Gare du Nord Station ) is 2 hours and 15 minutes. And they are usually right on time.
Hi b,
You can't go wrong either way.
Since you have to fly RT London, I suggest going directly to Paris for 6 nights and taking the train back to London.
I think it would really depend on the desires of the people in the trip, as staying in the UK or going to Paris could both work. I just wouldn't probably do the Paris thing given you have to be back in London to leave, that doesn't sound like a good use of time or money (going back to London).
I'd probably stay in the UK but I wouldn't move to Bath for the rest of my time, that's for sure. There are lots of beautiful parts of England, such as the Lake district, and you could go north and see it and perhaps Edinburgh or Wales for a change of pace. And July is a good time weather-wise as (usually) it isn't that hot in Scotland or England, for that matter.
As a alternative to five days or not going, it is a long day but it is perfectly possible to visit Paris as a day trip using Eurostar. With some thought on your part and some input from this board you could work out a busy but worthwhile day in Paris.
A friend a I did it some years back and went to the Musee D'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower (didn't go up), had lunch, caught a boat along the Seine, had coffee, went to Notre Dame and had a bit of a wander. All this with, rather carelessly, no pre-planning so didn't really make the best of our time.