christiana_ako

Hi Guys, please help me, I am having a London Trip for 8 days and ould like to have a day trip to Paris. A friend of mine told me that when someone holds a UK visa, he/she can have a day trip to any Schengen countries. Is this true? Thanks!

P_M

I think the best thing to do is to check with the French Embassy for citizens of your country.

Furthermore please do not tag your post as a trip report when you are just asking a question.

Alec

No, you can't. If you need a Schengen visa, holding a short-term visa for UK doesn't help. You have to get a Schengen visa even even for a day trip.

JoyC

Alec is right. Having a UK visa does automatically enable you to visit Schengen countries. Those two visas are different and separate from each other.

PatrickLondon

I think JoyC left out "not" (I'm always doing that).

christiana_ako

I'm sorry i'm new to this thing. thank you for answering my concern.

christiana_ako

I knew that but living here in Jeddah it's really hard to process visas especially when you're a woman and working. Should I do that in the UK instead? Thank you guys for your kind attention.

flanneruk

Your friends are probably confusing two quite different things.

Most nationalities that need visas to visit Schengen at all also need visas even to change planes at a Schengen (or UK) airport en route to somewhere else - even if they're not going through immigration. That requirement is sometimes waived if they've got a UK (or US, or Canadian) visa or permanent resident status, are en route to the UK (or US or Canada) and aren't leaving the airport. A couple of nationalities are also allowed a 24 hour visa-free stay outside the airport if they are clearly en route to a first-world non-Schengen destination, can prove they've got a job or course at home or in the UK/US/Canada, and have a UK/US/Canadian visa.

You need to check with your French embassy to see whether rerouting via CDG might help you, though I suspect this concession might work better if you're coming from a country (like Senegal or Mali) where changing at Paris for London is the logical thing to do, rather than from somewhere like Nigeria or South Africa, where it sounds very suspicious. As others have said, though, it absolutely doesn't apply to round trips from London.

christiana_ako

Thank you for your sensible answer. I think I would just concentrate on roaming around London, I have 8 itinerary walking tour I saw from a good website and also I'd have the hop on hop off bus tour. So i can see everything in London. I'm travelling alone for 3 days. the first five days would be with my aunt and cousin from US. So I really want to be able to spend wisely. London will remove my bank account on the face of the earth!

JoyC

Thank you Patrick for the correction.....and to think I previewed my response before submitting it and still missed the most important word.

Anyway, even 8 days is not enough to see all of London, so you are wise in just concentrating your travel in and around this area.A daytrip to one or two places outside London is possible, so go get a guidebook, read and decide what you want to see.

P_M

christina, there are a few people on this board who mark everything as a trip report just to draw attention. But I didn't realize you were so new to the forum and still learning your way around this board. Sorry if that didn't sound so good and welcome to Fodors.

There is so much to see in London and the surrounding areas you will barely scratch the surface in 8 days. You will keep very busy and entertained by staying in the UK. If you need any further advice on London or any good side trips please post back. It might be best to start a new thread for new advice.

Have a great trip!!

christiana_ako

Thank you P_M I knew that 8 days is not enough especially for me because one tour spot take me hours, I take photos of evey details and of myself camera hates my face, it's so hard to get a good angle. I guess I'd just have to see the little eiffel tower during my London Ride (that's what they say).


Initially I wanted to go alone like I did last time in Egypt for two weeks but my Aunt and cousin from US decided to go alone and they booked for a guided tour of london for a whole day with river cruise and London eye. Plus a day trip to salisbury, bath and stonehenge; then a day trip to edinburgh. Im really eager on going back to the places again as I know it's not going to be enough for me. But it's the only times I can be with them so I am also excited about it.

I would also like to ask if it's okay to just buy the museum and travel pass when I get there or should i really get it online?

Somehow I think that London is way out of my league. To go there with limited budget as I also needto spend 22 days in Vancouver with my uncle.

Plus walking alone is a luxury here in Jeddah for women so I'd be doing a lot of walking in 8 days and I will treasure every blisters I'd get!

Thank you for your advice and I'd check out how this thread works.

Christina

retiredinflorida

Christina, welcome to Fodors.

There's no need to buy a museum pass, most museums are free. However, there are a few you may need to pay for.

As for the travel pass, you can buy this very easily once in London I would wait until you arrive and then buy your travel pass. If you plan on travelling around by underground, just be aware that there are different zones, most of the tourist sights are in zone 1 and 2.

I agree with P_M, about starting a new thread for new advice. This thread's title suggests you need visa advice. Since this is no longer the case; if you have other questions/concerns, I'd address them separately in new threads.

christiana_ako

Many thanks to all of you. I already did started a new thread called "June 1 - 8 London Sojourn". Please find time to visit. But then I put it again on trip report. I will email Katie. I gotta start checking out how this threads work.

Many Thanks!