London-Paris solo trip

Old May 22nd, 2015, 07:06 AM
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London-Paris solo trip

Hi everyone. My name is Kristine. I am planning to travel London and Paris on fall for 10-12 days (probably late October-Early November). I am departing from Vancouver. I am planning on staying at any Best Western hotels because I have a 50% employee discount.

I just want your idea on what to do and what to expect in this trip. This is my very first time. In London, I would really love to see the London Bridge, London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Madam Tussaud, Hop-on Hop off bus, St Paul's Cathedral (anything else you can recommend?).

In Paris, of course the Eiffel tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, Notre Dame at least.

i just want to know how much would these attractions would cost me and is there any way to save money?

My budget for the whole trip is $4,000 max.(flights,eurostar,attractions and hotels) is that do-able or am i crazy for thinking it will be enough?
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 07:12 AM
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Sounds like a very doable budget - easy, though I don't know how the Canadian dollar stacks up against the Euro these days. I'd guess $1500 tops (probably much less) for the plane ticket. Maybe $75 per night for hotels with your discount?

Late October is probably past shoulder season, so I would expect flights to be a little cheaper. You might also expect rainy weather, though you might get lucky with some nice fall days.

Try to "open jaw" your flight - into London, out of Paris, or vice versa - so you don't have to backtrack to fly out of the same city you flew into.
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 07:37 AM
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Better to fly into London and out of Paris -- to avoid the stiff departure taxes in the UK. And you'll ease into Europe in an English speaking country.

Museums in London are mostly free. The British Museum is a biggie not on your list. Another must-see (IMHO) is the Tower of London (crown jewels, Anne Boleyn's death place, etc.). London Walks (www.walks.com) offers a long list of walking tours in London and a few excursions from town, all at reasonable prices.

You've got plenty of time to research this trip and personalize it according to your interests. Get some guidebooks from the library, comb the Internet.
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 08:01 AM
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>

She's Canadian, presumably she speaks some French. Paris is a major city that gets a ton(ne) of tourists - it's not difficult to putter about if you're not a Francophone.

The original London Bridge is in Arizona. The new one is a dull arch. If you mean TOWER Bridge, that's near the Tower of London, which is not on your list for some reason (nor is Westminster Abbey, nor a bunch of other places - go googling).

Madame Tussaud's is expensive and campy. Seek whatever discounts you can find if you're set on going there. It'll be nearly $30 Canadian at the least expensive price point.

You need to go googling. Each of your attractions listed have websites that fully disclose their admission charges. Some are riotously expensive on a bang/hype ratio, like the HOHO buses and Madame Tussaud's. Some are not - costs nothing but a Metro ticket to go to the Eiffel Tower or Arc and just LOOK, climbing up and in is a different issue.

Paris has museum passes that are useful and not excessive; London has some online discounts for various sites (Tower, various palaces). Don't buy the London Pass (rip off). As a solo, the best London discount possibility is not open to you - the Days Out Guide 2for1 offers.

The list of NO-ADMISSION London museums and attractions is long. The places you listed above are not on it.
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 08:06 AM
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You will have a wonderful time!

I recommend against the Hop-on Hop off bus, as it just gets stuck in traffic - a waste of your valuable time, IMO. Learn how to use public transport in both cities - both have wonderful subway systems.

In London, I think the Tower of London is a must-see, as is the British Museum (pretty overwhelming, decide in advance what you want to see and concentrate your time in that area). You couldn't pay me enough to go to Madam Tussaud, but we are all different. Get yourself a good guidebook and see what appeals to you. If you are an art lover, there are lots of great museums, for instance.

Likewise, for Paris, get yourself a good guidebook. There is way too much to see and do for us to list all of our favorites here.
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 08:57 AM
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She's Canadian, presumably she speaks some French>

No more likely I think than an American would speak French unless OP is a francophone Canada's bi-lingualism is pretty much just Quebec and spots in the Maritimes I think.
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 09:24 AM
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BigRuss.. do most Americans really think that.. its pretty funny if they do.

Most Canadians do not speak French,, and especially western Canadians ( where Vancouver is.. but then many Americans do not know any Canadian geography)

Well over 70 % of Canadians speak no French.. and that averaged out over all provinces and territories.. obviously in provinces like Quebec the percentage of French speakers is much higher then national average.

Do all Americans speak Spanish??
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 09:29 AM
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Kristine.. I would add the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to list.. and take off Madame Tussands( super expensive and kind of quitchy.. )

The V@A is one of my favorite museums.. love the clothing and artifacts sections..

I would also consider the Imperial War Musuem.. I know.. you are thinking what.. not into military stuff.. me either.. but loved loved loved the sections on how Londoners lived during the war.. all the displays. the recipes.. the ration cards,, amazing.. And the Holocaust section.. super moving. you will be blown away.. We spent almost an entire day there .. and I am not the least bit interested in guns, war etc..

I also agree.. fly into London and out of Paris. Book the Eurostar city center to city center.. the cheapest tickets sell out first so book as soon as you have your dates set( sooner then later ).

In Paris consider taking a Fat Tire Bike tour.. super fun.. super easy.. I thought the Night bike tour and the one to Giverny were highlights.
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 10:02 AM
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I was under the impression that all Canadians were required to learn French in school ( a canadian friend told me that) but perhaps it has been changed recently?

One key thing it to book your Eurostar tickets as soon as they go on sale - the cheapest tickets (but nonchangeable for date/time) often sell out very quickly - and the full fare if you buy right before the trip can be 3 times as much.

Also I would look for hotels NOW. I know you said you get a 50% employee discount - but that would probably be 50% off the full rate. London especially is a huge city so you definitely want to be as close to the center as possible Identify now the hotels with the good locations (you don;t want to be an hour away on the tube) and get your reservations.
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 10:15 AM
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Just to clarify the cheapest Eurostar tickets are changeable for a fee plus any difference in fare. They are though, non-refundable.

http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel...fares-and-fees
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 10:29 AM
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Yes but with a 30 pound fee to change then pay the difference in fares seems a steep fee but good to know - never know what comes up.
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 10:33 AM
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In Paris, I would add Sainte Chapelle for its glorious stained glass windows. Also, if you like Impressionist art, the Musee d'Orsay, in a stunning building that is a former railway station. And the Orangerie, with its beautiful setting for Monet's Water Lilies.

The Paris museum pass, called the Carte Musee, may save you money if you plan to see a lot of museums. You pay by the day, so it does not save money if you will only go to one museum a day. You can google for all this information. If you do get it, you should just pick it up at the first museum you go to in Paris rather than buy it ahead of time on line, which will cost more. It is good to buy it at a less crowded museum, even if you don't plan on visiting it, so that you can use it to bypass the lines at the more crowded spots such as the Louvre.
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 10:37 AM
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My best advice would be to buy two good guidebooks: one on London and one on Paris. Fodors has good guides, and I think Rick Steves' guides are great for first-timers, and he has a lot of budget saving tips. You need to do some homework in order to get the most out of your trip.

You are fortunate to have a discount for Best Western hotels, but be sure you stay in ones that are central (not in outlying areas or suburbs) so you can walk to many sights, and also get a better feel for the cities. Google Maps Street View will give you a good idea of the neighborhood the hotel is in.

It's been many years since I was in London, but I know it is expensive. Your best deals on meals will probably be pubs,cafeteria-type, and ethnic food places.

In Paris (I'm there now), there are so many places where you can grab a good lunch to go for 5 - 8 euros. If you drink Coke, don't order it at a bar or cafe - wine and beer are cheaper. You can get tap water for free everywhere, so don't buy bottled water. If you want bottled water or a Coke, get it from a take-away place or grocery for 1.50 - 2 euros. You'll pay 5 or more at a cafe, and don't expect more than 2 ice cubes, if you get any at all!

Have fun planning and have a wonderful trip.
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 12:19 PM
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The reactions to my presumption above are largely ridiculous.

Considering that (1) there are bilingual requirements in Canada that do not have equivalents in the US, (2) Spanish is not a semi-official language in the US, whereas French is one of the TWO official languages in Canada, (3) Canada's stated educational goals are to PROMOTE facility in a second language (if not fluency), and (4) most of the country's population lives in areas that require Core French, I doubt justine's statistics.

The assumption that a Canadian who seems from her post to be young would have some knowledge of French is neither an unwarranted guess nor an uneducated one, no matter which far flung province she resides in (even though BC doesn't have a Core French requirement like the eastern Anglophonic provinces and Manitoba). Considering the status of French in Canadian society (especially compared to the status of Spanish in the US), it is more logical for a Canadian to learn it than not.

As for London being expensive - this is yes-and-no and CJT's information seems out of date. There are ton(ne)s of places that offer good food for moderate prices. The UK is no different than the US and Canada in having a proliferation of chain restaurants of predictable and solid quality. Plus, every major national rail station (just about) has an M&S Simply Food that offers prepared foods that you can grab for a takeaway lunch or dinner. There are also innumerable incarnations of EAT and Pret-A-Manger, each of which has good-or-better offerings (and many of which are in the various national rail stations).

Neither pubs nor "ethnic" food places are per se inexpensive - that was the information my parents relied on 25-30 years ago and don't anymore. Nearly every type of food has upscale and casual options . . . maybe not salad cream or baked beans. Restaurant recs from timeout.com will help.
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 12:57 PM
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Spanish is not a semi-official language in the US, whereas French is one of the TWO official languages in Canada,>

lots of things in my area are now in Spanish and English - important warning signs same as in Canuck land - it is about the same with more Americans I'd wager speaking Spanish as % of pop than Canucks that speak any meaningful French.

so that is completely erroneous - assuming OP may speak French.
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 01:32 PM
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Considering you're guessing from your own neighborhood, PalQ, your post has no probity.
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 02:39 PM
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prbity or not - my neighborhood is less likely than most to have bi-lingual signs - ever go to Texas or California or Arizona or Miami?

interesting discussion however and it does kind of claw some folks the wrong way when phoning to some company - you get: "press 1 for English"!
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 02:44 PM
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Have a good time Kristie, i am over there the same time
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 05:01 PM
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Well I don;t know about TX of CA or AZ of Miami -but in NYC many ads are in both English and Spanish and we often (on the upper west side with a very mixed population) get mailings either entirely in Spanish or in both languages.

Not sure how it works in Canada but my friend from Calgary told me they were required to learn basic french in school
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Old May 22nd, 2015, 08:02 PM
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BIG Russ.. do not be silly.. look up my stats.. no need to doubt them at all , and pretty arrogant and presumptive of you to assume you know more about my country then me.. you likely are not able to name two offshore territories of States.. ( there are four however I believe)

In Bc,, same as Alberta( where NYtravellers friend lives) ,, the requirements are for ONE year of French.. usually grade 7 or 8. You learn to count to ten and say hello and good bye,, as much as you get in grade school Spanish.. do YOU speak Spanish,, I ask again??

And Russ.. I am not young.. you are ignorant about your neighboring country and want cover.. why not admit what you know about Canada you could fit on the head of a pin.

I seriously Russy has ever been over the border.. except maybe to buy some decent beer .
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