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What Are Some Essential Tips for Paris and London?

What Are Some Essential Tips for Paris and London?

Old Nov 29th, 2005, 05:16 PM
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What Are Some Essential Tips for Paris and London?

I will be going to Paris and London, very, very soon!! This is my first international trip, and also my first solo international trip. I am sooo excited !!!

What are some essential tips I should know? Things that will make my trip easier?

Also, what is a good website for me to use regarding money conversion? I am most concerned about the money conversions....I dont want to accidently spend 100 bucks on a cup of coffee.

Thank you everybody!!
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Old Nov 29th, 2005, 05:48 PM
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Congrats on your first trip. I'm sure you'll have a great time. I'd suggest that you do a search here for "London Trip Report" and "Paris Trip Report," then you can read up on what others have found on recent trips. I wouldn't worry too much about the hundred dollar coffee, even in London. You can check the conversion rate at a number of places; I like the calculator at http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html. For shorthand, I always figure that I can almost double the British Pound (1 BP = 2 US dollars), while the Euro is about 20 percent more expensive. I know that you'll want to do the math for larger purchases, but for eating out this works for me. I know that a 10 pound British dinner is almost twenty dollars, and a 10 euro plate of mussels is about 12 dollars.
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Old Nov 29th, 2005, 06:10 PM
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I print out a conversion table for money and carry it with me. I find that I don't need it much after the first day or so but I still carry it.

www.oanda.com has an "FX Cheat Sheet" (see link on the left of the page). I set up dollars to euro and then the reverse. I print both, tape them to a 3x5 card and use them as reference. Some people can do math in their head better than I, so this has worked well for me. I do memorize a few (like how much in euros is $10 or $20; and how much in dollars is 10 or 20 euro).

Print it out a day or two before you leave. The rates won't change too much to make a huge difference - or at least not to me, I'm not a big spender. I'm sure you know that you'll want to do one for dollars/pounds and one for dollars/euro.

Have a great time! I am hoping to do my first solo trip next year!
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Old Nov 29th, 2005, 06:32 PM
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Before you go, buy good maps of London and Paris and familiarize yourself with the general layout of both cities. This will help you feel less disoriented when you get there, and it will also give you an idea of what attractions are close to each other, so you can plan your time more efficiently.

You don’t say whether you speak French. If not, learn a few simple French phrases before you go. You can get by in Paris without speaking any language except English, but making an effort to communicate in French will be appreciated.
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Old Nov 29th, 2005, 06:59 PM
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Essential tip for Paris: upon entering a store, say, "Bonjour Madame" or "Bonjour Monsieur" before saying anything else or before asking for help. The French do not start talking about what they are going to buy before greeting each other. And "Au revoir" when you leave. Everywhere, even if it's just the newsstand. It feels awkward at first (at least it did to me) to call everyone Monsieur or Madame, but that's what is commonly done there.
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Old Nov 29th, 2005, 07:46 PM
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Million -- I've been to London and Paris twice in the past couple of years and found both cities to be wonderful.

In London -- I found it to be a lot cooler (as in "neat" not colder) than I thought it would be. It's a great starting point for European travel, at least for Americans, since the language barrier is minimal, and there is much to see and do.

If you like any history at all, don't miss the British Library documents room -- it's free, and there's everything in there from the original works of Shakespeare, the Magna Carta, copies of the Guttenberg Bible, to the napkin that John Lennon wrote "Ticket To Ride" and other songs on.

Look BOTH ways EVERY time you go to cross the street in London since traffice comes from the opposite direction than at home or on the continent. I found that treating every street like a one-way street in which I wasn't sure the direction traffic was coming from was a great way to make sure I didn't get run over. Don't stick your foot out til you've looked. Believe me.

Paris -- we just went there for a week in September and still would go back for more. We had 4 days there in 2003 and it wasn't nearly enough. This time we saw a lot of sights, but also spent time wandering the streets, enjoying the cafe's/people watching, and we knew more French this time.

Don't miss climbing the Arc de Triomphe at sunset, going to the Eiffel Tower (read the signs carefully to avoid long lines behind tour busloads), and watch your bag there.

Also, if you hang out in a bar/cafe after hours when all the other tourists have gone to bed, you'll find a couple of drinks make the French more friendly than usual, and more willing to try out their English on you. They are much like New Yorkers post-Giuliani -- friendlier than you'd expect, but still, it's a big city, so you'll find anything and everything there.

Learn the basics of French "Bonjour Madame/Monsieur," please, thank you, etc. You'll find that if you use the niceties that the French will more likely be nicer to you than not -- they do like the small formalities, and your showing that you made the tiniest effort is almost always rewarded in kind.

You won't spend $100 USD on coffee. A British Pound is expensive (about $1.75), and the Euro is much less (right now around $1.17 if you look at www.xe.com) which is pretty close to a buck. As a result, Paris and much of the continent is surprisingly more affordable than London.

The best advice I could give before you go would be to go to your local library and check out Rick Steves European Travel Skills video. He travels all around Europe (including Paris and London) and gives excellent tips on safety, smart traveling and packing tips, etc. His books that are out now, London 2006 and Paris 2006, would also be invaluable to you given your time there, as he has good walking tours, and outstanding advice.

Fodors books are a good option as well. If you're very young and looking for hostels the Lonely Planet series is good too.

The best thing you can do is plan your trip well -- make a list of stuff you want to see, then organize them by neighborhood so you can go to an area and see the sights there. A well planned trip saves time and money, and time in Europe (to me anyway) is precious.

Have a great trip.

Jules
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Old Nov 29th, 2005, 07:54 PM
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Walk or use the subways, cabs are very expensive. Use ATMs instead of currency exchange places.

Paris- get a Museum pass to skip the lines. Go to the Eiffel Tower in the evening when it's not crowded. ~16:30 in winter or 18:30 in summer.

London- Don't buy a London Pass. Many won't make it pay for itself. I'd recommend the Fodor's see it guides since this is your first trip. Maybe Rick Steves guides as well
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Old Nov 29th, 2005, 08:37 PM
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londonlover: how does one get a museum pass for a trip to paris?
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Old Nov 30th, 2005, 01:24 AM
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Hi Sottie,

See http://www.slowtrav.com/france/notes...museumpass.htm

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Old Nov 30th, 2005, 02:08 AM
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As soon as you arrive in London, nip into the nearesr bookshop or news-agent and buy yourself a London A to Z pronounced "Zed".
Most museums and art galleries in London are free, so you don't need to buy a pass.
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Old Nov 30th, 2005, 02:10 AM
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Bonjour

Paris: Bring a corkscrew and non breakable wine glass. Swiss Army knife is good for this and picnic munchies in the park. Tres bon, tres bon!



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Old Nov 30th, 2005, 03:06 AM
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Sottie- re a museum pass- They can be purchased in some of the larger "tourist" metro stations. They can also be purchased at many of the museums..It I remember correctly (for example), at the Orsay you can walk in the gift shop any buy your ticket. Beware of buying on line- some of the agencies charge a HUGE amt to buy and deliver though I think there is one that delivers to your hotel for a very modest amt though this is unneccessary at all. They are sold as 1,3,5 day passes and start on the day first used. You can check on line to see which museums are covered by the pass.
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Old Nov 30th, 2005, 03:30 AM
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if you are going really soon be dressed for it. we returned last week and it was cool but we had scarfs and gloves and even long underware and it was fine. scarfs are a must everyone wears them
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Old Nov 30th, 2005, 04:02 AM
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You have gotten some excellent advise, so I will limit myself to just two suggestions.
1. Walk as much as possible. (www.londonwalks.com are a great option)
2. Visit the parks.
Both cities are just made for exploring by foot.
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Old Nov 30th, 2005, 04:03 AM
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oops, advice. Sorry, it is still early for me.
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Old Nov 30th, 2005, 04:16 AM
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With the current exchange rate, London in particular is very expensive now but there are "bargains" to be had. There are some decent inexpensive restaurants and even chains like Pizza Express and Wagamama with surprisingly good food.
Here's a thread on cheap food in london found by searching "cheap eats in London".
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...2&tid=34636012

There are probably another 50 posts from the last year on eating in London if you're interested.
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Old Nov 30th, 2005, 04:22 AM
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Hi all!
This is a very minor point, but if you are looking to buy produce (fruits and vegetables) at a fruitstand in Paris, DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!!! Tell the vendor what you want, and he/she will select it for you. If you touch the produce, you will be told quite firmly to NOT TOUCH ANYTHING. A small point, but nice to know!!!
 
Old Nov 30th, 2005, 04:32 AM
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London:

A-Z

Oyster Card

Brolly.

Good walking shoes – you can pretty much walk anywhere, and if you do LOOK UP! Even the streets that seem pretty soulless can have some suprisingly good architecture in the upper, unmodernised part.

Wren and Hawsmoor churches (London Walks do a very good tour of these)

If you go to St Pauls - go in the crypt.

Imperial War Museum – especially the holocaust bit.

Depending on when you go – try and take in a football or cricket match.

Don’t go to Madame Tussauds –it’s overpriced and rubbish Ditto clink prison, the London Dungeon and Britain at War.

Pubs. Beer, it will be a revelation to you.

Snake and pygmy pud.


Paris:

Metro/RER map

Carte Paris ticket

Healthy appetitite

Crepes

Musee D’Orsay

Walk when you can.

Racing at Longchamps

Adjust your body clock – eat later than you are probably used to.

Cafes and people watching
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Old Nov 30th, 2005, 04:45 AM
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Some tips for London:

1. See a play. Buy a copy of Time Out magazine when you arrive to see everything that's happening the week you're here. There's a play/show/comedy/gig to suit everyone.

2. Research your restaurants, pubs and cafes before you arrive. You can eat very well at a reasonable price in London if you know where you're going, but if you don't research you can easily fall into the trap of an awful toruist rip-off joint. I recommend Harden's Cheap Eats in London (look it up on amazon.co.uk). Don't you dare come back here telling us the food was awful if you haven't researched!!

3. Do a London Walk (v. cheap)

4. Walk along the South Bank of the Thames on a weekend

5. Take at least one ride in a black cab - best cabs in the world bar none (if a bit pricey). DON"T EVER get into a plain car that claims to be a taxi. They are illegal, often uninsured and occasionally dangerous. If you take a taxi, either hail a black cab on the street or get your hotel or restaurant to order you a minicab (these are normal cars that are licensed taxis and can only be pre-ordered, never hailed).

6. Ride the top deck of a doubledecker bus. Fairs are 1 pound, buy a ticket from a machine at the bus stop before you board.

7. Take advantage of all the free museums. Some of the main tourist attractions cost (Tower of London, Madam Tussauds, London Eye) but all the main museums and galleies are completely free (British Museum, V&A, National Gallery, Tate etc etc etc).

8. Avoid Oxford Street - the shops are mosty chain stores and you won't be able to move with all the Christmas shoppers

Have fun

Kate, London
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Old Nov 30th, 2005, 04:47 AM
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Snake and pygmy pud? David, what's this??????
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