Deena

Me and a friend are going to London/Paris in October 2000. Neither one of us have ever been. We are just starting to plan our trip and are looking for any advice on hotels (moderately priced), restaurants, and must see and do's. Our budget is about $3000 a piece and we will share a room to cut costs. We would like to go for about ten days, 6 in London and 5 in Paris. I'll take any advice you can throw at me! Thanks!!

Rex

Deena, <BR> <BR>You don't say where you are originating; chances are that it's the US, since you refer to $ - - the good news is that unless you live in a very remote part of the US (where you have to add $ to get to a gateway city), your trip will cot less than $3000 in October, or you will be able to travel more luxuriously than you imagine. <BR> <BR>I would be delighted to help you plan this trip, and you might be interested to learn more about the advantages of a small group trip (10-12 people, no buses), planned exactly to your specifications. I invite you to write to me directly. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex Bickers <BR>Westerville, Ohio

Beth Anderson

um, Deena <BR> <BR>don't listen to him. a BLATANT ploy to take your money. you want to go with 10-12 people? make up the trip with 10-12 people by yourself and YOU get to go for free. (a lot of tour people do this). or go with your friend and have fun. <BR> <BR>this guy isn't offering you anything for free. either you pay him, or you are giving him a free trip abroad. wouldn't you rather have that for yourself? <BR> <BR>The only thing I do agree on - for ten days, you have MORE than enough money, honey. With the euro where it is, you are gonna do just fine in Paris... London will not be cheap though - plan on at least 1000 of that to go to London, for 6 days. just an educated guess. I have spent more, in less time, staying with friends even, in London. <BR> <BR>You won't spend more than 80 total on clean, nice rooms in Paris - so you are just looking at 400 between the two of you for rooms in Paris. Figure at least that much nightly for London, although you could do it a little cheaper - I know of a nice B&B I can tell you about (I don't have specs with me). <BR> <BR>EVEN IF you spend 150 total per night in London though, you are still only talking 900 bucks split between you two. (but I don't think you have to spend that much) <BR> <BR>so at most - 1300 total for lodging - less if you do not go nuts in London. <BR> <BR>you should not spend more than 400 each for airfare - get a one way ticket on the Eurostar from London to Paris, IN ADVANCE. it is cheaper if you reserve a few weeks ahead of time. That should not run you more than 150 each, if you do it well in advance... we are still only talking 800 in airfare (maybe a little more if open jaw, but not too much) and 300 total in eurostar... 1100, maybe 1200 for you two. <BR> <BR>so, you are at 2500 (less if you look around to save money) and your transport and lodging is out of the way. the rest is food & fun. you still have 3500 left, between the two of you, for 10 days. 350 per day, for both of you, for food & fun. I think you can safely stay within that budget... <BR> <BR>good luck, and let the flaming begin!

Rex

I won't flame, and I won't dispute that I will expect that my travel expenses will be covered for my considerable expertise, IF, and only if, I plan and lead the trip. <BR> <BR>I offered information, and I stand by my perpetual offer to give FREE and UNLIMITED advice on planning any trip (if I am knowledgeable about your destination) for trips of 1 to 20 people, whether I am ever "involved" in the trip or not. <BR> <BR>My very best wishes, Miss Ally... <BR> <BR>and I just love those skinny legs of yours... <BR> <BR>Rex

elaine

Hi Deena <BR>If you are interested, email me and I'll be happy to send you sightseeing and other notes on Paris and London from my own travels. <BR>

alan

hi <BR>check out a www.smoothhound.co.uk they have a large list of hotels etc <BR>enjoy <BR>alan

elvira

Get yourself a guidebook like Fodor's which will give you hotels and restaurants and the approximate costs. On this site (www.fodors.com) you can also get a great deal of info about both cities. <BR> <BR>With a combined budget of $6000, you won't have to budget too strictly. <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip.

kristi

Deena, we were able to get by on less than $3,000 for a couple for 10 days last September, it all depends on how good your airfare is and what you end of spending on a hotel. We used a consolidator for our last trip, much better airfare and not much added cost to fly in to one city and out of another. <BR> <BR>You might try Travel Inn in London. My brother in law stayed there last year and said it was clean and comfortable. I think it was around L62 per night the last time I checked. We stayed at the Hotel Muguet in Paris. It was in a quiet residential neighborhood, but close to the sights and to the metro (La Tour Mourborg). Their web site is www. hotelmuguet.com. I think we paid 540FF last year, less than $100 per night. <BR> <BR>Paris has a wonderful museum pass, Carte de musee. It provides admission to practically every museum in Paris and has the added benefit of allowing you to bypass the often very long lines to buy tickets. It's also good for a visit to Versailles, which is outside of Paris. There's an excellent website for Paris at www.parisvisite.tm.fr, under museums and monuments it lists all of the attractions that the pass is good at. <BR> <BR>Both London and Paris have excellent public transportation and multiple use passes. Paris has a link in the website given above, London go to www.londontransport.co.uk. <BR> <BR>If you're interested in theater tickets and want to see a popular show, try www.ticketmaster.co.uk to reserve seats. Or if you're interested in seeing a less popular show, you can give the 1/2 price ticket booth in Leicester Square a whirl. We went to the Globe to see "Julius Caesar", I think they have a direct website to try for tickets. Might be closed in October though. <BR> <BR>There's lots of info on this site if you do a search and if you have any questions, please feel free to email me direct.

Sondra

HI Deena, <BR> <BR>My husband and I are doing the same trip in mid-May. We budgeted $3000.00 for the air from SFO and hotel for the two of us, spending money will be more. The air fare, which is open jaw, also includes the trip from London to Paris came to $1600 for both of us. We are staying at the Abbey House B&B in London for 74 pounds (115) a night,I would also check Swiss House it has received very good reviews on this forum and it has good rates. In Paris we are staying at the Caron de Beaumarchais for 810ff (115) a night, another choice would be the Muget( check spelling) in the 7th district. It has also been very popular in this forum with great rates. We also booked a trip on the LOndon Eye ahead of time, theatre in London( get your Mama Mia tickets now, I waited too long), London transpotation visitor passes, and I sent away for Ceremony of the Keys tickets in London. So far we are under our 3K budget. I will post a detailed report when I return. I did find we saved a lot doing things ourselves rather than a tour. Lots of luck.

Anastasia Watkinson

Hi Deena... <BR> <BR>I think you'll find that your budget will work out just fine. I can confirm that London will cost you more than Paris, as I work in London and have been to Paris many times (just spent 2 weeks there...bliss! and cheaper, definitely!) <BR> <BR>I agree too that you should book Eurostar in advance to save some money. Their web site is www.eurostar.co.uk <BR> <BR>As for London, the best budget place I've seen centrally is Abbey Court Hotel, which is near Hyde Park. About £30 for each of you, and convenient. I have a small book on budget lodgings in London, so if you need some more help please let me know. Abbey Court is at www.abbeycourt.com if you want to have a look. <BR> <BR>I run a newsletter / website about Great Britain... you'll find some good links on my page. I'll be glad to help you with Paris too... feel free to email for more help if you need it, or post again! <BR> <BR>I hope this helps! <BR> <BR>Anastasia <BR>http://www.greatbritaintravelguide.com <BR> <BR> <BR>