mjs

This is a tour of the transportation system, not a tour of Europe. You have a jet lagged half day or less plus two full days for London. A day and a half in Paris of which you want to spend one day at Disneyland so Paris gets a half a day. Not sure how many days Barcelona gets and not sure where Italy comes into play since you have a 7 night or day Med cruise. Agree that you need to drop Paris or London. Drop Disneyland if you pick Paris. It will still be a rushed holiday but more reasonable.

fuzzbucket

In Paris, look for Accor or Ibis hotels, which are fairly inexpensive and family friendly. Sometimes these chain hotels run specials like free breakfast for kids under 12, but not always.

Recommend booking with booking.com then verifying your reservation directly with the hotel by phone - everyone speaks English and the call doesn't cost much. Email will often sit around for a couple of weeks before it gets answered.

Or, if you're adventurous, the cheapest deal would be to book a hostel for your family. Normally, private rooms are available for groups.
Generator, St Christopher and MIJE are recommended.

Dizzsunshine

Thank you! I have been looking around booking.com! I heard some places were better than others but didn't know a really good area. I am ok with spending a couple hundred a night, can't go as far as a hostle

bilboburgler

Have I mentioned yha.org.uk , very safe, a number of good positions and probably the best way of getting a family room at a reasonable price in London

janisj

Check out the Travelodge Covent Garden I mentioned. Both Premier Inns and Travelodges have family rooms and are probably the cheapest decent option in London other than university or hostel accommodations.

menachem

Ibis are quite good, and they have hotels with pretty large family rooms. However, you'll be just inside the Peripherique, and that must suit you. Difficult to get a really good location in central Paris without spending a pretty sum. I think for a family room for 4 in central Paris, you'd be looking at 250 - 500 a night. The lower price of course is in locations that some consider less desirable, e.g. near Gare du Nord.

WoinParis

For one night you can get good 4* hotels for 120-150 € a night and good 3* for 100-110 €. No breakfast included.

If lucky in one digit arrondissements, if not in outer ones.

I recommend 18th.
If you need a cheap hotel say so, I can recommend a few in the 18th mostly - ugly from outside, very correct from the inside.

KyraS

I still think you are spending too much time packing, getting to the airport/train station, checking in for flights, being on a plane/train, traveling from the airport/train station to your next hotel, checking in, and unpacking, versus time seeing and doing things, and would remove a city from your itinerary. I wouldn't pay all that money to mostly travel, rather than sightsee, but to each their own, and you should plan a trip you will enjoy.

Do make sure you allow enough time in your plans, for the travel portions.

Two good conversion websites are xe.com and oanda.com, to help you get a feel for the local currency.

StCirq

We found a great deal at the lovely, tiny, boutique Hôtel Gabriel in the 11ème in Paris a few weeks ago - 50€ a night for a lovely hotel. Have no idea whether you might be able to snag such a deal or not.

But you're trying to do too much, too quickly, in too short a time. You've got two kids with you - right there, you're slowed down. Someone has to find a bathroom, someone's thirsty or hungry, you're jet-lagged despite what you say you'll be, you're constantly packing up the suitcases and making sure the kids are ready to haul a$$ all day and get through train stations and haul stuff onto the trains and and taxis and ...oh, there may be driving rain or sleet or thunderstorms or any number of unexpected happenings, weatherwise or otherwise.

Plus, as mentioned, it's going to suck a lot of Canadian dollars right out of your pockets to move around that much.

Less is more, particularly with kids. I am very experienced with this.

Good luck.

Dizzsunshine

Thank you everyone for your comments! I might have to extend our trip a bit. Girls want to see Paris, I want to see London. I have lived in Spain so it is just a place to sleep as far as I am concerned the night before the cruise. Cruise goes to 3 stops in Italy and 1 in France (Nice) we will stay in Barcelona for a few days after the cruise. I think a $200/night U.S. will suffice. In Michigan, Florida etc a moderate hotel is around $125. Don't want a crappie hotel but not looking for the Waldorf in NYC either. Most of my budget is on better seats on the plane and premium accommodations on the cruise ship. We sleep very well on planes and are accustomed to going full throttle all day, but I agree with spending too much time traveling and seeing airports and train stations.

KyraS

If you can extend the trip, go for it. From the States and for four people, a lot of your travel budget is likely spent on the airfare. I always go for as long as I can because if I'm going to spend a lot of money (and time) to get there, I want it to be worthwhile.

Just bear in mind that London is like New York when it comes to hotel rooms: they tend to be smaller and more expensive than elsewhere.

At current exchange rates, $200 USD is £159 (GBP) and €183 (Euros).

janisj

You are comparing Florida and Michigan where nice 3 star places are maybe $100 and full service 4 stars can be less than $200, to London where a hotel of the same quality would be $300-$350-ish.

thursdaysd

I checked the prices for the Ridgemount, which is where I stay (in Bloomsbury) when not staying in a student dorm. I suppose it might be a two star - small rooms but clean, well located and good full English breakfast. But for late August you have to stay a minimum of four nights and the quad with own bath is just outside your budget. The quad with shared bath might be just within it. The Arosfa on one side is a little nicer but more expensive, the Jesmond on the other is cheaper but not as nice.

You need to look at the chains janisj mentioned, or the hostels. Student dorms won't work, they only have singles or twin/doubles. Think prices for New York or San Francisco, or Boston (crazy expensive!), NOT Michigan. You are going to a major world capital with a housing shortage and LOTS of tourists.

mjs

My personal opinion is that you need at least 4 full days in London and 3 full days in Paris just for a bare bones basic visit. Add more days if you want to do things outside the cities like Stonehenge, Versailles or Disneyland. So 9 nights +
University student housing is actually not a bad option for you. The University of London has Halls all over London for rent during the summer and there are all sorts of rooms often with shared kitchens. Some have private baths and some are shared. Its been a few years since my daughter was at UCL but I seem to recall some Quad rooms with a private bath that would work for you. The University of Paris used to rent out rooms during the summer but its been ages since I have done that.

janisj

Good post from thursdaysd. One clarification though >>Student dorms won't work, they only have singles or twin/doubles. <<

Some of the schools do have small apartments that would work -- I stayed in one at the LSE in Malet Street just down from the British Museum w/ a friend in August. We had a double room, a single room, and living room w/ sofa sleeper and kitchen. Probably in the $150-$200 range depending on the exchange rate next year.

thursdaysd

I checked universityrooms.com for late August and the largest on offer was a triple.

I know LSE has some apartments available year round unlike the dorms but thought they were on the pricey side. May depend on the exchange rate, but who knows what will happen over the next few months!

fuzzbucket

Chain hotels will be your best bet - inexpensive, family-friendly, normally have air-conditioning (which you will need) and tourism is way down in Paris, so there might be great reductions and special offers.
Use www.booking.com, check off amenities like a/c and don't forget to mention how many bodies of all ages will be occupying the room, or you will be turned away.

fuzzbucket

PS - I'd go to the London forum, either at Fodor's or Rick Steves to check about family friendly rooms at good prices.

janisj

>> I'd go to the London forum, either at Fodor's or Rick Steves . . . <<

Just an FYI -- there is no 'London Forum' here -- just 'Europe'. And you have your thread tagged for France and the UK so no need to check for another Fodors board . . .

ElendilPickle

Don't rule out hostels. Mr. Pickle and I have stayed in several over the years; they are a good, inexpensive option.

Take a look at the YHA hostels in London. I plugged in some dates in August 2017 at the YHA St. Pancras (across the street from Kings Cross station, if any of you are Harry Potter fans), and you could get a room that sleeps four people, including an ensuite bathroom, for 112.50 GBP. http://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/london-st-pancras

Lee Ann