After many months of gracing the sidelines of this message board.....I'm going to do it and ask a question! I would like to take my 16 year old daughter and visit London and maybe Paris this summer in August. I am thinking 9-10 days between the two. We have been to Europe before but this would be the without my husband and I am sort of a little nervous. Please help with making the decision between a group tour or doing it ourselves. My daughter would like to see some of the English countryside/villages too. I am nervous about it being all to overwhelming to plan on my own.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Personally I would do it myself. There is such a huge amount of information on the internet which would help you plan, without overplanning. Both are cities with just so much to see and do. What I would suggest in London is that you do a hop on hop off bus tour early on and that will help orient you and identify places you may wish to return to. London walks is excellent both for London and for trips outside London. Oxford/Cotswolds or Bath could be of interest to you - all you do is meet at one of the mainline stations and all is organised from there. Have a look online at what they offer. So what I am suggesting is that you do a some small, organised things without committing to a group tour. Also in UK you have absolutely no language barrier and it is totally geared to tourists. Paris is slightly different in terms of the language! I just couldn't bear having to do what the group wanted and when, moving as a pack, spending time with people not of my choosing etc and suspect your daughter may find it difficult. That said I have never really looked at group tours so may be making ill informed judgements and many may be fine for what you want.

you can do the "cities on your own with a city tour or walking tour to add to your own wandering, and take a short organized tour from those cities to the outskirts.

hotels should be no problem.

you can take shuttles to town also if you are concerned about getting to hotel on public transport.

have a wonderful trip.

i think you will have more quality time for just chilling out with your daughter if you do this type of combination.

i have never taken a complete organized tour but have the impression it is very fast paced.. and would probably be full of older people and few kids anyway? maybe i am wrong..

I'm always amuse about the concerns some people here seem to have about being around "older" people but apparently their advice is OK.

You should do it yourself, you'll be more free. See travel guides and in the city go to the tourist information.
See my tips on Paris and London :
http://findyourtravel.com/taxonomy_menu/3/18/19
http://www.findyourtravel.com/c60_Travel_London.htm

i am considered "older people" myself, and assume my teenage nephews, for example, would have alot more fun on an organized tour if it were geared towards others with families and kids.. which i am not sure this is the case.

i always enjoyed my parents' friends´company. but that was not the case with other friends i had. so..

i have heard this "complaint" from others who posted here, and a friend.

just throwing out stuff.

Hi NE,


stop dithering.

EMPOWER YOURSELF!!

Get a couple of guidebooks, look up London and Paris under "destinations", enter <city name AND hotel> in the "search this forum" box, check www.kayak.com for flights into London and out of Paris, see www.eurostar.com for tickets to Paris (RT one-day fare is usually the cheapest), AND GO.

I've traveled to Europe several times, each time with a smaller group. First was a group of school mates (32 of them!), later 5 friends, and last year, just my son and me. I'd have to say traveling with my son (19) was the best of all my European vacations. Not only did we experience dreaming about, and planning the trip together, but we explored all sorts of places that group tours just can't get to. Sure, we made some wrong turns and zigged when we should have zagged, but that's part of the learning curve and what makes the adventure of travel all the more memorable.

Although I've never been to London, I can say that Paris is a delight to navigate and explore. Take advantage of the many travel web sites available and learn about the places you'd like to visit. Do your homework. Then just go. You won't be disappointed.

Melissa

Thank you all for the advice and suggestions. I mentioned to my daughter that I was thinking about a tour and she overruled me in an instant! I will look up London walks, as eliza3 recommended and blitz thanks for the links. So I guess I should "stop dithering" and get on with planning the trip on our own! I am reading up on some of the trip reports and will be back with more questions I'm sure!

Thanks again everyone!

Especially for a trip that is primarily London and Paris, it's easy to plan. Basically all you need are plane tickets and a couple hotel reservations.

Maybe fill in with a few organized 1/2 or full-day tours thrown in.

Now, off you go

Once you have been to Europe, it is not that bad to go on your own. It is especially easy to go to London and Paris is not that difficult. I would get arrangements through a group such at go-today.com That will give you the basics -- plane tickets, hotel (you can choose the quality and look the place up on the internet), rail connections, and they even have the option of adding day trips. I had rather do that than have a structured tour. I take student groups which are not bad since they pretty much know each other. I do not find the idea of consistently traveling with a group of adult strangers in close quarters. Short trips to small towns outside of London would be easy. The fact that they are English speaking really simplifies everything. Trips to Bath, Canterbury, or Windsor would be simple and they are great. You two will have great fun!!

Hi NE,

I recommend two laminated, fold out style maps which are very handy to carry around with you and are found in the travel section of most major bookstores: Streetwise or Artwise London and Streetwise or Artwise Paris. Great for navigating each city, both of which are easy to get around on foot and via London's Underground (nicknamed The Tube) and Paris' Metro.