London and Paris--2 weeks
 

I think my fiance and I have finally figured out where we want to go for our honeymoon. We do not have anything booked yet, but our vacation time is from 4/17 to 5/1/11. We have never been to Europe. We were originally wanting to go to Italy, but since Easter falls during this time, we have decided to do to London and Paris instead.

We would like fly into London first and do all of the normal touristy things there. We would love to take a day trip to see Stonehenge. Then, we would like to take the train to Paris. Do some touristy things there and perhaps a day trip to Giverny and/or Versailles. We would fly out of Paris, probably. We do not want to be in London during or following up to the royal wedding festivities on 4/29/11.

So, questions: Does this plan sound feasible in the amount of time we have? Any advice on how much time to spend in each city or itinerary suggestions? Also, any tips on flights or hotel recommendations? Thanks so much everyone! You have been so helpful so far!

Oh, and we are the type of people that need to be up and moving and exploring (museums, food/drink, landmarks, etc.), if that matters :)

It's good. A week in each is a nice amount of time. And the in-London out-Paris sequence is good.

Let the day trips be something you book when you get there. With th eaomunt of time you have, it will be easy to fill your time within the cities.

You can easily do Versailes on your own, Giverny with a bit more effort. There are also tour companies that offer one or both locations. That time of year, you might want to linger in the gardens.

Sounds fine to me.I would start looking at London hotels soon , what with the royal wedding being close to your dates

This is our kind of travel - have enough time to hang out, explore and get a good feel for your destination.

With a week stay, you may consider apartments. But first, think about what type of area you'd like to "live" in. Getting away from the traditional hotel districts can give you a better insight into other cultures.

Look into transport and museum passes - if you expect to visit more than two you'll save and you'll avoid lines.

These are my 2 favorite cities! A week in each city is perfect. It's best to stay in the city centre in each of the cities. Just about all that you'll want to see as a first time visitor is centrally located. And your day trips will be easier since you'll be relatively close to rail stations. Getting around in London & Paris is very, very easy on public transport, although both cities are highly walkable. Both cities have touring companies that specialize in walks and I find this a great way to see so much more. London = http://www.walks.com/
Paris = http://www.paris-walks.com/

Lots of good theatre in London. Plus good jazz in the Soho area and many good ethnic restaurants. Probably don't want to wait too much longer before booking hotels/apartments. You'll find many great suggestions on this board.

Your plan sounds good. My first trip to Europe I spent a week in London and a week in Paris. I didn't take any day trips out of London, however, and because I was jet-lagged and trying to figure how to navigate such a huge city, the time flew by.
You asked about flights and it occured to me that if you find cheaper/more convenient flight times to fly in and out of Paris you could do what my husband and I did on our honeymoon and stay one week in Paris, one week in the South of France--Provence or Nice. The TGV takes only 2 1/2 hours. I just mention it because you were originally thinking Italy and the South of France would give you a little bit of that feel.
You will love Paris if you like to be up and around-it is a great city for strolling and finding spots to enjoy. Been to Versailles twice and have yet to see the entire 'complex'. It is really big and you need to devote enought time...

Enjoy the planning!

You have done well in planning like this. Also, something you may well want to consider is to do the Eurostar train from London to Paris. You can get some decent fares and most of all it takes out a LOT of hassles (downtown to downtown). I just did the reverse for my kids and I think I paid 45 euros each (one way) for Paris to London.

dave

Sounds like a great plan. For hotel recos you will need to provide a budget - and let us know what you expect for that. London is typically very expensive - so for 2 people you might try Priceline and get a 4* (like a US 3*) for a reasonable price - althouhg getting 7 days together may be a problem.