Hello! I have been reading through many of the wonderful posts for weeks. Thank you to all who contribute such great tips and information!! Hopefully I will be able to pay it back next month after my partner and I return from Europe. I have a few questions about our trip that I hope some seasoned travelers might be able to provide input on.
We will be flying into London Heathrow on Sept. 4. We will take the Express train from the airport to a connection and eventually end up at our hotel (which is the Hesperia Hotel located near Victoria station). We will plan to withdraw cash from an ATM. We were also considering purchasing an Oyster Card.
*Is there a different Oyster Card for tourists/residents?
I have read through the posts that it is a great idea to find a pub to use as kind of your "home base" pub to wind down with.
*Can anyone recommend a pub near our hotel?
*Can anyone recommend a good flea market to go to on Sunday?
We leave London on Monday morning (the 8th) and travel on the Eurostar to Paris.
*Where should we exchange any remaining British Pounds for Euros?
*During our stay in Paris should we purchase the Orange card? Is it possible to purchase the Orange card to use for the same week that you are in (I read that the card used prior to the Orange card had to be purchased in advance). Do we need to bring a picture for the card with us? I have viewed the different zones (1-3 vs. 1-6) but the maps are a bit confusing. How do I know if I need one for all six zones?
We will be staying at the Beaubourg hotel until the 13th. The hotel is very near the Pompidou Center.
*Final question (for now) should we purchase the museum pass? I don't think we would necessarily save money based on the places we want to visit....any thoughts?

Thanks to all who might respond!!

Use www.fancyapint.com to find a good pub near your hotel.

Lee Ann

*Is there a different Oyster Card for tourists/residents?>>>>

no

I have read through the posts that it is a great idea to find a pub to use as kind of your "home base" pub to wind down with.
*Can anyone recommend a pub near our hotel?>>>>

I like the Two Chairmen. I use the Albert a fair bit, but that's becuase it's handy for my head office.

*Can anyone recommend a good flea market to go to on Sunday?>>>>

Camden Passage in Islington (Angel tube). Not to be confused with Camden Market which is in Camden Town

We leave London on Monday morning (the 8th) and travel on the Eurostar to Paris.
*Where should we exchange any remaining British Pounds for Euros?

At any of literally hundereds of Bureax de Change which are every 100 yards in the city. Failing that there's a bureau in the station.

<Final question (for now) should we purchase the museum pass? I don't think we would necessarily save money based on the places we want to visit....any thoughts?>


It may not save you money if you don't plan to see a lot of museums, but it will let you skip the line at most of them - big time and hassle savings.

You'll more than likely have to purchase a Navigo Decouverte in Paris as the Carte Orange is being phased out. You will still need a small picture. You can load a one week pass on the card. It is similar to the Oyster as it has a chip. Usually zone 1-2 is sufficient for most tourist activities

The Tube (London Underground) will get you to Victoria as fast as the Heathrow Express does, and for much less money. Change to the District Line at Hammersmith by crossing the platform.

Be aware that <i>Carte Orange</i> is always valid from a Monday through the following Sunday. They are sold beginning on the Friday prior to their period of validity through Wednesday. No cards are sold on Thursday.

The zones covered by the various flavors are here: http://www.ratp.info/orienter/plan_plan_zone_pdf.php

And here (<u>big</u> PDF): http://www.stif-idf.fr/IMG/pdf/carte...mblancgris.pdf

I agree that you should just take the tube from Heathrow to your hotel, instead of taking the Heathrow Express. You won't save much time by taking the Heathrow Express, and you'll spend lots more &pound; for that. Just follow the directions Robes has given you.

If you're going to return to the UK in the next couple of years, you're better off keeping the &pound; and just get &euro; from an ATM after you arrive in Paris. Everytime you change currency, you lose $. So to change $ -&gt; &pound; -&gt; &euro;, you lose twice.

There is a Barclays ATM at Heathrow tube station (just before you enter the tube station).

Lastly, for the Paris Museum Pass, you'll have to do the math yourself to see if you'll come out ahead. The benefit of having the Pass, is that for the big museums like Louvre and Orsay, you can always leave the museum after 2-3 hours, then go back the next day and tackle another section. OTOH, if you are just paying admission for one day, you feel obligated to cram it all down on one day, which is not the most pleasant thing to do sometimes.

Thank you all so much for your responses! The information is very helpful!

That's an intangible of the PMP I hadn't considered. Add that to: skipping the lines at many venues, dropping into interesting little museums that you would probably otherwise bypass, and the ready availability of free toilets in the museums.

Now what the world needs is a map of the PMP sites integrated with our GPS so it can direct us to that nearest toilet quickly.