London and Paris - practical information needed
 

My family of 5 (2 adults, 3 kids) is off to London and Paris in less than a month. I have our "tourist" itinerary pretty well set up, but now I have a few basic questions:

1) What is the customary tip for a car service driving us from Heathrow to London? Will they accept USD, or should I get some UK pounds prior to our departure? Can you charge a tip on your credit card (We're using Ray Skinner)?

2) Are you expected to bargain at outdoor stands - not food stands, but street vendor stands where they might sell costume jewelry, "art" (aimed at tourists), and the like? Are there any street vendor areas to avoid in either city?

3) Likewise, are there any street vendor areas/stores/boutiques that are highly recommended where one can find quality goods (particularly accessories - jewelry, scarves, pins, and knick knacks for your house) that don't cost a fortune? I'll be staying in South Kensington and the Marais. I'm dreaming if I think I can go shopping since I'll be with my family, but I'm a working mom who deserves a little memento from her travels! I tend to gravitate towards items that are a little different and funky, yet classy and not junky-looking.

4) Are shorts for adults a complete faux-pas? I can't remember what I wore there 20+ years ago. My husband is not into clothes at all but needs to look respectable. Can children under 10 wear shorts in churches, or is that frowned upon?

Thanks!

Don't expect to pay in US$ any more than you would be able to pay in pounds at home. You can get pounds at the airport ATM - don't do it before leaving home. Be sure you let your bank know that you will be traveling out of the country, too. If you use a credit card you can add on a tip - but check to be sure credit cards are accepted at the time of transport. Tipping - I usually tip about 10% for such transit.

Bargaining is not the norm, though if you express interest and politely ask if that is the best price you may get a discount.

Tourist souvenirs like you describe abound - prices do vary somewhat and tend to be highest in attraction gift shops at the major tourist sites. The sidewalk stalls in front of BHV in Paris often have good buys on scarves and such. In London there are scads of tourist trinket shops near Picadilly Circle and some nicer stuff at Covent Garden. In Paris there are rows of them on the walk to Montmartre from the metro stop.
Shorts are not exactly common in Paris, but those capri pants for men sure are. Saw more shorts in London but usually the longer kind on younger men. Lots of those capri pants on guys, too. Did see kids in shorts in churches, but Paris and London are not as fanatic about this as Italy.

5) Forgot one - is there an adapter/converter that anyone can recommend. Amazon reviews were not too helpful. Just need something to power up Ipods and a flat iron (for hair).

Check to see if that Ipod is actually dual voltage..if it is then all you need is a plug adaptor and you can easily find those in discount stores, radio Shack, etc.

Hi KF,

Your iPod charger should say 110-220V.

You will need a plug adapter for the UK and another one for France.

I would rather go nekkid than wear Capris. :)

((I))

Also try Camden Market (northern line at camden town), Spitalfields market (liverpool street station)as well in London. If you google them you can find

In response to query number four, shorts for men have been making a comeback over the last couple of years and are on the verge of going mainstream, so if your husband does decide to wear shorts he'd be very on trend for this summer.

The shorts however 'need' to be smart cotton or denim, knee length or shorter and teamed with a low Chuck Taylor or similar. A.P.C. and Farhi have some good pairs out for summer.

Any sort of nylon, sport short (no matter what length) is generally not really a good look (outside of a sports field), but if your husband feels comfortable and isn't going anywhere with a dress code he'll be fine.

The 'capri' pants for men that people have mentioned are known as three-quarter length trousers/shorts in the U.K. and pantacourt in France, just in case your husband wants to get into the swing of European fashion. From my experience they are more popular in France than the U.K. so he'll have a wider choice of styles and materials in Paris.

Have fun!

re: #5
just to be clear, you need an adapter (not a converter) for your iPod. An adapter slips on the parallel flat blades of your US plug to make it fit in the two pin French or slanted flat blade English socket.

A converter changes the voltage (from European 220 to US 110) and most are heavy, bulky and suck, risk damaging your device. If your hair iron is not "Input 110-220v" leave it at home and either buy a dual voltage one before you depart or buy a cheap one there that will operate on 220v. This will likely cost you less than a decent converter. If it is 110-220 you will be fine with just an adapter, though you may find that it gets hotter on European voltage.

I would avoid the "art" stalls in the Place du Tetre in Montmartre. And in any outdoor market, watch out for pickpockets.

I live in Italy, where sports clothes are more common as a fashion statement, but for daytime touristing and not going into fancy restos for lunch, I think comfortable sports clothes are acceptable in both London and Paris, including nylon and cargo capris. Shorts for children under 10 are fine, and Parisians are not devoted to their churches.

You might do just as well poking your head into ordinary stores for your memento of your trip. Two of my favorite purchases when traveling came from ordinary department and hardware stores -- a very smart red cap and scarf that was quite cheap in a discount department store in inverness, and an extremely attractive apron and oven mitt from a hardware store in Torino. Both were easy to pack and take home.

By the way, since you're staying in the Marais, perhaps this shop would interest you:

http://www.ladroguerie.com/

http://www.qype.co.uk/place/96308-la-droguerie-Paris

and this website is great for tracking down all sorts of stuff in your neighborhood, including other shops

http://www.qype.co.uk/fr101-paris-les-halles

I live in London. Shorts may or may not be dignified, but for London atleast, thats besides the point. The weather here is notoriously unpredictable. You are as likely to need a cardigan as be sweltering, even in August. Shorts aren't very practical for packing for the UK.
You could get lucky and have warm, sunny, fantastic days, or you could have chilly, cloudy drizzle. I'd go for light-weight trousers and pack a sweater/light-jacket.

Chiming in on

1) Some car services will let you pay by CC and include the tip (I usually do 10 - 15%), but it is very easy to tap the ATM to get pounds/euros. Just be sure to alert your bank/credit card companies that you'll be out of the country.

3) I always think shopping in London is expensive, but have found some cute accessories in the shops around Covent Garden. Fortnum & Mason is good for foodstuffs/teas to bring home for friends as souveniers. In Paris, I love the bouquinista (sp?) stands along the Seine. Have had some great finds there, including some old prints that we had framed when we returned home. They always draw compliments. Also, the super marches can be a great source for trinkets and take homes like inexpensive french skincare/beauty products - always a hit with my and DD's girlfriends.

4) I think nice khaki/bermuda type shorts for your DH should be fine for sightseeing. It can get unbelievably hot in August, and you will find some places are not air-conditioned. Shorts will also be fine for the kids(though if the 10 y.o. is a girl, I'd recommend a respectable cut/length - no short shorts)

5) as Seamus noted above, an adapter is all you should need for ipod, laptop type top devices. You can get a multi country adapter on amazon for $10.
http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Trav...8324776&sr=8-1

As to the flat iron, take this advice from someone with unruly hair who used to have frequent business trips overseas - BUY A LOCAL PRODUCT. I've futzed around with converters and expensive dual voltage hair electricals, with no satisfaction. After having a curling iron expand to twice it's size and nearly blow up in under 2 minutes in London, I finally gave up. You can buy a flat iron at Boots or Superdrug in London for under GBP15, and the supermarches (carrefour etc) in Paris will carry them for around $20 Euro. I have a bathroom cabinet with haircare appliances for various parts of the globe - some have been used only once, others have many FF miles. They are the best travel investment I've ever made :)

Have a great trip!