Phx__Traveler

My wife and I are thinking of going to London and Paris for our Honeymoon. Another option would be to go to London and somewhere in Italy like Rome, Venice, or Florence. We would leave on May 15th (arrive around noon on the 16th) and return on May 31th. Not sure when we would want to make the change from London.
- Total budget is around $8k USD ($2.5k flight, $2.4k hotel, $1.8K food, & $1.3K other). If we spend less on flights and hotels then it could go towards food and the other stuff or just save some. Does this seem reasonable? Also does anyone used WestJet, they seem to have the best flight prices? What is a reasonable price for a flight?
- As far as a place to stay in both places we do not need a super nice hotel, but something nicer than a motel 6. A B&B would also be an option. A/C would be needed. It would be nice if they had a central location in both places. Does anyone have a suggestion?
- We want to do a scenic train trip from one or both of the cities. We want to do a day trip or two out of the city (could be part of the train trip) to a less city like location. Any ideas?
- We would prefer to use public transportation and not rent a car. Even renting bikes and riding around the city would be fun.
- In London we would minimally want to do the following (touristy things): See the Tower of London, Go to a museum, See a play/musical/show, see a castle, see big ben, and go to a market (for shopping and food).
- In Paris we would minimally want to do the following (touristy things): Eiffel Tower, Luxembourg Gardens, and Picasso museum.

Any input is appreciated.

janisj

>>A/C would be needed.<<

In May? Not likely -- especially in London.

>>See the Tower of London . . . see a castle<<

The Tower <i>is</i> a castle.

You have 15 nights and $2400/£1600/€2200. So only a little over £100 per night. That is not much in London. €150-ish will be a bit easier in Paris.

$1800 for food will net you about $50 pp per day. That is fine if you plan some picnics and don't drink much. Nice dinners (not posh but nice) will cost that much. Casual bistros and cafes will cost less. Having you main meal at lunch will save some money.

justineparis

As said.. you do not need ac in London or Paris in May ( where are you from?)

Your budget is tight for London. We find it painfully expensive ( with the pound and all ) even compared to Paris ( which is not cheap either) .

You have started a bit late.. my kids have rented a nice apartment for 620 EUROS for the week , about same time you will be there.. we rented an apartment too.. 800 euros a week..

If you are willing to stay in a small clean but definitely small roomed hotel in a GREAT central location in Paris I can suggest the Hotel St Pierre.. ( and btw.. it has ac. you wont need it though most likely.. lol ) Make sure its the one in the 6th( there are several with similar names of course) .. cheap for location.. but rooms are small.. I mean,, small.


In London we are staying at the Celtic Hotel .. we love it.. and it includes a great made to order breakie..
Rooms can have ensuite bathrooms or not.. depends on what you pay.. we thought our double ensuite was great.
We have stayed at both places before.

Both clean and well located.

Do not expect luxury in this budget range.

StCirq

There is no way you need AC in May unless El Niño causes havoc. You're going to have a tough time in both cities eating on US$50 a day - sandwiches from supermarkets maybe, and water to drink.

There are hundreds of possibilities for daytrips by train from both cities. Check out a few guidebooks to see which might appeal to you.

I would also use a guidebook to expand your wish list of things to see in Paris. Your list at present is minimalistic.

Phx__Traveler

Thank you for the responses. The AC comments was a copy from when we thought we would be going in late July. sounds like it would be best to up the budget. I have seen airfare for around 800 less than what I stated so that would go to food/hotel.

We generally like to be spontaneous so a lot of the things we go see would be a day or two before choice. Is there any sites/tours that would need to be booked in advance?

fuzzbucket

I wouldn't put anything past Mother Nature this year...
Even though many hotels don't turn on the a/c that early in the year, I'd look for a room with a/c - that way, if it is unseasonably hot, the hotel will give in and turn on the system and you'll be happy.

B&Bs in London are pricey IMO, and the inexpensive ones are not always centrally-located. Most of your travel budget will go towards lodging in London - check hotels.com and booking.com and reference them on the map - there are several "centers" in London, and the city is spread out all over the place and not easily walkable, so best to pick the most interesting and least expensive area and get an Oyster card for public transport. I'm not sure about riding bikes in London - it's hard enough just crossing the street on foot...

Paris will be much easier, since the city is more compact and it's fairly easy to walk from one attraction to the other in a short period of time. The biking setup is not ideal, and you'll be spending the majority of your time riding in traffic instead of on dedicated bike lanes. Walking is a lot less stressful, and can be almost as quick. If staying less than a week, buy a carnet in the nearest Metro station - set of 10 loose tickets for anyone to use on the Metro or bus. Make sure to visit this site to learn how to use them properly and avoid fines: www.ratp.fr

There are loads of clean, nice hotels in good locations in Paris for under 150EU/night. Rooms are traditionally small, but that's because full bathrooms are now built into the room, instead of down the hall. Check hotels.com, look for Postal Codes 75005, '6, '11, '12, '14, and 75015 and check them on the map using Google Street View - don't bother looking for free breakfast, which isn't usually worth it. Instead, head for the nearest cafe and take the "formule" for around 7 - 10 EU (cheapest food is always off the main thoroughfares).

Always look for the "menu" or "formule" at lunch and dinner, which will be cheapest. Lunch is always cheaper than dinner, so if you can have your main meal then, I'd recommend it. Tap water is free, but sodas, bottled water, juice, beer and wine all cost around 5 - 8 EU, depending on the neighborhood. Picnics are nice, and you can find anything you need in the nearest grocery, "traiteur", cheese or butcher shop or outdoor market.

janisj

>> We find it painfully expensive ( with the pound and all ) <<

The £ is at almost historic lows. $1.46 . . . If this trend continues, London will be a veritable bargain.

fuzzbucket

If you're coming on Eurostar from London to Paris or vice-versa, there are only two stops, if you don't take the direct train - neither of these towns is interesting. You'd be better off going from Paris directly - you can Google "day trips from Paris" - there are several interesting places (depending on what you like) within 2 hours of the city. And do the same with London.

In Paris, if you can buy train tickets in advance, they are much cheaper - usually 90 days ahead of time. If you need help buying tickets, check this website: http://www.seat61.com/

traveller1959

- Total budget is around $8k USD ($2.5k flight, $2.4k hotel, $1.8K food, & $1.3K other). If we spend less on flights and hotels then it could go towards food and the other stuff or just save some. Does this seem reasonable? Also does anyone used WestJet, they seem to have the best flight prices? What is a reasonable price for a flight?

Both cities are very expensive. You can save a lot of money if you do not eat often at restaurants. In both cities, you find all kindes of fast food eateries, street stands etc. which sometimes offer pretty good food. Also, you can save a lot of money by buying food and beverages in grocery stores and delis. Bring plastic plates, cutlery, bottle opener/corkscrew and cups from home and have picnics on park benches and hotel rooms. It is the European style, so nothing wrong with having a bottle of wine in a public park or elsewhere.

- As far as a place to stay in both places we do not need a super nice hotel, but something nicer than a motel 6. A B&B would also be an option. A/C would be needed. It would be nice if they had a central location in both places. Does anyone have a suggestion?

Use the usual hotel search engines. Especially check Priceline and Hotwire for hotel search. In both cities, location does not matter too much because you will almost everywhere be close to a subway station (as long as you stay in the inner cities).

- We want to do a scenic train trip from one or both of the cities. We want to do a day trip or two out of the city (could be part of the train trip) to a less city like location. Any ideas?

Well, both cities are in flat country and I cannot think about tran trips which are especially scenic. Maybe from Paris to lovely Rouen through the Seine Valley. From London, my first choice would be the train to Oxford which is breathtakingly beautiful with all the gothic college buildings. Also, Bath is in easy reach by train and the Cotswolds (train to Moreton-in-Marsh).

From Paris, Versailles Castle & Gardens are a must-see. Other destinations for daytrips would be Chantilly Castle and Fontainebleau Castle. Or you take the train (1:50) to Auxerre or even to Beaune (2:10) for daytrips into Bourgogne. Or to Tours (1:10) which is the gate to the lovely Loire castles (but Chantilly and Fontainebleau are equally spectacular).

- We would prefer to use public transportation and not rent a car. Even renting bikes and riding around the city would be fun.

Better take the train to one of the above mentioned places and rent bikes there. In London and Paris biking is not too much fun. In these cities you take the subway.

- In London we would minimally want to do the following (touristy things): See the Tower of London, Go to a museum, See a play/musical/show, see a castle, see big ben, and go to a market (for shopping and food).

Go as early as possible to the Tower and see the Crown Jewels first before the lines get too long. The British Museum is number one, but you find hundreds of other museums, according to your interests. The very best castle which you can visit is Windsor Castle, the Queen's residence. Do it. Next comes Buckingham Palace. I won't be possible NOT to see Big Ben. Markets: http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to...ns-top-markets

And of course you must visit Westminster Abbey.

- In Paris we would minimally want to do the following (touristy things): Eiffel Tower, Luxembourg Gardens, and Picasso museum.

This is a rather strange selection of things. The main museum is the Louvre and, there are hundreds or more museums. In Paris, you must experience the boulevards, the squares (Concorde, Vosges, Vendome..) and the architecture. There are more splendid buildings than I can mention here (Invalides, Hotel de Ville...).

Again, I missed the churches: Notre-Dame and, even better, nearby Sainte-Chapelle, probably the most beautiful gothic church at all.

Whathello

Congrats for your wedding.

I'm not sure the pound is at an historical low, but $ is at a historical high. Wich is the same for US posters, but not for me

Daytrips :
From London, we did Hampton Court and absolutely loved it.
We did it by train but if you organize yourself better, you may do one way with a boat and the other with a train to mix experiences.
I must go to Stonehenge next time I'm in London...

From Paris
Chartres is superb and easy to reach or some chateaux (Versailles, Vaux le Vicomte (as nice, but less crowded), Pierrefonds etc. There is a great post by French Mystique about daytrips.


Prices :
I find London quite expensive but am no expert (I didn't go there more than 10 times and didn't even develop a 20 pages itinerary).

For Paris the average price for an average low 3* is about 100 € per night - one room 2 people no breakfast.
Sky has no limit of course, but below 75€ with a good bargain you'll find yourself in hotels I don't want to go (anymore) : I've been to about 20 such hotels and can recommend only 2

Victoire 1 bd Ornano 18e
Europe (hôtel de l') 98 Bd De Magenta 10e

Usually people don't like the locations of these hotels : Victoire is close to Barbes, a very coloured area (no prob, but most US posters say they feel ill at ease there)

Europe is a very nice 2* close to Gare du Nord on Magenta (lots of people dislike the area too).

In the 6, the least expensive hotel I've been to is Saint-André des arts (last week, on rec from Fuzz hereabove), where breakfast is included. Small, very small, no Ac, a lot of charm, no lift, in need of refreshing - but if it were fully ok, it would cost double the price.. Superbly located. I'd go back, but wouldn't take my wife there (we're getting old and like some more confort, you're young).


Go on booking.com or hotels.com and select the arrondissement you want to be in and a price range and select hotels that are above 80% on their ranking.

Don't hesitate to reserve directly (after checking prices on those sites) and tell them you're on honeymoon - they may upgrade you or give you something if asked.

traveller1959

I just checked Hotwire for London, 15th to 22nd May:

I found some very cheap hotels outside the inner city (you may check the tube connections). But I also found this one:

Towerbridge - St. Pauls Cathedral area condo 3.5 stars (the Crowne Plaza, Embassy Suites class) with kitchenette, Self-service laundry and free Wifi for €83. If I were you, I would book this one immediately.

nytraveler

One thing you MUST buy in advance to avoid spending a ton is the Eurostar train from London to Paris. The tickets are like plane flights - the cheap prices go first (I believe 90 days out they go on sale and you should buy then) and prices are different for trains on different days and at different times.

So you need to commit early and buy as soon as you can.

IMHO in London stay as centrally as possible within your limited budget AND make sure you are near a tube stop. London is a very large city with sights spread out in all directions and much as exploring by walking is wonderful there are many times when you will want to use the tube to save time.

One good point is that many museums are free. Bu tother major sights can be quite expensive - $20 to $25 per person.

Agree that your total budget is doable but is NOT generous and you will need to go for modest lodgings and budget carefully for food. Lots of picnics or quick sandwich lunches. Be aware that soft drinks esp are very small and very expensive.

Don;t expect to dine in any upscale places. (We typically do one dinner in a very nice restaurant in each city and allow about $300 per couple for that, including wine.)

mominthepark

We are also going to London and Paris in June, staying at Premier Inn London St Pancras 4 nights for £564.00 and found a place through VRBO in Paris.

Thanks to many posters on this site, we have already booked our Eurostar tickets. I would advise you look into that ASAP.

Congrats on your wedding.

BigRuss

For London, you need to go to www.daysoutguide.co.uk and print off every voucher that is interesting. Bring passport-type head shots and when you get to London buy 7-day Travelcards from a TRAIN station (not Underground station) like Waterloo, Victoria, Charing X at the national rail ticket counter.

This will save you 1/2 the price of the Tower ($33 or so), Churchill War Rooms, Hampton Court Palace, and others. Places that charge admission are costly.

Note that your admission price is ZERO to

Tate Modern
Tate Britain
Imperial War Museum
National Gallery
National Portrait Gallery
V&A Museum
Museum of London
National Maritime Museum
British Museum
British Library

and more.

London has numerous places to eat fast and cheap, especially with food from Pret-a-Manger (may be called just "Pret") now, EAT, M&S Simply Food and others.

Paris food quality is more directly related to price.