London and ? Trip itinerary
 

Hello and happy New Year! I would like to take my 13 year old daughter to London the first week in April. We are interested in traveling to Amsterdam or Paris (or both) while we are there but don't want to be on a plane or train for our whole trip, so I am thinking that we will most likely fly into London, spend 3 days then travel to Paris either by plane or train and home from there. If you have traveled to all three and were able to enjoy your time there without feeling overwhelmed, please let me know.

If anyone has any suggestions about hotels, day trips or any other helpful tips for London, Paris or Amsterdam, I would greatly appreciate it. We have not booked anything yet. The dates of travel are 4/1 - 4/9.

My daughter loves Shakespeare, art, and history. We love to cook and always enjoy eating at local favorite restaurants. Also looking for suggestions for clothes shopping. We would love to visit the Van Gogh museum and Ann Frank house in Amsterdam but I have been told that not going to Paris while we are that close would be a mistake.

Your time and help is greatly appreciated. Thank you

Trains best London-Paris www.eurostar.com -just over 2 hours all told once on train.

Paris-Amsterdam about 3.5 hours - www.thalys.com.

With just several days of travel I'd do at most London and Paris- little time for day trips but from Paris Versailles is just a short RER/metro ride away.

For lots on trains check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

All 3 cities are great but I do prefer Paris over Amsterdam. If you love cooking and local food and clothes shopping then Paris is no brainer. If you love art and Van Gogh, then Orsay Museum in Paris in a great alternative: they have his painting, together with many Impressionism masters.

Not forget to say that Paris is nearer to London than Amsterdam is. Take Eurostar train from London to Paris, it'll be more convenient and even faster than flight.

I would DEFINITELY do more than 3 days in London -- especially since one or both of you will be jet lagged on arrival.

If your whole trip is a week ( exactly 7 days) then you'll only have 4.5 days free on the ground -- enough for London. IF you have 7 days on the ground (a nine day trip) then you could do London and a couple of days in either Amsterdam or Paris. Taking the train to either.

However -- don't get your hearts set on the Anne Frank House. Check to see if there is availability. tickets sell out far in advance. If you don't have tickets you must stand in line outdoors for hours.

Tmeg--

Given that your daughter loves Shakespeare, and given the fairly short length of your trip, why not just stay in England? Go to Bath, the Cotswolds, Oxford, Stratford. That would be a good trip--southern England was one of our favorites out of many European trips, and a whole lot more economical--from both time and money perspectives.

London and Paris.. book Eurostar in advance ( its a short ride,only 2 hours and 25 minutes, book second class.. bring your own food onboard( everyone does) and you can bring drinks on too)
I like Amsterdam.. ( been 4 times now) but you cant compare Paris to Amsterdam.

PS. Ann Franks house is wonderful.. and if you can get advance tickets its so worth it.. we managed to get some for this past june, but I had to be vigilant checking the website( they only release so many in advance, and only so many days in advance, it was frustrating)..

Paris is well.. Paris.. ( ok, I love London, been 6 or 7 times now.. but I love love love PAris )

Amsterdam's 'must' sight is itself and the Anne Frank House and a couple of museums -more easily managed in just a few days than Paris.

As for Paris vs London -each city has a surfeit of great sights- if not preferring one over the other split your time with an extra day in London for jet lag recovering.

If you choose Amsterdam, there is an English language pre tour lecture at the Anne Frank House that is quite interesting and a good prelude to seeing the house. Monitor the web site religiously.

If you choose London, see if there is a performance at the Globe Theater.

Agree with above poster that you could easily spend the entire trip in England: London, Bath, Oxford, Hampton Court.

How many nights on the ground in Europe? If you have 7 nights or less, then spend the whole time in London - that is just 6 days and you'll be dealing with jet lag one day. Believe me, you won't run out of things to do! If you have 8 nights or more, you can split your time between London and Paris, taking the Eurostar between the two cities.

If going Eurostar to Paris book ASAP -deep discounts are limited in number and tend to sell out weeks or more early - try for a mid-week travel day as that is I think the times with least demand -but search for various dates and maybe plan your planes around it.

www.eurostar.com

Thank you for your insights. You have all been very helpful. Does anyone have any hotel recommendations? I have been told that the Seven Dials Hotel near Covent Garden is nice but would not mind spending a little less for our room. If we do go to Paris, I hear that the Hotel Esmeralda by Shakespeare & Co. is a good place to stay. Thank you again!

Both are in great locations!

How much do you want to spend?

Travel Lodges are a good deal if looking to economize and want something modern, clean, etc:

https://www.google.com/search?q=trav...hrome&ie=UTF-8

they are currently offering their Covent Garden one at $91 -but off-season prices obviously.

You only have 7 full days on the ground so I would either do just London or split it with Amsterdam. You do not have enough time to do three cities. Amsterdam is smaller than Paris so it is a better second destination. If you leave on the first you will arrive on the second. If splitting, stay in London for the 2/3/4/5 and leave on the 6th in the evening via Eurostar at about 1700-arrival Amsterdam at around 2300 than spend the 6/7/8 in Amsterdam. Leave for home on the 9th.
This gives you a partial jet lagged day in London plus 3 full days plus most of the 6th. Two full days in Amsterdam. Could do the same in combination with Paris.
I would just do London personally.

Tmeg: The Seven Dials Hotel is a sort of down market/moderate property. Typically can be had for around $150/£125 per night. So what is your actual budget?

Travelodges and Premier Inns are good -- but some Premier Inns will cost more than 7 Dials.

As for Travelodges -- their rates are VERY date dependent. One nght might be £75/$91 and the next night maybe £120/£95 based on laod factors. So you would need to plug in you exact dates,

OOPS -- typos . . .

should say >>night maybe $120/£95 based on load factors.<<

The Hôtel Esmeralda is the very last place I would ever stay in Paris, unless it has been totally refurbished and is under new management. Worst hotel experience I have ever had in 40+ years of traveling all over the world. I would rather sleep on a park bench than ever set foot in that dreadful place again. Perhaps it has changed, but do your research on it.

The hotel Esmeralda is defianfely a budget pick. The area is vefy good however.

May i suggest you look at Hotel St PIERRE ( on rue de Ecole du Medicine , there are a few hotles with similar names ) its a budget hotel too, rooms are small, but clean . Locstion is excellant. Of you can a few more euros i can suggest the Hotle Diana or Hotel Eugenie , both also budget picks but a small step jp, both in excellant and convenient locations .( i have stayed in all of them)

I havent stayed at Hotel College du France but hear its a good pick in same area

In London we have stayed fwice at the Hotel Celtic on Guildford near Russell square .

Great breakfast included in price , and we loved the hotels character . I would stay there again! Its very hard to find decent hotels in central london in our price range ( 100-125 £)

Is this your first travel experience to Europe? I think that's a factor to consider. I think most of the folks above--who give excellent advice--have traveled numerous times, and sometimes we forget how much of a learning curve there is and how much more time it takes the first-time-traveler to do things or figure out things, sometimes. (Each person's set of skills is unique, of course.)

I just had a meeting with the group I'm leading to London (my 7th trip) in June and it still surprises me what the first-time-folks ask or seem to not know at all, about logistical/travel/lodging/finance/eating, etc.---those little details that take up time and energy and attention.

I do understand the draw of trying to see more than one place, but staying in London the whole time and making a couple day trips via a train (like to Oxford and Stratford)would be easier. It looks like you have 6 days for seeing stuff (don't count April 2--you may or may not feel like doing much or have time--just plan on orientation and seeing the neighborhood you end up in). I could fill up 6 days in London in a snap--or certainly 4 and take a couple day trips.

(But I also just started our 8th grade unit on <I>The Diary of Anne Frank</i>, and I'd love to see that museum, too! But sounds like tickets are problematic, so that's good info to consider.)

What a treat to be able to take your daughter on this trip. If you visit 2 cities book your flights so you fly into one and home from the other. With so little time you will save precious time by not back tracking to the first city just to fly home.

If you arrive on the 2nd and depart on the 9th you have 6 full days on the ground. Half of one day will then be taken up by travel to the Continent and getting checked in the next hotel. You and your daughter might lay out your days and what you can reasonably see in each location in 3 days or less to determine if you still want to visit 2 cities. Group sights that are close to each other and limit how much you travel across town.

All that said I would stick with southern England on this first trip and make day trips out of London. This allows you to visit Stratford and another location such as Oxford, Canterbury, Bath or others. I would choose Hampton Court Palace and stop at the Maids of Honour in Kew on the return for a late afternoon tea.

I like Portobello Road and would spend an afternoon in Notting Hill. London is full of great neighborhoods like this.

Please let us know what you decide and post a trip report when you return.

All that said I would stick with southern England on this first trip and make day trips out of London. This allows you to visit Stratford and another location such as Oxford, Canterbury, Bath or others.>

If doing day trips to Stratford or Bath and others check out the London Plus (Days Out of London Pass??) that covers travel all over southern England plus a return trip on airport express trains.

Ditto on staying in London. I suggest a day-trip to Hampton Court (good for a 13-yr-old IMHO).

But if you really want to see Paris, try this open-jaw plan. (I put Paris first, because the time-zone-change makes for more sightseeing time on the train-day if you go from Paris to London.) You could switch the train to Apr 5 if you want to spend more time in London and less in Paris...purely a matter of personal preference.:

Apr 2 AM - Arrive Paris/check-in
Apr 2 PM - Do a little sightseeing (jet-lagged)
Apr 3 - Paris
Apr 4 - Paris
Apr 5 - Paris
Apr 6 AM - early train to London (arr ~9:00, check-in hopefully by 10 am)
Apr 6 PM London sightseeing (no jet lag and early arrival allows a good portion of the day)
Apr 7 - London
Apr 8 - London
Apr 9 - Depart

It's doable but rushed...and, as stated earlier, do not underestimate the time lost figuring out a new city, transport system, etc...though getting lost in Paris is a treat. Judicious planning can cut wasted time down significantly.

ssander

Janisj- my friend must have quoted me the price for her entire trip not per night. It is definitely within our range. Thank you.

Thank you all for your input. I think we will stay in England and either take day trips from London or maybe stay a few nights at the other destinations mentioned. I know that my daughter would like to see Wicked and Othello is playing at the Globe while we are there. (The Who is actually playing at Prince Albert Hall but is unfortunately sold out. That would have been fun!) I am excited to explore the city shopping and enjoying the sites. We appreciate your thoughts on hotels, restaurants, shopping sites, tours and must-see attractions/locations. I will post our itinerary once it is complete. Thank you again!

(I meant the Royal Albert Hall)

As for daytrips out of London, I'd let the weather decide. It can be cold, rainy and windy in early April. But there's plenty to do indoors in London.

You can do a tour of the Globe even if you don't make a performance. If you do, dress warmly. It really is outdoors. Also the British Library's Treasures gallery contains Shakespeare's First Folio.

London Walks (walks.com) offer a large number of themed walks in London and excursions out of the city. No need to book, just show up at the meeting place.

>>Janisj- my friend must have quoted me the price for her entire trip not per night. It is definitely within our range. Thank you.<<

If you are talking about the Seven Dials - that is a terrific location, so if it fits in your budget it would be a good area to stay. Right on the edge of Covent Garden, a wonderful cheese shop practically on your doorstep (Neal's Yard Dairy), w/i walking distance of about 25 theatres, Trafalgar Sq, etc etc.

Tmeg--happy that you decided to stay in England. I was thinking over the weekend that, while everyone thinks of the big cities in Europe in deciding where to go, it is really the small towns and villages that leave the best memories of European travel. Your daughter won't forget Stratford-upon-Avon, and neither will you!

Warwick Castle -one of the most famous in England could be twinned with a visit to Stratford -especially if you stay the night. Staying the night in a regional town can be sweet vs hectic London - find you 'local' pub at night and join the locals.

Trip update-

Hello everyone. My daughter and I just returned from our trip to London and I wanted to share some of the best parts of our trip.

We decided to stay in London since there is more than enough to do there and we wanted to enjoy our time there instead of spending too much time traveling. I am glad that we did. We will save Paris for another trip.

We stayed at the Captain Bligh House. I will never stay anywhere else in London. The owners are wonderful, the accommodations were very nice and the location was amazing. It is located directly across the street from the Imperial War museum. The weather was beautiful so we walked everywhere but the tube station (Lambeth North) and several bus lines were close and convenient. There are five units, each with a kitchenette. We stayed in the Crowes Nest which was comfortable and adorable.

https://www.captainblighhouse.co.uk/location/


The Three Stags Pub is on the corner. We ate there the first night because it was close to home and it was nice to have a quiet dinner after being in a noisy crowd all day. We went back because the food was very good and the staff was so friendly that we felt at home immediately. They recommended shows and a nice view of the city (Primrose Hill) and waved to us when we walked past on our way home like friendly neighbors. The menu changes daily. There is a brick pizza oven upstairs which was cozy and the pizza is very good.

https://www.thethreestags.london/


Primrose Hill is a nice spot not far from Camden Market. We loved the market because it was a fun place to shop and people watch. I am sure it is always crowded but seemed to be more so when we were there because the weather was so lovely and it was spring break. Primrose hill is not far from the market. We walked there in a short time and enjoyed the view of London from the top of the hill. From there you can either walk back to the market or check out Abbey Rd and catch the tube or bus. I am a Beatles fan but found Abbey Rd and the studio to be the least impressive part of our trip by far. I don't mean to offend anyone but if you can't make it, you really are not missing anything. I wish we had used our time to go to the zoo or somewhere else in the area. Our hosts suggested that we take the boat to Camden which we did not do because we were trying to save money but it apparently lets you out at the London zoo so it probably would have been worth it.

As I mentioned, we were trying to save money where we could to spend it on other treats like shopping and theater tickets. We ate cereal for breakfast at home some days but wanted to be out as much as possible so on other days we bought breakfasst at the cab shelter by embankment station and ate on a bench in the park. The shelters are little green shed looking buildings that were built in the 1875 to keep cab drivers out of the pubs. The food is good, filling and cheap and it is a different and interesting way to save money in an expensive city without feeling like you gave up anything.

That is all for now.