London and ? Trip itinerary

Old Jan 5th, 2017, 10:00 AM
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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
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Old Jan 5th, 2017, 10:09 AM
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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.
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Old Jan 5th, 2017, 10:13 AM
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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.
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Old Jan 5th, 2017, 10:14 AM
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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.
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Old Jan 5th, 2017, 10:58 AM
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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.
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Old Jan 5th, 2017, 11:26 AM
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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 )
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Old Jan 5th, 2017, 12:47 PM
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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.
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Old Jan 5th, 2017, 12:53 PM
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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.
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Old Jan 5th, 2017, 01:25 PM
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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.
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Old Jan 5th, 2017, 02:25 PM
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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
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Old Jan 6th, 2017, 09:18 AM
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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!
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Old Jan 6th, 2017, 10:10 AM
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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.
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Old Jan 6th, 2017, 10:19 AM
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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.
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Old Jan 6th, 2017, 10:48 AM
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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,
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Old Jan 6th, 2017, 11:17 AM
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OOPS -- typos . . .

should say >>night maybe $120/£95 based on load factors.
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Old Jan 6th, 2017, 11:39 AM
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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.
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Old Jan 7th, 2017, 09:19 PM
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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
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Old Jan 7th, 2017, 09:24 PM
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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 £)
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Old Jan 8th, 2017, 04:55 AM
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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 The Diary of Anne Frank, and I'd love to see that museum, too! But sounds like tickets are problematic, so that's good info to consider.)
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Old Jan 8th, 2017, 06:32 AM
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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.
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