London/Paris Itinerary - comments please
 

Preliminary London & Paris Itinerary:

Day 1 - Saturday
Arrive at London Gatwick - 10:30 am
Afternoon - Double Decker Bus Tour
Evening - London Eye

Day 2 - Sunday
Morning - National Gallery
Afternoon - Westminster Abbey
Evening - Thames Cruise

Day 3 - Monday
Morning - Tower of London
Afternoon - St. Paul's Cathedral
Evening - Globe Theatre - see Play

Day 4 - Tuesday
Morning - British Museum
Afternoon - Harrod's
Evening - Ceremony of the Keys

Day 5 - Wednesday
Morning - travel to Paris
Afternoon - Walk - Ile de la Cite, Notre Dame, Latin Quarter, Saint Chappelle
Evening - Montmatre/Sacre Couer

Day 6 - Thursday
Morning - Musee Rodin
Afternoon - Louvre
Evening - Seine Cruise

Day 7 - Friday
Morning - L'Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysées, Tuilleries Garden, Orsay Museum
Afternoon - Versailles
Evening - Eiffel Tour

Day 8 - Saturday
Morning - Marais Walk
Afternoon - tour Marais - maybe Pompidou Centre/Carnevalet Museum



Comments welcomed - too much? Too little? Anything missing? Order okay? If we wanted to see the cabinet war rooms in London - where could we fit that in?


Thanks!

Day 5 -- when you arrive in Paris, looks a little busy, but do-able.

I do recommend doing Versailles in the morning. Arrive 15 minutes before opening, and you'll avoid some of the crush of the crowds that you'll be doomed to in the afternoon. Ditto on the Louvre. I'd do that in the morning, get there early and see the big stuff like the Mona Lisa first, then peruse around.

Personally, I'd get to the Eiffel Tower earlier in the week, maybe swap it out for something else that's open into the evenings like the Rodin. Reason being, if there's a problem on Day 7, you won't be trying hard to get in there on Day 8 before you leave. Plus, I liked going up the Eiffel Tower earlier just because it was so neat and really gave me the lay of the land, so to speak.

Otherwise, I think it looks good. I'm going to London and Paris in September, when are you going?

Jules

Interesting that you see Paris as a walking city, but not London.

You are aware that Westminster Abbey is not open for tourists on Sunday -- but you can attend a service?

London looks quite leisurely to me, actually.

As for Paris -- group Tuileries and Louvre. Group Orsay with Eiffel.

Friday: I don't know about Versailles well enough -- any reason for going in the afternoon? If not switch to morning. In the afternoon you can go to Orsay and Eiffel.

Thursday looks far too leisurely. Rodin is a small musuem. Actually I guess you can put Orsay here also, together with Orsay.

I think that it'd make more sense to me to group all the right bank locations together and left bank ones together. As I said, you've room on Thursday.

You should go to the Cabinet War Rooms the same day you go to Westminster Abbey because they are very close to each other. However - as ron says -- that cannot be on a Sunday if you want to tour the Abbey. If you just want to go to a service - then Sunday is fine, but you won't see the chapels, tombs, choir, etc.

Day 7 - By the time you arrive at Versailles it will be mobbed and the lines will be long - considering arriving right when they open or dropping it altogether. You could really use the extra time to see more of Paris.

ttt

You still haven't mention when you're going?

Well, I'm one for doing what you find most appealing whenevr you feel like doing it.

For Paris, you may wish to consider a three-day museum pass for skipping the ticket lines at Louvre, Orsay, Pompidou, and Versailles. We've had the best luck with the Louvre (less crowded) on Wednesdays and it's open late that day. The Musee d'Orsay is open late on Thursdays (ditto seems to be less crowded). The trick to visiting Versailles is to check the tour bus websites and pick a day (if you can find one for your days) they don't go there and have a museum pass.

We are going in September.

Hi harrow,

Day 5 is a lot of walking, especially if you have to find your hotel and settle in.

If you enter your walk at www.mappy.com you will get pedestrian distances.

I suggest saving Versailles for your next visit and visiting the area around Rue des Rosiers Friday morning, before they close for the Sabbath.

If you can rearrange it, I think that Sunday in Paris is more interesting than Sunday in London.

Have a nice visit.

((I))

The one time I have traveled to Europe from USA we traveled at night arriving in the morning in Paris. I promptly went to sleep in the bus on a tour. I think a walk in an area would help one to stay up and get a feel for the city after an eight hour flight. SBMcL