london to paris for sat/sun
May 2nd, 2003 | 11:00 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
london to paris for sat/sun
This is only the second time we have been away by ourselves in 16 years and we are a bit overwhelmed but want to make the most of a rare opportunity! We are going to Newcastle where my husband has business meetings from 5/20 thru the evening of the23rd. We are to arrive in London early on the 19th, and leave on the 20th at noon for Newcastle so we a bit over 24 hours in London. We planned to take a double decker tour and get off at various places eg. changing of the guard, Tower of London, and see as much as we can cram in before we have to leave. Any advice re. where to stay so we can make a quick entry/exit, yet feel we are in England,is appreciated.
2. We also dearly want to go over to Paris for the weekend. We fly back to London on the 24th and get into Heathrow at 7:30 AM. We need to be back for a 9AM 5/26 flight out of London.The eurostar seems more romantic but our travel agent recommended flying directly out of Heathrow to Paris. He said the earliest rain we could make in London would be the 10:23 AM arriving at 14:17 and even that would be a stretch. The plane would get us there by 12:20 but that would be at CDG, I believe. I've looked at other threads re. this- do you all think flying is more sensible given the time? Is the check in at the airport so much longer than at the train that they even out? Any recommendations are so welcome re. both our mad dashes through such wonderful places. Recommendations on places to stay in Paris would be great.
3. Back in London the 25th, should we book a room out by Heathrow?
Thanks so much, I've already learned so much be reading y'all's messages.
2. We also dearly want to go over to Paris for the weekend. We fly back to London on the 24th and get into Heathrow at 7:30 AM. We need to be back for a 9AM 5/26 flight out of London.The eurostar seems more romantic but our travel agent recommended flying directly out of Heathrow to Paris. He said the earliest rain we could make in London would be the 10:23 AM arriving at 14:17 and even that would be a stretch. The plane would get us there by 12:20 but that would be at CDG, I believe. I've looked at other threads re. this- do you all think flying is more sensible given the time? Is the check in at the airport so much longer than at the train that they even out? Any recommendations are so welcome re. both our mad dashes through such wonderful places. Recommendations on places to stay in Paris would be great.
3. Back in London the 25th, should we book a room out by Heathrow?
Thanks so much, I've already learned so much be reading y'all's messages.
May 2nd, 2003 | 11:25 AM
#2
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,404
Likes: 0
There is nothing remotely romantic about the Eurostar. Fly over, if you are anyplace near Heathrow. The train requires standing in line to check in, standing in line for security and hauling your own luggage on and off. We did not find it all that exciting 
when we did it a few weeks ago. (also it was running quite late) In the past we've always flown from London-Paris but we just "had" to try the Eurostar. I'm glad I did, but trains were running slow, crowds were terrible, people shoved and pushed and smoked in the terminal where it said no smoking (in Paris). Personally, I prefer the chaos of the airport
If you have an early flight out of Heathrow I'd stay at the airport. If you are leaving from Term. 4 the Hilton is adjacent and you can walk there via a covered walkway (and also take a luggage trolley over and back). The other airport hotels are not so close and require a taxi or "hoppa bus" ride which I believe is 3 pounds per person each way.
The hop on and off bus in London is probably your best bet, I've been to London many times so don't think like the average tourist. I'd skip the changing of the guard, you need to be there early in order to see anything anyway and with so little time you can better utilize it. The Tower can take a big hunk of you time as well, but it's a worthwhile sight. You might consider a "ride" on The London Eye to give yourself a view of London from up high, but it depends on your schedule.
With so short a time I'd concentrate on London and leave Paris for a time when you can spend more days there. Both cities need time to do them justice.
when we did it a few weeks ago. (also it was running quite late) In the past we've always flown from London-Paris but we just "had" to try the Eurostar. I'm glad I did, but trains were running slow, crowds were terrible, people shoved and pushed and smoked in the terminal where it said no smoking (in Paris). Personally, I prefer the chaos of the airport If you have an early flight out of Heathrow I'd stay at the airport. If you are leaving from Term. 4 the Hilton is adjacent and you can walk there via a covered walkway (and also take a luggage trolley over and back). The other airport hotels are not so close and require a taxi or "hoppa bus" ride which I believe is 3 pounds per person each way.
The hop on and off bus in London is probably your best bet, I've been to London many times so don't think like the average tourist. I'd skip the changing of the guard, you need to be there early in order to see anything anyway and with so little time you can better utilize it. The Tower can take a big hunk of you time as well, but it's a worthwhile sight. You might consider a "ride" on The London Eye to give yourself a view of London from up high, but it depends on your schedule.
With so short a time I'd concentrate on London and leave Paris for a time when you can spend more days there. Both cities need time to do them justice.
May 2nd, 2003 | 11:49 AM
#3
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
I am an American who has lived outside the US for the last 12 years, the last 2 years in London. I often go to Paris and often look for good travel deals. London hotels etc are expensive but business is soft now so at each star-level you should be able to find decent deals. In UK prices tend to be quoted per person per night and it's hard to get away with less than the equiv of $80-$100 per room per night. I suggest some UK-oriented hotel chains and websites may be more useful than the US ones. lastminute.com; thistle hotels; holiday inn (more a budget-to-mid business hotel here than a motel as in the US), hilton.
For going to Paris, Eurostar is very comfortable but there are now so many budget airlines and heavy discounting on major airlines that air is just as easy, especially since you want to leave from or return to Heathrow for the rest of your itinerary. Eurostar is no cheaper than GBP59 round trip w/ 14 day advance purchase and restrictions. It is not hard to find fares around GBP60-100 round trip on Air France, bmi (British Midland), BA and flybe (British European, code share w/ Air France). I recommend opodo.com, a website sponsored by a number of European airlines, as well as lastminute.com. Both will have packages (eg flight + hotel) at good and transparent rates. For other Paris packages you can also try ebookers.com and shortbreaks.co.uk. Bear in mind that both London and Paris have a number of airports. You probably want Heathrow in London and Charles de Gaulle in Paris. Some cheap flights go from other airports, but it'll cost you another 30-50 pounds or euros to get there, particularly if you have to travel during times when public transport is not available. CDG is very reasonable w/ a EUR7.70 train ride to central Paris and Heathrow is OK with a comfortable express train to Paddington Station. Airports here have good websites. For Heathrow and transport thereto see www.baa.co.uk.
For intra-Europe flights the requirement is check-in 45 minutes before flight time.
For going to Paris, Eurostar is very comfortable but there are now so many budget airlines and heavy discounting on major airlines that air is just as easy, especially since you want to leave from or return to Heathrow for the rest of your itinerary. Eurostar is no cheaper than GBP59 round trip w/ 14 day advance purchase and restrictions. It is not hard to find fares around GBP60-100 round trip on Air France, bmi (British Midland), BA and flybe (British European, code share w/ Air France). I recommend opodo.com, a website sponsored by a number of European airlines, as well as lastminute.com. Both will have packages (eg flight + hotel) at good and transparent rates. For other Paris packages you can also try ebookers.com and shortbreaks.co.uk. Bear in mind that both London and Paris have a number of airports. You probably want Heathrow in London and Charles de Gaulle in Paris. Some cheap flights go from other airports, but it'll cost you another 30-50 pounds or euros to get there, particularly if you have to travel during times when public transport is not available. CDG is very reasonable w/ a EUR7.70 train ride to central Paris and Heathrow is OK with a comfortable express train to Paddington Station. Airports here have good websites. For Heathrow and transport thereto see www.baa.co.uk.
For intra-Europe flights the requirement is check-in 45 minutes before flight time.
May 4th, 2003 | 06:59 PM
#4
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
Dear barbarabar - we travel the same way (at the speed of light) so I know how to cram it all in if you have to.
I would recommend streamlining your tour of each city completely before you arrive.
Here are some of my highlights:
London - Big Bus is a good option for this. You will get to "see" everything but you must pick and choose your stops wisely.
I love history, but after an hour and a half at the tower, I was ready to go. The crown jewels are the absolute must see in my opinion, the rest I can catch another time. Maybe if I'd taken the tour (it was raining) I'd be more enthusiastic.
Take the river boat back from the tower (part of bus tour package) as that is nice and a different view of the city.
Out of all we saw/did there, we absolutely loved the Verger's tour at Westminster Abbey. It's sure a whole lot better than just looking at it. You get to see the coronation chair, the actual place/setup where all crowning, etc. is done and a really captivating history lesson on the royalty and church of England. Just plain neat.
Paris - L'Open tour (double decker buses). That was a good choice as it really helped us get our bearings in the city. It goes by all the major places and has three different routes. You can buy a 2 day pass I believe.
Same as London - pick and choose your stops wisely. If you take the L'Open tour you may want to stay at a hotel convenient to one of its stops.
Most people say it takes all day to see Versailles, but in a pinch, you can do it in 3-4 hours. It's a 30 min train ride there - spend 2 hours with the self-tour and hit the road. We cut our visit short because it was snowing, but even though it was that short, I am very glad I went... just amazing.
Go to the Louvre, but pick just one gallery to visit. That way you see what it's all about but don't have to commit 3 days to it.
Try to find out when the organ will be playing at Notre Dame. That was the best part about our visit there.
Nearby is St. Chapelle with its amazing stained glass. Skip the downstairs and go straight the good stuff (stairs up are by the front door).
The bus tour takes you by Champs Elysees, no big deal there. Just a shopping street with tourist prices.
The top of the Arc du Triomphe was neat because it displays a legend of the Paris skyline. Also help you get your bearings - but it's 248 steps!
If you have any specific interests and want more help from someone who knows what your fast and furious pace will be, let me know. I'll check back here.
Good luck and enjoy!
I would recommend streamlining your tour of each city completely before you arrive.
Here are some of my highlights:
London - Big Bus is a good option for this. You will get to "see" everything but you must pick and choose your stops wisely.
I love history, but after an hour and a half at the tower, I was ready to go. The crown jewels are the absolute must see in my opinion, the rest I can catch another time. Maybe if I'd taken the tour (it was raining) I'd be more enthusiastic.
Take the river boat back from the tower (part of bus tour package) as that is nice and a different view of the city.
Out of all we saw/did there, we absolutely loved the Verger's tour at Westminster Abbey. It's sure a whole lot better than just looking at it. You get to see the coronation chair, the actual place/setup where all crowning, etc. is done and a really captivating history lesson on the royalty and church of England. Just plain neat.
Paris - L'Open tour (double decker buses). That was a good choice as it really helped us get our bearings in the city. It goes by all the major places and has three different routes. You can buy a 2 day pass I believe.
Same as London - pick and choose your stops wisely. If you take the L'Open tour you may want to stay at a hotel convenient to one of its stops.
Most people say it takes all day to see Versailles, but in a pinch, you can do it in 3-4 hours. It's a 30 min train ride there - spend 2 hours with the self-tour and hit the road. We cut our visit short because it was snowing, but even though it was that short, I am very glad I went... just amazing.
Go to the Louvre, but pick just one gallery to visit. That way you see what it's all about but don't have to commit 3 days to it.
Try to find out when the organ will be playing at Notre Dame. That was the best part about our visit there.
Nearby is St. Chapelle with its amazing stained glass. Skip the downstairs and go straight the good stuff (stairs up are by the front door).
The bus tour takes you by Champs Elysees, no big deal there. Just a shopping street with tourist prices.
The top of the Arc du Triomphe was neat because it displays a legend of the Paris skyline. Also help you get your bearings - but it's 248 steps!
If you have any specific interests and want more help from someone who knows what your fast and furious pace will be, let me know. I'll check back here.
Good luck and enjoy!
May 4th, 2003 | 07:57 PM
#5
Original Poster
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
/Thanks so much, you all! Blondie, where would you recommend for a hotel to minimize transit time to and from airport/sights? Your ideas about the buses and Notre Dame sound good, we also want to do bateau mouche at dusk! We would like atmosphere without paying the world- mid priced. But we do want private bath, quiet, French(!), romantic. Thanks again! Barbara
May 5th, 2003 | 12:35 AM
#6
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
Barbara,
We stayed at the Paris Hilton. It was about 200 Euros per night and worth every penny to me. That is a little out of the mid-price range however.
Why I liked it was the excellent level of service they offered, the concierge was great (would cheerfully help with all planning and arrange to have tickets at the hotel waiting for you which saves time) and it was 1 block from an RER station and about 2 blocks from the Eiffel Tower L'Open tour pickup stop. From the Paris Hilton you can actually see the Eiffel Tower up close and personal from your balcony (very close). It also had all the American amenities, such as wash cloths and blow drier.
We wanted to do the boat tour but just ran out of time and energy (energy mostly). The place where you take the boat tours is also convenient (within 2-3 blocks from the Hilton).
Oh, and from CDG, you hop on the RER into town (cheapest and fairly easy to navigate) and you get off at that stop I mentioned less than 1 block from the hotel so it was very convenient. It takes about 25 mins total from the airport. We had very large luggage and we managed fine.
One more word on the Paris Hilton, the concierge level has an outstanding breakfast. It was a huge timesaver for us to just grab breakfast there in the hotel early and be ready to hit the road when the attractions open. It seems that eating can take a huge "bite" out of your time sightseeing. We were often so full from that breakfast that we weren't hungry until almost dinner so it was worth it. We also grabbed a baguette sandwich at the cafe in the Louvre.
I don't know any other hotels as that's the only time I've been there (3 months ago).
Also, for flying I found EasyJet to be a great commuter airline. It is much like our Southwest and you can often find very cheap flights. We got our London - Paris (one way) for 18 GBP per person (but not from Heathrow - we flew out of Luton). That is a lot cheaper than the big name airlines.
As for staying by Heathrow, I didn't land or take off from there so I'm not sure about airport hotels in the area.
I hope this is helpful to you. Any other specifics? You can never plan too much for these whirlwind tours!
We stayed at the Paris Hilton. It was about 200 Euros per night and worth every penny to me. That is a little out of the mid-price range however.
Why I liked it was the excellent level of service they offered, the concierge was great (would cheerfully help with all planning and arrange to have tickets at the hotel waiting for you which saves time) and it was 1 block from an RER station and about 2 blocks from the Eiffel Tower L'Open tour pickup stop. From the Paris Hilton you can actually see the Eiffel Tower up close and personal from your balcony (very close). It also had all the American amenities, such as wash cloths and blow drier.
We wanted to do the boat tour but just ran out of time and energy (energy mostly). The place where you take the boat tours is also convenient (within 2-3 blocks from the Hilton).
Oh, and from CDG, you hop on the RER into town (cheapest and fairly easy to navigate) and you get off at that stop I mentioned less than 1 block from the hotel so it was very convenient. It takes about 25 mins total from the airport. We had very large luggage and we managed fine.
One more word on the Paris Hilton, the concierge level has an outstanding breakfast. It was a huge timesaver for us to just grab breakfast there in the hotel early and be ready to hit the road when the attractions open. It seems that eating can take a huge "bite" out of your time sightseeing. We were often so full from that breakfast that we weren't hungry until almost dinner so it was worth it. We also grabbed a baguette sandwich at the cafe in the Louvre.
I don't know any other hotels as that's the only time I've been there (3 months ago).
Also, for flying I found EasyJet to be a great commuter airline. It is much like our Southwest and you can often find very cheap flights. We got our London - Paris (one way) for 18 GBP per person (but not from Heathrow - we flew out of Luton). That is a lot cheaper than the big name airlines.
As for staying by Heathrow, I didn't land or take off from there so I'm not sure about airport hotels in the area.
I hope this is helpful to you. Any other specifics? You can never plan too much for these whirlwind tours!
May 5th, 2003 | 04:13 AM
#7
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,715
Likes: 0
Barbara,
If the meetings in Newcastle are finished on the 23rd and you're so desperate to go to Paris, I would try to leave Newcastle in time to make a plane to Paris on Fri nite (7:10pm or 7:30pm) or there's a 6am from Luton on Sat morning on BMI that gets you into Paris by 8am. Look on the websites skyscanner.com and applefares.com
Pick 5-7 things in Paris YOU want to see & look on a map. Pick a neighborhood that is central to those. I personally would skip the Louvre on a trip this short. I'd rather be outside (assuming the weather's ok) soaking up the atmosphere & the sights. I DON'T agree with the poster who talks about wasting time eating. EATING is what Paris is about. My 5 things in Paris would be
view from the top of the Samartaine dept store
Picasso Museum (small)
Place des Vosges (near Picasso m.)
Rodin museum (small)
Notre Dame & ile de la cite
In London, I agree with the bus tour & I agree with missing the changing of the guard. Also, if there's something you always wanted to see, see it. On my first trip to London I started at Trafalgar Square early in the morning. It was beautiful before all the traffic started. You can pick up the bus there.
You don't say from which London airport your flight to Newcastle departs but I think I'd stay near that airport for the one night when you arrive & train into London for the day. It will be less stressful. Be willing to pay extra for early check-in. Go to the hotel, freshen up & take a train into London. I agree to use lastminute.com or laterooms.com for that night. MAKE SURE TO PRINT THE CONFIRMATION.
Final thought. Is there no way you could leave from Paris instaed fo having to come back from London?
If the meetings in Newcastle are finished on the 23rd and you're so desperate to go to Paris, I would try to leave Newcastle in time to make a plane to Paris on Fri nite (7:10pm or 7:30pm) or there's a 6am from Luton on Sat morning on BMI that gets you into Paris by 8am. Look on the websites skyscanner.com and applefares.com
Pick 5-7 things in Paris YOU want to see & look on a map. Pick a neighborhood that is central to those. I personally would skip the Louvre on a trip this short. I'd rather be outside (assuming the weather's ok) soaking up the atmosphere & the sights. I DON'T agree with the poster who talks about wasting time eating. EATING is what Paris is about. My 5 things in Paris would be
view from the top of the Samartaine dept store
Picasso Museum (small)
Place des Vosges (near Picasso m.)
Rodin museum (small)
Notre Dame & ile de la cite
In London, I agree with the bus tour & I agree with missing the changing of the guard. Also, if there's something you always wanted to see, see it. On my first trip to London I started at Trafalgar Square early in the morning. It was beautiful before all the traffic started. You can pick up the bus there.
You don't say from which London airport your flight to Newcastle departs but I think I'd stay near that airport for the one night when you arrive & train into London for the day. It will be less stressful. Be willing to pay extra for early check-in. Go to the hotel, freshen up & take a train into London. I agree to use lastminute.com or laterooms.com for that night. MAKE SURE TO PRINT THE CONFIRMATION.
Final thought. Is there no way you could leave from Paris instaed fo having to come back from London?
