Need help on planning first trip to London and Paris
 

Hello,

We are a family of four (myself, hubby, and kids 7 and 9) planning our first trip to Europe. We would like to visit London and Paris and have questions about what else to include in this itinerary. We have 11 days in August including travel to and from USA, and I am not sure if we have time to include nice in this trip or just split the days between London and Paris. Hubby is not a “city” person and wants to include nice in the itinerary, but I don’t want to take away valuable time in London or Paris, given that this is our first trip (and maybe only trip) to London and Paris. Flight tickets have been booked to London and back from Paris.

Draft itinerary:

Day 1: 10 pm flight to London
Day 2: reach London at 10 am, tour London
Day 3: London
Day 4: London
Day 5: London
Day 6: go from London to Nice?
Day 7: Nice?
Day 8: go to Paris
Day 9: Paris
Day 10: Paris
Day 11: flight from Paris at 5 pm

thanks for your inputs!

Welcome to Fodors. No time for Nice unfortunately. Even with just London and Paris - you'll have a grand total of 8.5 days free for seeing and doing -- actually less since you'll spend nearly half a day London hotel to Paris Hotel.

Do JUST London and Paris. And even then you'll barely scratch the surface and will have to be VERY selective which sites you can squeeze in.

. . . don't count on much of any 'touring of London' on day 1. With a 10 AM arrival (LHR? ) you'll be lucky to get to your hotel by 12:30 or 1PM, and at least some of you will be in a jet lagged fog. Count arrival day as a non-day and just Check in/unpack, acclimate, maybe a walk in a park, early dinner and to bed by 9-ish.

Ad on day 11 with a 5PM flight you'll be leaving central Paris around 1PM - so with packing and checking out you'll have maybe a few morning hours for a nice breakfast, maybe a walk or low key site near your hotel.

Agree with janis, not enough time for Nice this trip. Also, consider that your first day in London you will have to contend with jet lag so don't plan for a lot of activity. With a 10 am arrival you will likely not get to your accommodation anytime before noon, and may not be able to check in until later in the afternoon. You probably can deposit your bags at the hotel, do a bit of touring and return for later check in. Do work in some walking outdoors as it helps with jet lag. Plan on a relatively early bedtime that day.
Suggest make Day 6 a London morning activity, then take the 1430 or 1530 Eurostar to Paris. There'll still be plenty of sunlight when you arrive, you can check in then head out for a nice dinner and stroll.

Another vote to skip Nice, a lot of travel for one day there and a bit of another, really not worth it. Definitely do just London and Paris.

As above. You barely have enough time for London and Paris so skip Nice.

agreed, no to Nice

“ time in London or Paris, given that this is our first trip (and maybe only trip) to London and Paris.”

You’ll be back ~ these cities will cast their spell on your family 🌎

"Hubby is not a “city” person and wants to include nice in the itinerary,..."
He might not really enjoy Nice as it is the 5th largest city in France, population 340,000+. Take a daytrip from Paris to Provins, an hour or so by train, to get out of the big city and see a beautiful medieval town.

I don't understand why you have chosen London and Paris if your husband is not a city person. Do a trip that combines city and rural areas. Cities are wonderful, but the glory of Europe is in the villages.

The biggest trap people fall into is going from monument to monument to see the highlights of a city and then they spend their entire vacation in long lines among crowds Especially difficult with kids.. I actually hate the idea of London and Paris for a first trip to Europe, especially if one of you will be unhappy. And I am a city person.

And it is doubly odd that you want to add a third city far away.

Your vacation doesn't really start until you land and ends your last night, so you only have nine nights.

I recommend flying into Paris and renting a car for 3/4 nights to see Normandy: the castle at La Roche-Guyon with its Medieval dungeon (and WWII defenses), the nearby Troglodyte Church of the Annonciation,
the ruined Abbey of Jumieges, the cliffs at Etretat (excellent coastal walking), and Honfleur. Then go back to Paris for the remainder. Now that would be an adventure.

I agree with skipping Nice. It will likely be very busy and crowded and there is so much to see and do in London and Paris. Nice has a very rocky beach and isn't really a "nature" experience.

What kinds of things does your husband like to do? We can try to make some suggestions.

It’s certainly fine to combine city with countryside for a trip but August is when the countryside is the busiest. it may be difficult to secure reasonable lodging for this August. Traffic can also be an issue. Would cut out either Paris or London if you want countryside.

City + countryside is absolutely fine -- that's what I'm doing a couple of weeks from now with a few days in Kent and a few in London. I booked flights that make that possible. The OP booked flights in to London, the biggest city in western Europe, and home from Paris nine days later. Except for maybe a day trip by train from one or the other to a smaller town (which would cut the already short time they have for each city) they haven't really given themselves any wiggle room for 'countryside'.

I agree with others that you don’t have enough time to go to Nice.

My husband isn’t a city person either but he still enjoys London and Paris visits. There are beautiful parks and gardens that you can visit besides the famous landmarks to avoid crowds.

Our flight arrived at 10am and I had called ahead to the hotel to make sure they had a secure place to drop off our luggage. We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived that our room was available. It doesn’t always happen that we get lucky but I don’t think it hurt to call a couple days in advance to let the hotel know your arrival is early. Also, some people aren’t always affected by jet lagged. We went to our room to dropped off the luggage, freshened up, and was out the door to do sightseeing. Have a fantastic time!

Congratulations on your first trip to London and Paris! And with your children! They are at a great age and it will be a wonderful memory!

Sorry, but another hard "no" to Nice. August is the absolute worst month to go and even if you wanted to go, getting accommodations for 4 at this point would be challenging.

I vote for sticking with London and Paris. You could take day trips to Windsor Castle,or Bath. Back in the day, I took a bus tour to Stratford-Upon-Avon/Oxford which I loved. There are many more with experience with the charming countryside locations to recommend, if you could get a driver to take you on a fantastic tour (paid for with your tickets to Nice money) that would be wonderful way to get out of London.
And, of course, there is Versailles!

As many have said, there are peaceful parks and out of the way locations within both cities that will give you serenity. but the city energy is refreshing and different from what you are used to. Enjoy!

I think kids (and some spouses) are much happier exploring ruins or dunjeons on their own than a guided tour through opulent palaces. Those places are yet more standing in lines, especially in August.

I absolutely agree! Most of this trip should not be done with a tour or guide, including Versailles, if it makes the list.

I only thought since Husband does not like big cities, maybe, for instance, they could take the train to Bath, tour, then get a driver for a half day to take them from there, somewhere charming and off the beaten path. It would be a wonderful break from the crowds and could be tailored to their requests.

Or -- variation on the theme . . . Instead of another city (Bath), train to Moreton-in-Marsh or Charlbury or Kingham and hire a local taxi/driver guide to tour them around the Cotswolds for the day, then train back to London.

If you want to see more of France consider doing a day trip from Paris to some place like Champagne or Normandy. Some ideas here :

https://theparisshortlist.com/best-d...ps-from-paris/

Otherwise you COULD go to Nice but will lose some time.. Eurostar to Paris is a few hours, and flight to Nice will be about the same door to door. You then have high speed train between Nice and Paris so you COULD do. Nice and the the whole Cote d'Azur is beautiful but London + Paris also has so much to offer so either way win win.

Is there a special reason for including Nice? If not, I would also probably skip it. If there is, then you might want to reconsider the itinerary, particularly since you’re travelling with kids. What about finishing the trip in Nice and flying back from there? On Day 1, you could book a sightseeing bus tour in the afternoon and not hop off/on. You can just sit, listen, look and soak up the atmosphere. Open top bus if the weather’s ok.

If DH is not a "city person" (my husband isn't either), then why not just stay in England? You spend the first few nights in London, then spend a few days out in Bath. You can take the train - it's a 1.5 hr trip. Rent a car, see Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral, etc. Bath is scenic, there are parks for the kids,

With the limited time you have, you could see more of England, get in some English countryside with is picturesque and charming. Make France a different trip: Paris + French countryside.

https://visitbath.co.uk/things-to-do...er-park-p13911

London is big but not everywhere is as crowded as Oxford Street! There are lots of places that you can reach by hopping on a train and you can often buy a family ticket which is a cheaper option. See National Rail website for details. If you hubby enjoys the countrysid, some child friendly suggestions day trips that adults can enjoy too.

1. Combine a visit to Windsor with a River Cruise or Legoland.
2. Take the River Cruise from Westminster to Greenwich.
3. Bekonscot Model Village in Beaconsfield
4. Ronal Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden
5. Margate Dreamland
6. Brighton Beach & Sea Life

If you have a wet day, one of the things your kids will enjoy in London is the Science museum. Very interactive and have sections specifically for kids. If they are more into dinosaurs, then try the Natural History museum. Of course there’s always Madame Tussaud’s.

Moving onto Paris. Take Eurostar as that way you arrive in central Paris.

1. Eiffel Tower
2. River Cruise
3 Luxembourg Gardens
4. Hop on hop off bus
5. Asterisk Parc (day trip)

I am going to revise my answer since I re-read your initial post and now I see that you have already purchase airline tickets home from Paris.
I still agree with all the other people who have said to nix Nice from your itinerary. London and Paris both have excellent train systems which allow you to take very nice day-trips to the countryside without renting a car.

With young children, I would say that the best day trips from London would be Dover (there's a castle and an excellent tour of some caves that were used in WWII), and Portsmouth where the kids can climb all over the HMS Victory (https://www.nmrn.org.uk/visit-us/por...rd/hms-victory) which will help give context to Trafalgar Square in London. There's also a very nice museum featuring the Mary Rose (https://maryrose.org/).

This gets you out of the city and hopefully helps DH recharge his battery.

From Paris there is always Versailles, which can be a bit of a zoo, but does have lovely gardens to roam. Or a trip to Giverny to see Monet's gardens & house.

I also agree with everyone who is saying to skip Nice (another city, and too far away). While I can't comment on the London portion of your trip (never been!) I think there will be more in Paris to keep you, your kids, and even your husband occupied for 5 days. Try some of the more off-the beaten path parks, like Parcs des Buttes Chaumont or Bois de Vincennes for some beautiful nature and a taste of the countryside inside the city. Also Parc de la Villette that has special structures for kids and interactive exhibits at the nearby science museum. Take a boat tour of Canal St. Martin or the further afield Canal de L'Ourq. And/or you can also take daytrips from Paris to the countryside - close-by Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Auvers-sur-Oise, anywhere in the Loire Valley, etc.

As others have stated, Nice is also a big city!
You barely have enough time for London and Paris.
If you only visited one plus a more countryside location in the chosen country that might make your husband happier. But both cities offer beautiful parks and a less urban feel than many US cities.

Thank You
 

Thank you all! I read all responses instantly but missed responding. We have decided to go to london and paris only and take a day trip to bath from London.

In London your kids might enjoy a boat ride down the Thames to Greenwich to see where the prime meridian starts even if they aren't 100 per cent familiar with it. Greenwich is charming and the boat ride itself was quite nice for us as a chance to see the residential architecture. They may very well want to see at least the sign pointing to Platform 9 and 3/4 for the train to Hogwarts in King's Cross Station. About 20 years ago we took a tour to Stonehenge and Bath and that was a great day trip as hard to get to Stonehenge on public transportation and we had a lot of time to explore Bath. They might enjoy the Tower of London and I recall the first time that I went there being blown away by seeing the knight's armor and realizing that the knight's were essentially teenaged boys, not to mention the guards and the ravens and the crown jewels. In Paris of course seeing the Eiffel Tower even if you don't want to wait online for the chance to go up is most definitely worth it.

thank you for this! I would like to go to Stonehenge and Bath for a day and was wondering what is the best form of transportation to do so? I have seen tours that take you there.

We di this as a bus tour that most likely was arranged by the concierge at the hotel. I don't recall the name of the tour company but I know that there were several options and I recall that we chose this tour because it provided adequate time for visit both locations.

Sorry. Have not re-read thoroughly. Has anyone suggested London Walks? In additional to the London-based explorations, they do have day trips to Bath, Stonehenge, and other destinations.

thank you

thank you, will look this up

Not to put a damper on things . . . but: The only practical option to see both Stonehenge and Bath is to take an (expensive) commercial tour. Most of these tours combine Windsor/Stonehenge/Bath on the same day, which leaves almost no time for any of the destinations.

But some do just Stonehenge + Bath. However I would definitely NOT recommend these for 7 and 9 yo children. Most of these tours cost approx £100 per adult and £85 or £90 per child. Plus expected tips. And the poor kids stuck on a bus with a bunch of (mostly) adults only to get to Stonehenge and see . . . some rocks. (understanding that I love Stonehenge and have been many times but for young children -- maybe not so thrilling)

Then back on the bus to Bath. The Roman Baths might be enjoyable for the kids -- but they get extremely crowded and you are on a tight schedule on a tour. Then back on the bus for a 2.5 hour drive to London. They are a very long day -- leaving central London at about 8AM from Victoria Coach Station - so leaving your hotel by maybe 0730, and getting back in to London around 7:30 or 8PM -- and that is just back in to London - not back to your hotel. (And having to look for dinner after that). You'd spend about 5.5 hours of the day butts in seats on the bus.

Debbie Downer I know ;) but you do have young children and that's not how I'd want to spend a day if it was me or my kids . . .

meant to add -- you could do either Stonehenge or Bath independently as a day trip by train from London. A train would be more comfortable for the kids than a coach (its faster and they can get up and move around).

For Stonehenge its a train to Salisbury and a local bus out to the Stones. Salisbury has a terrific cathedral and is nice place to visit even w/o Stonehenge being a neighbor.

For Bath it is a fast train from London to the center of the city walking distance from The Baths - this would give you much more time in Bath and you could get back to London at a more reasonable time if the kids were flagging.

A friend of mine just visited Paris for the 3rd time. Because he'd been there before he left the family (they wanted to stay in the city) for a day and toured Normandy with a rental car, stopping along the way to and from. He LOVED the day, and having his own rental car let him stop in a few places a tour wouldn't go. So maybe if your husband is getting city'd out he could do that for a day during the Paris leg.

Editing to add that while he could also do the same during the London leg, the "driving on the other side of the road" thing might be a reason to do this during the Paris leg only. But it is another option.

It is a very long drive from Paris to the Normandy beaches - about 3 1/2 hours each way.

Several years ago we did a Paris/Normandy trip with a few other stops including an overnight in Rouen where we drove directly from the airport, Honfluer, Caen to visit the amazing WWII museum before arriving in Bayeux as a base for exploring the Normandy beaches and the town and the Bayeux tapestry. There is a lot to see and do and to do it justice you want to take your time. The cathedral in Bayeux is also amazing as of course is the cathedral in Rouen. We also visited Mont St Michel after Bayeux. Normandy in a day is quite a lot but there are many other day trips from Paris including Giverny and Chartres.

Priya, just realised that you don’t seem to say what your kids like doing. Perhaps you could give us some examples and we could come back with some more specific suggestions. Also does your husband have a particular hobby or interest?