October 2010 trip to London and Paris
Oct 19th, 2010 | 05:56 AM
#1
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Joined: Jan 2004
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October 2010 trip to London and Paris
My husband and I just celebrated our 30th anniversary with a 9 day trip split between London and Paris. We’ve been to both places before, London in 1982 by ourselves and in 2001 with our kids, and Paris in 1982 by ourselves and in 2009 with our kids. The trip was a mix of new sites and old favorites.
Flights:
Delta, non-stop Detroit to London and Paris to Detroit, $1068 per ticket, return flight was actually operated by Air France. It was the first time we’d done non-stop to Europe and it made the trip a lot less tiring. We also had 2-4-2 seating for the first time and it was nice having a row to ourselves. No problems with the flights in either direction.
Arrival:
We arrived at Heathrow just after 7:30 Saturday morning. Neither of us got much sleep on the flight. I did carry on only, but DH checked a suitcase, so we had to wait for luggage. Since the hotel was right on the Piccadilly line, we decided to take the tube into town. A friend of my mother-in-law’s had given us oyster cards that she had left over from a previous trip, but we still had to wait in line to top them up before leaving the airport. For some reason the train we got on at the airport only went as far as Northfields and then we all had to get out and await another train to go the rest of the way. We got to our hotel a little after 9 and dropped off our luggage.
Hotel:
Millennium Baileys, a “deluxe bedroom” with their “Leisure for Longer” rate was 601 GBP for 4 nights. We loved the location, right across from the Gloucester Road tube station and within walking distance of the Victoria and Albert museum. There were lots of restaurants nearby. The room was large, even by American standards, and traditional in décor. The building was pretty and service was fine. We would stay here again.
London Day 1:
We decided to eat breakfast first to catch our breath before starting to tour. There was a Garfunkel’s restaurant in the little mall attached to the tube station so we ate there. Nothing special, but cheap and cheerful as my British mother-in-law would say. Then we took the tube to Borough Market. We love markets and this one was fabulous! We were too full to sample much, but we really enjoyed looking around. After that we took the tube out to the Imperial War Museum. We wanted just a quick lunch so we bought some sandwiches and ate them in the park outside the museum. The rest of the day was spent in the museum. The current special exhibit on the Ministry of Food was very interesting. The exhibit on the trenches was very well done; I’d always been curious about what they were like. Dinner was at a little place across the road from the hotel, very basic food but jet lag was catching up with us by then!
London Day 2:
Off to the V and A museum, which was a short walk from the hotel. We weren’t sure what to expect from this museum and we thought we’d probably spend only a half day here. We ended up loving this museum and spent the entire day. We started off with a free introductory tour which was excellent. Lunch was in the museum and was very good. Dinner was at El Gaucho Argentinean steakhouse near the hotel and was pretty good. After dinner we had reservations for the Ceremony of The Keys at the Tower of London. We’d been to the Tower of London before but had never seen the ceremony. Fascinating!
London Day 3:
This was the day for an old favorite, Westminster Abbey. We got there around 10:00 and found the Abbey very crowded. They have a free audio tour but we chose to do the verger tour which we enjoyed immensely on our 2001 trip. It still cost the same price as in 2001, only 3 pounds. It was excellent again and allowed us to tour some areas that aren’t open to those not on the tour. After that we spent the rest of the day walking around London. For dinner we met a few of DH’s relatives that still live in London. The restaurant was called the Portobello Ristorante (http://portobellolondon.co.uk/index.html) and it was excellent. Wonderful friendly service and fabulous food. Highly recommended!
London Day 4:
On our 3rd London trip we decided that it was finally time to visit the British Museum. It was also our last day in London and we still wanted to do more walking around, so we compromised by spending only a half day in the museum and then doing more wandering around. We took the tube to Temple and walked around the Inns of Court area, Fleet street, and then St. Paul’s. We got to St. Paul’s shortly before they closed and were able to walk around briefly.
On to Paris:
We were booked on the 8:02 Eurostar to Paris. We took the tube to St. Pancras station where the facilities were very nice. Picking up our tickets was quick and easy. We were disappointed that our seats faced backwards and that we didn’t really have a window but since the train wasn’t full we were able to switch seats once we started. We arrived at Gare du Nord at around 11:15 where we got some euros at an ATM.
Hotel:
Hotel Le Regent on Rue Dauphine in the 6th. We had a deluxe room for 230E a night. The room was small but the bed was comfortable and the bathroom was very nice. Service was good and we loved the location.
After checking in we went to the Opera and took the English language tour. What a breathtaking building! After that we went to the Eiffel Tower. We had been to the second level before but never up to the top. After much waiting in line (to buy tickets, to get to level 2, to get to the top), we finally got there. Once you’re at the 3rd level, which is enclosed, you can walk up one flight of stairs to the highest level which is open air and it was very cold. We didn’t stay very long. It was also very crowded. Then another line to get the elevator down. Dinner was at a place near the hotel, we were too footsore and tired to go elsewhere.
Paris Day 2:
When we were in Paris last year I wanted to visit the Carnavalet museum but we didn’t have time, so it was a must for this trip. DH really liked it, but I was a bit disappointed. It tells the history of Paris mostly through artwork. There was very little English information and no English brochure.
Paris Day 3:
We visited the Rodin Museum, which we both really enjoyed. After a lunch stop, we headed to the Catacombs. Last trip we tried to visit but the line was an hour long and we weren’t willing to wait. This time there was no wait at all. It was weirdly fascinating to see all of those bones. After a rest back at the hotel, we took the metro to the Arc d’ Triomphe and then strolled along the Champs Elysees. We had planned to do a night time boat trip but it was drizzling (the only rain of the trip) so we skipped it.
Paris Day 4:
We visited the Louvre on our last trip but we wanted more time there, so we started our day there. Some sections were closed off for renovation but we saw quite a bit. Then we decided to go to the D’Orsay, which was our favorite museum last trip. A big part of this museum is being renovated, but there was still a lot to see. After a rest back at the hotel, we decided to take our postponed boat trip. Unfortunately we got there only a few minutes before the boat departed and all of the indoor seats were taken so we ended up on top and it was COLD!
Departure:
I was told to allow 3 hours to get to CDG for our return flight but I allowed almost 4 and I needed all of it. Part of this was our own ignorance. We were taking the RER B and the ticket window where we first entered the station was closed. The machine took only credit cards (of course our American ones didn’t work) or coins and we had mostly paper money. After going back to ground level to try to get change, we were advised that another station entrance had an open ticket window. Then the train for some reason only went to Gare du Nord. Thankfully a local noticed our confusion and was kind enough to walk us through Gare du Nord and show us where to get the correct train for the remainder of the trip. We had to get boarding passes after our arrival at the airport and DH needed to check a suitcase. Even though security only had a 5 minute wait, we were lucky enough to get into a line where the person ahead of us had an issue that delayed us 15 minutes. And as is always our luck, our flight was leaving from the absolute farthest gate. By the time we arrived at our gate we had to board and had no chance to spend the 15 euros we had left.
I’d be happy to answer any questions.
Flights:
Delta, non-stop Detroit to London and Paris to Detroit, $1068 per ticket, return flight was actually operated by Air France. It was the first time we’d done non-stop to Europe and it made the trip a lot less tiring. We also had 2-4-2 seating for the first time and it was nice having a row to ourselves. No problems with the flights in either direction.
Arrival:
We arrived at Heathrow just after 7:30 Saturday morning. Neither of us got much sleep on the flight. I did carry on only, but DH checked a suitcase, so we had to wait for luggage. Since the hotel was right on the Piccadilly line, we decided to take the tube into town. A friend of my mother-in-law’s had given us oyster cards that she had left over from a previous trip, but we still had to wait in line to top them up before leaving the airport. For some reason the train we got on at the airport only went as far as Northfields and then we all had to get out and await another train to go the rest of the way. We got to our hotel a little after 9 and dropped off our luggage.
Hotel:
Millennium Baileys, a “deluxe bedroom” with their “Leisure for Longer” rate was 601 GBP for 4 nights. We loved the location, right across from the Gloucester Road tube station and within walking distance of the Victoria and Albert museum. There were lots of restaurants nearby. The room was large, even by American standards, and traditional in décor. The building was pretty and service was fine. We would stay here again.
London Day 1:
We decided to eat breakfast first to catch our breath before starting to tour. There was a Garfunkel’s restaurant in the little mall attached to the tube station so we ate there. Nothing special, but cheap and cheerful as my British mother-in-law would say. Then we took the tube to Borough Market. We love markets and this one was fabulous! We were too full to sample much, but we really enjoyed looking around. After that we took the tube out to the Imperial War Museum. We wanted just a quick lunch so we bought some sandwiches and ate them in the park outside the museum. The rest of the day was spent in the museum. The current special exhibit on the Ministry of Food was very interesting. The exhibit on the trenches was very well done; I’d always been curious about what they were like. Dinner was at a little place across the road from the hotel, very basic food but jet lag was catching up with us by then!
London Day 2:
Off to the V and A museum, which was a short walk from the hotel. We weren’t sure what to expect from this museum and we thought we’d probably spend only a half day here. We ended up loving this museum and spent the entire day. We started off with a free introductory tour which was excellent. Lunch was in the museum and was very good. Dinner was at El Gaucho Argentinean steakhouse near the hotel and was pretty good. After dinner we had reservations for the Ceremony of The Keys at the Tower of London. We’d been to the Tower of London before but had never seen the ceremony. Fascinating!
London Day 3:
This was the day for an old favorite, Westminster Abbey. We got there around 10:00 and found the Abbey very crowded. They have a free audio tour but we chose to do the verger tour which we enjoyed immensely on our 2001 trip. It still cost the same price as in 2001, only 3 pounds. It was excellent again and allowed us to tour some areas that aren’t open to those not on the tour. After that we spent the rest of the day walking around London. For dinner we met a few of DH’s relatives that still live in London. The restaurant was called the Portobello Ristorante (http://portobellolondon.co.uk/index.html) and it was excellent. Wonderful friendly service and fabulous food. Highly recommended!
London Day 4:
On our 3rd London trip we decided that it was finally time to visit the British Museum. It was also our last day in London and we still wanted to do more walking around, so we compromised by spending only a half day in the museum and then doing more wandering around. We took the tube to Temple and walked around the Inns of Court area, Fleet street, and then St. Paul’s. We got to St. Paul’s shortly before they closed and were able to walk around briefly.
On to Paris:
We were booked on the 8:02 Eurostar to Paris. We took the tube to St. Pancras station where the facilities were very nice. Picking up our tickets was quick and easy. We were disappointed that our seats faced backwards and that we didn’t really have a window but since the train wasn’t full we were able to switch seats once we started. We arrived at Gare du Nord at around 11:15 where we got some euros at an ATM.
Hotel:
Hotel Le Regent on Rue Dauphine in the 6th. We had a deluxe room for 230E a night. The room was small but the bed was comfortable and the bathroom was very nice. Service was good and we loved the location.
After checking in we went to the Opera and took the English language tour. What a breathtaking building! After that we went to the Eiffel Tower. We had been to the second level before but never up to the top. After much waiting in line (to buy tickets, to get to level 2, to get to the top), we finally got there. Once you’re at the 3rd level, which is enclosed, you can walk up one flight of stairs to the highest level which is open air and it was very cold. We didn’t stay very long. It was also very crowded. Then another line to get the elevator down. Dinner was at a place near the hotel, we were too footsore and tired to go elsewhere.
Paris Day 2:
When we were in Paris last year I wanted to visit the Carnavalet museum but we didn’t have time, so it was a must for this trip. DH really liked it, but I was a bit disappointed. It tells the history of Paris mostly through artwork. There was very little English information and no English brochure.
Paris Day 3:
We visited the Rodin Museum, which we both really enjoyed. After a lunch stop, we headed to the Catacombs. Last trip we tried to visit but the line was an hour long and we weren’t willing to wait. This time there was no wait at all. It was weirdly fascinating to see all of those bones. After a rest back at the hotel, we took the metro to the Arc d’ Triomphe and then strolled along the Champs Elysees. We had planned to do a night time boat trip but it was drizzling (the only rain of the trip) so we skipped it.
Paris Day 4:
We visited the Louvre on our last trip but we wanted more time there, so we started our day there. Some sections were closed off for renovation but we saw quite a bit. Then we decided to go to the D’Orsay, which was our favorite museum last trip. A big part of this museum is being renovated, but there was still a lot to see. After a rest back at the hotel, we decided to take our postponed boat trip. Unfortunately we got there only a few minutes before the boat departed and all of the indoor seats were taken so we ended up on top and it was COLD!
Departure:
I was told to allow 3 hours to get to CDG for our return flight but I allowed almost 4 and I needed all of it. Part of this was our own ignorance. We were taking the RER B and the ticket window where we first entered the station was closed. The machine took only credit cards (of course our American ones didn’t work) or coins and we had mostly paper money. After going back to ground level to try to get change, we were advised that another station entrance had an open ticket window. Then the train for some reason only went to Gare du Nord. Thankfully a local noticed our confusion and was kind enough to walk us through Gare du Nord and show us where to get the correct train for the remainder of the trip. We had to get boarding passes after our arrival at the airport and DH needed to check a suitcase. Even though security only had a 5 minute wait, we were lucky enough to get into a line where the person ahead of us had an issue that delayed us 15 minutes. And as is always our luck, our flight was leaving from the absolute farthest gate. By the time we arrived at our gate we had to board and had no chance to spend the 15 euros we had left.
I’d be happy to answer any questions.
Oct 19th, 2010 | 09:27 AM
#5
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 877
Likes: 0
Klondike, it was called Pizza Marinara at 46 Rue Dauphine. Actually it was pretty good and we ended up eating there a second time. Good pizzas, nice salads, decent service, prices were reasonable.
Michel, it is actually neither a guided tour or an audio tour. You simply get a brochure and you walk through on your own. There is only a single path to follow. This was one of the few places where we missed having our daughter along who is fluent in French. They had an English brochure with descriptions and some information but they did not provide English translations of the inscriptions along the way.
Michel, it is actually neither a guided tour or an audio tour. You simply get a brochure and you walk through on your own. There is only a single path to follow. This was one of the few places where we missed having our daughter along who is fluent in French. They had an English brochure with descriptions and some information but they did not provide English translations of the inscriptions along the way.
Nov 5th, 2010 | 12:27 PM
#6
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 285
Likes: 0
>By the time we arrived at our gate we had to board and had no chance to spend the 15 euros we had left.<
For me, that would mean only one thing....an excuse to make plans to go back and spend it!
It sounds like you had a lovely time. I also spent an entire day in the V&A my first time to London.
The only time I went to Paris it was in late November and rained nearly the entire time but I loved it anyway.
Very nice little report.
For me, that would mean only one thing....an excuse to make plans to go back and spend it!
It sounds like you had a lovely time. I also spent an entire day in the V&A my first time to London.
The only time I went to Paris it was in late November and rained nearly the entire time but I loved it anyway.
Very nice little report.
