Paris and London In Seven Days Total
 

Got a call from my youngest son..."Mom,you up for a quick trip to Paris and London?" Seems that he is traveling to Copenhagen on business (end of August) and can grab 6-7 days after that. He knows his dad won't go overseas (only Ireland) so it's my only chance and I'm jumping on it. Three days in each city...Paris first...Chunnel over to London...fly home. Our family goes nowhere without this forum. The info on Fodor's is priceless. Our eyes are wide open! Help needed..

I can't think of a better way to spend 7 days than in Paris and London. What kind of help do you need?

Fun! Have you been to either city before? I love both but it has been awhile since I have been to London.

Have you booked hotels yet? That's probably the place to start.

Where to start? Well,we have made two bookings; our hotel in Paris (recommended by one of the salesman) and our Chunnel passage to London. Yes, need some thoughts on a London hotel; as they say..nice place, good location and not too pricey. Will start in earnest this month reading the travel books, internet, etc. I know we will start with the Louvre in Paris and Westminster Abbey in London. Tour buses, public transportation, restaurants(local color)lots of stuff to figure out.

One useful thing to do for Paris planning is the map feature on the Paris Museum Pass site. You can tell it what sites you want to visit and it will map them out. It will be easier if you can group your sites for the day, relatively close together.

Both the bus and Metro are easy to use and your can buy a carnet of tickets to use on both of them. The good thing about the bus, is that it helps you see a bit more and learn your way around.

For the Louvre, do some homework and figure out what you want to see there. It is massive, so you need to have a plan on where the pieces that you want to see are and how to get there. Enter through the Carousel mall entrance on rue di Rivoli-it is usually far less crowded.

The Paris Museum Site will also give you the days and times that your choices are open, so you can plan and make sure you don't show up on a day the museum is closed.

I love Sainte Chappelle in Paris...small, ornate and intimate. Go early as it is part of the Justice complex and the security lines can be long. Even better if you can go on a sunny day as the stained glass really lights up in the sun.

>>and not too pricey<<

Sorry but that doesn't help. What is your actual budget?

Thanks Denisea, good stuff all, and the rest duly noted! Found Louvre map on internet and Carousel entrance. Ah, Janisj, budget. The question has me thinking. We are starting a plan which for the most part will revolve around what it is we want to see. After we answer that we will locate a medium to small sized hotel that is conveniently located in a safe area of town and is known to be clean and comfortable. It will cost what it costs. We never do 4 or 5 star hotels.(only on paid-for business trips, and they are few.)I hear that London is generally more expensive than Paris. The internet has taken a great deal of the frustration out of the search but personal recommendations are the best.


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In Paris, we liked the Hotel St Jacques, Latin Quarter. Lots of cafes, bars, restaurants. Great location.

(BTW, people don't really call it "Chunnel". I think an American journalist coined that term, but the locals don't like it I'm told.)