Hello,<BR><BR>I'll be in London for a little over a week next month and was wondering if a day trip to Paris was possible. Are there reasonably priced trains or buses that run between the two cities. Can one actually do such a whirlwind day trip? I just want to see a couple of sights, really...<BR><BR>JC

Sure, there's a bus every day at 2 pm from Victoria Station. Gets to Paris Montparnasse at 5 pm Paris time. Doesn't cost much. Just be sure to wear a wet suit and carry an oxygen tank.

Chanelswimmer,<BR><BR><BR>Poor joke, since there's actually a regular bus service between London and Paris . The details (cost and time) should be available on www.eurolines.com. <BR><BR>And of course, there's the much quicker but more costly Eurostar train.

But getting back to the original question, Paris as a "day trip" is a very long day, indeed. Because of the time that would be tied up in transit, it would far be better as an overnighter.

Check out Rick Steves London book. He has an itinerary for a Paris day trip from London which you might find a good place to start. Frankly, I prefer Paris over London and it is less expensive. I would divide my time between London and Paris.<BR><BR>The Eurostar is definitely expensive but when time is of the essence, it is the only way to go.<BR><BR>One suggestion for touring Paris - they have double decker sightseeing buses in Paris just like London - hop on hop off. Might be a good way to get around and see the city.

We did it in Oct.2000 and we loved it. We took a very early Eurostar--6:30 a.m., got to Paris around 10--there's an hour difference. We took l'Opentour, a hop-on/hop-off bus for an overview. We spent most of our time at the Musee D'Orsay where we also had lunch. We took an 8:00 train back to London. It was a long trip but we slept a bit on the train, and we got to see a bit of Paris. I think it was well worth the hectic day.

There's only two serious ways of doing a day trip - eurostar train and plane. There are some great deals on cheap flights but given the trawl out to the airport and checking in times it's actually quicker and easier to take the eurostar. Take an early train and you'll easily have time for a couple of sights and a good lunch.<BR><BR>Don't even consider the bus - with traffic it could take you a couple of hours or more just to get to Dover.

Definitely do it. And definitely take the train. You probably wouldn't want to waste a lot of time waiting in lines for sights, like the top of the Eiffel Tower, but the hop on/off bus would let you take in the highlights. Lunch on the Champs El or Mont M would give you the flavor of the city. And the afternoon could be spent at the Louvre or D'O. Don't miss the opportunity while you're so close!<BR>

t

Jamie,<BR>Go for it, Jamie. We did the Paris Day Trip in March of this year. Traveled by Eurostar, left very early with a late return. The day was busy, but we are so glad to have taken the trip to see a bit of Paris. Have fun!