My husband and I are traveling to Paris and London next month and wanted to get others opinions on adding Ireland to our travel plans. We will be there 10 full days and initially thought of spliting our trip in half, 5 days in each. He has already been to Paris; however, I haven't. He was torn between Ireland or Scotland. He has decided he wanted to add Ireland to the trip. We thought of doing 4 days in Paris, 3 in Ireland and 3 in London. Is this a good idea? Thank you!

No, IMO it is not a good idea.

He has been to Paris, but you have not. I take it that neither of you has been to London.

Half of one of your full days will be essentially spent in travel between two destinations. Pack up, check out of hotel, get to train or plane, arrive, get to hotel, check in, unpack.

Do you want to do that twice?

Also, you might make a list of all things you want to do in each place. Then try to make a realistic guess at how long it will take. People here can and will help.

How much Ireland can see in 2.5 days? Is it enough for
you?

You can easily do a wonderful daytrip from either Paris or London. Salisbury, Winchester, Windsor, Hampton Court, Cambridge, Oxford and more from London. From Paris, Versailles, Chartres, Rouen, and lots more.

I agree with Tuscan that you need the time for London and Paris only. Let me give you my perspective on this. After 3 visits to Paris in the last few years, I still have a few attractions that we (my wife and I) have not yet seen.
She is a big fan of the painting of Monet. The Orangerie and the Water Lillies were closed when we were there most recently and we had not worked them in previously. We did, however, visit Musee Marmottan and, naturally, Musee d'Orsay.
The Lourvre itself is a formidable challenge because of its sheer size.

Another aspect of our visits to Paris that in retrospect is somewhat of an omission is that we have not yet visited Napolean's tomb. It was one of those attractions that we postponed until the "next" visit, but some how the right next visit has yet to materialize.

It seems like Versailles, Fontainebleau, Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte and Giverny ate up more time than we had planned.
Then, too, being fans of classical music there seemed like there was a wide variety of performances. The best one?
Probably Turandot at the Opera Bastille.

When you reach the bottom line it looks like this: Three visits for a total 13 days and there are still quite a few attractions we have not yet seen.

As for London, it too seems to be a bottomless well.
The plays, the musicals, the symphonies, the museums, and the historical buldings seem to endless.

I could run through a long list of prime attractions in London that we would like to visit or see again.

One thing about Paris that appeals to me is that you need not to rush through Paris. Give her time to unfold and present herself as you walk along the streets.

You will see interesting sights and humorous sights.
My two nominations for humor are described in these two anecdotes.

#1. One day leaving the Musee Rodin, where some woman kept referring to the sculpture of Balzac as Prozac, we were wandering along the sidewalk near the Eiffel Tower. Some young hotshot on a skate board collided with a middle aged woman of a fair degree of girth. She opened up with a blistering barrage as she berated the young man. I could not understand many of her words, but the meaning was crystal clear. At the climax of her tirade she delivered the best kick she could muster and sent it down the steps.
I think she hurt her foot to the extent that her tirade subsided.

I have often thought the skateboarder was fortunate the the person delivering the kick was not Michelle Akers or Mia Hamm. He might have had to for a swim in the Seine.

#2 Paris is a very dog friendly city. One evening we were eating in a restaurant near Blvd Montparnasse and Raspail.
While we were dining a well groomed dog came by himself and had a seat at the end of the bar. The man in charge fed him a few bites and dog went on his way. Seems like the dog is a regular there. She was very well behaved and minded her own business, which is more than I can say for some people.

The only thing I might add is that April in Paris can be miserable in terms of weather. Just be sure you plan indoor and outdoor activities so you can go inside if need be.
London, same story. Rain is common that time of year but so are pleasant temperatures.

Thanks so much for your advice. I think I convinced him that Ireland would be another trip. We are now researching on how to get from Paris to London. We can go by plane or train. I am trying to choose the quickest way which I believe would be by train. When I look at the train station it says from Paris Nord to London Pancras. Is the London Pancras train station closer to the center than flying from Paris to London Heathrow and taking a taxi?

Bob...thanks for the reply. I appreciate it.

When is the best time to visit Paris in terms of weather? Does it rain in Paris in April or are you referring to cold weather in April?

I know London can be hit or miss in terms of weather year round.

Also, we will be there from the 10th-15th of April which is Easter weekend. Are there any places that would be closed? Is there a big difference during this weekend?

Thanks again for your time.

The London Pancras station is close to the "centre" of London than Heathrow is. Plus, Gare du Nord is much closer to the "centre' of Paris than Charles de Gaulle airport.

I've taken the train and flown between the cities, and I would vote for the train. Easier and faster once you take into account getting to and from airports, wait times for checkin, etc.

My experience with the weather in Paris in April has been interesting. Cold and wet and miserable one day, very warm the next. Take layers.

Hi OHL,

>Is the London Pancras train station closer to the center than flying from Paris to London Heathrow and taking a taxi?<

Much.

it ain't "London Pancras" station -- it is St (as in saint) Pancras.

We were in London once over Easter. The only thing we had to return to for sightseeing was Westminster Abbey. You will need to plan around their services in order to explore. I highly recommend a Verger's tour since you learn so much more from the guide.

If you take the Eurostar you are traveling city center to city center and it will definitely be faster than flying. Also, much more comfortable. You should buy your tickets in advance to get the best price (which may be 1/2 of a RT ticket and you throw away the return - assuming you're flying open jaws into one city and out of the other).

Definitely take the train.

I think what people go and see is a function of their own personal tastes. There are several excellent guide books to each city. The green Michelin guide is good for Paris.
Go to any big bookstore and peruse the collection on London.
There are 4 or 5 that you might like.

As for Paris, we seem to get mired down in street scenes.
One Sunday bright and early we headed for Musee d'Orsay.
On the way we discovered a farmers' market that takes over one of the major streets for some distance. We did not know it was there. We wandered into by luck.

The produce in the market was fantastic. Unfortunately we had no way to take anything like potatoes and other vegetables with us. I did the next best thing: I loaded up on pastries and other goodies. I needed them desperately!

Not having visited Napoleon's tomb is just one of those omissions that occurred because we did indeed keep saying "next time."

As for how to get from London to Paris, I would consider the train. Gatwick is a little easier to get to than Heathrow, and both Orly and Charles de Gaul airports are way out from the city center.

There is a 3rd airport used by the cut-rate airlines, but it is 50 miles away from the main part of Paris.
Of course with Paris, picking the main part is a function of what you want to see. The distance from the Eiffel Tower to Sacre Couer is non trivial.

I know people rave about the Paris Metro. Perhaps it is good for long distance movement about the city, but I much prefer the buses. They move right along, usually, and passengers can see where they are going.

I don't care much for the London Tube either. It is often crowded and at times I feel like the tunnels are taking me to my destination rather than to my train!

At any rate, plan your trip after you pick out the places that you want to see. People will say don't miss this and don't miss that. Well, if someone does not care for Impressionist School art, Musee d'Orsay is a waste of time.
For me, it is one of the first places I go.

PS The dog was a "her". I mixed genders by accident. Pretty dog, too.

In London, I learned something. I thought it was the Saint Pancreas station. That would go right along with the Royal Liver Assurance Company.