PARIS-VIENNA-LISBON-ATHENS-LONDON??
 

We won a first class trip for 2--all expense paid trip to one of the above destinations for 7 days--will be going between march and june--never been overseas....PLEASE HELP--I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO GO!!??!!

My first reaction is PARIS! We never tire of that wonderful city, and there's more than enough to fill 7 days, as well as easy train access to other areas if you want to get out of the city and into the country for a day or 2. <BR>

Hi Sally, <BR>I'm a Swiss student living near Basel. I have been to London three times (last time in April 1998) and I really do love that city. But I love the States too, so I would say I'm somewhat anglophile. I have also been to Paris, but that's quite some time ago and I don't remember it too well any more - But I do remember that it was wonderful too. So if you would like to see something really different from what you have in the States (I mean the big cities) I would recommend Paris too. It really is worth a 7 day visit. However, if you would like to feel a little bit more 'at home', go to London. Vienna and Lisbon are nice too (as far as I've heard) and of Athens I only know that in summer it is awfully smoggy. So London or Paris would be me favorites, in your place, I'd go to Paris, I think.

Sally, I have only been to Lisbon and Athens. Lisbons is ok but 3-4 days is plenty. We enjoyed Athens because the history and ruins. I would be ideal to spend 3-4-5 days in Athens then on to a Greek Isle.

Sally, How wonderfully lucky!! <BR>I've been to the cities you've listed as well as the "biggies" in Italy (Roma, Firenze & Venezia), and I would highly recommend Paris. In fact a seven day stay is perfect for seeing almost all the famous sights in Paris. I'll be there for five days this coming spring <BR>acting as a free tour guide for some friends. Here's our current itinerary <BR>which may be of help to you. <BR> <BR>Day 1 - morning: Paris Vision Discovery City Bus Tour (www.parisvision.com, 150F, 9:30AM-11:30AM) <BR> afternoon: walking tour from Arc de Triomphe, Champs de Elysees, Place de Concorde, <BR> Tuileries Garden, Arc de Carousel, Musee du Louvre (outside only), <BR> La Samarataine (view city from roof of the store) <BR>Day 2 - all day: Versailles & Chartres Cathedral (both day trips outside the city) <BR>Day 3 - morning: walking tour from Ile de St Louis, Notre Dame Cathedral, St Chapelle, <BR> Concierge, Pont Neuf <BR> afternoon: Musee du Rodin, Les Invalides (Napoleon's Tomb), Champ de Mars, Eiffel Tower, <BR> Trocadero, <BR> night: Illuminations, Cruise, Eiffel Tower Tour (www.parisvision.com, 290F,7:30PM-11:30PM) <BR>Day 4 - all day: Musee du Louvre (Venus de Milo, Victory of Samothrace, The Dying Slave, Da Vinci's: <BR> "Mona Lisa" and "The Virgin, Child, and St Anne", Raphael's "La Belle Jardiniere", <BR> Vermeer "The Lacemaker") <BR>Day 5 - morning: Musee du Orsay (Manet's "Olympia", "Whistler's Mother", Degas "The Dance Class", <BR> Monet's: "La Gare St Lazare", "Rouen Cathedral", "Garden at Giverny", <BR> Cezanne: "The Card Players", Van Gogh's: "Self Portraits", "Room at Arles", <BR> "The Church at Auvers-sur-Oise", Seurat's "The Circus". <BR> afternoon: Sacre Coeur, Montemartre <BR> <BR>I'd recommend against the Paris Visite pass and suggest you get a museum pass, and buy carnets of metro tickets as you go, this is much more economical. The museum pass allows you to bypass long museum entry lines, and let you in and out as often as you'd like. We plan on getting a 3 consecutive day pass (160F) <BR>and use it for days 3-5. The carnet of metro tickets (10 tickets) can be and used on the metro and bus lines. As for hotels, I've stayed in the popular 5th arr (Latin Quarter), and I find it too touristy, busy, and noisy. I'd recommend staying in the 7th arr (Ecole Militaire) because it is more residential, and quiet. The hotels in the 7th arr that I've heard good things about are: <BR> <BR>GRAND HOTEL LEVEQUE <BR> Address: 29 rue Cler; 75007 PARIS <BR> Metro: Ecole Militaire <BR> TEL: 47.05.49.15 <BR> FAX: 45.50.49.36 <BR> Rating: 1-star <BR> <BR>HOTEL Du CENTRE <BR> Address: 24 rue Cler; 75007 PARIS <BR> Metro: Ecole Militaire <BR> TEL: 47.05.52.33 <BR> FAX: 40.62.95.66 <BR> Rating: 2-star <BR> <BR>HOTEL MUGUET <BR> Address: 11 rue Chevert; 75007 PARIS <BR> Metro: Ecole Militaire <BR> TEL: 47.05.05.93 <BR> FAX: 45.50.25.37 <BR> Rating: 2-star <BR> <BR>HOTEL CHAMP DE MARS <BR> Address: 7 rue du Champ de Mars; 75007 PARIS <BR> Metro: Ecole Militaire <BR> TEL: 45.51.52.30 <BR> FAX: 45.51.64.36 <BR> Rating: 2-star <BR> <BR>HOTEL La BOURDONNAIS <BR> Address: 111 Avenue de la Bourdonnais; 75007 PARIS <BR> Metro: Ecole Militaire <BR> TEL: 47.05.45.42 <BR> FAX: 45.55.75.54 <BR> Rating: 3-star <BR> <BR>HOTEL DUQUESNE EIFFEL <BR> Address: 23 Avenue Duquesne; 75007 PARIS <BR> Metro: Ecole Militaire <BR> TEL: 47.05.41.86 <BR> FAX: 45.55.54.76 <BR> Rating: 3-star <BR> <BR>HOTEL LE TOURVILLE <BR> Address: 16, avenue de Tourville; 75007 PARIS <BR> Metro: Ecole Militaire <BR> TEL: 47.05.62.62 <BR> FAX: 47.05.43.90 <BR> Rating: 4-star <BR> <BR>Bon Voyage, have a great time. Let me know if I can be of any further help. <BR>-- Bill Fleites <BR> <BR>