Rome, Paris, London - 1st time
Sep 19th, 2008, 08:08 AM
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Rome, Paris, London - 1st time
I need help from you savvy travelers. My spouse and I are going to spend 14 days seeing Rome, Paris and London. We are celebrating our 50th birthdays! I can use tons of your travel advice.
In Rome, 1. should we line up a tour of the vatican, as well as a tour of ancient rome?
We also wanted to see Florence. Any recommendations on a day tour to Florence?
Now, once we depart Rome, should we travel by air to Paris or by train? Which is the most hassle-free?
In Paris, are the lines long to go up in the Eiffel Tower, can you pre-buy tickets? Can anyone recommend a tour to see Versaille? Is dinner on the Seine at night worth it, and if so, which boat line?
Now from Paris, should we take the Eurotrain to London? Has anyone heard of the London Pass, where you pay for this multi-day pass to get in to see the top tour sites?
I will be grateful for any advice, suggestions, great hotel recommendations, great restaurant recommendations. We don't mind paying the tab if it is worth it for the trip of a lifetime.
In Rome, 1. should we line up a tour of the vatican, as well as a tour of ancient rome?
We also wanted to see Florence. Any recommendations on a day tour to Florence?
Now, once we depart Rome, should we travel by air to Paris or by train? Which is the most hassle-free?
In Paris, are the lines long to go up in the Eiffel Tower, can you pre-buy tickets? Can anyone recommend a tour to see Versaille? Is dinner on the Seine at night worth it, and if so, which boat line?
Now from Paris, should we take the Eurotrain to London? Has anyone heard of the London Pass, where you pay for this multi-day pass to get in to see the top tour sites?
I will be grateful for any advice, suggestions, great hotel recommendations, great restaurant recommendations. We don't mind paying the tab if it is worth it for the trip of a lifetime.
Sep 19th, 2008, 08:14 AM
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long2travl, I'd recommend you do a few searches on here. There have been recent posts regarding the Eurostar from London to Paris (or the other way), on touring the Vatican, on OysterCards/TravelCards and 2-for-1 discounts in London.
When are you traveling?
When are you traveling?
Sep 19th, 2008, 08:16 AM
#3
I only have time for a very quick response right now - but you'll get lots more . . .
No, you probably do not want the London Pass. It does cover a lot of attractions, but to get value for money you have to dash from place to place over the few consecutive days it covers. They overwhelm you w/ a list of sites the Pass covers, but many are second tier and only a few of the biggies would be doable on a short visit.
As for the boat in Paris - in general the dinner cruises are quite over priced w/ less than quality food. A much better idea is to have a good dinner somewhere and then take one of the regular inexpensive boat trips like the Vedettes.
No, you probably do not want the London Pass. It does cover a lot of attractions, but to get value for money you have to dash from place to place over the few consecutive days it covers. They overwhelm you w/ a list of sites the Pass covers, but many are second tier and only a few of the biggies would be doable on a short visit.
As for the boat in Paris - in general the dinner cruises are quite over priced w/ less than quality food. A much better idea is to have a good dinner somewhere and then take one of the regular inexpensive boat trips like the Vedettes.
Sep 19th, 2008, 08:56 AM
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Quoting Ira from your other thread:
"You will fly into London - 6 nights.
You will take the Eurostar to Paris - 6 nights,.
You will fly www.myair.com to Venice - 2 nights.
You will take the train to Florence - 2 nights.
You will take the train to Rome - 4 nights.
You will fly home.
What's to think about?
If in each city, you wish to hire a guide, there are many available.
"
"You will fly into London - 6 nights.
You will take the Eurostar to Paris - 6 nights,.
You will fly www.myair.com to Venice - 2 nights.
You will take the train to Florence - 2 nights.
You will take the train to Rome - 4 nights.
You will fly home.
What's to think about?
If in each city, you wish to hire a guide, there are many available.
"
Sep 19th, 2008, 09:18 AM
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The lines can be very long at the Eiffel Tower. I am not sure if you can pre-buy tickets or not.
I have had best luck finding shorter lines first thing in the morning, before the large bus tours arrive.
I have heard that late afternoon is also a good time to find shorter lines, though I myself haven't gone at that time.
I have had best luck finding shorter lines first thing in the morning, before the large bus tours arrive.
I have heard that late afternoon is also a good time to find shorter lines, though I myself haven't gone at that time.
Sep 19th, 2008, 01:59 PM
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Rome: Definitely book your Vatican tour in advance (you can book via the Vatican's website). If you book the museum tour, it will end at the Sistine Chapel, then you can explore St. Peter's Basilica on your own. I would also book the Borghese Gallery in Rome (this one fills up quickly because they only allow a certain number of visitors in at a time). This is my favorite museum in Rome. For tours in Rome, we did 2 Context Tours and they were wonderful - expensive, but I highly recommend them. I believe you can easily take the train to Florence and back in one day (about 2 hours I think).
Re: Rome to Paris - check the train and plane websites and see which will be more economical time-wise. I generally prefer train travel because it is so easy and hassle-free. I just did a quick check on the German rail schedule site (www.bahn.de/ then change the language to "english"
and it looks like a train from Rome to Paris will take at least 13 hours - so I'd check flights. Go to Kayak.com and search for flights for your dates. If you have a question about a European airline, post a question here b/c someone has surely flown on that carrier. This summer we flew on AirBerlin and SkyEurope - two carriers I had never heard of. They were both great - clean, professional and on time.
Paris: yes, the lines are long for the Eiffel Tower (we waited over an hour). If you have a reservation at one of the restaurants, I think you can skip to the front of the line. Otherwise, I'd arrive at least 1/2 hour before it opens and join the line then, or go late in the day and cross your fingers. The restaurant Altitude 95 is on the 2nd level and is more reasonably priced than Jules Verne. I didn't think the food was that great, but the view is wonderful! (We were walk-ins, but I think it is wise to get a reservation if you want to eat there - especially if it gets you to the front of the line. Lunch is cheaper than dinner).
We looked into a Seine dinner cruise, but they were very, very expensive. The nicest one we saw was Paris Yachts (they have a website). We opted for dinner at a restaurant and a Bateaux Mouche cruise. (As for restaurants, we love Le Grand Colbert (2-4 Rue Vivienne) and Willi's Wine Bar (13 Rue des Petits Champs). They are within spitting distance of each other and both get great reviews. We also liked Cafe L'Esplanade (52 Rue Fabert) in the 7th.
For Versaille, the Rick Steves travel guides have suggestions on how to buy the all in one ticket (your RER round trip train ticket and your entrance to Versaille). I HIGHLY recommend doing this because the poor folks who didn't had about a 2 hour wait to get in, and we waltzed right in!
One church not to miss in Paris is St. Chappelle - it is kind of hidden, so I think many people miss it. It is absolutely amazing (I felt like I was inside a ruby).
Definitely take the Eurostar from Paris to London - it is quite an experience (sit in 1st Class if you can afford it - they offer champagne and wine, have laptop outlets and very comfortable seats).
In London, I don't think you need the multi-day pass. Most of the big museums are free, but the Churches can be quite expensive (around 15 pounds each). The London Eye is fun - you can book that in advance, but then if it is raining you might be disappointed. We went on a drizzly day and still enjoyed it. Do not miss Westminster Abbey and the Churchill War Museum - the highlights of our London trip. You probably should look into an Oyster Card (for the Tube).
Day trips from London that you could do (but you probably don't have time - save for your next visit) include Windsor (go on a Monday and stay for the horse races!) and Hampton Court.
When picking a hotel or apartment (especially true for Paris and London) I highly recommend choosing one near a metro/tube stop. It is soooo nice to come home after a long day of sightseeing and not have to walk 5 blocks from the station to get to your hotel. It just saves so much time and energy (plus, it makes it easy to zip by the hotel/apartment to grab a raincoat, drop off packages, etc. . . ) Get the Streetwise maps at your local bookstore and google the locations of the places you are considering staying. Then find the closest metro/tube stop and see how convenient it will be.
Keep posting back with specific questions - that is how I planned our last trip to Europe and the advice I received was so helpful and made our trip amazing!!
Re: Rome to Paris - check the train and plane websites and see which will be more economical time-wise. I generally prefer train travel because it is so easy and hassle-free. I just did a quick check on the German rail schedule site (www.bahn.de/ then change the language to "english"
and it looks like a train from Rome to Paris will take at least 13 hours - so I'd check flights. Go to Kayak.com and search for flights for your dates. If you have a question about a European airline, post a question here b/c someone has surely flown on that carrier. This summer we flew on AirBerlin and SkyEurope - two carriers I had never heard of. They were both great - clean, professional and on time. Paris: yes, the lines are long for the Eiffel Tower (we waited over an hour). If you have a reservation at one of the restaurants, I think you can skip to the front of the line. Otherwise, I'd arrive at least 1/2 hour before it opens and join the line then, or go late in the day and cross your fingers. The restaurant Altitude 95 is on the 2nd level and is more reasonably priced than Jules Verne. I didn't think the food was that great, but the view is wonderful! (We were walk-ins, but I think it is wise to get a reservation if you want to eat there - especially if it gets you to the front of the line. Lunch is cheaper than dinner).
We looked into a Seine dinner cruise, but they were very, very expensive. The nicest one we saw was Paris Yachts (they have a website). We opted for dinner at a restaurant and a Bateaux Mouche cruise. (As for restaurants, we love Le Grand Colbert (2-4 Rue Vivienne) and Willi's Wine Bar (13 Rue des Petits Champs). They are within spitting distance of each other and both get great reviews. We also liked Cafe L'Esplanade (52 Rue Fabert) in the 7th.
For Versaille, the Rick Steves travel guides have suggestions on how to buy the all in one ticket (your RER round trip train ticket and your entrance to Versaille). I HIGHLY recommend doing this because the poor folks who didn't had about a 2 hour wait to get in, and we waltzed right in!
One church not to miss in Paris is St. Chappelle - it is kind of hidden, so I think many people miss it. It is absolutely amazing (I felt like I was inside a ruby).
Definitely take the Eurostar from Paris to London - it is quite an experience (sit in 1st Class if you can afford it - they offer champagne and wine, have laptop outlets and very comfortable seats).
In London, I don't think you need the multi-day pass. Most of the big museums are free, but the Churches can be quite expensive (around 15 pounds each). The London Eye is fun - you can book that in advance, but then if it is raining you might be disappointed. We went on a drizzly day and still enjoyed it. Do not miss Westminster Abbey and the Churchill War Museum - the highlights of our London trip. You probably should look into an Oyster Card (for the Tube).
Day trips from London that you could do (but you probably don't have time - save for your next visit) include Windsor (go on a Monday and stay for the horse races!) and Hampton Court.
When picking a hotel or apartment (especially true for Paris and London) I highly recommend choosing one near a metro/tube stop. It is soooo nice to come home after a long day of sightseeing and not have to walk 5 blocks from the station to get to your hotel. It just saves so much time and energy (plus, it makes it easy to zip by the hotel/apartment to grab a raincoat, drop off packages, etc. . . ) Get the Streetwise maps at your local bookstore and google the locations of the places you are considering staying. Then find the closest metro/tube stop and see how convenient it will be.
Keep posting back with specific questions - that is how I planned our last trip to Europe and the advice I received was so helpful and made our trip amazing!!
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