syd1

ok...thx!

yestravel

We just returned from London 2 weeks ago. We arrived a few days after the terrorist attack on London bridge. Away from that area I had no sense of what had happened. This was different from Paris where we happened to be a week after the Nov 15 attacks. Much smaller city than London and by numbers a worse attack and you felt it. I also live in DC and have a child living in Manhattan. I love the people who act like it's a silly question. I think it's silly not to think about these things these days.

In answer to the transportation question, I love buses and if you're not in a rush they are a great way to see the city. It was great to sit atop the double decker buses in London and have a birds eye view of the city. When we are in Paris I also prefer the buses. Traffic is bad, but I'm generally not in a rush.

Have a great trip.

PatrickLondon

You can never rule out the possibility of some sort of trouble in any public place; but I honestly think you and your girls would run a much higher risk from not remembering to look "the other way" when crossing the road, especially if your attention is distracted by something.

To familiarise yourselves with the public transport systems (once you get to recognise the signage it's not difficult):

www.tfl.gov.uk
and especially
http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-...ral-london.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vQvEwcuwW8

www.ratp.fr/en/plans-lignes
parisbytrain.com/paris-metro/

Tulips

I visit London about 10 times a year and take the tube or bus everywhere. Sometimes I cycle but in terms of safety this is probably not the safest thing to do in London.

Have a look at StantonHyde's recent trip report about visiting London with kids.

I don't know how old your girls are (not familiar with the term 'tweens'), but if they are tall enough for adult sizes, they may like Topshop on Oxford Circus. I recently gave my nieces (age 13/14) a personal shopping appointment + gift card and they absolutely loved it. Great service. It's free, with no obligation to buy. May be too late to book though.

jamikins

Live and work in London and have taken the tube every day for 10 years. I have never had a problem. Could it happen? Yes. Could it happen anywhere? Yes. Be aware of course, but definitely use the tube!

Macross

Sdy1, I hear this all the time from people, I have a freind that can travel anywhere since her husband is a retired Delta Captain. They have not since retirement out of fear. He was strictly an international pilot and they had a home in the UK but sold it. I live in Central Fl where you can get eaten by an alligator at Disney, bit by a shark or killed in a nightclub much easier than using public transportation in Europe.
That being said you have your two kids with you and you are their care taker so you do what makes you feel safe and that is all that matters.
I love the buses in Paris and London. It is not as quick but if I want to see above ground it is a nice change.

Dukey1

I agree with taking a trip on something like the Number 9 bus route in London. Now, if we could just get BigRuss OR JanisJ to ride alone WITH you and explain the significance of all those buildings you are passing it would be almost as good as the Hop-On/Hop-Off.

And please, traffic in London affects ALL the buses.

PatrickLondon

9, 15, 23...... they all have something to offer. Or on a dull, wet Sunday morning, just get on any bus, go to the end of the route to see what you can see, and then come back again.

4sammy234

Oh that sounds like a wonderful trip. I would add in Paris, I really enjoyed Versailles. Enough that I went back with my husband (I went as a teen with my family). The Chateau itself is one thing, but wandering the gardens on a lovely day could be a nice highlight .

And agree with all about security. Be cautious, but live your life; public transportation is generally very safe and nothing is ever guaranteed. I would have no concerns about taking my kids on a subway or train in London or Paris .

StantonHyde

Please check out my trip report for London. We just got back--took 2 teens and had a great time. We tubed EVERYWHERE. I found it quite telling that people did not seem concerned about the random terrorist attacks. What they were furious about was the Grenfell Towers fire--their government had let them down and they demanded answers. Many more people died in that tragedy than they did in recent terrorist attacks. It really puts things in perspective.

PalenQ

surprised that BigRuss has not mentioned yet the London Dungeon or Madame Tussauds yet -two fabulously popular places with British - tweeners especially may like a respite from more proper cultural sites! Not recommending either but look into them and see if they perk your tweens' interests.

syd1

I feel a LOT better now. Thanks for your kind responses everyone!! I promise to post a trip report with any off the beaten path finds!! As always, this board is so great.

syd1

Hi all,
Just got back from an amazing two week journey. Thank you ALL for your advice and suggestions. Wanted to post our itinerary in case anyone is interested. We DID wind up only taking public transportation (even to and from the airport) and it was great. Great overall note - Download the CITYMAPPER app and you will have found Nirvana in terms of getting around on Public Transportation in both cities.

Day 1 - Flew in on redeye to London. Bought Oyster Passes for all 5 days in London and Took Tube (Not Heathrow express) to hotel. Exchanged money in London (not in US) for better rate at Airport.

Stayed at a wonderful hotel in South Kensington called The Ampersand (https://www.ampersandhotel.com/). Kensington was a great place and was close to the airport. Attempted to stay awake for a Hop-On Hop-Off Bus tour to get an overview of the city but that strategy failed. Both girls were sleeping within minutes for the entire ride. But it was a nice break for me!
Got off bus at Westminster Abbey and walked around in the pouring rain (which was a lot of fun). Bagged the rest of the Hop/On ride and took Tube back to Kensington where we spent a good 2 hours at The Hoop and Toy pub which was a blast. Fish and Chips for all. Beer for me.

Day 2 - Breakfast at cute place in Kensington at great little spot called http://www.raisondetrecafe.com/. Avocado toast and poached eggs with Zatar! YUM. Walked through Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace attempting to see changing of the guards. No dice. They weren't doing it that day because the King of Spain was in town so instead we got to see him drive out of the gate with The Queen right behind!! Jackpot for girls! Took Tube to Covent Garden and spent afternoon walking around there. Highlight was little area behind Covent Garden called Neal's Yard. Don't miss this place. Kind of an Italian village feel with colorful windows, bohemian shops and quaint restaurants. Just gorgeous for pictures. Girls went GAGA.
Went back to hotel in the afternoon for a lie-down (learned pretty fast not to call it a nap or someone would hand us a diaper!) to regroup and get the bickering out (lol). Stayed in Kensington for dinner at cute little Italian place called Pierno (http://pierino.co.uk/). Then listened to live music on street. It gets dark late so that was a plus.

Day 3 - Got up early, got breakfast and grabbed salads to go at a local jaunt called Squirrel (https://wearesquirrel.com/) and headed out to Kensington Palace. Great exhibit on Princess Di and her dresses. Amazing. Line was decent at 10 am but we got there right when it opened. Spent about 2 hours there. Then took Tube back to Westminster and walked around more to get better pics and history of Big Ben. Didn't do inside of Westminster Abbey as we hadn't secured tix in advance and crowds TBH were overwhelming. But it was magnificent even without going in.
Girls exhausted by then so went back to hotel for Lie-Down. Surprised girls with tickets to Wicked which I got LAST MINUTE on great app called Today Tix (https://www.todaytix.com/) which I've used in NY a lot too. If you're willing to sit even a row away from your family (and believe me, I was more than willing!) you can get incredible day-of deals to hot shows. London Cast was amazing.
Waited by stage door after show and got lots of pics with Fiyero and others. They were super gracious. Back to hotel after that for low-key dinner.

Day 4 - Breakfast at Paul (Pastry Shop). Went to incredible exhibit at The https://www.saatchigallery.com/ on...wait for it...perspective on The Selfie. Was a great way to show girls about self expression (and expressionism) in a way in which they could totally relate. I highly recommend this gallery. Then off to Tower of London to see Crown Jewels. Crowded but worth it. Walked across bridge and had snacks on the boardwalk. Took bus to Harrods after. Bus rides were such a treat because we always tried to sit on the top. Walked back to hotel after for a rest and then met friends for dinner in SOHO at a steak restaurant called http://zelmanmeats.com/. Could have stayed in Soho all night (sans kids) because it was definitely the "it" place to be. Great vibe.

Day 5 - Went to visit friends in Clapham Junction on commuter train. Great opportunity to experience London like a local. Spent all day there and then took train back to Kensington. Oyster pass covered commuter rail too. Just make sure you check your balance on the card every now and then and add money accordingly (to check balance you tap card on any of the automated machines).

Day 6 - Checked out of hotel and headed to Kings Cross station to pick up the Chunnel to Paris. Do NOT do what we did and show up 20 minutes before train leaves station thinking it is like a local station. I completely forgot we had to go through customs because we were (duh) leaving the country! Also, worth paying for a seat on the train and you get great service!
Chunnel was amazing. Even faster than we thought. Arrived in Paris 2.5 hours later. Immediately tried to get scammed by some guy at the Metro insisting we buy tickets from him (in cash). Quickly ran away from him and bought tickets for our entire 4 day stay from an official Metro ticket agent. Note to self- don't try to buy tix from the machine in Paris if you don't speak French!! Tres Confusing!! Once we had our tix tho, we were good to go on all modes of public transportation the entire time. Stayed at quaint hotel in 6th Arrondisement (St. Sulpice Metro) called Villa Madame. http://www.hotelvillamadameparis.com...rmain-des-pres. Amazing location in Saint Germain. Lots of local shopping and restaurants galore.
Spent first day in Paris walking around and soaking up the flavor. It was HOT outside. Took a boat ride (booked in advance) on Pont Neuf which was just okay. Tour guide sped through her spiel so we couldn't really make out much but it was fun. Back to hotel to regroup. Then dinner at http://www.lesdeuxmagots.fr/en/ on Saint Germaine where, truly, the highlight of the ENTIRE TRIP was sitting outside for hours at the little bistro tables and watching my girls play cards instead of stare at their electronic devices. Heard a gazillion different languages at every table and it was simply a perfect evening.

Day 2 Paris - Louvre. Bought tix in advance and had to go to a little kiosk at Place Royale to exchange them. Once in hand, entered museum at Carousel entrance (by the underground mall) and avoided MAJOR CROWDS entering at main entrance. Highly recommend this!! We did beeline to the Mona Lisa but it was such a treat and, despite the crowds, worth every second. Spent a little more time at museum. After Louvre, took bus to Galleries Lafayette http://haussmann.galerieslafayette.com/. Um, to say this is a mall is insulting to this place. It is a palace. Just gorgeous. We went to the roof and had great views of the city and then had lunch in the "food court" one floor below. This cafeteria style food court was perfect for us and food was tasty. And, French wine at a mall food court?? OUI OUI! Went back to hotel after for a rest...then dinner at L'Entricote http://www.relaisentrecote.fr/ which is a steak and pomme fritte place where that's all you get so the only thing you need to tell the waitress is how you like your steak cooked. It was delicious. There are a few locations and prepare to stand in line but it moves quickly. Delicious and a HUGE amount of food. Only one price and there are no kids portions so whether you're 60 or 6 you'll pay the same per person. Deal with it. We had to. But totally worth it. Kinda touristy but who cares.

Day 3 - Breakfast (forgot to mention, every day breakfast was whatever bakery was closest). Headed to Le Marais to walk around. Beautiful windy streets with a mix of up and coming designer boutiques and lots of history. Jewish Quarter was a highlight. Best Falafel (better than Israel) ever. Took bus to another great area called Etienne Marcel (we like to shop) http://www.messynessychic.com/2014/0...ique-shopping/ and spend the afternoon walking around. Back to hotel and then local restaurant for dinner. At dusk (which is much later than we thought) headed to Eiffel Tower. It was just as magnificent, if not more, than we'd imagined. Were in total awe. At 10 pm the lights come on and OOH LA LA. Hold on to your purses here...lots of pick pockets but amazing, amazing, amazing. Photo opp haven.

Day 4 - This was our last full day so we kept it wide open. Started at Arc De Triomphe and walked down Champs Elysses. Which was much more like 5th Avenue but the view of Arc De Triomphe was incredible so we kept turning around a lot to remind ourselves that we were in Paris every time we passed a Starbucks (lol). Pulled a Griswold and bought cheap Berets and took photos which actually came out good. Spent the rest of the afternoon meandering the streets in our own neighborhood. Had hoped to visit Saint Chappelle but we just didn't make it. There really were a million more places we could have gone but we kept it light.
Ended with a dinner at a local Crepe place.

Day 5 - Woke up sad to leave. Bought as many croissants as we could fit into our carry-ons and took our first Cab to the airport. BTW...don't UBER to airport in Paris. Cabs are capped at E62 and UBER charges E110. Get to airport EARLY. I live in Atlanta at the busiest airport in the world and I've never seen more people nor more lines than I've seen at CDG. Got there 3.5 hours before our flight and just had enough time.

So...that was our trip!! AMAZING and incredible experience and I would do it again tomorrow if I could. Again, thanks for all of your tips everyone! Hope this is a helpful recap! Until next time...

yestravel

Thanks for your great TR! Sounds like a wonderful time for all. You sure did a lot. Loved your comment on sitting a row away at the theater from your girls. We saw the selfie exhibit at the Saatchi and it would be interesting to see kids reaction.

PalenQ

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-in-europe.cfm

interviewed two American tweens on TV last night after the rode and they loved it!

Southam

“Obvious hits”? Not in the Metro or Underground systems recently. PatrickLondon is closer to reality: Your informants should be warning you of the grave dangers of crossing the street in both Paris and London, a much more life-threatening activity than riding the subway, according to statistics rather than vague fears. In London the impatient drivers will be coming at North Americans from the “wrong” direction and many intersections have big arrows painted on the pavement telling wandering tourists which way to look. Scary!
I liked the possibility of suggesting your daughters visit the Arts et Metiers museum in Paris, a wonderland for gearheads with explanations of architectural woodwork and lots of motors and pistons. The sewer museum (musee des egouts) is also intriguing and something to boast about to their friends back home (check for its eccentric opening hours).
What I'm driving at is the girls don't have to have “girly” things imposed on them any more than a boy has to be thrilled by a steam engine. Doing their own research is a great idea, especially when they see how it works out (or doesn't).
http://www.arts-et-metiers.net/musee...or-information
https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museu...gouts-de-Paris

PalenQ

Arts et Metiers>

Great place -my tween son loved it -and me too -Faucault's original pendulum (I believe one in Pantheon is a copy) swings in the old church that is part of the museum. Helps to have an interest in science -lots of old artifacts from early experiments, etc.

Tour de France yesterday - this summer several rides set up in Tuileries Gardens - in addition to big Ferris Wheel several other rides including some kind of wild swing thing.

janisj

>>I liked the possibility of suggesting your daughters visit the Arts et Metiers museum in Paris, a wonderland for gearheads with explanations of architectural woodwork and lots of motors and pistons. The sewer museum (musee des egouts) is also intriguing and something to boast about to their friends back home (check for its eccentric opening hours). <<


The trip is over and OP is back home. Has posted about the trip up thread . . .

PalenQ

Checked out of hotel and headed to Kings Cross station to pick up the Chunnel to Paris.>

Oops - what's that? that's what most Americans call it - now that thread is over...

Tsk tsk.

5alive

Great report! Thanks for posting back.