MmePerdu

Definitely train. This is it: http://www.eurostar.com/us-en

The sooner you buy it the better the price.

kja

Three days in London isn't much. Three days in Paris isn't much. Your call!

If you fly, you'll have to get to and from airports, which are outside of the city cores. A train is likely to take much less time. Again, a guidebook should provide invaluable information.

pseventful

Thanks! I'll look into my days and consider the length of my stay. I am budget conscious and would prefer to take no more than a week and a half off work. I'll plan my itinerary and see what is best.

kja

I certainly understand that time off work can be a limiting factor! I'm sure you've already realized that the cost of a day abroad is relatively small in comparison to the cost of your airfare, so I've always found it to my advantage to plan for as much time on the ground as my leave time will permit.

pseventful

Yes, for sure. If you're spending on that money on flights, might as well make your stay worthwhile. I want to ensure I do everything I'd like to do in both cities!

kja

You will NOT be able to see/do EVERYTHING you would like to see/do in EITHER city -- even if you spent ALL your time in one or the other -- unless your interests are extraordinarily limited. London and Paris each offer way too much for that! But you can see a nice range of high priority sites in each city. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful trip!

menachem

If I had that limited time, I'd choose either Paris or London. A good week in either of those cities is luxury, and will get you past the obvious things to do, plus it will give you time to do nothing, the sweetest time of all. And if I then had to choose, I'd choose Paris, simply for its compactness, the ease of walking everywhere and the small scale pleasures it offers at every turn.

justineparis

perhaps a personal bias.. but I always felt easier as a solo in Paris then I did in London.

MmePerdu

Compared with London, Paris is a compact jewel of a city. Don't get me wrong, I love London and now spend more time there. But my introduction to the world outside the one I grew up in was 6 months in Paris at 20 and it changed me forever. One cannot do any better.

pseventful

Thank you all for the advice. It's such a huge help. I know it may be worthwhile to spend a longer time in one place, but my heart is set on exploring both cities right now. I'm certain I'll return and further explore both at a later age!

I have decided to go with a total of 8 nights. I do think Paris excites me more so I may do 3 nights London and 5 nights Paris. Or just 4 and 4. But for now, I will book my flights today and finalize my hotels by this weekend.

Belinda

Ways to meet people, even if you are shy... take a walking tour (walks.com is a great tip), take a cooking class (in Paris, cookinwithclass.com), take a bike tour (mikes bikes in Paris). In London go to pubs. In Paris, sit in a cafe. If you keep your nose in a book or your kindle or smart phone you won't be approachable. Sit quietly and look at what's going on around you and you'll be surprised who speaks to you!

Once you travel on your own, you'll never look back. The world is your oyster! Have fun!

ssander

Another vote to take the Eurostar between Paris and London...city to city in (as little as) less than 2:30, and pretty cheap if you book really early.

Unlike the airports, each train station (Gare du Nord and St. Pancras) is on a host of Metro/RER and tube lines for really quick and easy transport to your hotel.

SS

ssander

Another vote to take the Eurostar between Paris and London...city to city in (as little as) less than 2:30, and pretty cheap if you book really early.

Unlike the airports, each train station (Gare du Nord and St. Pancras) is on a host of Metro/RER and tube lines for really quick and easy transport to your hotel.

SS

stokebailey

Hi, pseventful,

My 20's daughters and I enjoy staying in the Bloomsbury area small hotels like the Celtic http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...n_England.html
or similar that you can find on tripadvisor under the B&Bs/inns tab. The basic rooms with shower etc down the hall are just fine, clean, and a good deal nicer than hostels would be in our opinion. We've also stayed at the Arran House, but possibly because of mentions in guidebooks Arran's a little pricier and was a tad frayed on our last visit; both daughters loved it though.

One advantage of this type of small hotel is the breakfast, included in price, that can allow you to share a table and chat with people from all over.

If I were doing your trip I'd probably look for a Paris apartment or private room on airbnb.com, paying careful attention to the reviews by previous guests.

It sounds like a wonderful trip.

Grindeldoo

Train rather than plane every time. When comparing costs, don't forget to factor the cost of getting out to the departure airport and back in again on arrival. Which can add another $40-50 onto the price of the flight.

lanejohann

We are in Paris at the moment
Daughter and I
We are staying at the hotel turenne two in walk from led ole militarise metro
Have seen loads of solo women on metro late late at night
Loads of people in cafés very lat at night and much traffic
We returned from a late movie from champs élysées no prob using metro last night
Normally I'd not do it in Sydney but in both London and Paris there are a lot more peope

ParisAmsterdam

Don't do both Paris and London with the time and budget available. Pick the one that calls to you the most and enjoy.

carolyn

If it were me, I would do both cities to see which one you might want to spend more time in next time you go. Do remember that your first day (I'm assuming in London?) you will be jetlagged, so you may want to leave it at 4 nights in each city.

venividi

Another vote for walking/bike tours and cooking classes as a fun way to see things and meet people. In Paris a wine tasting option is http://www.o-chateau.com/ but I'm sure there are loads of others!

pseventful

Thank you for all the advice! Great insight.

I was away this weekend and just got home. Looking at train prices, wow, they have risen! I'm seeing train rides for £170! Should I go ahead and book this? I see it's very costly, but I understand my trip is last minute. Or there still is an option of flights for about £88 so far... Would that be cheaper considering transportation to a hotel too?