ellenem

Changing hotels will at up a lot of time--usually t takes at least half a day to check out, travel to the new place, check in, and so forth. I agree with others who have suggested staying in just London, Paris, and Rome, but considering some day trips to nearby places that interest you. That way you won't waste time dealing with a new hotel, just travel to the new place for the day and be back to the same hotel at night.

From Rome, choices include Ostia Antica (Pompeii-like excavations in the Roman suburbs, less than an hour away), Orvieto (Umbrian hilltown, 1 hour away), Florence (famous center of Rennassaince art, 1.5 hours away), Naples and Pompeii (2-3 hours away).

jw0721

Thank you so much PQ those links were just what i needed for the trips on trains between london and paris and paris and italy!

Be in london from the Jan2-6
taking eurostar on 6th to paris
paris from 6th until 9th
take overnight train on 9th to italy!!! and stay until 15th when my plane leave italy
yay! everything is fitting together so nicely!!!

Has anyone taken a tour to Versailles?? I want to know if its worth it... and i also found this and thinking of doing this too http://www.evanevanstours.co.uk/sali...henge-bath.htm

what do you think???

thanks

PalenQ

I have not taken a tour to Versailles but have gone there several times on my own - very easy - take RER C of the Paris Metro to a Versailles terminus just a few blocks from the Palace. The palace tour i believe is mainly self-done by a walk thru - but leave some time for the delightful gardens (even in Jan worth a look) - a half day can be enough for this all.

jw0721

Anybody used Evans tours?? The link in my earlier post this morning.... for going to salisbury, stonehedge, and baths.....
if you've used a tour a really loved them please post... thanks

PalenQ

jw - you are going off on many different ideas here, which is fine as you are exploring options, but if you really want to get answers to specific questions, such as about Evans Tours, then you should post another thread with Evans Tours or Salisbury-Stone-Bath Tours Info Wanted and you will get much more attention for it.

As for the Eurostar train you should be booking that now - as fares on site can be literally hundreds of dollars higher than advance purchase of cheaper fares, though which are only sold in allotments and even now may be sold out for many trains in early Jan. Weekdays are the best for cheaper fares, when demand is lower. Best one way fare is actually a day return fare where you simply do not return - can be $90 - if you are 60or over Senior are is similar (if under 26 Youth fare can be cheaper even) - but typically fares of $120-140 can be expected booking this late. If you have a railpass covering France, however then you can get a Passholder fare of from $85 up i believe and this fare can even be changed once without penalty in London up until the time of the train (subject to another seat in that fare category being available) - so go to www.eurostar.com to survey fares in Pounds for London to Paris and also go to www.raileurope.com for fares in U.S. $. Sometimes the Pound fares are better and sometimes the dollar fares are - seems to be little rhyme or reason to fares here or there. I always advise calling someone to do a manual search for dollar fares as raileurope.com IME does not always display fares that may be available (a common complaint on fodor's - e-mail coming back from RE saying fare is also higher) - I always advice contacting www.budgeteuropetravel.com and having someone there - an expert IME and IMO - do a manual search for you. They will also answer any questions you have on European trains or passes. To speak to someone at Raileurope.com you have to be ordering and then pay 10% higher for phone orders. Anyway the early bird does get the worm with Eurostar fares. But be careful many cheaper fares are non changeable nor refundable either. If ordering thru the U.S. you pick your ticket up at the Eurostar check-in - getting just an e-mail thing here same as from eurostar.com i believe.

suze

Since the questions you are adding to now are completely different than what you started out with, you might want to start a new and separate post with something more specific in the title about the new information you need.

(Not trying to scold, just be helpful, since you said you were new here)

jw0721

k.. thanks...
yes i already booked flights (to london out of rome) hotels for london, paris, rome
and i booked the trains too!!!
i got a great eurostar deal $usd 69 from london to paris

and i got a sleeper (just me and person traveling with) from paris to italy for $220
i think i did well

I also will start new thread for other topics thanks!!!

jewela

JW..what you described is nothing more than a "drive-by". IMO, this is not "seeing" London. I have visited London dozens of times, and still have not seen it all. I always leave longing for more. I think janisj makes a lot of sense with her itinerary. Even then, you'll not have seen very much of any of these beautiful cities.

PalenQ

jw - Eurostar for $69 one way? What kind of fare is this - i did not think $ fares came so cheap? Thanks

jw0721

pq- i took your advise and looked at BETS- i definitely recommend!!!
and they helped me
the ticket for me is 68 actually but for mil its 99(price in usd-( i did have to pay a one time reservation fee but it was only 18 bucks but i only had to pay it once to get the four train rides which them doing the work... 18 was cheap, haha)
it was the cheapest ticket available.. which was fine because its only about 2-3 hours
its from the paper
Eurostar Youth 6 2nd class: london-Paris
Eurostar Leisure 3 2nd cl: london-paris

jw0721

BTW PQ Thank you so much!! Your very helpful!!

ncsuchemist2002

As a fellow Southerner who uses the word diddly daddly from time to time (albeit not in public or in a forum), let me offer some kind words of advice.

1. 1-2 days in Paris (not counting Disneyland) is laughable. Why would you even waste the time or money to go to Paris just to see a tower and a chathedral? I recently went to Charleston S.C. for three days and could have easily spent three more.

Paris is one of the greatest cities in the world, anything less than five days is insane. Especially if you want to go to Versailles.

2. Disneyland Paris???? You've got to be kidding right? You only live an hour and a half from WDW. Go see the fireworks at Magic Kingdom, spend a day at Animal Kingdom and call it a trip.

3. You may never get a chance to go back to Europe. I would recommend 5 days in Paris, 5 days in the Swiss Alps, and 4 days in Rome and forget London.

Enjoy your trip.

jw0721

maybe i'll change my mind about paris when i get there, but as of right now I'm good with just doing the cathedral and etower..... and versailles.. and disney....
i want to experience disney in another country and im not sure if i'll ever get to china so this is my chance...
I really don't see anything ELSE that seems interesting to ME in Paris.....
i'm also afriad of a language barrier that could exist and i think 3 daysish well be enough for me....

anybody else ever had this concern about "being lost for 3 days in paris"?

suze

Eiffle Tower, Disney, Notre Dame & Versaille are the ONLY things in Paris that are of ANY interest to you?

Sorry I can't help because that is THE craziest thing I have read on this forum in a LONG time.

PalenQ

<anybody else ever had this concern about "being lost for 3 days in paris"?>

Yes - my first time there as well - many years ago - the first time you are faced with a language barrier - but put that angst to rest - it just will not be a problem - just believe me on that.

Paris has huge maps posted on practically every street corner that pinpoint your position. Paris is a great walking town and i suggest a walk from Notre Dame Cathedral up thru the Louvre (archway) into the Tuileries gardens and then over the Pl Concorde and up the Champs Elysees - seeing so many Parisian landmarks and impossible to get lost on.

To say x number of days in a certain city is the minimum and anything else in crazy is to me simply a value judgment and should be taken as such.

Veteran travelers IMO often forget when they were novice travelers and usually on their first trip to Europe did flit about - spending three days here - two day there, etc.

My first trip to Paris way back in 1969 i stayed three days and though i had a great time i was ready to get moving and see some of Europe as well. Yes 5 days would be great - 6 better and so on and so on - but that precludes that you want to see museums bascially, etc.

You could easily do 3 days in London, 3 in Paris, and then 8-9 in Italy - Rome, Florence and Venice. Again better some will say to spend all your time in say Rome - but to me just having seen Florence or Venice even if just for a day or two is better than seeing only Rome

It's your first trip and then later you may want to come back and yes stay in some cities you like longer.

SusanSDG

Wait! someone else is going on this trip with you? And is okay with the whirlwind pace and wasting a full day in Europe at Disney? And seeing no art in Paris?
The first time you go it's natural to be nervous about the language barrier-although, since you're hitting only the most touristed spots, there won't be much of one. But limiting your stay in the finest cities in the world for that reason is silly-then you might as well spend the vacation at Epcot!

MFNYC

You can easily spend 1 week in any of these 3 cities and still feel like you're skimming the surface.

For a 2 week trip, I would consider picking 2 of the 3, and maybe adding some day trips. You can do all 3, but you have to realize you'll be loosing some time travelling between the 3, add jet lag and flight times to and from the US, your 2 week trip quickly turns into 10 days.

Consider each major city requires at least 3 full days without jetlag(which usually means 4 nights). ANd I like to spend a good day or more, just wandering around and exploring different neighborhoods without a particular sight or destination in mind.

I think the Disney visit is silly, unless you have small kids that need a break from museums and city life. Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, why take a day away from that to visit man-made amusements you can see in the US.

PalenQ

<I think the Disney visit is silly, unless you have small kids that need a break from museums and city life. Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, why take a day away from that to visit man-made amusements you can see in the US>

Different strokes for different folks, something many of us have trouble understanding in our often IMO too prescriptive didactic remarks.

suze

PalenQ~ I didn't say the *amount* of time she spends in Paris was crazy, rather that there are only 4 places of any interest to her.

So yes I guess that is a value judgement. Because I believe there are more than 4 places anyone lucky enough to be in Paris would be interested in seeing.

PalenQ

Suze - i agree with what you say - i only object to statements that 'a minimum of 5 or whatever days are a minimum' in any place.

the minimum amount of time will vary as to what your interests are. jw wants to go to EuroDisney and that's fine and it will take a whole day.

We might say that day would be 'better' spent traipsing around the Louvre, Orsay, etc. and most would agree - but OP may well enjoy the EuroDisney experience more than the Louvre, which many folks i think regrettably get dragged into.

I only went to EuroDisney because i had a young French son - twice but i loved seeing how it differed, etc. and how folks from all over Europe interacted - yeh the Italians tried to constantly cut in lines.