jw0721,

I totally respect your ambition. I think it's great that you want to see as much as you can.

Here's a few things I'd like to suggest for you:

-check out these sites: www.paris-pass.com www.parismuseumpass.com www.londonpass.com www.londontown.com
You can check out all the main tourist sites. Those websites sell those city passes which probably wouldn't be much interest to you if you're not visiting enough of the sites but can give you an overview of what to do. I can understand you're not a big museum or art fan (you don't mention any museums in either city you're visiting). While the museums in Paris and Rome can get expensive and the lines very long, all the main museums in London are free. You could spend an hour in the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum or the National Gallery without having to wait or pay anything. The British Museum has so much stuff, I'm convinced you can find one room inside that'll interest you. The National Gallery has mostly paintings. Also check out the Tate Modern for a different view on "art". Some smaller London museums are also free, you can find all of those on many London tourist websites. Google any museums to find out about their collections. If you think you're not really a museum buff, don't stop at the word museum. Many are very interactive and can be fascinating (National History Museum and Science Museum, for example).

-in London, also consider going to a play or a concert. Check these out: English National Opera, Royal Court Theatre, Globe Theatre. Most of the theatres offer cheap standing tickets on the night of. If you want musicals, you have so many to choose from!

-in Paris, you could take one of the river cruise at night. It's a great way to relax from your day and you'll see amazing city landscapes that you'd never see from the street. It's well worth it.

-for Versailles, consider this: http://www.transilien.com/web/site/a...ailles/lang/en It could probably save you quite a bit of money. I'd suggest you to drop Disney and spend more time in Paris, but that's just the very humble opinion of a French woman on the invasion of Americans in France ;) Also, it's going to be the middle of the winter and the weather can be rather cold, so be sure to bring appropriate clothes if you really want to go there.

-if you want more ideas for attractions and sights, be sure to visit the Destinations section on this website, as well as the Rick Steves' and Lonely Planet websites. You'll find great information there.

Back to the EuroDisney thing - i wonder what some of our more prescriptive folks would say - say if instead of EuroDisney jw had say wanted to spend a day tracking down some shop where they made some crystal or whatever - does not matter what - but in that case i do not think there would be universal condemnation like we got with her desire to go to EuroDisney - of course not because tracking down some crystal shop would be considered more culturally admirable - but to me it's the same - OP strongly expressed desire to go to EuroDisney and his/her reasons are just as valid as someone devoting a day for example to go to the Sevres Crystal Manufacturing place in Paris.

Too bad many it seems cannot just understand that if someone has a huge desire to do something why pooh-pooh it.

Different strokes for different folks! Help them realize their dreams and not smash them IMO.

i hate it when people discourage and say visiting a country or city for one day or three is not possible, not doing it justice, blah blah blah. as i said in my other post, not everyone is retired, unemployed or has the luxury to tour for 3-4 weeks like you do.

jw0721, I actually think your plan to be in London for 5 days (what time of day will you train to Paris?), Paris for 3 days, and Rome for 5 days is completely doable. Being in each of those places longer might be better, but it's not crazy. Last time we went to Europe for 2 weeks, we flew into Amsterdam and spent 2 days, flew to Prague and spent 4 days, trained to Berlin and spent 3 days, and flew to Nice and spent 6 days in Juans Les Pins. It was a fantastic trip. No, we didn't see much countryside, but we saw plenty in the cities, and lots of towns on the French Riviera and hill towns nearby.

However, I highly recommend that you not give Paris such short shrift! I would definitely recomming skippin Disney, or at least, don't buy your tickets in advance, so you can change your mind when you find out how much you love Paris -- everyone but everyone says it's nothing compared to WDW and the Magic Kingdom in Anaheim.

I have a great little guide to the sights of London both big and small(I've been a number of times, but I still use it as a reference) that I'd be happy to copy and send to you. Email me at [email protected] (that's my "public" email address) if you want it.

Regarding Paris, PLEASE don't skip the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay, even if you aren't art museum people (we're not - we do a couple of hours at most, but these are not to be missed -- just like you want to see the Eiffel Tower, you should at least see the Mona Lisa and other highlights). Also, a cruise on the Seine is fabulous - a great way to see all the many bridges and the buildings from a different perspective. And the walk from the Notre Dame to Eiffel Tower would be long, but would also give you the opportunity to see so much....

Well I think she *should* go to Paris Disney. I think everyone should do whatever they want to with their time and money!!!

I don't care WHAT the choices are, but to say there are only 4 things in a major European city of any interest, that is the part I was thinking it is a tad naive and am assuming this must be a first trip is why she doesn't understand all that is available to see & do.

I think I've done each extreme and have never had a bad trip. Have spent three weeks at a time (twice) in one small village in France, but have also done Rome in a day and gone to Disney Paris.
There are no wrong answers. (And I did love the rides at Disney with all those familiar songs in French.) Do it how you want this time. Europe will still be there if you want to do it a different way later. Have a wonderful time.

<If you think you can see London in 3 days - it is your trip. Go for it.

But you did ask for help>

yes help but not saying something that is possible is not - prescriptively saying that you cannot see London in 3 days, which to me is rubbish

you could look at it that you cannot see London in 3 weeks for that matter - depends on what 'see' means and i think for the first-time traveler who wants to see as much of Europe as possible three days in London is just fine. Of course more the better but the attitude that if you don't spend more than 3 days don't even go is to me simply being too prescriptive.

Three Days in London

1- Tower of London and South Bank area - ride the Ferris Wheel (Eye Over London - stroll up to Trafalgar Square area - take in a theatre play at night

2- Buckingham Palace area - Changing of the Guard - Westminster Abbey - Parliament area

3- British Museum, shopping on Oxford/Bond Street - Covent Garden area. National Museum at Trafalgar if museums are your bag.

That's all the main sights in three days.

Add St Paul's Cathedral to day 1 and even the Tate Modern if of interest.

Check out Easyjet.com for flights from London to other EU cities. I am using it to get from London to Barcelona Feb 2009. Only $75!!! Saves more time than a train.

And Ryanair.com for similar to EasyJet

<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!>

The person i am traveling with had only one request for Paris. The etower.
She is fine with Disneyland in Paris! And Epcot doesn't even have a tower (i've been many times, Hollywood Studios has a tower but it's the tower of terror, haha). I've been to the replication of the etower in King's Island in Ohio! It was great! I can't wait to get on the real one in less than a month!!!


And thank you to all for the rest of the suggestions... I will take them into consideration this week as we plan out specifically what we do each day in those cities... and I will run the days by you later this week!!!!i'm so excited!

The eurostar from london to paris is on the 6th i believe at 7pm

We will be touring the Vatican. And a few museums in london and paris.
I'm cool with art and such.
When I went with California with the hubs, we went to Getty Museum. It was fun!


And yes I said only 4 things interest ME in Paris. I didn't say there wasn't more to see. Yes this is my first Europe trip. I merely said that those are the only things that I HAVE to see. :) I understand I'm missing out. It's okay, I'll be going back one day with the hubs and I'll want to see new things! At least next time I'll know what to do and what not to do!

Here's a trip update that is long overdue. Well the trip was fantastic! London was fantastic and we did so much! I would not recommend evans evans tour you have to go so fast! My schedule was nothing compared to their day tour lol!
But it was a nice overview if you like to jog the windsor castle!
We seen the palace, west minster abbey, eye, parliament houses, tower hill, globe theatre, river cruise, tralfagar square, bath, windsor castle, and stonehenge (some other things too but this is main stuff)
We took the eurostar to paris and we were supposed to have a service ready to pick us up to take us to the hotel, but they never showed. I wish that didn't happen, but we took a taxi to the castle hotel at disney!
Disney was fantastic! It was cold, but omg disney in snow is absolutely amazing and something that's so magical! You will never be able to see this in Florida!!! We went to Versailles one day and that was amazing as well! I Loved being able to see the Hall of Mirrors like I have studied about. And we went to louve and the tower one day (enough said I wouldn't go back)
We then travelled on the overnight train to rome! And that was a great experience. I would recommend it! Never have I ever experienced something so funny and scary at the same time! It was a fantastic experience!
We arrived in Rome and went to the hotel which was basically right around the corner from the vatican! Rome was fabulous we seen the pope at the papal audience, we visited st peters basilica and the crypts, vatican museum, coliseum, pantheon, and the list keeps going and going... so much off the top of my head I'm having a hard time remember what the exact names were. haha
I loved this! I have now meet so many new people on a later trip I just took to australia. I can't wait to go back to these places and visit for longer and visit with the great friends I made.
So yes more time i could have seen more. But the time I spent in each place was ample for a first trip just going to visit for a bit. And I actually thought it was the perfect amount of time in each place!
But I am a young person but i was traveling with an older person and they kept up just fine!
All in All I wouldn't change a thing! It was a GREAT first trip to Europe!!!

Thanks
Fodors!

JW, thanks for posting back. Sounds like you had a great trip.

You have me curious - what was scary on the overnight train?

no problem! I did!!!!
on the train: we traveled from our car to the dinner car and it was freaky, having to basically hop from car to car! haha..... and my bed was the top "bunk" i guess you would say and i was afraid i was going to fall onto the floor in the middle of the night if there was a sudden stop!!!
Thanks for asking willt
sorry about the delay in answering i can't see posts

and my bed was the top "bunk" i guess you would say and i was afraid i was going to fall onto the floor in the middle of the night if there was a sudden stop!!!>

did you know how to put the metal railings up that always are on the top most bunk? It may not have been obvious but these if locked into place should prevent any falling during the sleep, which IME could be lethal, given the distance and myriad of objects being stowed on the floor.

no i didn't see that, but this next time I will look for them!! :) Thanks