London/Paris in June - any tips?

Parent Cafe
1

<p>DD and I are going on one last trip before she goes off to college in the fall. We’ll being going to London and Paris for 2 weeks after graduation. Yeah, I know the exchange rate is abysmal, but we prepaid a lot of it. And since I haven’t been to London for 20+ years, it’ll be like a new experience for me as well.</p>

<p>Since I’ve never been to Paris, I thought I’d ask for any help I can get. DD wants to go to a Cabaret show. While I have no problems with that, I hear the Moulin Rouge is pretty tacky and wondered if anyone out there has any experiences with any that aren’t (or am I fooling myself?). A couple I’ve been looking at are Paradis Latin and Nouvelle Eve.</p>

<p>Any advice is appreciated. I’m sure there are a lot of travellers out there who have some good tips. We’re staying in the Marais, if that’s relevant.</p>

2

<p>torture museum in london and the d’orsy in paris</p>

3

<p>We went to London last June. Here are some tips I sent to a friend:</p>

<p>There is so much to see and do just in London:<br>
Royal stuff like Buckingham palace and the changing of the guards, or the Tower of London, or Kensington Palace.
Churches like St. Paul’s and Westminster Abbey.
Tons of historical sites, like the Underground Bunkers that were Churchill’s headquarters during the war, or - even here - the Roman ruins.
Literary – Charles Dickens home, for instance, or Sherlock Holmes’.<br>
Music – Like Handel’s home, or the Royal Academy of Music
Culture – Museums, theaters
Shopping! Parks. And so on.</p>

<p>We managed to fill every day in London to the fullest, and still didn’t see everything. </p>

<p>Take the tours, when available. You go faster, see more, and see the most important stuff. We had the best tour guides ever! The vicar at Westminster Abbey was extremely knowledgeable. We were truly amazed at how many people are buried there – some 3000 people! Including, Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin (!!), David Livingstone, Isaac Newton, Geoffrey Chaucer, George Frederick Handel, Thomas Harding, Rudyard Kipling, Laurence Olivier, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and a bunch of Kings and Queens and other English Royalty. It’s funny that we didn’t really think about all these people having London connections. In the US, we usually associate bigger cities with one or two famous people. </p>

<p>We also had a very funny, punny guide at the Tower of London. He was a “Beefeater,” but he couldn’t tell us why the Yeoman were nicknamed that - For that matter, why are they called Yeoman? When they retire from service, if they meet certain criteria, they are allowed to live at the Tower of London and become tour guides. It seems a rather macabre place to want to live, but apparently it had been a royal palace for many years, and not just a place of torture and imprisonment, and carries a bit of prestige with it. It’s worth mentioning that the free bathrooms here had official “Loo of the year” awards posted on the walls. :slight_smile: (Okay, maybe that wasn’t worth mentioning.)</p>

<p>We timed our visit to the Tower of London so that we would be close to the Tower Bridge at 2:00 when a boat was scheduled to come through the drawbridge. Check on-line for the schedule ahead of time. </p>

<p>Notice how many things in London are red. Mailboxes. Phone booths. Double decker and Bendy busses. Royal guards, Beefeaters, and other redcoats. I think this color is in honor of the Tourists. Especially those affected by the dollar to pound ratio, and must go deeply in the red just to eat. The prices don’t look that bad, until you realize that to get the dollar value, you must double the number. London is the most expensive city we’ve visited; even beating out Stockholm and Rome, which weren’t cheap. Which leads us to our next tip:</p>

<p>Find the free stuff. We saw the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum, saw many, many works of famous artists at the National Gallery, walked through Hyde Park, picnic’d by the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens, found the Lady Di memorial in Harrods Department Store, watched the Tower Bridge drawbridge let some tall ships through. We took each other’s pictures on the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral, where Mary Poppins fed the birds! And took a picture of the “Do not feed the birds” sign. We saw the Big Ben clock tower. (However, Big Ben is actually the bell inside the tower, so we didn’t see it!) We made a pilgrimage to the Royal Academy of Music’s little museum, where they have the late Dennis Brain’s horn on display. A piano student from Spain was “hosting” (ie. guarding) the keyboard instrument display (we were the only ones there) and she played them all for us in our own private concert! </p>

<p>And all these things were FREE!</p>

<p>Leave time to walk around and soak up the atmosphere - through the parks, in Picadilly Circus, in Trafalgar Square. Past the shops. In the shops… We bought lunch food at the grocery store and ate picnics in the park! Beautiful weather, beautiful scenery.<br>
The flip side of that is: Buy the Underground pass. Everybody was a lot less grumpy on the days we could alternate walking with riding.</p>

<p>See a show. Seeing Les Miserables in Queens Theater was one of the highlights of our trip for all four of us. Jolly good show! </p>

<p>Don’t try to eat at a pub during any important sporting events.</p>

4

<p>DH and I were just in London; we walked lots and took the Underground lots. We took several London Walks guided walks to non-touristy areas. Prices were reasonable and guides were great. We went to Greenwich, Hampton Heath, Little Venice, and the Jewish Quarter. Be sure to buy an Oyster card for the Tube – saves you $$$. Go sightseeing at Harrod’s – the Food Court is amazing. You will have a great time.</p>

5

<p>We did almost everything that Binx mentioned in her post, as well as going to the theatre three of the nights we were there. We stayed in Piccadilly Circus so we walked everywhere except to the Tower of London, took a cab to that then the Thames ferry back to Westminster Abbey. Everyone needs to take a ride in a London cab. We didn’t use the Tube while we were there because it was a week after the bombings two summers ago. The Thames Ferry was nice because it gives a different perspective on the city and it passes the (new) Globe, the Tate, the London Eye (my H has been on it several times but I’m too chicken!), and if you get a good guide, which we did, you’ll get lots of interesting little anecdotes about various buildings you can see from the water.</p>

<p>We spent some time each day relaxing/walking/sitting drinking tea in St. James Park…beautiful! We loved the British Museum and, like the Met, you could probably spend several days there easily. After we left there, we found a great little pub and had delicious fish and chips with mushy peas and delicious beer. :slight_smile: We didn’t do a lot of shopping but we did visit Harrod’s and I agree about the Food Halls, they’re an experience! Waterstone’s bookstore at Piccadilly Circus is also fun. </p>

<p>We loved the city and I can’t wait to go back!</p>

6

<p>Thanks for all the great tips! I knew I’d get good advice here!</p>

<p>We’re planning on getting the Oyster Cards and got a LondonPass (access to Tower, Hampton Court, etc). I’m a HUGE English history buff (Elizabethan period and back), so one of the things I’m looking forward to is a Tower Yeoman Tour where we can see St. Peter’s Chapel.</p>

<p>Binx - I went to Westminster Abbey as a just-graduated English major and I actually wept, there and in Poet’s Corner. Yeah, I know, but the oldest buildings we have in CA are maybe 100 years old.</p>

<p>Looking forward to “Spamalot” as we are both Python/Holy Grail fans.</p>

<p>Again, thanks for the input.</p>

7

<p>I can’t speak to the cabaret show since we didn’t do anything like that when we went to Paris. However, I can tell you my D’s favorite things (she was 15).
She loved shopping on the Champs Elysee. We found an English language cinema on Rue Lincoln which was great when our feet hurt. Right across the street is a restaurant, Ladurie, which makes great hot chocolate and many flavored macaroons. She loved the Louvre and the cafe by the Louvre. The Marais is home to the Picasso Museum which is worth seeing. The Chagall ceiling at the l’Opera is a must. Musee D’Orsay has a stunning Belle Epoque tea room. If you have an extra day it is quite rewarding to take a bus to Giverny, Monet,s house and garden. The garden itself is stunning! and we enjoyed the ride through the countryside, ending in Normandy. The French Holocaust Museum is right by Notre Dame. It’s quite an experience to view the gothic cathedral and then the ultra-simple Holocaust Museum.</p>

<p>Just a few suggestions. Have a wonderful time!</p>

8

<p>When my D and I went to Paris, we went to Montmartre and I had her portrait done in watercolors by a very nice young man from California (as it turned out) who really captured her spirit. (Those <em>are</em> real aspiring artists there.) It was $40 and I really like it very much, even after four years. Yes, Montmartre is a terrible tourist trap, but the view from Sacre Coeur is wonderful, Montmartre is fun (put your wallet in a front zippered pocket), the mural on the stairs up from Abbesse station is fascinating (although the stairs are VERY long and very steep and not for the weak hearted).</p>

<p>Oh, and the nuns of Sacre Coeur sing (plain voice) every day at noon. It is hauntingly beautiful.</p>

<p>I am a bit of a ghoul, I’m afraid, but I get a real kick out of the crypt at the Pantheon, where France’s great men and women are buried. Marie and Pierre Curie are both there, as is the original Foucault Pendulum. (I’ve visited the crypts in most of the Cathedrals as well; Notre Dame is especially dim and scary, if you’re in the mood for that.) (Oh, and the hike up to the roof of Notre Dame is absolutely worth it. Really. I’m scared of heights–seriously–and I still do it.)</p>

9

<p>I used the cab drivers as my tour guide, some of them are so proud of France that they were telling us where to go, where to have a great view of the valley etc… We did not stay close to the center because we booked it last minute but my kids had a great time. if you are a foodie, try the different types of cheese and wine.</p>

10

<p>I actually enjoyed the Moulin Rouge – they had quite a few different acts and the food was great. Also in Paris I would suggest a visit to Versailles if you have the chance, it’s not that far out of town and it’s quite magnificent. </p>

<p>As for London, Harrod’s is very interesting, a walk through the Kensington Gardens is fun, the Museum of Natural History was actually a nice discovery as my group was walking around, Westminster Abbey of course, and if possible a visit to Windsor Castle. I stayed near Kensington High Street which is near Kensington Gardens and it was a great location as I could walk to quite a few places but the tube was always there for longer journeys. I saw “Footloose” near Piccadilly Circus

Great advice! Don’t go from tour to tour and see only the major sites, walking around and having your own adventure is so much more enjoyable.</p>

11

<p>In Paris, there are, of course, the famous places: Champs-Elys</p>

12

<p>In London, my favorite off the beaten track museum is the Sir John Sloane Museum in London. He was an 18th century architect and his house is a brilliant showcase of how to bring light into a town house. It’s also stuffed full of weirdness. <a href=“http://www.soane.org/[/url]”>http://www.soane.org/&lt;/a&gt; I also really enjoyed the trip where I saw six plays in three days with friends of mine.</p>

<p>In Paris my favorite place is Ste. Chapelle on the Ile St. Louis. Be sure to have some ice cream at Berthillon’s also on the Isle St. Louis. It’s incredible. <a href=“Maintenance en cours”>Maintenance en cours; I think the Roman ruins under Notre Dame are pretty cool. Another different thing to do is to go visit the Parc de la Villette. My favorite mini-garden there is the sound garden. <a href=“http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/villette/[/url]”>http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/villette/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

13

<p>We have been to both London and Paris in the last year (and have been multiple times to both–they are just wonderful places to visit!!!). All the suggestions have been great, but you need to decide what you like (art, history, shopping, eating, etc.–not everyone likes to do it all!) Plan each day so that you maximize your time. We mix it up because our kids have different interests. But there are some things you simply cannot miss. The Tower of London is simply unbelievable–the Crown Jewels are amazing!! It may be to late to get tickets to the Ceremony of the Keys (It is how they close the Tower every evening, only a limited number of people are allowed in for it, and you have to send away for tickets), but you might check on eBay to see if someone is selling them. Never go to the Tower on the weekends, and try to get their early in the morning so as to avoid the crowds. Get the ticket that allows you to go to Hampton Court and the Tower for a combo price. Hampton Court is accessible by train from the Waterloo Station and is another of our favorites. Not only is it incredible inside, but the grounds are beautifully landscaped and there is a shrubbery maze that is nearly impossible to navigate–you may never find your way out of it! </p>

<p>We love Kensington Palace–and tea at the Orangery very close by in the Gardens–be sure to try the scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam!!</p>

<p>Windsor Castle is also a short trip (30 min) by train from Waterloo or Paddington Station. It is a nice town, and the Castle is just spectacular–don’t miss Queen Mary’s dollhouse!</p>

<p>All of the museums in London are worth visiting, and some are free on certain days or late in the afternoon til closing. Our favorites: British Museum, National Gallery of Art, Victoria and Albert, Natural History and the kids especially love Madame Tussaud’s and the London Dungeon (not for young children!) Other favorites: Westminster Abbey (a must!), Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms (terrific WWII history!), St. Paul’s, Harrod’s and walks through Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park and St. James Park.</p>

<p>In Paris walking up through Montmartre and up the steps to Sacre Couer is a great way to see all of Paris–the view from the top on a clear day is really beautiful! Another fantastic view is from the top of Notre Dame! </p>

<p>You can get a metro pass at the airport, and if you get the one that includes 5 zones you can travel in from deGaulle, and also go out to Versailles without paying extra. We thought it was well worth it to have a 3 or 5 day pass. We also thought the musee carte was an excellent value! We got ours at Versailles, but they are available at the participating museums, including the Louvre. It is well worth studying a guide book to get a feel for the Louvre. You could easily get lost, so try to familiarize yourself with it from Frommer’s or one of the other books before you go!</p>

<p>If you have time to get up to Normandy, it is quite an experience. There are trains to Caen, and you can take a bus tour, or rent a car to go to the different landing beaches and little towns–so picturesque, and the museums in Caen and at Gold Beach are really good!!</p>

<p>One of our favorite restaurants in Paris is on the Isle St. Louis, called le Caveau. When you walk over the little bridge after visiting Notre Dame, keep walking straight down the main street and it is about halfway down on the left! It is small, but has delicious food and is not very expensive. </p>

<p>The St. Germain de Pres area is good for restaurants, cafe bars and shopping! And, of course, everyone needs to walk the Champs Elysees while they are in Paris! The weather should allow you to eat outside at a cafe!</p>

14

<p>We did some walking tours in Paris last year and they were great. Especially enjoyed the Monmartre one. Also did an evening segway tour in Paris which was great fun. Once we all got used to the segways we were zipping along quite happily and the guide was excellent. Probably one of the highlights of the trip. Did a bike tour to Versailles - that was a little more difficult for me as I am not very fit and have not ridden a bike in years - but it was fun. Took the bikes on trains to Versailles, then biked to a market to purchase picnic lunch supplies, then biked around the Versailles grounds.</p>

<p>In London we did most of the touristy stuf on our own. Did one coach tour to Bath and Stonehenge - went with a company that did an evening tour where they had permission for us to go inside the ropes at sunset. it was a big highlight.</p>

15

<p>Just returned from a trip that included Paris. We bought a museum pass and got our money’s worth out of it after 4 museum admissions. The extra bonus of having the pass is that you go straight in most places - no waiting to buy tickets. This saved us 30-45 minutes several places.
The worst thing we did was try to visit Versailles on Sunday - such bad planning on my part in retrospect. It was atrociously crowded. The exterior of the Chateau is under renovation, as is the Hall of Mirrors, although you can go through.
The Louvre was horrendously crowded, but as D is an art history major a small pilgrammage was required! Our favorite museums were L’Orangerie and the Pompidou. L’Orangerie is just down from the Louvre and has a great Impressionist collection, the highlight of which is a wonderful display of Monet’s Water Lilies. It was somewhat small and not nearly as crowded as the Orsay. I loved the Orsay, but it was very crowded the day we visited with school groups. The modern art at the Pompidou was D’s favorite as she had taken a 20th century European art class last year and it was not crowded at all.
We also climbed the steps at Sacre Couer and I second the advice about watching your belongings. On my first visit many years ago, the tour bus got us close, but this time the climb from the Anvers metro station about did me in! I walk around 2 miles each day at home, but that is no preparation for the massive amount of stairs. The view is breathtaking, however. After that, we did some shopping at Galleries Lafayette and had lunch in their food halls. Delicious! The store is beautiful - an attraction itself with the center dome.<br>
We found the Metro to be much easier to navigate that the bus system. Our concierge sent us off on the wrong trek the first day by bus and D vowed to never set foot on another, so we didn’t!
Be prepared for high prices and some folks who have clearly never been schooled in hospitality! I thought that with the “flattening” of the world, the French would be nicer and more welcoming than 25 years ago - wrong! While we encountered a few nice French men and women, most were aloof and some were rude. Of course, every experience is different. We went from Paris to Salzburg and the people in Austria were so incredibly nice that it made for quite a contrast.
One of our top highlights was going to qualifying matches at Roland Garros for the French Open. The real thing goes through June 10. They will be gearing up for Wimbledon in London and that is a nice destination for a tennis fan as well.</p>

16

<p>Since you’re an English History fan, don’t miss the National Portrait Gallery (around the corner from the National Gallery). The City of London museum is somewhat interesting. I haven’t been to the Imperial War Museum yet, but it’s supposed to be very good. London Walks gives good guided walking tours, and you can just show up; you don’t have to reserve a spot.</p>

<p>I was in Paris just a few weeks ago and found everyone very friendly. People lit up when I said “Bonjour” when walking into a shop; they really appreciate even that miniscule amount of French-speaking. And, you can buy a set of 10metro tickets, which saves a little money and a little standing-in-line time.</p>

17

<p>I personally would skip the caberet. It’s pretty sleazy (I got dragged to one in the early 90’s) and all tourists.</p>

<p>Get some books now and plan your trip a bit. What some people think is worth doing, others don’t. If I had a short time in Paris (say, under 5 days) I would personally skip Versailles. If you are going to go anyway, be sure to go a day the fountains are running - they do not run everyday - and it is the best part.</p>

<p>I’d leave some time (OK, a lot of time) for random sitting around and wandering.</p>

<p>Here are some other thoughts - we did the Segway tour with the kids and it was a blast:
<a href=“http://www.citysegwaytours.com/[/url]”>http://www.citysegwaytours.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Also, make reserves at my favorite restaurant in the whole world:
<a href=“http://www.latruffiere.com/us/page1.html[/url]”>http://www.latruffiere.com/us/page1.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Have a great time! I’m so jealous!</p>

18

<p>I’d go to the gardens of Versailles though if I was there on one of the Sundays where they turn on all the fountains. :)</p>

19

<p>My advice for London is to pick one top ten tourist attraction each day, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Royal Observatory in Greenwich, etc. and arrange to arrive when they open. Take the first tour, which will be much less crowded. Do your walking tours in the afternoons after lunch.</p>

<p>If you must take the Eye, signup on the internet for a particular time the day before you want to go. The lines are atrocious!</p>

20

<p>I’ve never yet been to Paris so I’ll stick to the English side of things. </p>

<p>Join <a href=“http://www.royal-oak.org%5B/url%5D”>www.royal-oak.org</a> – it is the American branch of the National Trust. It will make the cost of visiting NT attractions very much less expensive. You will find that a few pounds here or there makes a big difference to the day to day expenses, which might let you have an extra tea somewhere! Give yourself a break from dieting and scoop on that clotted cream…look for good tea rooms near cathedrals/churches. They always seem to cluster there. </p>

<p>Someone else mentioned Kensington Palace, where Queen Victoria was raised and where she was told she had become queen at 18. I don’t know what it’s like in these stressful days but I remember walking through there, looking at Van Dykes and Reynolds and who know who else’s famous paintings but also noticing that the windows were open and the guards few and far between. I love that as an expression of pure Englishness! (If the paintings are fakes, don’t tell me!) The Orangery is a magical place for tea. </p>

<p>One place I’d recommend is Hampton Court Palace. You can get there from London by Underground which, if you get a multi-day pass, keeps the cost down. It’s a beautifully maintained property which you can understand well either with a guidebook or the headphone tour. (They’ve done a lot of work to make it more interesting to tourists…though it was pretty darn interesting before!) It is in two parts, the Henry VIII area and the area designed by Christopher Wren and the gardens are magnificient. It’s like a condensed version of English history. Notice esp. the wrought iron gates and the ranks of heraldic beasts welcoming you through the front castellations. The Tudor kitchen is also a highlight. </p>

<p>If you have time for a day trip, leave early and take a train for Bath. This is esp. wonderful if your daughter has read Austen because she will feel like she’s in one of the books (Persuasion, for choice). Bath is a world-heritage site, made of honeyed-warm Cotswold stone, and the people who live and work there are proud of it. It has a Roman past, well displayed in the Aqua Sulis museum, medieval alleyways and elegant Regency Terraces. If you have time, go to Number One, The Crescent, which is decorated in period. Have tea in the Pump Room – exactly like Austen and Nelson did (not together) as well as anybody who <em>was</em> anybody, then return to London. Using one of your precious days here is well-worth while. </p>

<p>And when you can, just sit on the grass in a park someplace and chill. Don’t cram every moment full – that’s what Disney is for!</p>

<p>P.S. Those noise-cancelling headphones for the long flights – Completely Wonderful. I went to China this spring and they were a life-saver!</p>