Taking DW to Europe - Help Wanted!

[Red Badger]

Hi folks.

After retiring last year, I'm taking DW on a ~3 week trip to Europe next month with a plan to visit London, Paris, and Rome. We are planning about 4 days in each city with a fair amount of padding for travel time, etc. As a former road warrior, I'm seeking to add DW to my love of Europe (as a SAHM, joining me on biz travel was never realistic, so I am trying to make up for lost time).

Looking for insights on any "must do's" or "don't do" besides what's widely available on the web.

DW has limited mobility. No wheelchair, walker, etc, but a slow mile is about her limit. After a decent break, another mile, maybe 4 tops.

I've spent some time in Paris, a little in London, while Rome is a new place for us.

As for us, we're more about architecture and nature than museums or art galleries (I know, rubes). Future trips might include the country side and lots of eastern Europe, but baby steps for now. But great dining tips are also welcome. In country budget is about $1K per day. A little south of that would be good, but that number is factored in.

Anyway, any and all guidance is welcome.

As always, thanks for the input from the FIRE community.

 

[ivinsfan]

my input would be to do two cities instead of three, particularly given your DW mobility issues...

given what you have told us I would do a week in London and then take the train to Paris.... how have you booked the air travel?

 

[Souschef]

Use trains to the utmost. Stay in London, then take the Chunnel to Paris. From there take trains to Rome. You can get the schedules and book rail passes on line.
We used hotels.com to book our hotels. IOF you have some frequent traveler points so much the better.
In London get Oyster cards to pay for underground and buses.
If you have any specific questions, please PM me. We are glad to help

 

[audreyh1]

The boat trips on the Seine are a nice way to sight see without having to walk. They pick up near the Eiffel tower, I believe.

You can take a taxi to spots so you can avoid the walking and getting up and down the metro (only stairs). Taxis aren't super cheap, but they save a heck of a lot of walking compared to public transportation.

Mini-van tours would also be an option, but they might expect some walking. Plenty of sight-seeing tours available. Something like hop-on hop-off tours might be right for you.

In general, European cities are for walkers. But we got Dad to key sights in Amsterdam - it just required taxis, and it was worth it.

 

[Souschef]

The boat trips on the Seine are a nice way to sight see without having to walk. They pick up near the Eiffel tower, I believe.

You can take a taxi to spots so you can avoid the walking and getting up and down the metro (only stairs).

There is a line called Bateau Mouche that is a lunch or dinner cruise on the Seine.. If you want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, book it at least 3 months in advance.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I would recommend you look for those circulator or hop on/hop off buses that go around a lot of the major cities. You can usually get a day pass, and while my wife and I like to get that and ride a full circuit once to get a feel for a city when we first get there, it sounds like it might be a way for your wife to both see more of the city and to get around the city without tiring herself out.

 

[Luvdogs]

In Paris we took a dinner cruise down the Seine with Bateau le Calife. It was the highlight of our trip. We did it a couple of years ago and we had to call to make reservations but maybe they have online reservations now.

We really needed a good meal because our initial flight from Rome to Paris was cancelled due to a strike, then the flight we took had to fly into another airport because the initial one closed around midnight. So they then had to bus us back to the closed airport.

Long story but I needed plenty of wine after that.

And getting back on topic, this was a very nice dinner cruise and good food.

 

[Oz investor]

the Wallace Collection ( in London ) depending on what fascinates you , you might need two weeks or more

( i was in London in 1990 )

with the collection only 30% ( at most ) is on display at any one time

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Collection

seems to have a jaw-dropping collection for every taste ( including a massive collection of real masterpieces in art ).

yeah the Museums are good ( i loved the Egyptology display ) but the Wallace Collection is simply over-whelming .

 

[gerntz]

Nothing original, but...

- You can pretty much stroll thru Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, & the Tower (to some degree). Churchill Underground War Rooms is historical & not strenuous. Covent Garden is leisurely. Seeing a play or two would be great. If shopping/looking is of interest, always there's Harrods.

- Notre Dame, & gorgeous interior Saine-Chappelle, are leisurely. As is great Rodin sculpture garden (museum also). Can stare at Eiffel for hours from surrounding park. The carved/chiseled interior of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont is marvelous. Champs Elysees to me was a lot stores in dressed up older buildings not particularly unique on a long grade.

- Have to see Coliseum & St. Peter's. Can do slowly. Palatine Hill is somewhat strenuous. See the Trevi Fountain at night. Pantheon is a marvel. Many, many churches with beautiful interiors & artwork. Strolling back streets is a treat.

Hard to avoid some walking in any of them. Don't see three cities in 3 weeks as difficult.

 

[urn2bfree]

Paris
- get the Museum pass. Admission to multiple sites and skip the lines. Various lengths available.
- study ip on which days which museums are closed and which days they are open late. The night Museums are open later are often less crowded. Restaurants are open quite late for post museum meals.

Rome- the Pyramid of Rome and the cemetery in which it is located (cemetery for Non catholics) is beautiful. It is on the south side of Rome- has its own subway stop called Pirimid.

Get the free Rick Steves App with free audio walking tours you can down load to your phone.

 

[NW-Bound]

... You can take a taxi to spots so you can avoid the walking and getting up and down the metro (only stairs). Taxis aren't super cheap, but they save a heck of a lot of walking compared to public transportation...

You mean Uber? Our ride from Orly to downtown Paris was 50 euros last year. Cheap, particularly for 4 people with luggage. In an earlier trip 15 years ago, a taxi ride from downtown Paris to CDG was also around 50 euros.

Once in Paris, we loved to ride the metro, and walk, and walk... But the OP can continue to use Uber to get around.


PS. If memory serves, I used Yelp to look for interesting restaurants. Many were very busy and required reservation. Some have online reservation. Be sure to show up on time, as they will give away your table if you are late by 10-15 min.

 

[Oz investor]

i walked ( almost ) everywhere in London when i was there

of course IRA bombing activity at the train stations DID have some influence on my transport choices ( as did costs .. i was on a tight budget back then )

 

[Souschef]

Nothing original, but...

- You can pretty much stroll thru Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, & the Tower (to some degree). Churchill Underground War Rooms is historical & not strenuous. Covent Garden is leisurely. Seeing a play or two would be great. If shopping/looking is of interest, always there's Harrods.

- Notre Dame, & gorgeous interior Saine-Chappelle, are leisurely. As is great Rodin sculpture garden (museum also). Can stare at Eiffel for hours from surrounding park. The carved/chiseled interior of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont is marvelous. Champs Elysees to me was a lot stores in dressed up older buildings not particularly unique on a long grade.

- Have to see Coliseum & St. Peter's. Can do slowly. Palatine Hill is somewhat strenuous. See the Trevi Fountain at night. Pantheon is a marvel. Many, many churches with beautiful interiors & artwork. Strolling back streets is a treat.

Hard to avoid some walking in any of them. Don't see three cities in 3 weeks as difficult.

Great ideas. We took a horse drawn carriage from the Coliseum to the Trevi Fountain. Worth the money!

 

[Surewhitey]

We never walked so much in both Paris & Rome. Plan on taking taxis in between destinations and budget for them. $1k/day is easily done. Also used Yelp & found some great restaurants.

Off season was a great time for us. Much nicer experience with the locals and more affordable too.

 

[mystang52]

My DW likewise has some issues with extended walking - especially the slow, stop-and-look-at-this type walking on a tour. Nevertheless, I heartily recommend Walks of Italy for guided tours of Rome. No doubt about it, for each tour my DW was very tired, but she managed quite well.

We did one twilight intro tour, and of course separately the Colosseum , Palatine Hill and Vatican. Re: Vatican tour you MUST pick the first tour of the day or the lines will be insane..

 

[Bestwifeever]

What a great trip! Contact the concierges at your hotels ahead of time. They will also have great suggestions for sightseeing (and restaurants) and can arrange for private guides to meet you at the hotel and take you around (and skip the lines). Pricier but given your DW’s pace might be worth it.

 

[Bamaman]

We go to Europe most every Spring, and recently returned from France, London and Ireland.

My wife is having mobility issues, and I got her a lightweight travel wheelchair for the trip. She says had she known a traveler in a wheelchair gets preferred treatment and goes to the front of every line, she would have got a chair years ago. She has since had a knee replacement, but I can see been using the wheelchair any time mega walking is required in the future.

Although we are very well traveled, there are a few places we have missed. And there are a few places we yearn to return to. London and Paris are easy to travel to and between. You can get to Rome cheap on budget European air carriers from Paris.

Save your money because a $1k daily budget is not required. We usually find accommodations online at 70 to 100 Euros and seldom pay for more than 1 daily meal--eating free breakfasts and snacking along the way.

I would strongly suggest your wife consider a travel wheelchair.

 

[Nemo2]

a traveler in a wheelchair gets preferred treatment and goes to the front of every line, she would have got a chair years ago.

Having occasional sciatica I often carry a cane....zip, nada......a couple times at airports, (and at the train station in Toronto), I've asked DW to hold onto the cane for a moment while I use my hands for something else.

POW!....offers of wheelchairs, early boarding, little electric personnel carriers stop and offer rides.

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

Use trains to the utmost.

NO. On your schedule, take a good look at Ryanair or Easyjet. Much cheaper and faster, especially if you want to get to Rome. Just be sure to print your tickets and pay the small fee for luggage before you get to the airport.

Between London and Paris, sure, take a look at the train. But compare the schedule and cost.

For lodging, I found booking.com to have the best options when we lived and traveled Europe from '15-'17.

 

[explanade]

You don’t have to spend $1000 but with limited mobility, maybe a really nice hotel with views would be something to consider, as well as amenities if touring becomes too difficult.

Unfortunately to see the architecture in these cities, it’s hard to avoid walking and especially on uneven, stone surfaces, not to mention some places in London around the City which could be uphill.

I agree with the suggestion to use taxis or Uber instead of going underground up and down stairs for the subway. Rome has very limited metro lines.

You can figure out bus lines with Citymapper app but would need mobile data.

Just walking along the Thames and Seine will let you see the grand architecture in those cities. In Rome, the most scenic sights are Piazza Navona, Campo dei Fiori and Spanish Steps (its possible to get up there by taxi so you don’t have to climb the steps). Of course Vatican and St. Peter’s Square for more grand architecture.

For nature, you can take day trips out of the cities, though London and Paris both have large parks, expansive green spaces, such as Hyde Park, St. James Park in London and Jardin de Luxembourg in Paris. There is also Champ de Mars, by the Eiffel Tower and Jardin de Tuileries, which runs alon the Right Bank of the Seine between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde.

For day trips, I haven’t been to Cambridge and Oxford but much more bucolic. Other popular places would be Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath. I took a coach tour which went to these 3places.

I don’t know if people go to Brighton on a day trip but it’s a seaside town which seems to be relatively close to London.

For Paris, you have Versailles, with huge grounds and garden. Faux-le-Vicomte is another palace with gardens but on a much smaller and grander scale. IIRC Louis the 14th confiscated this palace from one of his ministers and then decided to build Versailles as well. Giverny is suppose to be a lush garden which inspired Monet in his later years.

From Rome, there is Villa d’Este. Some operators will take you as far as Florence and bring you back in the same day but that sounds exhausting. You may be able to go to Orvieto on a day trip. Won’t see big Renaissance buildings there as you would in Florence but Orvieto is up on a hill overlooking the surrounding landscape.

 

[Souschef]

NO. On your schedule, take a good look at Ryanair or Easyjet. Much cheaper and faster, especially if you want to get to Rome. Just be sure to print your tickets and pay the small fee for luggage before you get to the airport.

Between London and Paris, sure, take a look at the train. But compare the schedule and cost.

For lodging, I found booking.com to have the best options when we lived and traveled Europe from '15-'17.

I am sorry, but I disagree. I can take the Chunnel from downtown London to Gare du Nord in Paris. No going out to airports, security, waiting for luggage, etc.
London or Paris to Rome might make sense.to fly.
My DW is also mobility limited. We took a series of trains from the Bernese Alps to Monte Carlo. DW have no problem negotiating the platforms.
It took a bit of time, but at least we got to see the countryside.

 

[Nemo2]

at least we got to see the countryside.

Give me trains any day!!

 

[kcowan]

The first time we go to a big city, we take the hop-on hop-off bus to see the highlights.

4 days will just scratch the surface but your schedule allows for side trips. I agree with trains except for Rome. Rome is very walkable. Paris is walkable within your Arrondissement but use the metro to travel to others. Uber is also very good.

When DW discovers what she like, you can always return. Last September, we did a week in each of Berlin, Paris and Nice with a travel week to do eastern France. We booked a 2br condo in each place online, with another couple.

 

[brett]

Last time we were in London we did the HOHO. But, we took one of the last buses. Traffic was lighter, lights were coming on, bus was not crowded. It took half the time it takes during the day. With less traffic to distract us we saw things that we had not seen before.

 

[explanade]

Regular bus lines even cheaper than HOHo.

But OP indicated willingness to spend so they can take cab, Uber, Minicabs (cheaper than black cabs)