Which London and Paris highlights to see?

[HawkOwl]

FWIW. I was surprised to find (for March/April) that the Eurostar is about twice as much as a flight for any trips not very early or late in the day.

Yes, that is often true for trains in Europe. It is significantly cheaper to fly from Inverness to London than it is to take the train, for example.

 

[rodi]

I agree with a previous commenter that the Eye is meh... Overpriced and long lines taking up valuable time.

Tower of London including the crown jewels is great. FWIW - the best fish and chips we had in London (over many trips and many meals) was at the stand on the opposite side of the square from the entrance to the Tower of London... Seriously.

I have really enjoyed walking tours in London through LondonWalks. Many of their tour guides are actors between gigs -so they know how to orate, grab your attention, etc. The walks are 15 pounds and meet at tube stops. Late afternoon/early evening some of the walks are pub-walks, so you'll get to see a bit of pub life. I really enjoyed a pub walk of Hampstead Heath.

For your Stonehenge/Bath adventures - if you stop by Avebury you can actually walk up to the "stones" that are in a larger diameter than Stonehenge. You can see sheep using them to scratch an itch... and even climb on them (within reason). I thought it was cool to be able to touch/feel the druid blue stones.

For Paris I've enjoyed Louvre, D'Orsay, Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame - but I'm not sure what the current construction state of Notre Dame is. If it's a sunny day - go to Saint Chappelle - near Notre Dame for the most amazing stained glass windows. I found out about it here on er.org - I think from Gumby... Amazing church and windows.

 

[explanade]

I've taken tour busses on the first day I arrive (London was really good to see that way, IMO) Then follow with up by car with a sightseeing drive to see things the tour bus might have missed and/or a closer look at what you like. Lot's to see in both but I've been to London several times and still find things I've missed and that I find interesting. YMMV.

There are good guided tours in both cities.

Some of them are "free" that is you're invited to tip them after a couple of hours of walking around the main sites.

Even the free tours require booking though.

This is an institution in London.

https://www.walks.com

Been a long time since I've been in museums, was losing interest even before the pandemic and haven't thought of visiting them now.

But if the OP is interested in museums, most of the London museums are free, the major ones. I've never seen big queues either so you can walk in, wonder about.

But Paris museums are a different story, they are often packed and the queues to get into the Louvre, the Orsay and a few others can be bad during peak season.

One option is to get a Museum Pass, usually good for 3 or 4 days. They are also offered with metro passes for the same period. But for the Paris Metro, I just buy carnet or a 10-pack of individual tickets and I don't use them all. However I read recently they may be doing away with them and forcing you to buy and load contactless cards of some kind.

Good thing about the Paris Museum Pass is that you can get into shorter queues than the main ones. They may call it skip the line but there's just shorter queues.

The trick is to go to a smaller museum to buy the Museum Pass. I've gone to Invalides (Napoleon's tomb) or the Conciergerie to buy the Museum Pass before hitting the bigger museum.

Also, you used to be able to enter the Louvre from a separate wing, away from the main entrance through one of the pyramids in the main Cour. You also used to be able to enter through little underground mall leading to the Louvre from the Palais Royal metro station. It's called the Carrousel du Louvre. But I think you must already have tickets, you can't get to the main ticket office queue there.

Getting into the Orsay is a pain, they search your bags and they used to let you take pictures everywhere -- it's a very beautiful space, even apart from the art -- but they prohibited that so I stopped going.

That's the other thing, be prepared to put most of your belongings in cloak rooms or lockers. Have some 1 or 2 Euro coins handy for the lockers.


In London, there is a bus line that goes through most of the attractions so instead of paying for a tourist bus, you can board one of these for awhile.

https://www.tripsavvy.com/london-bus-routes-for-sightseeing-1582177

Some buses, the upper deck is usually the first place people go so there may not always be space up there but obviously best for seeing the sights.

If you have Apple Pay or Google Pay on your devices, you can tap in to board buses and metro trains. As long as you use the same device and card, I think there's a daily limit of like £16 or something like that. Alternatively you buy an Oyster card and load it up but you may not use up all the money you load and getting refund for the unused portion is a pain or not even possible.

 

[explanade]

For Stonehenge and Bath, we took a tour that got us into Stonehenge just after closure to the general tourists. Our bus of 50 were the only ones there and the group was split in two: group 1 was permitted to go inside the inner circle for IIRC 1/2 hour while group 2 remained outside the inner circle. Then we switched. We were warned not to touch any of the stones otherwise we were free to wander within the inner circle. Since we were there in May, there was plenty of daylight for good observations and photography. There is also a pre-opening version of this tour but we weren't up for such an early jaunt.

I also recommend taking the high speed train to Paris from London. If you are pressed for time, I suggest a tour of the Louvre that will hit the highlights. After our tour we walked the distance to the Arc de Triomphe which included strolling along the Champs-Elysees. We climbed the stairs to the top which gives a great view of the city. Then we walked to the catacombs but when we got there the line was long and we were told that it would close before we could get in.

Also, the Eiffel Tower is a must. When we were at the top, I proposed to my DH and when he accepted, we toasted with glasses of champagne! Definitely do something romantic when you are up there. Versailles is truly fascinating but I'd recommend visiting on a day when the musical fountains are in operation.

I also did a Stonehenge and Bath tour on a coach from London. I'm planning to visit that area more in the fall, spending 3 nights in Bath, which was like a resort town for the well-off in the 19th century.

Yes Eurostar is great. In Paris at the Gare du Nord, beware of people coming up and offering taxis. Licensed taxi drivers are not allowed to do that. Once you exit the train station, you have to turn right and go around the corner to the official taxi rank. Depending on where you stay, metro may be better but with luggage, probably not. The districts close to the Seine are more convenient and popular for visitors.

I've never been up to the Eiffel Tower though I've been to Paris many times. It's certainly iconic to see from other parts of Paris. Yes I'm going to have to do it for the views, though I would have hoped to be able to take pictures up there.

But the waiting list is long and I imagine it's always going to be packed.

 

[explanade]

I agree with a previous commenter that the Eye is meh... Overpriced and long lines taking up valuable time.

Only did the Eye once.

Yes expensive and long lines because it's popular. I believe you have to select times to go up and you can buy tickets online.

Got some great pictures from up there before they started the renovations of Westminster and Big Ben.

I don't know if the scaffoldings are all gone now though.

 

[Midpack]

My favorites...
London - The Eye, Westminster Abbey/Big Ben/Parliament building, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, coffee/drinks/morning atop the Swiss Re (gherkin) building, British Museum, Windsor Castle, just exploring the various neighborhoods. I enjoyed a day trip (by tour bus) to Stonehenge and Bath very much.

Take Eurostar train between the 2 cities -- book early.

Paris - Eiffel Tower (of course)/Trocadero Gardens, Sacre-Coeur, Seine River cruise, cafes, Montmartre, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, The Tuileries Gardens, Hotel des Invalides, Versailles, just exploring the neighborhoods.

I've never actually done Normandy, but it's on my bucket list.

+1. These are great lists IMO.

 

[Scrapr]

second the advice to pick one. The travel days kill your time. Arrival day is hard to do anything. Essentially 1 full day to check out of your hotel, pre board the Eurostar, travel then orient your new hotel & drop your bags. You would have about 3 travel days in your itinerary.

In Paris many museums are timed reservation slots. Eiffel tower tickets are timed. We liked the view from the Trocadero. There are security lanes at the base of the ET. Notre Dame is under construction. Big plywood walls up around it. You can see probably 2/3 but it won't be done until after the 2024 Olympics. Versailles is at least a full day by the time you travel out & stand in line. Pro tip: Go to the gardens first. We had tix for 2:00 or something for the palace. We walked in about 10:00 am. Very very long line to get in the palace. We went out to Trianon first. By the time we got back to the palace we walked right in. No line. (I would not do Versailles on a short trip)

My only advice is just to savor the experience. Slow down. Cafe sit. Wander

 

[DrRoy]

London - The Eye, Westminster Abbey/Big Ben/Parliament building, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, British Museum, Windsor Castle, just exploring the various neighborhoods. I enjoyed a day trip (by tour bus) to Stonehenge and Bath very much.

Take Eurostar train between the 2 cities -- book early.

Paris - Eiffel Tower (of course)/Trocadero Gardens, Sacre-Coeur, Seine River cruise, cafes, Montmartre, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, The Tuileries Gardens, Hotel des Invalides, Versailles, just exploring the neighborhoods.

Done all these and more. Use the underground/metro in the cities. An early start with a pass to the big museums will give a less crowded experience.
.

 

[Amethyst]

England is a paradise for gardeners. I love Kew Gardens, one of the world's finest botanical gardens.

 

[marko]

We lived in Paris but haven't been back for three or four years so this may be waaay out of date.

We used to take visiting friends to a special area behind the main entrance to the Louvre called "Cour Carree" (Google map it). At night it is/was lit up with an eerie, blue/purple light, almost supernatural, sureal and dead quiet. There's never anyone there, you just walk in around the back. The Louvre also used to be free and uncrowded on Thursday nights. The Eiffel Tower does a great light show every hour on the hour after dark too. Or it used to anyway.

Notre Dame is still closed but Ste Chapelle is a block away and on a sunny day the stained glass windows are spectacular. Something like 2 Euros to get in but worth it.

Versailles and Normandy are worth the bus tour. Pere Lachaise cemetery if you want to visit Jim Morrison. Take a Bateau Mouche taxi boat down the Seine for an hour. Inexpensive during the day but they also do night dinner cruises... unbelievable but not cheap! (A thousand Euros to take mom one mother's day)

As someone noted, just grab a table at any sidewalk bistro, get a coffee and just watch the world go by. That's the best! By French law you can sit there all day as long as you buy something.

Note: The Sacre Coeur/Moulin Rouge area is a must visit but I wouldn't stay there as it is 2 or 3 miles away from everything else that others have noted here.

Enjoy!

 

[SecondAttempt]

About 25 years ago my ex-wife and I went to Paris for a few days on the way to a destination. She is fluent in French. We went to the Tuilleries the first day and had a snack at a little cafe. My wife and the waiter stared chatting and mostly oblivious to me, he made some great suggestions based on what period of French history was most interesting. So we spent an awesome rest of the day seeing things few tourists see and it was great. We did visit the Musee D'Orsay and a few other sites the next day.

But, like any European city, Paris is so complex that your best bet is to get a guidebook or watch youtube videos and go to the places that interest YOU!

 

[YakGrl]

I did a bike tour for a few hours around London with a bike rental shop located by the Thames. It was a wonderful way to see some of the sights.

 

[tpkinsl]

Don’t do what we did! On our first trip to London we hit 47 of the top 50 sites in 4 days. We were run ragged and don’t remember a thing! We have been back since, and to Paris. We pick 2-3 things a day and figure the rest out. We walk a lot - our “rule” is when we hit an intersection, we look around and we walk down the most interesting looking street, and wander for hours.

PS - we loved the Churchill WW2 underground museum near Downing St

 

[Sonoma_steve]

Many good recommendations..whoever said meh to the Eye was spot on…the VandA is always interesting, natural history museum is beautiful. Get an Oyster card and use the tube, take at least one black cab, the boat trip to Greenwich is awesome And finally pick a local pub and just hang for a few hours.

 

[Gumby]

Don’t do what we did! On our first trip to London we hit 47 of the top 50 sites in 4 days. We were run ragged and don’t remember a thing! We have been back since, and to Paris. We pick 2-3 things a day and figure the rest out. We walk a lot - our “rule” is when we hit an intersection, we look around and we walk down the most interesting looking street, and wander for hours.

PS - we loved the Churchill WW2 underground museum near Downing St

Our general rule when going somewhere is to spend at least a week in the same place, to minimize packing, unpacking and travel, while maximizing the actual seeing of that place. We usually limit ourselves to two pre-planned things a day, with a long lunch in between and plenty of time just to wander. I like to relax on vacation; if I wanted frenetic activity, I would have stayed at work.

 

[Martlet]

Paris: I have one suggestion to add. The Orangerie in Tuileries Gardens is a smaller impressionist museum than Musee D'Orsay and perhaps a bit less crowded. It has the large Monet water lily pieces.
I wouldn't focus entirely on museums and tourist attractions. Assuming they are still in business Bofinger used to be a good representation of a Parisian bistrot. La Coupole in Montmartre used to be an iconic restaurant with set menus. Plus a cate or two for breaks from sightseeing. I suspect that those may be the experiences that linger in your memory -- they are for me at any rate.

 

[braumeister]

Our general rule when going somewhere is to spend at least a week in the same place, to minimize packing, unpacking and travel, while maximizing the actual seeing of that place. We usually limit ourselves to two pre-planned things a day, with a long lunch in between and plenty of time just to wander. I like to relax on vacation; if I wanted frenetic activity, I would have stayed at work.

Pretty much the same here. No less than three nights in a city, and no more than two places per day on the agenda. We have always gotten the most joy from simply walking around, and typically make quite a few miles per day. European cities are eminently walkable for the most part, and when you get tired, the public transit options are pretty good in most cities.

As to London, one thing I haven't seen mentioned here is only available on weekends, and you have to reserve a spot in advance, but well worth your time. A guided tour of Tower Bridge is just fascinating.

In Paris, besides the obvious charm of a sidewalk cafe, the little cheese shops and patisseries are just incredible.

 

[azxracer]

In London, the RAF Museum at the old Hendon Aerodrome (try to find where the runways were) is to me a Must See. My first visit was just before the D-Day 50th and I walked all the WW2 exhibits with an old couple that lived thru the Blitz. He was a pilot on a Lancaster. I've been back several times since.

 

[Save23tl]

London

If you go to Trafalgar Square, check out the National Gallery. Right across the street is St. Martins in the Field, an old church with a great cafe below street level. Nice place to relax and have lunch before moving on. The Bloomsbury section is great too.

 

[shafer9]

Been to both plenty of times. This is a good list. I’d add Tate Modern in London and perhaps some smaller museums in Paris. We stumbled into a couple good ones accidentally and it was fun. Be open to anything.

 

[shafer9]

I agree with a previous commenter that the Eye is meh... Overpriced and long lines taking up valuable time.

Agree. We were there years ago and decided against it, instead stumbling into a small theater/exhibition area close by where a killer jazz trio had just started. Bought beers, listened for two hours, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and saved a fortune on the dopey Ferris wheel. ��

 

[Golden Mean]

... Get an Oyster card and use the tube...

If you have a credit card with tap to pay (and preferably no foreign exchange fees), using that for public transport seems to be the way to go. The Oyster card costs 7 GBP and it's extra work to get any remaining balance off of the card. Don't forget to tap OFF!

 

[explanade]

Yep, use that or Apple Pay with one consistent card.

There's a daily limit on charges.

 

[Global Wizzo]

Don’t over do it

Hi,
Trying to hit highlights in LON and Paris in a few days will likely leave you absolutely beat, disappointed that you missed things and maybe a little frustrated.

Pick one city and enjoyed a relaxed visit with time to casually see what you want. Weather, strikes and even a bad cold can force changes.

We have a 10 day trip to London in April. During that time, we will take the train to Edinburgh for a couple days and do a day trip to Bath.

This isn't the first trip. Likely do the Eye this time and few more of the tourist things, but on my schedule and not a tour companies.

If you haven’t been there, it may be worth a full ride around the hop on hop off bus to decide where you want to spend time.

Allow time to recover from the trip over and recommend spending the last night returning at one of the airport hotels.

Have fun. Don’t let trying to do too much spoil a good trip.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

We took some advice to get to the Tower of London when it opens and make a beeline to the Crown Jewels. No crowds at the Jewels and we could look as long as we wished. As we were leaving the crowds were picking up and they started the moving sidewalks around the jewel exhibit, which is usual and intended to limit the time anyone can spend gawking and keep things moving.