Way to go Julie!!! I think (I hope) my son will accompany me and 10 yr old DGD on Imperial Cities this year. (DDinL fears this old lady alone with 10 yr old if a tragedy occurs and so needs someone else along) Actually not the worst of ideas - age not being the determining factor. Will let all know shortly if we have the 'green light.'
Adventures by Disney London/Paris trip
- Thread starter ppiew
- Start date
MJGirl
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2006
If I recall correctly, you are going on the June 8 tour? If so, I guess that I will get my "goodies in three weeks!!! (I'm on the June 29 tour)
Can't wait ... The trip is getting so close!!!!
Magix
<font color=navy>Blackhearted Pirate<br><font colo
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2003
Sorry it took me so long to get back to you! Yes, City Cruises is what I used. When I was one the tour, our free time was at the end of the day that we were at the Tower of London, so I just picked up the City Cruises boat from there and it dropped me right at the Cutty Sark in Greenwich. From there, the Natl Maritime Museum is just a couple blocks.
Do be sure to visit the Cutty Sark, it's pretty nifty. And at the Maritime Museum, visit the display of Admiral Nelson's uniform from the battle of Trafalgar. So historic, it's fascinating. Also, try to leave enough time to walk up the hill (the very steep hill) to the Royal Observatory. There, you can stand on the prime meridien line (0 degrees longitude, the separation point between the Western & Eastern hemispheres) and can also see the clock from which Greenwich Mean Time originates.
Returning to London, I took the Docklands light rail line from Greenwich (about 1/2 block from the Cutty Sark), switched to the Tube at the Bank station and got off at the stop a block from the hotel (Chancery Court Hotel). Very convenient.
While you're on the boat to Greenwich, be sure to keep your eyes out along the shore to your left for the "Captain Kidd" pub. That's the area where Execution Dock used to be located in the 18th/19th century. That's where some pirates were executed in their day , particularly Captain Kidd himself (though I don't actually consider him a pirate). They were hanged from the gallows located between the high and low water mark, which was the jurisdiction of the Admiralty courts.
Have fun in Greenwich!! I loved it! Just wish I'd had more time. I plan to go back in the next year or two to see it properly.
To MAGIX & JULIE WENT: (and anyone else interested)
Last year it was the London/Paris and now this year -------(drum roll)
THE IMPERIAL CITIES!!!!! Yup, Instead of daughter going this year, I will be taking our son and our now 10 yr old granddaughter! She will be a world traveler before she is in high school if I last long enough! I am just so excited and so pleased for this opportunity. I will be sure to share our view of the trip with fellow Dis'ers even though it is 4 months from now. Many of you were a big help to me last year and I want to spread the magic where I can!
Last year it was the London/Paris and now this year -------(drum roll)
THE IMPERIAL CITIES!!!!! Yup, Instead of daughter going this year, I will be taking our son and our now 10 yr old granddaughter! She will be a world traveler before she is in high school if I last long enough! I am just so excited and so pleased for this opportunity. I will be sure to share our view of the trip with fellow Dis'ers even though it is 4 months from now. Many of you were a big help to me last year and I want to spread the magic where I can!
MJGirl
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2006
Congrats on your second trip. I'm envious. I just wanted to say thank you for all your help to me with planning my trip. Your report is what helped to sell me on the excursion.
Magix
<font color=navy>Blackhearted Pirate<br><font colo
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2003
Congrats on your next trip, ppiew!! I have my second coming up next month - Rome & The Amalfi Coast. Can't wait!! Do be sure to let us all know how the Imperial Cities tour is. I think that one looks great.
Oh, man! All you second timers already! Congrats on that trip, ppiew! It'll be neat to have your son along. What a great place to travel.
DS is already trying to plan a trip to Rome after this one, but I think we'll have to see about one every other year.
MJGirl, we are doing the June 8 tour. So, yep, that should put you about three weeks away. DS really started talking about the trip once we got the box. Also started driving his foreign language teacher crazy. He's in a "survey" class -- they get four weeks of German, four of Spanish, and four of French to see which they like the best. He started pestering his teacher about hurrying on to the French unit.
Julie
DS is already trying to plan a trip to Rome after this one, but I think we'll have to see about one every other year.
MJGirl, we are doing the June 8 tour. So, yep, that should put you about three weeks away. DS really started talking about the trip once we got the box. Also started driving his foreign language teacher crazy. He's in a "survey" class -- they get four weeks of German, four of Spanish, and four of French to see which they like the best. He started pestering his teacher about hurrying on to the French unit.
Julie
Good for you Julie! Hope your son enjoys the trip! I admire you for the exposure to language skills. On our Imperial Cities Tour this year, we are going into Croatio prior to the tour. Needless to say ALL of our Croatin is TOTALLY non existent!! Sill not going to stop me from having a great time!!!!
MJGirl
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2006
The freaking out is part of the fun. I always tell my daughter that half the fun of the roller coaster is the panic and fear you have while waiting in line!!
The anticipation is almost as much fun as the trip itself! Have a great trip Magix... Let us hear all about it!
hello Everyone--
I just received my backpacks and guides from ABD!
I noticed that they recommend just one suitcase per person.
I really am not sure I can do just one suitcase since I am extending my trip. (airlines let you take check two bags)
Do you think that there will be a problem if I take 2 bags/pp?
Also any new info on tipping the guides from people who went to Paris?
Thanks
I just received my backpacks and guides from ABD!
I noticed that they recommend just one suitcase per person.
I really am not sure I can do just one suitcase since I am extending my trip. (airlines let you take check two bags)
Do you think that there will be a problem if I take 2 bags/pp?
Also any new info on tipping the guides from people who went to Paris?
Thanks
MJGirl
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2006
hello Everyone--
I just received my backpacks and guides from ABD!
I noticed that they recommend just one suitcase per person.
I really am not sure I can do just one suitcase since I am extending my trip. (airlines let you take check two bags)
Do you think that there will be a problem if I take 2 bags/pp?
Also any new info on tipping the guides from people who went to Paris?
Thanks
I called them on this, as I am also extending my trip and will be packing for 22 days. I would give them a quick call and explain the situation. That is what I did, and the cast member said it wouldn't be a problem considering the situation. They like to limit it to one bag because of space limitations on the bus. I will be doing a few loads of laundry while I'm gone!
Which tour are you going on? I'm on the June 29th tour!
I'm not sure about the recommendations for tipping, but I was considering $100 for each guide for the 2 of us. I'm not sure though if I should pay in Pounds, Euros or US dollars? Can't wait to hear if you get any other answers. I hope I'm not being a skinflint at $100?
Magix
<font color=navy>Blackhearted Pirate<br><font colo
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2003
When I went last year, I think I gave them each 70 or 80 Euros. I figured that gave them the best exchange rate, if they wanted to change it into US or Pounds. Roughly 10 Euros per day. The recommended tip was something a little lower than that, so I don't think you're too far out of line with $100 per guide for the 2 of you. I was uncertain which currency to use and ABD was no help when I called them. So, I went with Euros as the best overall for the guides, no matter what country they used the money in.
MJGirl
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2006
Thanks Magix. I feel better now. I'm thinking of giving the tip in Euros as well.
Magix.... I cannot thank you enough. Being a bit of a fan of things 'nautical', I'm really looking forward to Grenwich.
Thanks!
We took the ABD London/Paris trip from May 18-25. Most of this is from memory, but I kept a journal everyday, so that helps with detail. I apologize for length, but I like to be detailed.
It was a lot of fun and we had really nice weather all week. It was as if Disney hadarranged it, but our guides were pleasantly surprised by it too. There were very few days when it was cloudy and the only time it rained was when we were on the Eurostar. In the mornings it was usually in the 60s and then got into the 70s, though towards the end of the tour it was getting into the 80s.
We had two guides: Roni and Alexandra (Alex), both Americans. We also had two guides in training: Francesc and the other guy I never caught his name. Both were from London and I think Francesc is doing the tour that starts at the end of the week.
As far as clothes, nobody dressed up except for the show and for the farewell dinner. We did have plenty of time to change, so we didn't have to wear them all day. I would recommend not wearing shirts that say anything, just because you are obiously a tourist if you do. Also, there is a lot of walking so good walking shoes are a must.
Day 1 (Friday 18 May):
We arrived in London at the Renaissance Chancery Court hotel around lunch time (Very nice hotel, better than the one we stayed at in Paris). Our guides were there to greet us and help us check in. We asked them about where we could eat lunch. Here is where they weren't very helpful, but I guess it's because our tour hadn't officially started yet. They told us not to eat in the hotel restaurant because it was too expensive. They recommended finding something in the area. We did try the hotel restaurant, but they told us it was booked (though there was no one in there!) We didn't feel adventerous to wander far from the hotel and we needed food right away. There was a Pret A Manger nearby but it was crowded. We ended up eating at a McDonald's.
Our guide had given us vouchers to get tickets for the London Eye. We had the option of doing that on Friday or on Sunday. It was such a nice day we walked over to the London Eye. The line was only about a half hour or so long. The view up there is very nice and I got some good pictures. The ride only lasts about half an hour but that is maybe a bit too long. You can only look at the same view for so long.
After that we walked back to the hotel to freshen up before our welcome dinner. There was a cocktail hour where we could introduce ourselves to everyone. We had a private room for dinner and there were samples of British dishes. My favorite was the fish and chips, which was served in fake newspapers. I'll mention right now that I'm a picky eater and so I was concerned about finding something I'd eat. The first time I went up to
get food, there was very little I knew I'd eat, but that was because everyone had gone up before me and taken all the good stuff. Anyway, our guides gave us a story book with a more detailed itinerary, with times for everything. Each day we got a pin.
We had also gotten a tote bag with several things in it, including 2 umbrellas (there were 4 of us so I wonder if they wanted us to share), bandanas, pens, a strap for sunglasses, playing cards, hats, luggage tags, and spa stuff.
Day 2 (Saturday 19 May):
This day was our Jolly Holiday. We got on board an old Routemaster double decker bus and we had a local blue badge guide to point out things as we drove by. His name was Steven (though it might be spelled Stephen, I'm not sure). He was an excellent guide, making every bit of history interesting. Our first stop was Westminster Abbey. We had another guide so we
could split up the group for a tour of the place. The second guide was a woman named Kathleen and my family went with her. She was amazing. I felt like I had gone back in time. She had a history book with her so she could show us some pictures. We noticed it in the gift shop but bought a different one with more pictures.
Next, we walked through St. James park. At the end we went to a spot to watch the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. We were at the end point of the parade so we could see the band disperse. A lot of blue badge guides took their groups there. After the parade we walked over to Buckingham Palace to take pictures.
We had lunch at Harrods. It was a traditional English tea, with a variety of small sandwiches (which I didn't like), scones, and small desserts. The tea was good, but the meal was not very filling. We had a little bit of time to wander around the store and we could stay if we wanted to. If we didn't stay we could go back to the hotel. When we got there we had a Mary Poppins bag in the room that had programs (the British version of the Broadway Playbill, though you have to buy it at the theatre) and cds of the cast recording. I was excited to see the show because I wanted to compare it to the Broadway version.
We had dinner before the show at Soho house, which is an exclusive place. We dined in a room that actually faced the Prince Edward Theatre, where Mary Poppins is. Our guides had told us that dinner would be king prawn. I don't like seafood so I was hoping there'd be something else I'd eat. The kids got burgers and chicken fingers. I think the waitor heard me longing
for the kids' food and so he brought over some for me and for my sister. That was good because the other dish was beef,which was good but was a bit too pink for me. The meal was served family style.
So then we saw Mary Poppins. Our seats were center orchestra (towards the back of the theatre), which is the best place to see any show, imo. It's a great show and I enjoyed the London cast better than the Broadway cast. I think it's because the accents are natural and so they could be more expressive with the lines. After the show we got to go backstage. Not much was new to me because I've watched backstage videos (including one for Mary Poppins, which can be found on theatre.com) but it was cool to see the sets up close. The highlight for a man in our group was when he walked out the stage door. Apparently someone thought he was in the show and he
almost gave them his autograph before they realized he wasn't in the show. We saw Lisa O'Hare as Mary Poppins, and it was her last night. She had a great final performance and she was my favorite Mary Poppins. She really captured the image of Mary Poppins I have from reading the books.
Day 3 (Sunday 20 May):
We went to the Tower of London. We walked to the City, going by St. Paul's Cathedral (how appropriate after seeing Mary Poppins). We also walked by the Globe Theatre. I enjoyed the Tower. Steven gave us a tour of the grounds. We were on our own for the Jewel House. We got meal vouchers to eat at the restaurant there and we could either go off on our own or stay and then take the bus back to the hotel. We stayed because we wanted to look around in the white tower and then look at the gift shop. Some people in the group went to the London Eye. There were a few people in our group who tried to do a lot in a short amount of time. I think some took a train to Hampton Court. We decided to go to the British Museum, which was a ten minute walk from the hotel. The museum has pieces I studied in an art class, which is why I wanted to go there. If you like mummies, they have a good amount of them. I recommend only seeing a few sections rather than trying
to see it all because there is a lot of stuff there.
Since it was Sunday and the hotel was in the business section, there were very few options for dinner close to the hotel. It sounded like a lot of people at at Covent Garden, but we ended up getting room service.
Day 4 (Monday 21 May):
There was an optional walk through Inns Field. It was nice to have a small group and it was a beautiful crisp morning, perfect for a walk. Steven took us by the Temple and down some side streets. After our walk we went to Waterloo Station and took the Eurostar to Paris. It was a really nice journey. First class is definitely the way to travel for that, especially because we didn't have to deal with our luggage. They told us we'd get lunch, but we were served breakfast. It was good, anyway. The seats were comfortable enough to nap for the nearly 3 hour journey. Like I said before, on the train was the only time it rained.
When we exited the Gare du Nord, we were immediately aware of the gypsies. We didn't know what the deal was with them until we asked later. One will come up to you and ask "Speak English?" and if you say yes then they'll have you read a piece of paper. We assume that another would pick your pockets while you're distracted. We looked like easy targets with our backpacks. Once we knew what they looked like, we could keep an eye out for them and avoid them if possible. The easiest way to avoid them is to just ignore them or say no. Some people in our group tried being creative by saying something in another language.
We had two local guides while we were in Paris, Sylvie and Corinne. Sylvie was in charge, but if we split into two groups Corinne would take one. We took a short tour of Paris before going to the hotel. We also went into a park near the hotel, to wait for our rooms to be ready, presumably. There we got chocolate filled croissants and those are soooo good. The hotel served them for breakfast, too.
The hotel is the Hilton Arc de Triomphe, since it's near the Arc de Triomphe. The hotel is on the Rue de Courcelles and if we wanted to get to the Arc we turned down the Avenue Hoche. From there it was easy to get to the Champs Elysees. We had a little bit of free time so we decided to check out the Arc. There is an underground path to get across the roundabout.
To see the Arc is free but if you want to go to the top you have to pay money. I'm not sure how much it was, though.
We had a buffet dinner at the hotel. The best part of all of the meals in France was dessert. They do pastries very well and since we did a lot of walking, we could easily work off the extra calories. It was still light out when we went to bed at 9.
Day 5 (Monday 22 May):
We took a bus over to the Centre Pompidou and then walked to Notre Dame. We could walk around inside and then we could go to the top. This was one of my favorite things on the trip. Notre Dame doesn't let people up to the top until 10 and we got there before 10. Disney pulled strings so that we could be the first ones up there. That was so nice. There are about
400 steps all the way to the top. Your legs hurt, but the view is worth it. After our climb we took a Batobus to the Eiffel Tower. Our French guides had gone ahead to get our tickets and we also got to cut in line (which upset a group leader we cut). We had lunch on the first level and here was where there were some kinks in the trip. The wait staff was confused
about the number of kids in the group and so our lunch took a lot longer than planned. (The food was good, but after all the stair climbing it wasn't enough.) We also had to wait to get our tickets to the third level because the ticket seller took a lunch break. The elevator lines were long because two of the elevators had broken down. However, once we were able to get to the second and third levels, the views were amazing. Some people
decided not to go up so that they could go off and do something else. We were going to go to the Invalides but by the time we came back down it would be closing by the time we walked over there. So we rode the Batobus around the Seine and got off at the Champs Elysees. We had dinner at Pizza Pino, which is an Italian restaurant. Very good food. We also shopped.
Day 6 (Tuesday 23 May):
There was an optional walk in the morning to the Louvre. We walked to the Place de la Concorde and through the Tuileries garden. It was cloudy but at least it didn't rain. We split into two groups of adults and the kids were in a separate group. Sylvie was our guide and she was wonderful. She showed us highlights and it was as if she lived there, she knew her way around so well. We had headphones so that we could all hear her.
After our tour we were on our own. We stayed at the Louvre, had lunch in a food court, and decided to do a Da Vinci Code audio tour. That was fun. We did see some of the same paintings, but it was neat to see rooms where the movie was filmed and the book took place.
From there we could walk to the Champs Elysees. We ended up eating dinner at Planet Hollywood just because we were hungry and we knew there was something we'd eat there. My sister and I had a croque monsieur, so at least we had some French food.
Day 7 (Wednesday 24 May):
We took a bus to Versailles. Sylvie gave us a tour around the city before the bus dropped us off at the palace. We went with Corinne for a tour on the inside and used the headphones again. Rennovations were just being completed in the hall of mirrors, so we were able to see
it. There were rennovations on the front of the palace, though, so any pictures we took had scaffolding visible. It got into the 80s that day. We took a tram around the grounds and then had lunch at La Flotille. Then we rode bikes around the grounds. This was my other favorite part. It was fun and a great way to enjoy the beautiful weather and the beautiful grounds.
We went back to the hotel so we could freshen up for our farewell dinner at Laduree, which was on the Champs Elysees. This was another issue with having food I'd eat. I had lamb, but it was a bit too pink for me. At least the desserts were really good. I had a strawberry tart. There was also an accordianist and a caricaturist to entertain us. After dinner the guides showed us a slide show of some of the pictures they had taken. We were told that they'd send us a copy.
Day 8 (Wednesday 25 May):
A few of us were staying an extra day or more, but some people left this day. My family decided to go to Disneyland Paris. I posted a report here: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=18890368&postcount=9
but I will mention that we just went for the day. We took the RER A train to Marne La Vallee. It's very easy to get to. Thunderstorms had been in the forecast, but didn't come until the hour before the park closed. We left Paris the next day in the evening and Disney arranged a car to take us to the airport.
It was a lot of fun and we had really nice weather all week. It was as if Disney hadarranged it, but our guides were pleasantly surprised by it too. There were very few days when it was cloudy and the only time it rained was when we were on the Eurostar. In the mornings it was usually in the 60s and then got into the 70s, though towards the end of the tour it was getting into the 80s.
We had two guides: Roni and Alexandra (Alex), both Americans. We also had two guides in training: Francesc and the other guy I never caught his name. Both were from London and I think Francesc is doing the tour that starts at the end of the week.
As far as clothes, nobody dressed up except for the show and for the farewell dinner. We did have plenty of time to change, so we didn't have to wear them all day. I would recommend not wearing shirts that say anything, just because you are obiously a tourist if you do. Also, there is a lot of walking so good walking shoes are a must.
Day 1 (Friday 18 May):
We arrived in London at the Renaissance Chancery Court hotel around lunch time (Very nice hotel, better than the one we stayed at in Paris). Our guides were there to greet us and help us check in. We asked them about where we could eat lunch. Here is where they weren't very helpful, but I guess it's because our tour hadn't officially started yet. They told us not to eat in the hotel restaurant because it was too expensive. They recommended finding something in the area. We did try the hotel restaurant, but they told us it was booked (though there was no one in there!) We didn't feel adventerous to wander far from the hotel and we needed food right away. There was a Pret A Manger nearby but it was crowded. We ended up eating at a McDonald's.
Our guide had given us vouchers to get tickets for the London Eye. We had the option of doing that on Friday or on Sunday. It was such a nice day we walked over to the London Eye. The line was only about a half hour or so long. The view up there is very nice and I got some good pictures. The ride only lasts about half an hour but that is maybe a bit too long. You can only look at the same view for so long.
After that we walked back to the hotel to freshen up before our welcome dinner. There was a cocktail hour where we could introduce ourselves to everyone. We had a private room for dinner and there were samples of British dishes. My favorite was the fish and chips, which was served in fake newspapers. I'll mention right now that I'm a picky eater and so I was concerned about finding something I'd eat. The first time I went up to
get food, there was very little I knew I'd eat, but that was because everyone had gone up before me and taken all the good stuff. Anyway, our guides gave us a story book with a more detailed itinerary, with times for everything. Each day we got a pin.
We had also gotten a tote bag with several things in it, including 2 umbrellas (there were 4 of us so I wonder if they wanted us to share), bandanas, pens, a strap for sunglasses, playing cards, hats, luggage tags, and spa stuff.
Day 2 (Saturday 19 May):
This day was our Jolly Holiday. We got on board an old Routemaster double decker bus and we had a local blue badge guide to point out things as we drove by. His name was Steven (though it might be spelled Stephen, I'm not sure). He was an excellent guide, making every bit of history interesting. Our first stop was Westminster Abbey. We had another guide so we
could split up the group for a tour of the place. The second guide was a woman named Kathleen and my family went with her. She was amazing. I felt like I had gone back in time. She had a history book with her so she could show us some pictures. We noticed it in the gift shop but bought a different one with more pictures.
Next, we walked through St. James park. At the end we went to a spot to watch the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. We were at the end point of the parade so we could see the band disperse. A lot of blue badge guides took their groups there. After the parade we walked over to Buckingham Palace to take pictures.
We had lunch at Harrods. It was a traditional English tea, with a variety of small sandwiches (which I didn't like), scones, and small desserts. The tea was good, but the meal was not very filling. We had a little bit of time to wander around the store and we could stay if we wanted to. If we didn't stay we could go back to the hotel. When we got there we had a Mary Poppins bag in the room that had programs (the British version of the Broadway Playbill, though you have to buy it at the theatre) and cds of the cast recording. I was excited to see the show because I wanted to compare it to the Broadway version.
We had dinner before the show at Soho house, which is an exclusive place. We dined in a room that actually faced the Prince Edward Theatre, where Mary Poppins is. Our guides had told us that dinner would be king prawn. I don't like seafood so I was hoping there'd be something else I'd eat. The kids got burgers and chicken fingers. I think the waitor heard me longing
for the kids' food and so he brought over some for me and for my sister. That was good because the other dish was beef,which was good but was a bit too pink for me. The meal was served family style.
So then we saw Mary Poppins. Our seats were center orchestra (towards the back of the theatre), which is the best place to see any show, imo. It's a great show and I enjoyed the London cast better than the Broadway cast. I think it's because the accents are natural and so they could be more expressive with the lines. After the show we got to go backstage. Not much was new to me because I've watched backstage videos (including one for Mary Poppins, which can be found on theatre.com) but it was cool to see the sets up close. The highlight for a man in our group was when he walked out the stage door. Apparently someone thought he was in the show and he
almost gave them his autograph before they realized he wasn't in the show. We saw Lisa O'Hare as Mary Poppins, and it was her last night. She had a great final performance and she was my favorite Mary Poppins. She really captured the image of Mary Poppins I have from reading the books.
Day 3 (Sunday 20 May):
We went to the Tower of London. We walked to the City, going by St. Paul's Cathedral (how appropriate after seeing Mary Poppins). We also walked by the Globe Theatre. I enjoyed the Tower. Steven gave us a tour of the grounds. We were on our own for the Jewel House. We got meal vouchers to eat at the restaurant there and we could either go off on our own or stay and then take the bus back to the hotel. We stayed because we wanted to look around in the white tower and then look at the gift shop. Some people in the group went to the London Eye. There were a few people in our group who tried to do a lot in a short amount of time. I think some took a train to Hampton Court. We decided to go to the British Museum, which was a ten minute walk from the hotel. The museum has pieces I studied in an art class, which is why I wanted to go there. If you like mummies, they have a good amount of them. I recommend only seeing a few sections rather than trying
to see it all because there is a lot of stuff there.
Since it was Sunday and the hotel was in the business section, there were very few options for dinner close to the hotel. It sounded like a lot of people at at Covent Garden, but we ended up getting room service.
Day 4 (Monday 21 May):
There was an optional walk through Inns Field. It was nice to have a small group and it was a beautiful crisp morning, perfect for a walk. Steven took us by the Temple and down some side streets. After our walk we went to Waterloo Station and took the Eurostar to Paris. It was a really nice journey. First class is definitely the way to travel for that, especially because we didn't have to deal with our luggage. They told us we'd get lunch, but we were served breakfast. It was good, anyway. The seats were comfortable enough to nap for the nearly 3 hour journey. Like I said before, on the train was the only time it rained.
When we exited the Gare du Nord, we were immediately aware of the gypsies. We didn't know what the deal was with them until we asked later. One will come up to you and ask "Speak English?" and if you say yes then they'll have you read a piece of paper. We assume that another would pick your pockets while you're distracted. We looked like easy targets with our backpacks. Once we knew what they looked like, we could keep an eye out for them and avoid them if possible. The easiest way to avoid them is to just ignore them or say no. Some people in our group tried being creative by saying something in another language.
We had two local guides while we were in Paris, Sylvie and Corinne. Sylvie was in charge, but if we split into two groups Corinne would take one. We took a short tour of Paris before going to the hotel. We also went into a park near the hotel, to wait for our rooms to be ready, presumably. There we got chocolate filled croissants and those are soooo good. The hotel served them for breakfast, too.
The hotel is the Hilton Arc de Triomphe, since it's near the Arc de Triomphe. The hotel is on the Rue de Courcelles and if we wanted to get to the Arc we turned down the Avenue Hoche. From there it was easy to get to the Champs Elysees. We had a little bit of free time so we decided to check out the Arc. There is an underground path to get across the roundabout.
To see the Arc is free but if you want to go to the top you have to pay money. I'm not sure how much it was, though.
We had a buffet dinner at the hotel. The best part of all of the meals in France was dessert. They do pastries very well and since we did a lot of walking, we could easily work off the extra calories. It was still light out when we went to bed at 9.
Day 5 (Monday 22 May):
We took a bus over to the Centre Pompidou and then walked to Notre Dame. We could walk around inside and then we could go to the top. This was one of my favorite things on the trip. Notre Dame doesn't let people up to the top until 10 and we got there before 10. Disney pulled strings so that we could be the first ones up there. That was so nice. There are about
400 steps all the way to the top. Your legs hurt, but the view is worth it. After our climb we took a Batobus to the Eiffel Tower. Our French guides had gone ahead to get our tickets and we also got to cut in line (which upset a group leader we cut). We had lunch on the first level and here was where there were some kinks in the trip. The wait staff was confused
about the number of kids in the group and so our lunch took a lot longer than planned. (The food was good, but after all the stair climbing it wasn't enough.) We also had to wait to get our tickets to the third level because the ticket seller took a lunch break. The elevator lines were long because two of the elevators had broken down. However, once we were able to get to the second and third levels, the views were amazing. Some people
decided not to go up so that they could go off and do something else. We were going to go to the Invalides but by the time we came back down it would be closing by the time we walked over there. So we rode the Batobus around the Seine and got off at the Champs Elysees. We had dinner at Pizza Pino, which is an Italian restaurant. Very good food. We also shopped.
Day 6 (Tuesday 23 May):
There was an optional walk in the morning to the Louvre. We walked to the Place de la Concorde and through the Tuileries garden. It was cloudy but at least it didn't rain. We split into two groups of adults and the kids were in a separate group. Sylvie was our guide and she was wonderful. She showed us highlights and it was as if she lived there, she knew her way around so well. We had headphones so that we could all hear her.
After our tour we were on our own. We stayed at the Louvre, had lunch in a food court, and decided to do a Da Vinci Code audio tour. That was fun. We did see some of the same paintings, but it was neat to see rooms where the movie was filmed and the book took place.
From there we could walk to the Champs Elysees. We ended up eating dinner at Planet Hollywood just because we were hungry and we knew there was something we'd eat there. My sister and I had a croque monsieur, so at least we had some French food.
Day 7 (Wednesday 24 May):
We took a bus to Versailles. Sylvie gave us a tour around the city before the bus dropped us off at the palace. We went with Corinne for a tour on the inside and used the headphones again. Rennovations were just being completed in the hall of mirrors, so we were able to see
it. There were rennovations on the front of the palace, though, so any pictures we took had scaffolding visible. It got into the 80s that day. We took a tram around the grounds and then had lunch at La Flotille. Then we rode bikes around the grounds. This was my other favorite part. It was fun and a great way to enjoy the beautiful weather and the beautiful grounds.
We went back to the hotel so we could freshen up for our farewell dinner at Laduree, which was on the Champs Elysees. This was another issue with having food I'd eat. I had lamb, but it was a bit too pink for me. At least the desserts were really good. I had a strawberry tart. There was also an accordianist and a caricaturist to entertain us. After dinner the guides showed us a slide show of some of the pictures they had taken. We were told that they'd send us a copy.
Day 8 (Wednesday 25 May):
A few of us were staying an extra day or more, but some people left this day. My family decided to go to Disneyland Paris. I posted a report here: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=18890368&postcount=9
but I will mention that we just went for the day. We took the RER A train to Marne La Vallee. It's very easy to get to. Thunderstorms had been in the forecast, but didn't come until the hour before the park closed. We left Paris the next day in the evening and Disney arranged a car to take us to the airport.
HallGirl!
Thanks for your great trip report. We're leaving for this tour on Saturday. (The tour doesn't start until next week, but we're going early to do some exploring outside of London.)
I wanted to ask you a question about the third day in London, the day you went to the Tower. What time does the group split up? We were thinking about taking a cab to Madame Tussauds. (I know, it's cheesy, but DS is 11 and would love it. He will be doing a lot that it basically adult stuff, so I'd like to plan something that he's asking for.) I'm wondering if we'll have time.
Thanks in advance. And once again, your trip report was spectacular and very helpful.
Julie
Thanks for your great trip report. We're leaving for this tour on Saturday. (The tour doesn't start until next week, but we're going early to do some exploring outside of London.)
I wanted to ask you a question about the third day in London, the day you went to the Tower. What time does the group split up? We were thinking about taking a cab to Madame Tussauds. (I know, it's cheesy, but DS is 11 and would love it. He will be doing a lot that it basically adult stuff, so I'd like to plan something that he's asking for.) I'm wondering if we'll have time.
Thanks in advance. And once again, your trip report was spectacular and very helpful.
Julie
I'm glad it was helpful for you
. We got our lunch vouchers around 11:30, so we could leave around then. We just had to let the guides know that we were leaving. The bus back to the hotel left at 1:30, I think, so even if you decided to stay a bit longer, take the bus back to the hotel, and then take the underground to Madame Tussaud's, I'd say you'd still have time. Have fun! I know my family did.Oh! HallGirl, another quick question. You said you had two guides, but then you had two local guides in Paris. Did you tip the local guides and the "main" guides? I'm trying to plan our tips and set the money aside for that this week, but I wanted to make sure on that. I'm assuming we'll have two guides. Does that mean two at each location or two total?
Thanks. Sorry for all the goofy questions.
Julie
Thanks. Sorry for all the goofy questions.
Julie
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