No ABD for us - our plan

[crashbb]

I'm back from DL. Here is the report that I posted on Trip Advisor after my trip to Paris in May. I wrote suggestions for London as well, but the file in on my laptop, so I'll post it later. Some of the things/places noted in this report are based on frequent questions/suggestions from Trip Advisor.

BASIC INFORMATION
I arrived early on a Sunday morning and left the following Sunday. I stayed at the Paris Westin (1st district). It was a solo trip and I hadn't been in Paris in about 15 years. I have passable french.

TRANSPORTATION
To/From CDG
Before I left, I had narrowed my options down to the RER/Metro (switch at Chatelet/Less Halles, the Tuileries stop on line 1 was very close to my hotel)or the Roissy Bus (drops you off at the Opera which was a 10 minuteish walk to my hotel). I ended up going with the Roissy bus into Paris and the RER/metro out of Paris. If I did it again, I would reverse things. My terminal was the first stop for the Roissy bus, which meant I had a lovely tour of CDG. Coming back, my terminal would have been the first stop again. Chatelet/Les Halles is really not that bad to transfer (I think I had to go down 2 staircases with a moving walkway in between). If the Roissy Bus is not within walking distance of your hotel, I'd probably stick with the RER/Metro (if you are going to end up on the metro anyway, it is better if the price is already part of your ticket).

Within Paris
I debated purchasing a Carte Orange or a Carnet. In the end, my uncle had a leftover carnet from a previous trip, so I just used that. I actually only used 4 tickets during my week, since I was able to walk to most places I wanted to go. I'd advise looking at your hotel location and deciding how much you'll actually use the metro and basing your choice on that.

MUSEUMS
I got a 4 day museum pass and was very glad that I did. I planned my itinerary such that I did things not on the pass on my first 3 days and did all the 'pass' things on my last four days. I did save money, but would probably buy the pass even at a slight loss for the ability to bypass lines (Musee d'Orsay had huge lines), to drop into museums that I hadn't thought about, and to split my visit to the Louvre over 3 days (my hotel was about 5 minutes away, so I could easily pop in for short visit). I prefer the Musee d'Orsay over the Louvre (sorry) and loved L'Orangerie.

FOOD
I mainly ate at small cafes/bistros or got food at Monoprix etc., but I had one "fancy" meal at L' Atelier de Joel Rubichon which was excellent. They only take reservations for the first sitting at dinner, but I went for a late lunch (I think it was 3pm) for which I could make a reservation and which fit in well for my touring plans. My only unpleasant meal was a surprising quiche that had apricots in it (I thought I was choosing a mushroom quiche). The quiche itself was well made, I just didn't like the taste (this was at BHV, near the Pompidou, which I do recommend for a quick/not too expensive lunch). The other lunch time that I was in the area, I had a Falafel at L'as Falafel.

I fell in love with salted caramel - especially as an ice cream at Berthillon (liked it so much I went twice) and as macarons at Laduree.

RECOMMENDATIONS
I took both the day and night tours with Fat Tire and loved them both (I did the day tour the day I arrived and the night tour on my last night, which worked well).

I took pictures at the Eiffel Tower, but went up Montparnasse Tower - cheaper, no line, and you have the Eiffel Tower in your pictures.

If you are looking for places to jog - Tuileries Gardens, Champs du Mars, and Luxembourg Gardens are ideal.

Now that I've written a novel, I suppose that I should stop. Hope that this helps when planning your trip!

 

[crashbb]

And now London...

Tube/Bus – get an Oyster Card. This is a plastic card that you buy for a 3 pound deposit (which you can get back when you return your card). You can either fill it with a 7 day travel card or just money. If you load it with money, your fare is deducted each time you use it, but the fare is a lot less than the equivalent cash fare (for example, a single trip within zones 1 and 2 is 4 pounds cash but 1.50 pounds if you use the Oyster Card). Also, there is a daily limit that is 50 pence less than the equivalent daily travel card (so any trip after that amount is free). Everyone needs their own Oyster Card if traveling together, but you can share it with others if you are using it on different days (for example, we have one Oyster Card that whoever is going to London takes with them). The choice of a 7 day travel card vs. money depends on your traveling plans – the 7-day pass is 7 consecutive days, so if you are there for less than 7 days or are taking day trips out of London (and thus not Tubing those days) it may not be cost effective. Note also that the Tube system is divided into zones (central London is zones 1 and 2) and fares (including passes) differ in cost depending on which zones (and how many) you are traveling through. Note that the prices may have changed since I was last in London, but the general principle is still sound.
If speed isn’t your main priority, I find riding buses (rather than the Tube) to be a great way to sightsee while traveling. And, of course, walking is the best way to sightsee yet.

Travel from/to Heathrow – there are basically four options:
1) Taxi – VERY expensive and can involve sitting in a lot of traffic, but is probably the most simple and comfortable.
2) Heathrow Express – an express train that goes straight from Heathrow to Paddington station. Assuming that your hotel is near Paddington station this is also quite convenient. Another option is to take the Heathrow Express to Paddington station and then take a taxi to your hotel (which should be much cheaper than a cab all the way there). There is also a non-express train that you can take, but I’m not sure if you have to transfer (and I’m not sure of the cost).
3) Tube – the Piccadilly line goes right into Heathrow station and into Central London. The Heathrow stop is the first stop, so you can almost always get a seat, but it can get quite crowded as you hit central London, especially during rush hour. Since I generally stay on the Piccadilly line, this is the option that I generally choose.
4) Bus – there are shuttle buses that go into central London and various hotels. This option still runs into the traffic problem. I’ve never used these buses, but I’m fairly sure that the cost is between the Heathrow Express and the Tube.

Museums – many museums in London are free. Some of the ones I like best are the British Museum (but it is huge, so either choose a section or give yourself lots of time), Wellcome Trust museum (especially if you are interested in science/medicine), London Imperial War Museum (they have some interesting exhibits on civilian life during the wars as well as one on genocide), Victoria and Albert Museum and the Natural History Museum.

Other places of interest – Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral (as a childhood memory I love doing the brass rubbings at Westminster), on a clear day the London Eye can give you a great view (although you can pre-book tickets, I suggest waiting to see what the weather is like before getting tickets), Tower of London (take a tour with a Beefeater). Not actually a "place of interest" but I enjoy the Hop-On Hop-Off buses (especially with live guides) as a fun way to see the city/travel between sites.

Places to wander – I love walking the Jubilee Walk along the Thames and popping into whatever catches my fancy, including little farmer’s markets (the London Eye, National Theatre, and Tower Bridge are also along here; Westminster is just over the river), Hyde Park (a great place for jogging), Coventry Gardens/West End, and South Kensington/Knightsbridge.

Shows – Obviously the West End theatres have great shows. If there is a specific show you want to see (especially if it is new/popular), I suggest buying tickets in advance, otherwise, there is a tickts booth in Leicester Square where you can buy cheap (often half price) tickets on the day that you want to see a show. I also enjoy seeing shows at the National Theatre and/or Globe Theatre (a recreation of Shakespeare’s theatre where most patrons stand on the ground in around the stage).

Plus CNN had this article today London on a Budget

 

[bavaria]

It was only a suggestion on my part, and I'm not sure if others have suggested it or not, as I haven't read this entire thread. I went last week, in peak tourist season, on a Wednesday. Sure there were people and the Chateau itself I can take or leave...aside from about 4 rooms. I was recommending for the gardens and the Hamlet. The crowds were NOT a problem there... It was a bit crowded in the Chateau , but with some patience we were able to find a nice spot between large groups to enjoy our visit... We spent half a day and saw everything we wanted to without rushing.

Everyone needs to make their own decisions as to what they choose to see where, but I got more out of this then any other palace trip I've been to...including those around me. Schloss Neuschwanstein probably comes a close second, but primarily for the prime location... The 2 most perfect places I've ever been to, IMO. That's all I was offering.

My concern is that the OP has limited time. With two days in Paris, I would not recommend taking 1/2 to 3/4 of a day to visit Versailles. The OP is travelling from DLRP which will take them about 90 minutes of travel time each way, not to mention the walk from the station and the wait for tickets.

Just as I do not recommend visitors to Germany go to Neuschwanstein unless they have a large amount of time and a burning desire (in fact I discourage most visitors), I do not recommend that someone who has two days in Paris goes to Versailles, especially not from the suburbs. There is a lot of opulence in the city itself if the OP wishes to see that.

 

[crashbb]

My concern is that the OP has limited time. With two days in Paris, I would not recommend taking 1/2 to 3/4 of a day to visit Versailles. The OP is travelling from DLRP which will take them about 90 minutes of travel time each way, not to mention the walk from the station and the wait for tickets.

Just as I do not recommend visitors to Germany go to Neuschwanstein unless they have a large amount of time and a burning desire (in fact I discourage most visitors), I do not recommend that someone who has two days in Paris goes to Versailles, especially not from the suburbs. There is a lot of opulence in the city itself if the OP wishes to see that.

I must admit (and you may have noticed in my trip report) that I had a full week in Paris and I still skipped Versailles. I agree that, for many people (and most guide books), Versailles is a "must see", but it isn't in my book and it would take a lot of time out of a very short Paris trip.

I suggest that the OP read about what Versailles has to offer and decide if seeing it is worth missing at least half a day of sites in central Paris.