European Trip Help

[Ladylethal 12]

Yes, I was trying to talk mom into doing a leave Paris, drive a round, sleep somewhere in the Loire (like Tours) drive around more castles and then go back to sleep in Paris, so that'd give us a little more time to view more castles.

[Peikko 1,575]

Everyone loves Chenonceau. I know it's a cliche, but it is one of my favourites

[Ladylethal 12]

That one is an absolute MUST see.

[Peikko 1,575]

One of the most underrated places is Belgium. It's actually pretty fabulous. Brussels is one of the nicest cities you'll ever visit and you will feel incredibly safe walking around it. I also rate Brugges, it's very picturesque and easy to get around. Belgium food is good, the portions generous, but they are meat orientated (well fish too).

[Ladylethal 12]

Yeah, Visiting Bruges is mom's priority, she visited once and says she must take me at any cost. Since Brussels is really close we're definitely going there too, either on our way up to Amsterdam or on our way back to France.

[Peikko 1,575]

You are going to have a fabulous trip Look into the Chambre d'Hote idea, really because you will feel more pampered for your $.

[Peikko 1,575]

I don't know any good cheap hotels in London though I wish I did. My bro and son stayed in some joint near Paddington at Christmas because of the weather before the flight to LAX. It wasn't cheap or cheerful from what they told me

Do you know the kind of things you want to see in London? Art galleries? Museums? Are you going to take in a show?

[Empress of Groovy 373]

I too recommend the Eurostar--central London to central Paris in about three hours (if I'm remembering correctly), and it's a nice experience. I imagine the car rental thing would be something of a headache. If you want to rent a car for the continent portion of the trip, do it once you get there. Another consideration is the left-hand-drive/right-hand-drive thing. I imagine you can rent a left-hand-drive car in the UK (for a fee, no doubt), but if not, you'd be looking at driving on the left in a right-hand-drive car, which may be disorienting. I know Brits do it all the time when they take their cars over to Europe, but I always found it a little confusing. It's enough of a project to adjust to European driving generally!

Anyhoo, it sounds like a great trip!

[Peikko 1,575]

Unless it snows, then the trains get stuck in the tunnel, which is rather reminiscent of Rev Awdrys' anthropomorphic trains

[Empress of Groovy 373]

I too recommend the Eurostar--central London to central Paris in about three hours (if I'm remembering correctly), and it's a nice experience. I imagine the car rental thing would be something of a headache. If you want to rent a car for the continent portion of the trip, do it once you get there. Another consideration is the left-hand-drive/right-hand-drive thing. I imagine you can rent a left-hand-drive car in the UK (for a fee, no doubt), but if not, you'd be looking at driving on the left in a right-hand-drive car, which may be disorienting. I know Brits do it all the time when they take their cars over to Europe, but I always found it a little confusing. It's enough of a project to adjust to European driving generally!

Anyhoo, it sounds like a great trip!

Actually, I may have mixed up left and right there...but youknowwhatimean.

[Ladylethal 12]

I'm looking at the Eurostar now as opposed to a car rental, it does seem easier/safer, except I need to figure out what type of pass we'd need, as we're not just going London to Paris.

Cleo, I'm looking at hotels in Paddington actually, lots of B&Bs and two star hotels and it's close to a couple of stations to get around easily, I also hear it's more residential and less noisy than other areas, and a lot cheaper than the nicer central zones.

Our plans for London are the usual suspects of sightseeing places (Big Ben, Parliament, Tower of London, St. Pauls, Kensington, Wesminster Abbey, Temple Church, etc. as well as the change of guard at Buckingham. We plan to do a tour of Windsor and Madame Tusseau. We don't really plan to do the London Museums except maybe the Tate gallery (since we're on a budget we're hand picking which places we'll actually pay and go in). We're more into history than art museums. Ah yes, we definitely like the markets so Covent Garden is a must. Depending on budget and the lines we might go on the London Eye.

We'd like to visit Canterbury as well and I was trying to find a way to do that on our way to France, but I'm have technical issues as far as taking a bus there and back, time spent for it, etc. So far the Eurorail is not giving options of going to Canterbury and following on to Bruges. I'd have to go there, return to London, and then validate our pass to Bruges, Brussels, Amsterdam and back to Paris.

[Peikko 1,575]

Correct re the area around Paddington, it is residential and it's relatively quiet as London goes. Think about Hampton Court as well, that's very nice, as is Kew Gardens. Definitely take a walk/boat trip along the Thames around the Houses of parliament (Which is where the London Eye is located), you get a lot of history in a short space of time. I'm a big fan of Tate Modern (located in the old Battersea Power Station) Even if you don't really want to go in and look at the art, the building itself is historic (as well as the stuff of album covers ) and it's a fabulous re-use of old space. The pump room is for temporary displays, but the space itself is just fantastic.

[Empress of Groovy 373]

Our plans for London are the usual suspects of sightseeing places (Big Ben, Parliament, Tower of London, St. Pauls, Kensington, Wesminster Abbey, Temple Church, etc. as well as the change of guard at Buckingham. We plan to do a tour of Windsor and Madame Tusseau. We don't really plan to do the London Museums except maybe the Tate gallery (since we're on a budget we're hand picking which places we'll actually pay and go in). We're more into history than art museums. Ah yes, we definitely like the markets so Covent Garden is a must. Depending on budget and the lines we might go on the London Eye.

Many of the best museums in London are free, including the Tate. I highly recommend the British Museum (also free).

[Peikko 1,575]

The museums are good, and what is more most of them are housed in historic buildings. The Imperial War Museum is most impressive, as is the Natural History Museum, complete with dinasuars.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

The Tate, Tate Britain, National Gallery, British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum and many others are completely FREE, though you will pay to go to special exhibits.

I would personally drop Madam Tussuad's in favor of going to one of them.