Help needed on what to see - 1st trip to London, Paris and Rome

[tammyg1515]

We are going to London, Paris and Rome in February, 2018. This is our first trip to a Europe and looking for suggestions on must sees, restaurants and budget tours.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

I'm hoping at this point you already have your passports and flights/hotels booked.

What do you like? (There's SO much to recommend.) What ages are going on the trip? (This can make a difference in the suggestions.) How long will you be in Europe? (This is also crucial, because I would make different suggestions for the person how has one day in Rome vs. the person who plans to spend a week there.)

 

[QueenIsabella]

I assume you're not taking a tour. As the PP stated, knowing the length of time, number/ages of travelers, and so forth, would be immensely helpful.

In general, I recommend Rick Steves' book, "Europe Through the Back Door". He covers the major countries, talking about what to do that he finds charming and interesting, rather than just hitting tourist spots. He's all about saving money, but it's also about absorbing the character of each place, going off the beaten path, getting out of your comfort zone. He also has specific books on each country.

 

[tammyg1515]

We (23 year old son and me(the mom)) will be in London 1 1/2 days, Paris for 4 nights and Rome for 4 nights. We enjoy adventure and good food. A trip to Normandie is a must.

The book sounds great - thank you.

 

[TwoMisfits]

1.5 days in London - so short! See a show on the West End...any show. The time I was in London, I went to 5 (4 on the West End and 1 at The Globe - got discount tickets every morning for the West End ones)...all were amazing!

In Rome, I loved all the ruins (and I loved the next door Vatican City)...I'd save time for both of those (we walked all over Rome, but we were athletic back then...

 

[Lvsdisney]

I haven't been to Paris in over a decade but these were the things that I remember enjoying. Many are typical tourist attractions.
Versailles
Musee D'Orsay
Notre Dame
Napoleon Tomb
Lafayette Galleries
Champs elyesse
Place Vendome

I can't remember the restaurants we ate at, but I can tell you I didn't have a bad meal! Have fun!

 

[jewelspirit]

I went to Paris for a week last year. We purchased the museum pass (they sell 2,4, and 6 day, I think) and that included unlimited access to most of the museums and historical sites we were interested in. Plus with the pass we didn't have to stand in line each time, just flash the pass and walk in.
Normandy is somewhat far from Paris center, we had thought about doing it but realized we would need to rent a car and ultimately ruled it out.
If Versailles is on your list, it's about a 45 min train ride from Paris (~14 euro roundtrip) and I suggest getting there early. We arrived about an hour before open, had breakfast, and were part of the first group in. We got to really appreciate the rooms and were always one step ahead of the crowds. Had to reenter the palace later on and it was hard to move around.
Since this is a Disney Board, is Disneyland Paris on your list? We did a weekend, but because of the half marathon. It's about an hour and a half from Paris center (one way ticket was ~14euro) and you could do the main attractions in both parks in a day fairly easily in Feb. Plus, as far as Disney parks prices go, Disneyland Paris is on the cheaper end, as I remember.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We just visited London & Paris this summer. We only had 9 days and crammed in a lot, 3 days each in London & Paris then 2 days in Disneyland Paris at the end.

After experiencing a combination of group + private tours in previous travel, we learned that we really, really prefer private tours. They're so worth the splurge. Mostly because we don't like waiting for stragglers to return to the meeting place or feeling rushed & risking US being the stragglers. (Seriously in 2013, 50 of us sat on a bus for over 30 mins waiting for a couple gambling in Monte Carlo, and finally leaving them there. Who knows if they ever got back to the ship in time.) A group can only move as quickly as the slowest person in the group. We also feel that having a guide truly enriches the quality of the trip. There is so much history and just looking at something is not the same as learning about it. Think of that National Lampoon Vacation movie scene of Chevy Chase looking at the Grand Canyon. Another reason to love private tours is that there are parents of young children who feel that an 8 hour tour of Nice & Monaco would be interesting to a 5 yr old. It might be for the first 1-2 hours and the rest of the time they're bored or crying. I'm a mom too and I understand being excited to show my kids the world but that is a long day, even for adults.

For London we stayed at the Marriott County Hall, right on the river next to the London Eye with a view of Big Ben. Excellent location and easy to walk to many popular attractions.
We did one day on our own (arrival day) then a tour to Stonehenge/Bath the next day and 3rd day was our London City tour with London Magical Tours They were ok but I can't say spectacular. It was nice to have a driver and a guide vs. one person trying to do both which is how most private tours operate. Still, we got to see all the highlights and still have some time to spend at the British Museum at the end which made my history-loving ds20 very happy. Our guide worked there PT and could quickly get us to, and guide us through the areas that interested him most, which saved us a lot of time that would have been spent wandering. (FWIW, wandering/navigating is lovely when you have a lot of time but on this trip, we didn't.)

We took British Airways to Paris which was cheaper and faster than the Eurostar.
In Paris we stayed at the Residence Charles Floquet, a block from the Eiffel Tower. Again, awesome location with plenty to see and do within easy walking distance. We spent our arrival day on our own but did buy tickets to ET in advance to avoid waiting in long lines. Not sure if there are long lines in Feb. We used Prestige for our airport transfers both ways and transfer to DLP. I prefer ground transfer companies vs taxis for the better service (waiting for us with a sign with our name in the airport) and they tend to not drive like lunatics as most taxi drivers tend to do. They came highly recommended on the DLP section of the Disboards and on TripAdvisor.com which was an immense help in choosing hotels, tour operators & ground transportation companies. There is also a forum on TA which is helpful but often takes longer to get answers than here.

I was so thrilled when you said a visit to Normandy is a must.
What I originally planned as a relaxing day, perhaps a stroll down the Champs Elysses and shopping, or evening river cruise was turned into a looooong, one day tour to Normandy: American cemetery, Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc, St. Mere Eglise and the Paratrooper Museum there, and in hindsight, the highlight of this trip for me.
OMG, this should be on every American's bucket list. I'm not a history/war buff and barely passed history in HS but I was so so glad we went there and could easily spend a week in this region. I finished this tour in awe of our country, our military, and those who sacrificed so much for freedom. I was also amazed at the tremendous gratitude by France to the USA for our part in this war. I sometimes have heard the French were rude & snooty but our experience was the polar opposite.

We used Best of France and I'm at a loss for words in how much I appreciated this tour. They were wonderful to do business with from start to end. We chose the longer option which was well worth the extra 200 euros. Yes, it was a long day with a 7am pickup at our Paris hotel and drop off at around 8pm. I was glad to not have to share this tour with others and have to sit through multiple pick up & drop off points. I also would not plan this for a day before having to pack to leave your hotel.
It's a 3.5 hour drive each way. The only negative about this day for us was that it rained. This was our only rain of the trip but by the time we reached Pointe du Hoc it was blowing down sideways and our old Disney ponchos were worthless. Many times I slipped & nearly fell in the mud of a dirt path. I fell behind the rest of my family and waited near a half blown up German bunker for them to return. We also skipped Utah beach because of the heavy downpour & wind. This ended up fine in that we had extra time at the Paratrooper Museum in St. Mere Eglise which was just incredible. One thing Europe does best is to preserve history and the collection of artifacts saved is not to be missed. I could have spent an entire day there.

The next day we did a walking tour of Paris with My Private Paris with Olek for our guide. Another wonderful experience from first contact to end of tour! We were picked up from our hotel and visited: Invalides, Notre Dame, Palace of Justice, St. Chappelle, The Louvre (mostly for Mona Lisa & Venus di Milo but much more along the way), and Arch of Triumph. Olek is a wealth of information to say the least. He made it so enjoyable, and guided us quickly through the Metro for sections that would be very long walks between attractions. He even stayed 2 hours later on his own time to show us more. I couldn't thank him enough


I've been to Rome twice but first time was part of a Perillo tour and last time was on a DCL Med cruise and we used Rome in Limo for our day tour which was excellent too. They do offer day tours, not just as Port Excursions. On that cruise we used them for Florence/Pisa, Rome and Naples/Sorrento/Positano. We loved all 3 of our guides.


Sorry this is so long. Have fun planning!!

 

[jewelspirit]

I'll add to ruadisneyfan2, we stayed in a small apartment in the Latin Quarter. The location was great (5 min walk to Notre Dame, right above a Metro station, food and night activity abound), the price was great ($700 for the week), and it worked out well for our group. But it was not a hotel and we got that authentic spiral staircase to the 3rd floor.
My personal favorite part of Paris was simply walking down the streets, wandering into the many parks and gardens around (always get an ice cream from one of the kiosks by the parks). Also the festival music coming from the Seine river. We didn't do any tours, just picked 2 or 3 museums included in the museum pass in the same region and went in that direction. We walked most places (even Eiffel Tower) but used the Metro for the rest, even from the airport.
A little tip: there are some grocery stores that really inflate their prices just because they are clearly in tourist sight and labeled as grocery. Instead look for the French version of a Target (Monoprix is onechain), they typically have a grocery department in the basement. Lots more selection and the prices are better.
For reference, my traveling group consisted of 2 people in their mid 20's, and 2 in their late 40's.

 

[QueenIsabella]

One thing I would consider splurging on is an after (or before) hours tour of the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel. We were there in June--prime tourist season, so you might have better luck in Feb. But, it was so crowded! Here you are, surrounded by centuries' worth of priceless art, and you're shuffling along like it's a Disney line. We really couldn't stop to admire something, or even get close to the sides of the hallway to get a better look. Plus, you are literally surrounded, both sides PLUS the ceiling, while you're shuffling along. And the Sistine Chapel! I could have spent a week sitting there, quietly contemplating it's impressive beauty. Alas, we had, um, 15 minutes. You're not supposed to talk in there--they have professional "shushers", I kid you not--but people do. Talk, that is. I will also add that I'm not a history or art buff at all, but there is so much to see and appreciate there. I was kicking myself for not reading up more before we went.

We're going back to Rome this summer, and we're springing for an after-hours tour. We're actually gong on a tour of London, Paris, Umbria, and Rome, but the tour we're taking is (a) pricey and (b) geared more towards families with kids. We'll be doing a Harry Potter tour in London, a scavenger hunt in the Louvre, truffle hunting in Umbria--that kind of stuff. We're flying to London a day early, and I'm hoping to do a Jack the Ripper tour, but I'm a Ripper fan (if you can call it that) from way back. My youngest (he'll be 12 when we go) is looking forward to eating croissants while looking at the Champs-d'Elysees. I think he thinks it'll be the height of sophistication.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

One thing I would consider splurging on is an after (or before) hours tour of the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel. We were there in June--prime tourist season, so you might have better luck in Feb. But, it was so crowded! Here you are, surrounded by centuries' worth of priceless art, and you're shuffling along like it's a Disney line. We really couldn't stop to admire something, or even get close to the sides of the hallway to get a better look. Plus, you are literally surrounded, both sides PLUS the ceiling, while you're shuffling along. And the Sistine Chapel! I could have spent a week sitting there, quietly contemplating it's impressive beauty. Alas, we had, um, 15 minutes. You're not supposed to talk in there--they have professional "shushers", I kid you not--but people do. Talk, that is. I will also add that I'm not a history or art buff at all, but there is so much to see and appreciate there. I was kicking myself for not reading up more before we went.

We're going back to Rome this summer, and we're springing for an after-hours tour. We're actually gong on a tour of London, Paris, Umbria, and Rome, but the tour we're taking is (a) pricey and (b) geared more towards families with kids. We'll be doing a Harry Potter tour in London, a scavenger hunt in the Louvre, truffle hunting in Umbria--that kind of stuff. We're flying to London a day early, and I'm hoping to do a Jack the Ripper tour, but I'm a Ripper fan (if you can call it that) from way back. My youngest (he'll be 12 when we go) is looking forward to eating croissants while looking at the Champs-d'Elysees. I think he thinks it'll be the height of sophistication.

When we took our Med cruise in 2013 it was late August and my parents joined us. We did get a separate guide for St. Peter's and the Sistine Chapel. My dad's neck was getting sore from looking up for so long and we were packed in like sardines. Jokingly, he asked our guide, "When can I come and just lay down on the floor and not strain my neck?" Her reply, "February."
So perhaps OP won't have such a crowded experience as us. My teens still crack up about the LOUD microphone shouting SILENZIO!!


Have a great trip! I do recall seeing Jack the Ripper tours. If we had more time I would have liked a Rock n Roll tour. We stopped by Jimmy Page's house on our city tour, and passed Mick Jagger's house on the way to Stonehenge, but if we ever return, I would do the full tour.
So much to do, so little time.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Go to an actual travel board, rather than a Disney Board, for travel advice. Try TripAdvisor to start. I would have planned fewer days in Rome and more days in London.

 

[Leelo]

London -British Museum, WB Harry Potter Set Tour (you have to travel out of London by train a little ways), and Les Mis were our favorite things!

 

[sk!mom]

I was so thrilled when you said a visit to Normandy is a must.
What I originally planned as a relaxing day, perhaps a stroll down the Champs Elysses and shopping, or evening river cruise was turned into a looooong, one day tour to Normandy: American cemetery, Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc, St. Mere Eglise and the Paratrooper Museum there, and in hindsight, the highlight of this trip for me.
OMG, this should be on every American's bucket list. I'm not a history/war buff and barely passed history in HS but I was so so glad we went there and could easily spend a week in this region. I finished this tour in awe of our country, our military, and those who sacrificed so much for freedom. I was also amazed at the tremendous gratitude by France to the USA for our part in this war. I sometimes have heard the French were rude & snooty but our experience was the polar opposite.

We used Best of France and I'm at a loss for words in how much I appreciated this tour. They were wonderful to do business with from start to end. We chose the longer option which was well worth the extra 200 euros. Yes, it was a long day with a 7am pickup at our Paris hotel and drop off at around 8pm. I was glad to not have to share this tour with others and have to sit through multiple pick up & drop off points. I also would not plan this for a day before having to pack to leave your hotel.
It's a 3.5 hour drive each way. The only negative about this day for us was that it rained. This was our only rain of the trip but by the time we reached Pointe du Hoc it was blowing down sideways and our old Disney ponchos were worthless. Many times I slipped & nearly fell in the mud of a dirt path. I fell behind the rest of my family and waited near a half blown up German bunker for them to return. We also skipped Utah beach because of the heavy downpour & wind. This ended up fine in that we had extra time at the Paratrooper Museum in St. Mere Eglise which was just incredible. One thing Europe does best is to preserve history and the collection of artifacts saved is not to be missed. I could have spent an entire day there.

We too loved Normandy. We took a very early morning train and our tour guide picked us up at the train station. It was an 8 person tour and he took us to all the places you mentioned. He was so knowledgeable and it was a highlight of the trip. We were in France for 10 days though, with the OP's only 4 days- it's a tough choice.

I'm hoping to do a Jack the Ripper tour, but I'm a Ripper fan (if you can call it that) from way back.

We did a Ripper tour and it was honestly pretty disappointing after our Hunted London tour and our Pub Crawl tour along the Thames. The Ripper tour took you into an area that looked like any inner city. We were literally standing in parking lots as the guide would say things like, "Over there about where that yellow car is where they found victim #4..." Then when it was over the guide STRONGLY suggested that we follow her lead and get straight back on the tube to a safer area.

Have a great trip! I do recall seeing Jack the Ripper tours. If we had more time I would have liked a Rock n Roll tour. We stopped by Jimmy Page's house on our city tour, and passed Mick Jagger's house on the way to Stonehenge, but if we ever return, I would do the full tour.
So much to do, so little time.

I will definitely look into a Rock and Roll tour next time. DH would love that.

 

[duketennisgal]

Throwing my two cents in, there's a tour company that I absolutely love using and have done tours with in both Paris and London. The company has offices in Paris, London, Rome, Barcelona and Munich. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say the name of the company or not, if somebody says its ok I will, if not, shoot me a PM and I'll give you the name. We've done amazing bike tours of Versailles, Hyde Park as well as guided tours of the Eiffel Tower and the Catacombs. One of the huge benefits of these tours is the ability to skip the lines... The day we went to the catacombs people had been in line for 6 hours! We had a designated time to meet and were down in the Catacombs within 20 minutes.

As for things you must do, in London, enjoy some amazing Indian food! It's everywhere and so much better than anything I've had at home! If you have some time I suggest renting the city bikes and touring the parks, it's a great use of a few dollars, especially if the weather is nice.

In Paris, make sure you have time to just wander the streets, hang out in the gardens, etc. It really is a beautiful city! We did a lot of walking around with no particular destination in mind.

I'm excited to hear about your trip to Rome, I'm going in October of 2018 for the first time and can't wait.

 

[afan]

Throwing my two cents in, there's a tour company that I absolutely love using and have done tours with in both Paris and London. The company has offices in Paris, London, Rome, Barcelona and Munich. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say the name of the company or not, if somebody says its ok I will, if not, shoot me a PM and I'll give you the name. We've done amazing bike tours of Versailles, Hyde Park as well as guided tours of the Eiffel Tower and the Catacombs. One of the huge benefits of these tours is the ability to skip the lines... The day we went to the catacombs people had been in line for 6 hours! We had a designated time to meet and were down in the Catacombs within 20 minutes.

As for things you must do, in London, enjoy some amazing Indian food! It's everywhere and so much better than anything I've had at home! If you have some time I suggest renting the city bikes and touring the parks, it's a great use of a few dollars, especially if the weather is nice.

In Paris, make sure you have time to just wander the streets, hang out in the gardens, etc. It really is a beautiful city! We did a lot of walking around with no particular destination in mind.

I'm excited to hear about your trip to Rome, I'm going in October of 2018 for the first time and can't wait.

Aside from the line skipping what did you enjoy about the Catacombs tour? We're going the week before memorial day and this is one of the things we want to see.

I've looked at some tours and they seemed pricey for what you get. I'll get our Eiffel tour tix once they are available online, it's only open through the end of March right now. We'll also probably do a 2 day city pass thing. We'll be there 2 full days and 2 half days after we do dlp.

 

[konagal]

For One and a half days in London, I would stay near Westminster. County Hall is great but very expensive. Park plaza Westminster is a bit cheaper. And premier inn is very reasonable. All are in the same area. And near tube stations. You are traveling off season so you should get some deals.

I would purchase tickets ahead of time so no time wasted standing in line. Depends on what you want to see, but the Tower of London is the top attraction. After that is Buckingham Palace (changing of guard not always held everyday)and Westminster Abby. The British Museim is awesome but takes a good half day at least. Windsor castle is also great but you have to travel out of London. A river cruise is cool as well. Some lines have dinner cruises. These are fun as toucan see the building/monuments at night. A trip to a pub is great too. Just s few ideas.

Another place to post for London is the UK boards. Members there would be happy to share.

 

[duketennisgal]

Aside from the line skipping what did you enjoy about the Catacombs tour? We're going the week before memorial day and this is one of the things we want to see.

I've looked at some tours and they seemed pricey for what you get. I'll get our Eiffel tour tix once they are available online, it's only open through the end of March right now. We'll also probably do a 2 day city pass thing. We'll be there 2 full days and 2 half days after we do dlp.

The catacombs tour that we did was very informative, we also were able to go into a few areas that were not open to public. I guess what I enjoyed the most was that we had an actual tour guide. From what I can tell, if you just go to the Catacombs without being a part of a tour you just wander through on your own. By doing that I think you miss a lot of the history. Our guide was very enthusiastic and I walked away from the tour with information that I would have never known on my own. Plus, for me, skipping a 6 hour line was worth the hefty price tag. For me, when I'm on a vacation like that one, my time is extremely valuable. If I'm standing in line for 6 hours to see the Catacombs that is hours that I don't get to spend doing something else in a city that I may never return to.

 

[afan]

The catacombs tour that we did was very informative, we also were able to go into a few areas that were not open to public. I guess what I enjoyed the most was that we had an actual tour guide. From what I can tell, if you just go to the Catacombs without being a part of a tour you just wander through on your own. By doing that I think you miss a lot of the history. Our guide was very enthusiastic and I walked away from the tour with information that I would have never known on my own. Plus, for me, skipping a 6 hour line was worth the hefty price tag. For me, when I'm on a vacation like that one, my time is extremely valuable. If I'm standing in line for 6 hours to see the Catacombs that is hours that I don't get to spend doing something else in a city that I may never return to.

Who did you use for the tour?

 

[duketennisgal]

Fat tire tours... I've done three tours in Paris and one in London with them. I think they are excellent! My favorite tour was the Versailles bike tour, which includes your train ticket and admission to Versailles. We took the train to Versailles from Paris, picked up our bikes and headed to a huge indoor/outdoor market in Versailles. There we were given 30 minutes to an hour, I can't remember exactly how long, to pick up picnic supplies (bread, cheese, meat, wine, whatever you want) at our own cost. Once everybody gathered their picnic supplies we biked through the town of Versailles to the palace. There we were able to tour the grounds by bike, had a lovely picnic by the canal and then were given our timed entry into Versailles which we were free to go through at our own pace. The official bike tour ended once you got into Versailles, so you didn't have to stay with the group or worry about how long you were taking in each of the rooms. It also gave us plenty of time to walk through the grounds some more after our tour before catching our train back to Paris.