Paris/London

[glassslipper2004]

Our "on our own" trip to Paris and London over Thanksgiving was great - many highs and lows in comparison to ABD. Highs: we got to eat at some amazing restaurants, and (the purpose of the visit) saw our dear friends who are away for the year. Lows: Having to arrange everything ourselves, showing up at restaurants that aren't open or are busy for hours, not being able to rearrange transportation which didn't work out.

I still love ABD, and hope to do one again sometime. Disney definitely knows how to make a vacation easy!

 

[sayhello]

Our "on our own" trip to Paris and London over Thanksgiving was great - many highs and lows in comparison to ABD. Highs: we got to eat at some amazing restaurants, and (the purpose of the visit) saw our dear friends who are away for the year. Lows: Having to arrange everything ourselves, showing up at restaurants that aren't open or are busy for hours, not being able to rearrange transportation which didn't work out.

I still love ABD, and hope to do one again sometime. Disney definitely knows how to make a vacation easy!

ABD definitely does spoil you!

So what did you do while in London & Paris? Where did you eat this wonderful food? I'm still researching stuff for free time!

Sayhello

 

[glassslipper2004]

Hi Sayhello!

We had an amazing time, and combined some off the beaten path activities with the regular tourist stops.

In Paris, we saw the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, visited the lovely Christmas markets, went to the Musee D'Orsay, Notre Dame, and walked everywhere (in the freezing cold). We also had a great lunch at the Brasserie Boujolais (run by the same chef who runs one of Paris's best restaurants), a once in a lifetime lunch at Le Grand Vefour (one of Paris's best and oldest restaurants), and tea at Laduree, a lovely cafe (home of spectacular croissant such as chocolate/pistachio -- both in one croissant!, and outrageous macarons). We had the good fortune to go with our friends on a private tour of Paris' haute couture areas, including Chanel, and visit an atelier (workshop) that makes silk flowers. My girls took a pastry making class, but it wasn't as well designed as when Disney arranges for that kind of thing.

In London, we stayed at a very convenient and lovely hotel right in Leicester Square. We saw Les Miserables and then, for contrast, Legally Blonde. We took a private van Harry Potter tour of London, which was great fun. We walked past all the sights from Trafalgar Square past Big Ben and Parliament and across to the London Eye, which of course we rode (flew?). We also toured the Tower of London (very interesting - because it was so cold we didn't spend as much time there as I would have liked, but the lines for the crown jewels were nonexistent, which was nice). Finally we went through Madame Toussauds - perhaps the most interesting part of which was the display describing how Madame T. herself got her start and developed her business.

The biggest disappointment was that we were supposed to go to Oxford, but our train left Paddington Station and then returned to it just 30 minutes later; there had been an accident on the track on the way to Oxford and trains were cancelled for at least 3-4 hours, so we weren't able to go.

Have you taken the Eurostar between Paris and London? It was a pleasure and easy to navigate. But the train stations were very cold!

That's all I can think of right now - happy to answer any and all questions.

When (and where) is your next trip?

 

[sayhello]

Hi Sayhello!

We had an amazing time, and combined some off the beaten path activities with the regular tourist stops.

In Paris, we saw the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, visited the lovely Christmas markets, went to the Musee D'Orsay, Notre Dame, and walked everywhere (in the freezing cold). We also had a great lunch at the Brasserie Boujolais (run by the same chef who runs one of Paris's best restaurants), a once in a lifetime lunch at Le Grand Vefour (one of Paris's best and oldest restaurants), and tea at Laduree, a lovely cafe (home of spectacular croissant such as chocolate/pistachio -- both in one croissant!, and outrageous macarons). We had the good fortune to go with our friends on a private tour of Paris' haute couture areas, including Chanel, and visit an atelier (workshop) that makes silk flowers. My girls took a pastry making class, but it wasn't as well designed as when Disney arranges for that kind of thing.

In London, we stayed at a very convenient and lovely hotel right in Leicester Square. We saw Les Miserables and then, for contrast, Legally Blonde. We took a private van Harry Potter tour of London, which was great fun. We walked past all the sights from Trafalgar Square past Big Ben and Parliament and across to the London Eye, which of course we rode (flew?). We also toured the Tower of London (very interesting - because it was so cold we didn't spend as much time there as I would have liked, but the lines for the crown jewels were nonexistent, which was nice). Finally we went through Madame Toussauds - perhaps the most interesting part of which was the display describing how Madame T. herself got her start and developed her business.

The biggest disappointment was that we were supposed to go to Oxford, but our train left Paddington Station and then returned to it just 30 minutes later; there had been an accident on the track on the way to Oxford and trains were cancelled for at least 3-4 hours, so we weren't able to go.

Have you taken the Eurostar between Paris and London? It was a pleasure and easy to navigate. But the train stations were very cold!

That's all I can think of right now - happy to answer any and all questions.

When (and where) is your next trip?

I'm taking extensive notes here, because my next trip is Knights & Lights! I'm going with Dreams Unlimited in Sep 2011. I'm planning on arriving 5 or 6 days ahead of the tour to travel around England (haven't been there in over 30 years! ) plus at least one additional pre-day in London. The ABD does do the Eurostar (1st class!) to Paris. And we're doing Disneyland Paris after! So I definitely will be checking out all your suggestions!

I do think I'm going to have to do my pre-days on the cheap, however, as this isn't exactly an inexpensive tour!

Sayhello

 

[glassslipper2004]

Sayhello, that sounds great! I love England, including and especially outside of London. About 15-20 years ago I toured around Cornwall and went to Tintagel, an amazing cliffside site where King Arthur stories take place (he is supposed to have been born there, I think?) I loved all of Cornwall, and it will be a lot nicer in September than London was last month! Oxford and Cambridge are super places to visit - you can go punting on the river, and stare in awe at the beautiful colleges. Stratford on Avon is also great for Shakespearian history.

We only had a week to do both London and Paris, and so left out many things I would have liked to have done - but someday we'll be back!

 

[sayhello]

Sayhello, that sounds great! I love England, including and especially outside of London. About 15-20 years ago I toured around Cornwall and went to Tintagel, an amazing cliffside site where King Arthur stories take place (he is supposed to have been born there, I think?) I loved all of Cornwall, and it will be a lot nicer in September than London was last month! Oxford and Cambridge are super places to visit - you can go punting on the river, and stare in awe at the beautiful colleges. Stratford on Avon is also great for Shakespearian history.

We only had a week to do both London and Paris, and so left out many things I would have liked to have done - but someday we'll be back!

A little over 30 years ago, I spent 6 months in England as an exchange student at King Alfred's college in Winchester. I want to go back there, see the old haunts, etc. It has a beautiful Cathedral, a round table "reputed" to be King Arthur's, and a hill outside of town that was supposed to have been the site of Camelot. I also want to go back to Oxford. I'm still trying to decide where all I want to go. Cambridge sounds cool.

Are you going to post some pictures?

Sayhello

 

[glassslipper2004]

We didn't do a great job with pictures - it was so cold, I always had my gloves on, and I hesitated to take them off and use my camera, resulting in far fewer pictures than I would normally have. And believe it or not, I actually have never posted a pic on these boards - I suppose I should look up how and figure it out!

 

[glassslipper2004]

Well, after a bit of time fighting with photobucket for the first time (it seems very slow to upload), here's one picture -- my girls outside the glass pyramid entrance to the Louvre. I have an even greater appreciation for all the great trip reports people have posted with pictures - it is no easy thing!

 

[kristilew]

glassslipper, we are heading over to London next month. I know it will be miserably cold, but that is when DH is going for work, so we are piggybacking on that. Just wondering what outerwear you wore, and if there was something in the line of coat/hat/gloves that you wished you had. DD has a new down puffer coat, so I'm not too worried about her, but I'm wondering if my wool blend topcoat will be enough or if I should be buying something new.

I know when we go to NYC in the winter months, we are faced with it being freezing outside, but then overly heated inside builidings. Was this the case in London as well? I usually take a roomy shoulder bag for hats and scarves when we go in, then we muffle back up. Hoping this will work in London as well.

thanks for any advice you can give!

 

[glassslipper2004]

Hi Kristilew!

I had a down coat with me (Lands' End, 3/4 length) and I am really, really glad I did, even though I look like a puffball in all the pictures (see picture below - me and the family at King's Cross tube station). I was so cold during our days in London that I wore my pajama shirt top under my regular shirt... you can obviously avoid this by having more regular layers to wear under your coat, like a fleece or other sweater. My kids just had their North Face jackets and they were not really warm enough.

We were fine inside the buildings - I don't remember being overheated. We had one very fun lunch at Salisbury Pub, but were so chilly that we kept our coats on. It may have been that London usually isn't quite that cold in November and so the heat wasn't high enough, who knows. Definitely make sure everyone has gloves and hats, even those in the group that generally don't like them will be glad you insisted (at least that was my experience). Despite the cold weather, we had a super time.

 

[glassslipper2004]

One more note of warning - the train stations were bitterly cold. If you are planning any train rides, beware! Once on the trains we were comfortable enough, however.

 

[sayhello]

Yay! Pictures!

Sayhello

 

[glassslipper2004]

Now that I've figured out how, I'm sure I'll post some more - it's actually really cool to see my pictures in the posts!

 

[kristilew]

Thanks for the tips! We will be doing some train travel, as we're actually staying in Windsor and going into London a couple of days. We're planning on wearing some of the cold-weather workout gear under our clothes as a breathable layer, but I'll also be checking out the post-Christmas sales on the down coats!

Speaking of which, Merry Christmas!

 

[glassslipper2004]

You too!

 

[aspen37]

I'm taking extensive notes here, because my next trip is Knights & Lights! I'm going with Dreams Unlimited in Sep 2011. I'm planning on arriving 5 or 6 days ahead of the tour to travel around England (haven't been there in over 30 years! ) plus at least one additional pre-day in London. The ABD does do the Eurostar (1st class!) to Paris. And we're doing Disneyland Paris after! So I definitely will be checking out all your suggestions!

I do think I'm going to have to do my pre-days on the cheap, however, as this isn't exactly an inexpensive tour!

Sayhello

I was on the first ABD trip that the DIS and DU did this April. We had a great time. I really wanted to go on this trip, but it is WAY out of my budget. I will be going on my own in October. You guys will have a great time! John and Kevin really try to make these trips more than just the usual trip.

Hi Sayhello!

We had an amazing time, and combined some off the beaten path activities with the regular tourist stops.

In Paris, we saw the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, visited the lovely Christmas markets, went to the Musee D'Orsay, Notre Dame, and walked everywhere (in the freezing cold). We also had a great lunch at the Brasserie Boujolais (run by the same chef who runs one of Paris's best restaurants), a once in a lifetime lunch at Le Grand Vefour (one of Paris's best and oldest restaurants), and tea at Laduree, a lovely cafe (home of spectacular croissant such as chocolate/pistachio -- both in one croissant!, and outrageous macarons). We had the good fortune to go with our friends on a private tour of Paris' haute couture areas, including Chanel, and visit an atelier (workshop) that makes silk flowers. My girls took a pastry making class, but it wasn't as well designed as when Disney arranges for that kind of thing.

In London, we stayed at a very convenient and lovely hotel right in Leicester Square. We saw Les Miserables and then, for contrast, Legally Blonde. We took a private van Harry Potter tour of London, which was great fun. We walked past all the sights from Trafalgar Square past Big Ben and Parliament and across to the London Eye, which of course we rode (flew?). We also toured the Tower of London (very interesting - because it was so cold we didn't spend as much time there as I would have liked, but the lines for the crown jewels were nonexistent, which was nice). Finally we went through Madame Toussauds - perhaps the most interesting part of which was the display describing how Madame T. herself got her start and developed her business.

The biggest disappointment was that we were supposed to go to Oxford, but our train left Paddington Station and then returned to it just 30 minutes later; there had been an accident on the track on the way to Oxford and trains were cancelled for at least 3-4 hours, so we weren't able to go.

Have you taken the Eurostar between Paris and London? It was a pleasure and easy to navigate. But the train stations were very cold!

That's all I can think of right now - happy to answer any and all questions.

When (and where) is your next trip?

I have been wanting to eat at Laudree for years. I saw it on one of Samantha Brown's Pairs shows years ago and have been wanting to eat there.

It sounds like you had a great trip. Thanks for the tips.

 

[sayhello]

I was on the first ABD trip that the DIS and DU did this April. We had a great time. really wanted to go on this trip, but it is WAY out of my budget. I will be going on my own in October. You guys will have a great time! John and Kevin really try to make these trips more than just the usual trip.

I'm really looking forward to this trip. Everyone I've talked to at ABD tells me what a great guy Kevin is, and how much I'm going to enjoy traveling with him. I think this is going to be a one-of-a-kind trip, and I'm looking forward to traveling with everyone. I'm sorry you can't join us. I'll try to leave London & Paris in one piece for you!

Sayhello

 

[aspen37]

I'm really looking forward to this trip. Everyone I've talked to at ABD tells me what a great guy Kevin is, and how much I'm going to enjoy traveling with him. I think this is going to be a one-of-a-kind trip, and I'm looking forward to traveling with everyone. I'm sorry you can't join us. I'll try to leave London & Paris in one piece for you!

Sayhello

Kevin was really great! When I made a $800 payment ABD took it out of my checking account twice. Kevin worked his butt off for me to get it straitened out.

I can't wait to read your TR on Knights and Lights. I have read your other TR's and they were great. I didn't post on them, but I really enjoyed reading them.

 

[sayhello]

Kevin was really great! When I made a $800 payment ABD took it out of my checking account twice. Kevin worked his butt off for me to get it straitened out.

I can't wait to read your TR on Knights and Lights. I have read your other TR's and they were great. I didn't post on them, but I really enjoyed reading them.

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the Trip Reports! I'm looking forward to taking the trip to write the Trip Report!!!

Sayhello

 

[kristilew]

I'm getting excited - we are "crossing the pond" next week! I did end up getting a warmer coat, so hoping that will work out for me.

Glasslipper, I had a few more questions I'm hoping you can help me with:

DH, who is over there all the time, says the pubs won't let in kids under 14. I'm not seeing this in the guidebooks, and you mentioned going to a pub. Did anyone ask you about the ages of your girls? They look like they are in the early teen/late tween phase, same as my DD.

Also, did you get a travel card or oyster card for your train/tube trips, or did you just pay as you went? Did you ever take a bus? According to one of the apps I've downloaded, it will only take a few minutes more to come into the city from Windsor on a bus than a train, and that fare would be covered by a multi-day travel card. Just not sure about the experience...

Thanks for your help!