Planning for Summer 2013 London/Paris trip for 5. Budget ideas/Credit Cards/Lodging??

[finz2left]

I have a conference in London in June of 2013. My employer will pay my air travel, $600.00 for a room (for 3 nights), and a $35.00 a day per diem for 3 nights, .

Anyway, since my air travel and about $700.00 more will be kicked in, I've decided it is as good a time as any to take a European vacation! My kids will be 10, 11, and 14 -- great ages for travel~!

So, give me your best long-term saving/mileage/hotel cards! Marriott seems great but $85.00 a year fee. What airlines -- I'm thinking of buying tickets on priceline to save money if there isn't a GREAT rewards card.

We will stay 1 week in London, and maybe 3 or 4 days in Paris. So, best planning, budget tips, too.

Obviously it won't be cheap, but any money I can save without ruining the trip with bedbugs and McDonald's would be great!

 

[sk!mom]

We're planning this trip for Summer 2012.

Airfare is the biggie. We got a British Airways card. Thier promotion this year was a free companion pass for charging $30,000. We did that this year so now have a companion pass. In the process of earning the Companion pass, we have also racked up enough points to pay for 2 flights with points so we will only pay cash for one. We pay the card in full every month.

On previous trips to London, we used Priceline successfully for a room. We will likely try that again. In Paris, we like the Rue Cler area so we book a budget room.

 

[finz2left]

Thank you. I will check out the British Airways card! I'm glad to know priceline has worked out.

 

[ntink]

Be aware that miles on the British Airways card only covers the price of the flight and not the taxes, fuel surcharges & fees. Those can cost almost as much as the flight.

 

[jessicaerv]

I would be wary of Priceline. We used it to book hotels in London and Paris.

For London I got $125/night for a 3 1/2 star property, but it was waaaay out of the city center and I was very very surprised it qualified as a 3 1/2 star (Hilton London Olympia).

Paris - the property was also waaaaaaay outside the city center and would have been fine (very nice property) since it was 500 yards from a Metro stop, except there was a transportation strike that began the day we arrived and extended through our entire stay. We walked about 15 miles a day that trip.

I have used Venere (.com) for hotels in Rome and would recommend them for any European city.

 

[finz2left]

Thank you both for the tips! I'll be paying close attention to extra flight fees and checking one Venere.

 

[eliza61]

So the great thing about Paris is that many of the smaller boutique hotels are absolutely charming. They won't have the "extras" of the big ones but they are superb and some times the owner is also the operator. Personally I like Booking.com as opposed to priceline.
This is a great hotel in the 8th arrondisment. I was there in May and stayed in the 8th. ridiculously close to the arc de triomphe(walked) also right near Gare St.Lazare which is a major train station that will take you every else.

http://www.hotelneworient.com/

 

[Sheree]

amex hilton honors got us the paddington hilton in london

i got the BA card and was very upet to find out how expensive the taxes are, ie more than the fare

 

[sk!mom]

Be aware that miles on the British Airways card only covers the price of the flight and not the taxes, fuel surcharges & fees. Those can cost almost as much as the flight.

But if paying full price, wouldn't you be paying the fare plus taxes/fuel charges/ and fees? So aren't you saving the fare by using points?

 

[jel0511]

The BEST reward card IMO is the capital one venture card. You earn 2x points for every dollar you spend. You can use the points for ANY travel related charge regardless where you bought it. It's also really easy to redeem. Just go online and pick the charges you want to erase and they are credited in 2 days. The best thing is that capital one doesn't charge FX fees which will be useful in Europe.

 

[amsafko]

We went to Paris this past summer with our kids who were 9, 7, and 5. With our family size it paid to get an apartment for 5 days...we went through Vacation in Paris and they were fabulous. For eating in Paris, we were on the same block as a boulangerie that had lots more than bread...awesome baquette sandwiches, quiches, even a brie pizza that the kids loved and in the morning the pastries were to die for (and very cheap). Had we eaten out, it would have much more costly. The kids were free in a lot of places (they are free until the age of 18 I believe).

In terms of airfare, I can't help too much because we flew from Dublin (very, cheap to fly from there being that it was only 1.5 hr. flight). My brother who travels a lot recommended Cheapo air for one good site to book for Europe.

Have fun planning, that is my favorite part.

 

[Pamlur]

We keep saying that when we get the opportunity to go back to London, we will stay at the Sanctuary House hotel; it's close to Westminster Abbey and has a great pub on the ground floor. Their rates seem very reasonable.

If you open an account with Bank of America and get a Debit Card through them, there won't be fees for atm withdrawals as long as you use Barkley's Bank. That was an incredible money-saver for us.

 

[Mom2apirate&princess]

We've been to London and Paris twice. Fortunately for us we were living in Italy at the time of these trips and airfare was dirt cheap. Each time I used places like cheap tickets to research the hotels and ended up finding great deals each time. Also, you can book in advance the red bus tours (London) online and get it for a cheaper price. That was a must do with the kids who were 12 and 8 when we took them there. In Paris we used the metro and the buses.

One thing to keep in mind though in Europe hotel rooms are TINY. We were basically on top of each other. We didn't spend much time in our room. We were seeing the sites!

For food in France we would just buy those huge baguettes that were sold on every street corner and split them along with all of the pastries and croissants. London was a bit more expensive due to the difference in pounds and euros.

 

[jessrose18]

Also used vactioninparis for apartment rental. This was cheaper than a hotel room and we get a kitchen. Stay in Latin quarter lots of street food. In London we are doing travelodge. Nthey have lots of locations we chose Waterloo.

 

[LSUDis]

We keep saying that when we get the opportunity to go back to London, we will stay at the Sanctuary House hotel; it's close to Westminster Abbey and has a great pub on the ground floor. Their rates seem very reasonable.

If you open an account with Bank of America and get a Debit Card through them, there won't be fees for atm withdrawals as long as you use Barkley's Bank. That was an incredible money-saver for us.

How strange! We stayed at the Sanctuary House for almost 2 wks. in summer of 2009. Loved it. Close to Buckingham Palace, Tube station, Victoria train station, Westminster Abbey was a neighbor! Very safe, too, since it backed up to Scotland Yard. Huge bedrooms and bathrooms for London. Pub downstairs was convenient. Be prepared--everything is expensive in London. There IS a McDonald's down the street--when you crave a burger and fries. Would stay at Sanctuary House again without doubt.

We used the Chunnel--buy tickets ahead of time for much cheaper rates. Buy "tourist tickets" for admission to museums, etc. They tend to be really good deals and save time in line.


Don't forget to get your passports well in advance.

I've heard good things about the Rue Cler, too.

 

[At World's End]

I would also recommend looking into apartments instead of hotels. There are very few hotels that have quad rooms, let alone rooms that sleep five. You will most likely have to get two rooms, which will be very expensive.

London is terribly expensive, but there are some budget activities. The British museum is free, and one of the best in the world. You can get discount tickets to plays at a little kiosk the same day as the performance. The Tower of London is a must-do, but it is so helpful to read a little about the history first, or even watch movies/TV about it's history ("The Tudors" or "The Other Boleyn Girl"). The London Eye is not cheap, but it is fun and gives you an amazing view (even on a cloudy day). You can take a boat from the Tower down to Westminster Abbey area, which is close to the Eye.

I also like the Rue Cler area, and it is close to Napolean's Tomb (Les Invalides) and the Eiffel Tower. Pack a picnic lunch and eat at the park at the base of the Tower. We've also stayed in the Latin Qtr and enjoyed that area. A trip to Versaille would be on my must-do list - it takes a full day, but is really the most amazing palace in Europe. (Again, read up on the history to make it so much more impactful.)

If this is your first trip to Europe, know that it will be more expensive than you planned, but so worth it. Budget for the small thngs - gelato every day, metro passes, and yes, a stop at McDonald's. We always swear we won't do it, but after a week or two of not knowing what will show up on your plate, sometimes a little familiarity is nice!

 

[eliza61]

I would also recommend looking into apartments instead of hotels. There are very few hotels that have quad rooms, let alone rooms that sleep five. You will most likely have to get two rooms, which will be very expensive.

I also like the Rue Cler area, and it is close to Napolean's Tomb (Les Invalides) and the Eiffel Tower. Pack a picnic lunch and eat at the park at the base of the Tower. We've also stayed in the Latin Qtr and enjoyed that area. A trip to Versaille would be on my must-do list - it takes a full day, but is really the most amazing palace in Europe. (Again, read up on the history to make it so much more impactful.)

If this is your first trip to Europe, know that it will be more expensive than you planned, but so worth it. Budget for the small thngs - gelato every day, metro passes, and yes, a stop at McDonald's. We always swear we won't do it, but after a week or two of not knowing what will show up on your plate, sometimes a little familiarity is nice!

You know its funny but I find Europe to be about as expensive as any big city in the states. Especially NY, WashingtonDC or Los Angeles.

For example in France almost every single restaurant has some thing called a Prix Fix meal. For a very low price, you get an appertizer and a main course or a main course and a dessert. Almost every prix fix meal had wonderful choices.

Also Paris has tons of Bistros that serve very inexpensive meals. I definitely ate a lot less expensive and better in paris than I do in Disneyworld.

 

[englishteacha]

I'm so jealous! I had the opportunity to study abroad in college and spent 3 wonderful months in the UK. Sigh. I have longed to go back, but looks like it will be a while since we have a rather unexpected addition to our family coming in May!

Have you considered staying in hostels? Many have family rooms with bunk beds for the kids. You can cook for yourself if you'd like to, and they have laundry facilities on site. It was the only way we could afford to travel in college, and if we were to go back we would consider hostels again.

I'm not much help with Paris, except to make sure you have a reservations before you arrive in the city! Places (like hostels) fill up FAST. A coworker spent a week in Paris this past summer and rented an apartment. He loved it and found it to be much cheaper than any hotel. That would be my choice if I were to visit again for more than a night or two.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We rented apartments in both locations in 2004. The trick is finding one that rents by the night or th week. Not sure how I tracked them down, but today you can use VRBO.com . The bonus--kitchens and a washing machine. For Paris, we were in a residential area and it was great! We went economical, but they have them for all kinds of budgets. We opted for no lift (elevator). The next time--I will require that.
My husband opted for our last night to stay at a hotel with communal facilities in London (we went back from Paris to fly back home.) Worse than a college dorm and NEVER again.

 

[QueenDoOver]

We're planning this trip for Summer 2012.

Airfare is the biggie. We got a British Airways card. Thier promotion this year was a free companion pass for charging $30,000. We did that this year so now have a companion pass. In the process of earning the Companion pass, we have also racked up enough points to pay for 2 flights with points so we will only pay cash for one. We pay the card in full every month.

On previous trips to London, we used Priceline successfully for a room. We will likely try that again. In Paris, we like the Rue Cler area so we book a budget room.

Be aware that miles on the British Airways card only covers the price of the flight and not the taxes, fuel surcharges & fees. Those can cost almost as much as the flight.

I agree. British Airlines is terrible for flights to Europe. May as well just pay all cash. But they are pretty good for partner flights in US. We signed up and got 100k miles and are using them for our flights from Seattle to Florida. 4 roundtrip tickets! They also have no foreign exchange fees on the card, so I am sending one with my 15 year old to Paris on his band trip for his expenditures.

For European travel, the Alaska Airlines card is actually pretty good. With their partner rewards you can book to London or Paris for 25000 miles, if you plan ahead enough. Great deal!