Wednesday, July 18, 2012

I See London, I See France


Jonah and I have made plans to go to London and Paris this September, and I'm so excited! We've never been to either place, aside from an 8-hour layover I once had at Heathrow Airport. I can't wait to eat and shop and explore for two whole weeks. Recommendations are much appreciated as I've quickly realized planning a trip like this is overwhelming. Any London or Paris tips?

[photos by: Irene Suchocki]

22 comments:

  1. Jealous! I loved traveling to the two. I've taken the ferry through the English Channel when traveling to Paris, but I much prefer to take the train through the Chunnel - the European rail system is so fun!
    Have fun! And make sure to wear comfortable shoes in Paris :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. love both! and you will have an amazing time!

    www.modernsuburbanites.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've never been to London before (but I'm dreaming and hoping!), but you can be sure of loving Paris! =)

    Don't forget to visit all the sweet spots in Paris. (And by sweet spots I mean those gorgeous boulangeries!)

    You can visit this website, maybe, for more information! www.godiloveparis.blogspot.com =)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh wow how fun!! These are two places that I've been dying to go to because pretty much every novel close to my heart is set there. Yay romantic vacations :)

    Brooke

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ooh what fun! I've never been to London and I've only been to Paris once for two days, so I have no tips, but I can't wait to read about your adventures!

    ReplyDelete
  6. If you like Monet you should go to the Musée de l'Orangerie. It was my favorite in Paris, I could stare at those water lilies forever.

    Also, Le Souffle, you can have a three course dinner of souffles. It is really delicious, fun and different.

    ReplyDelete
  7. ooh, how wonderful! We went to London and Paris on our honeymoon and had the most lovely time.

    Visit lots of patisseries in Paris, go to a pub in London, walk along the Seine at sunset, spend an afternoon in Harrod's, go to lots of museums...

    They're both fabulous cities

    Mal @ The Chic Geek

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ok - Lived in both, Paris is great but but London is greater full of energy. London first - Buy an oyster card the minute you arrive at the airport it is the best/cheapest way to get around. Once you are in central London use the bus, you will really get a feel for the city that way. You can hop on and off using your oyster and only use a max total per day. Liberty on Regents street is a MUST. The Victoria and Albert is a must. The National Gallery is a must. The Soane is a must, a little know place but you will be very glad you made the effort. General entrance to Museums and galleries is mostly free in London except in the case of specific headline exhibitions. Picnic lunches in the parks are great - Hyde Park, Green Park, are the big ones, but there are little oasis of calm throughout the city - St Lukes off the Kings Road, Berkeley Square to mention but two. If you like tennis a visit to the museum at Wimbledon is good too - get off the tube at Southfields. Shopping wise Kings Road is good and has most of the shops - there is also a little "mall" on the road - Duke of York Square. It means you avoid Oxford Street which can be a pain. I have not been to Harrods for years, Harvey Nicols and Selfridges a the top of Oxford street are both good for top end shopping. Bond Street is great for Designer Brands, particularly British, Mulberry etc. There is a Westfield mall in Sheppards Bush if the weather is inclement, and this summer has not been good! There is a COS there and none on the Kings road. COS should not be missed! I kind of love London - I have to get there couple of months for a "fix"!!
    And so to Paris, public transport is great, the metro is fast and clean, better than the tube in London, and will get you around in double quick time. The Orangerie is a major must to see the Monets - it was refurbed in the last few years and I don't love it as much as I did but you cannot miss the Water Lilies. Musee d Orsay is amazing - worth setting aside a full morning and maybe having lunch there. You can pre book a paris museum card to avoid queuing. The Picasso Museum is fantastic, both the building and the paintings, of course. Paris is a great city to walk around - people sometimes forget this. It is a city of small neighborhoods. The left bank is a favourite of mine - maybe because that is where I went to school. Great little shops run parallel to Rue St Germain as far as Rue St Michel,little haberdashery and furniture shops, all very high end but with beautiful things! Boulevard Hausseman is the major shopping street with Printemps and Galeries Lafayette located there and Fauchon the famous food store not far away on Place de La Madeline - worth going for the displays alone.
    Anyway hope this helps. Enjoy. Be prepared for not great food in Paris and rude locals, just smile and remember they have just elected a president who is proposing a tax of 75%! In London people are more charming and interestingly you will hear lots of French. It is the 5th biggest French city in terms of population!!
    The most important piece of advice I can give you is to bring your most comfortable walking shoes for the day time and then you can "chic" it up in the evening in both cities.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Are you going to be in each city for two weeks or two week to cover them both? I would suggest using the underground and metro for getting around because on busses unless you know where you need to get off there are no conductors to help you now.In Paris you can buy travel passes which last for a few days so hopping on and off trains for even a few stops will save money. You may be able to do the same in London but we usualy buy one day travel cards form where we live so it is all included. The the musee D'Orsay is our favourite art gallery, Musee National du Moyenage, Musee Cluny, is a wonderful small medievil museaum. with all the unicorn tapastries. Comfortable shoes are mandatory in both cities. If you want to go to the Globe Theatre book before you come as it is only open during day light hours so the number of shows are limited by Spetember. Have a wonderful time. Traveling between London and Paris by Eurostar is the best way. Only 3 hours centre to centre. It's our favourite way.

    ReplyDelete
  10. How exciting! As a teenager I didn't really enjoy London, but as an adult, it's such a chic, smart city! The Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Paris can't be missed, and I loved the vibe of Buddha Bar. Also, the Hotel Lutetia, and the bar and brasserie–oh, Paris!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Make sure you stop by Harrod's! It's a sight to be seen! Especially the food section on the bottom floor :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. One tip for Paris - if you are planning to go up te Eiffel tower, I would recommend booking your tickets online as soon as you can! It's very cheap and it guarantees that you will be able to go up! :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. One tip for Paris - if you are planning to go up te Eiffel tower, I would recommend booking your tickets online as soon as you can! It's very cheap and it guarantees that you will be able to go up! :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh what fun! My favorite things in Paris

    - Musee d'Orsay (10 times better than the Louvre)
    - San Chapelle (gorgeous stained glass)
    - Montmarte neighborhood: stroll through Sacre Couer, Place du Tertes

    In London, Notting Hill is my favorite neighborhood!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love both cities so much!!

    I'd suggest going on a London walk while you're there. It's such a great way to see the city (and the guides are awesome)! I went on 2 while I was there and wish I'd had time for more!

    My favorite past time in Paris is to pick a neighborhood and just walk around. The sights are always good to see, but they can get quite crowded and I always love me a good cafe find :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh my gosh you will have SO MUCH FUN in both places! Below is a link to a google map I made back when I took my UK trip. It has all the cool places mapped out that I visited.

    https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=211704142633757348049.000453bd8034472006336&msa=0

    - Sarah
    agirlintransit.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. foodie recs for london: la tasca (spanish tapas) and gourmet burger kitchen.

    ReplyDelete
  18. also, there's a pretty neat pub called the anchor. it's been around since the 1600's. it's on the Thames, next to shakespeare's globe theatre.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Friend gave us a fun guide to locally owned eating & shopping places in Paris called: "Eat.Shop Paris" Brought us to our favorite gelato in Le Marais neighborhood! They make one for London too....& have an iPhone app. if you prefer... You deserve a wonderful adventure together!

    ReplyDelete
  20. That sounds like an amazing trip. Enjoy it!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Sounds so fun! Can't wait to hear more about this adventure!

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin
Blogging tips