Flying into London, then onto Paris

Been going to and staying in London since 1972.

Commenting that 3-4 days is sufficient is short changing this great city.

Consider using the search engine on this website. Plenty of lodging suggestions for both London and Paris.

For clarity the train from London to Paris is the Eurostar. The “ tube “ is the London Underground
It does not go to Paris.

Neither city is cheap but can be cheaply seen.

Have you bought the RS guidebooks for both cities or at the minimum looked at your local library for copies?

Been to each city a number of times. Personally prefer London.

I have spent 20 years in London and still find new things to do.

Unfortunately it's become a bit of a punching bag for people, and I suspect being told "3-4 days is sufficient" is part of that.

The Natural History Museum, Science Museum, London Transport Museum, Imperial War Museum, Museum of London, Churchill War Rooms, Victoria and Albert Museum (I'll stop there but I could go on), will take you four days.

If museums aren't your thing and you liked shopping, you could shop for 4 days. And the rest.

Food? London has you covered.

Palaces? Yep could spend 4 days just doing that.

Parks? Oh yes.

World class sport? Depends on the time of year for the specific sport but always something going on.

Theatre? One of the premier centres on the planet.

I'll stop there but you get the point.

Hotels are expensive though, I agree with you there.

As already suggested, use the search engine for this site and you will get thousands of suggestions for what to do in both cities. London and Paris are both expensive for lodgings, can't avoid it unless you stay far away from city center (not recommended for first time visit). September is quite busy in both places, and if there is a big event (concert, convention) that could make lodgings even more expensive.

Eurostar tickets go on sale 60-90 days ahead and generally get more expensive the as your travel dates get closer. For efficiency book your flight in to London and home from Paris to save backtracking (and paying for Eurostar back to London). It's way too soon to buy airline tickets for September 2027, so I suggest setting a fare alert on Google Flights for this September so you can see how prices fluctuate and what's the going rate.

Most airlines won’t start selling tickets for Sept 27 until October 26 so there’s no rush. You want to get an open jaw ticket into London and back from Paris if you intend to see both cities, although there is plenty in both to fill a couple of weeks just staying in one. It might cost a bit more but you will save on a Eurostar fare and the best part of a day.

I agree with everything Claudia had to say. I dont know anyone who would be satisfied with only 3-4 days in London, but I suppose they do exist. I've visited London (and Paris) at least half a dozen times for at least a week each, and still find new things to do every time. Get some guide books and watch a few YouTube videos to see what interests you. Everyone is different.

As mentioned, it is the Eurostar train that you would take to Paris. The tube is for getting around London. Those Eurostar tickets usually go on sale about 6 months in advance. Buy them as early as you can, once your dates are firm for the best prices. Prices get more expensive as you get closer to the departure date.

And if you think London hotel prices are expensive in September, wait until you check Paris prices (due to Paris fashion week and various trade shows). Again, use the Search feature for previous threads for accommodations in both cities.

My view is that for London the museums, venues and attractions are spread across the city and public transportation is such that I do not try to tie the proximity of the hotel to nearby sites. Personally my favorite part of the London is around St Paul's and I usually stay at Locke-at-Broken-Wharf. I usually stay a week or more. When my plan is to arrive in London and stay just one night before taking the train the next day, I have stayed at the Magero just across the street from St Pancras and Kings Cross.

Also for clarity "Chunnel" was a popular media term when the tunnel was an idea, that seems to have really stuck in the States, though it is the Cannel Tunnel

It's already been said in different ways, but I feel compelled to say that London for 3 or 4 days at most just feels crazy to me. You could spend 3 or 4 days just on palaces, just on historical sites, just on markets, just on museums, just on parks, and another 3-4 just on art museums. So I think unlike many cities, regardless of your interests, you would find more than 3 or 4 days worth. If you absolutely hate cities, then the day trips also are good; you could do Cambridge, Oxford, Canterbury, Windsor, Bath, or Stonehenge.

Since you haven't been to either, I suggest that you pencil in 7 nights in London and 7 nights in Paris. Then when you have purchased your guidebooks, or borrowed recent ones from the library, start charting out the big things you want to do each half day. This will probably tell you how many nights in each one, but if you have 12 in one city and 2 in the other, I wouldn't bother with the one with very few nights.

London is very dispersed, but the tube/underground system is huge, so there's no one right answer, or even two or three right answers, for London. You will be able to get around. Paris also has a very robust transit system, although veteran travelers often have some preference for staying in the single-district arrondissements (districts), which are closest to the river. After you have your target sites you want to see, look at booking.com to see what hotels might be central to those. You don't have to book through them.

I love both cities, which are quite different in tone from each other.

Please see my response in your other thread regarding guidebooks. The same idea applies here.

Best places to stay - some people like to be right in the hubbub of London. Others prefer a more neighborhood spot. Again, guidebooks will help you understand London better.

No one has called the Channel Tunnel, the Chunnel, since Clinton was President.

How long to spend in London depends on what you want to do and see. Figure that out first, then come back and tell us, and we can help you guage how much time to plan.

As far as hotels go, what is your budget? How many people?

I won't pile on the people who told you 3-4 days is sufficient ;). I travel to London four times a year and normally spend 10 days there each time. The other thought is you can always take some nice day trips unto the countryside or to another city if you have a longer stay.

As noted, the tube is within London only. The "chunnel" is not a term that's used for what is the Eurostar. Yes, it's a great way to travel London to Paris.

What I will do is ask what your budget is. If you do have a limited time, then you'll want to stay centrally, so neighbourhoods like Mayfair, Covent Garden Bloomsbury, Soho and Marylebone are worth looking at. I would generally advise budgeting £250-£300 a night for something decent, but you can go lower for budget accommodation - take a look at the Premier Inn chain for good options.

I love Paris and London. I agree with the others and will ask how many days you have to work with?

If it was a friend who said London only needed 3-4 days I suspect they are folks who do not do any research to find out what is available in a location whether it is a huge international city or a more rural region. You, clearly, enjoy research and are excited by it!

I would divide your time equally. 7 days in each location would not be too little.

When you are considering your airfare, look at booking open jaw - IN to London and HOME from Paris (or another area if you have more than 2 weeks). This is on your airline of choice's website. Delta lists it as Multi-City, some airlines use Multi-destination. This is NOT 2 one-way tickets.

Just a couple comments. I love the Eurostar. Be sure to get to the station with plenty of time as there is airport like security to go through. I've been to London many, many times. My favorites are Westminster Abbey, The Churchill War Rooms and Tower of London. Probably these are favorites for me because I love history, especially English history. Be sure to reserve tickets ahead of time for all 3 of these. Also check to see if Buckingham Palace is open to tours when you confirm your September dates. I was just thrilled a few years back to be able to go inside. Another thing I always do is go to Westminster Abbey for Evensong. I'm not very religious, but this service in this building makes me feel at peace. I also like to go to Harrods to just walk around the food halls which are spectacular. I can also recommend their tourist souvenir area which was in the basement on my last visit. It is a huge area with a great variety of gifts to buy for friends and yourself. Don't forget to visit the gift shops of the favorites I've listed above as they are great, too. My favorite hotel area is near Victoria Station because it is so easy to get anywhere on public transportation from there. Also there is a huge 'shopping mall' in the Station with places to eat and even a mini clinic type physician's office and a Boots (chemist.) There is a Premier Inn in the area as well as many neighborhoods in London. Go to their website and do a search here also to learn about favorites of folks on the Forum. If you like walking tours I highly recommend London Walks. I took one to Greenwich a few years ago and the boat ride to get there from the Tower of London was a special treat even before we arrived to walk through the town. Be sure to have an afternoon tea even if it's just to stop at a small, local one near your hotel. However, if you want fancy use the search area above and you'll find lots of suggestion. Finally, be sure to see a play. Prices are better than New York and the variety available is superb. And take a black cab to the theater. Their cab drivers can answer practically any question you might ask about London. Before you go watch videos on how to take the bus and the Tube. London is such a great city with so much to see and do and experience and their publilc transportation is wonderful. As you can see, I'm a fan.

My first trip to London and Paris was part of an airline package 30 years ago (which also includes Edinburgh} We spent 3 days in each city and then rented a car and spent another 2 weeks in Great Britain .I travelled to London and Paris several times after as part of longer road trips with teenagers and friends, ultimately visiting each about 5 times, most recently in 2019. I am going in June to celebrate my granddaughters birthday. This is actually the longest I will have spent in each city (5 days each). However I will agree that I could spend many days in each, especially London.

Having said this, each time I visited I did not know if I would be back, I can’t imagine visiting a city without seeing some of the countryside,but that’s just me. If you aren’t sure if you will go back, look at the things that most interest you.

London Walks and Paris Walks are both great.

I'll try not to pile on. I will be going to London for 3–4 days this summer on my way to Normandy. But I have been several times before and will surely return. If this is your first trip, and that's all the time you have, use it to get acquainted with the city and wet your appetite for future trips. So in this case, 3–4 days can be "sufficient." And it will certainly be sufficient to wipe out many people's hotel budget (ditto for Paris).

I disagree with simply searching the forum. You will get lots of anecdotal ideas that may or may not jive with your interests or that of many people. I do agree with getting or perusing a good guidebook or three to get an overview, see what is available, and decide what appeals to you. This will be much more organized and concise than random forum searches IMHO. Afterwards, regularly monitoring this and other forums will hopefully help you zero in an an itinerary that works for you and your travel partners.

Yes, it is the Eurostar, or some simply called it the Channel Train. I have never taken it, but I did buy a full-fare ticket for this summer to use as an insurance policy against any cancellation of my plan to take the not-so-dependable ferry to Normandy. If I need it I have it. And if I don't need it, the full-fare Eurostar tickets are totally refundable. I did this once before when I had a unconventional plan to cross the channel by plane and parachute. That ticket wasn't needed and was refunded in full.

I am with those who advocate a week in each. In fact, our best trip was fly to London, take the Eurostar, fly back from Paris for a total of two weeks.

Both cities have fantastic Metro systems. Short waits. Easy transfers. Clear maps.

Both cities offer excellent walks: London Walks and Paris Walks. For seeing areas in depth with amusing English-speaking guides.

Both cities have amazing food at all price points.

London Greeters and Paris Greeters are worth a Google search.

Both cities have all manner of museums.

Both cities have thriving department stores.

And a Rick Steve’s guidebook to each city is a sound investment.

Yes, hotel prices are hefty.

My experience anyway.

PharmerPhil, if it is any help, I take a cross channel ferry a few times a year, we have a cottage in France. Disruption is very rare, we've been late a few times but only once not sailed. In the summer the only reason will be any French industrial action (strikes), the weather only stops boats in the worst storms.

OliviaHoughton: That is good to know. I had a cross-channel ferry cancelled on me once, and it was indeed due to a French strike.

We spent seven days in Scotland then train to London for seven days then train to Paris and home from there. We had been to all three before so our itinerary would be different from first timers. I suggest you get some tour books and list your " must" see places and build your itinerary around that. Once you have some solid ideas you can come back here with more tips on how to visit your sites, such as going to the Tower first thing to avoid most crowds etc. You will have a wonderful trip no matter what you do!!!

On second thought, there are plenty of cities where I have spent only three nights. So you can make it work. Try to sleep on the plane. Try to start your days on the early side.

A few trips ago we did London and Paris over a 2-week trip. We ended up with 7 nights in London and 5 nights in Paris. I could have done more time in both cities; they both have weeks' worth of things to do. I personally feel London should be 4 days minimum city, but a week would allow you to cover a good deal of the city.

I do not find the hotels as expensive as NYC, however we are a family of 4 so that makes a difference. We enjoy the Premier Inn hotels for a budget hotel option. We stayed at the County Hall location and plan on staying there again this summer, they are not fancy, but they are in good locations for budget prices imo.

I’m going to go against the flow here. No one can see everything in 3-4 days, that is true. However, the real question is “Can you see your top priority sights in 3-4 days?” Now that is entirely likely!

Your first job is to research what sights seem high priority for you (and travel companions if traveling with others). Rank them and then group by geographic proximity. I usually think 2 major sites a day is about right for me, but with good planning that can easily expand to three.

Every visit to a city does not have to be comprehensive. Sometimes a sampler will meet the needs just fine. My guess is that London will draw you back for another trip anyway…

Also suggest you look at the Premier Inn chain of hotels for lodging that is usually good value.