Hello there.
I am brand new to this site and forum. My brother suggested I come on here. My two daughters and I will be traveling to London and Paris this July. This was a last minute trip and I am scrambling to decide which tours to do and book them asap. Very excited to have this time with my daughters and celebrate their college graduations and new jobs, We are on a tight schedule and want to take advantage off all we can but at the same time be realistic and not over commit.
We will arrive in London July 9 late morning. Will need to get to the hotel etc. We will have July 10, July 11 and July 12. We Will leave for Paris the morning of July 13 arriving by train after noon. We will be in Paris July 14, July 15 and July 16. We will leave the morning of July 17 back to England and fly back to the states on July 18.
I am a complete novice with traveling but want to take advantage of what we can to make this a special and memorable trip with my daughters with the limited time we have. Just do not want to waste money or time or get taken advantage of or get sucked into tours that aren't a good fit for us. My daughters are in their 20's.
I would like to make reservations for tours, attractions asap but do not know where to start or what the best places, "must sees" are. We will be on foot. So dependent on public transportation etc.
I have been recommended a company called Viator for tours, we are AAA members and they have bookings on their website. They partner with Viator. However, I do not know if these prices are good or if it's better to book directly with the actual places... such as Westminster Abby, etc.? For London they have talked about the Tower of London, Westminster Abby, Buckingham Palace, National Gallery, Churchill War Rooms and Stonehenge. I don't know if we can or should do this all or how?
If anyone is willing to help me I would be beyond grateful. What are the top things to see and do in London. We have never been. The must sees? Do we book on our own, do guided tours, which ones?
Then for Paris the same. I do know they most definitely want to visit the Louvre, Versailles, Eiffel Tower (do you suggest a tour for the Eiffel Tower), Luxembourg Gardens, and they want to do a Moulin Rouge show.
Any other travel tips such as luggage, carry ons, money vs credit card, public transportation, etc. is so welcome.
Thank you in advance so very much.
Warmly.
Caroline Martinez