Help with possible 1st trip?

Make your country choices then fly open jaw.

3 countries in that time frame would mean never stopping and truly enjoying what you were seeing but if that's how you roll....

Do you wish to start in London? Then fly into Heathrow.

If you want to visit Paris, book your Eurostar ( Two hour train) tickets at least 3 months out for cheaper rates.

From Paris fly to Munich. Fly back to the States from there.

When in Europe make use of Easy Jet and Ryan Air which are bargain based airlines. If you can abide by their restrictive luggage requirements and the fact they depart and land at non major airports then go that route. Factor in transport costs to get to the city center.

Is your first European trip based solely on football and beer? Not judging, merely asking what other interests you might have. Museums? WW2? History? Castles?

There will be a huge fan festival in Trafalgar Square sponsored by the NFL and you will be stunned to see how popular American football is in London. Huge! Walk down Regent Street and see the banners and the numerous football jerseys being worn by Brit fans of every team. I attended the 49er thrashing of the Jaguars in 2013. Wembley stadium is fabulous. You'll enjoy the tube ride to get there.

Haven't been to Octoberfest in decades but still have the very heavy grey Hofbrau mug emblazoned with HB and crown in blue. Its holds coinage and I've made piece with my stealing it on a lark. I was 20, totally sotted. Thought it humorous until the reality I that I had to lug it around in my backpack for the next month. Youth, beer, stupidity.

Keep in mind that Oktoberfest this year begins the 19 September and ends the 4 October also I've been told that many people make hotel reservations a year in advance. In this case maybe you should begin your planning with finding your hotels first before being locked into your destinations.

Thank you for the replies. Yeah, maybe we are planning too much for such a short time. Oktoberfest may be better suited for another time.We definitely want to enjoy our time there and not be running around the whole time. `We may consider 3-4 days in London then maybe a 2-3 day trip into Paris. Anywhere else close by that we can spend 1-2 days?
We definitely have a lot of thinking and planning to work out.

Y.ou are likely have a less-than-efficient first day with jet lag. You will also lose 1 of your days in London for the game, maybe 2 days if there are pre- or postgame activities. And you will lose one-half day to a full day when you change cities. (It takes more time than often expected to pack, check out of the hotel, find your way to the station or airport, deal with transportation delays, and then reverse the entire process on the other end.) that doesn't leave you much time to actually enjoy London.

For the above reasons, I would suggest limiting the trip to England, or at most 2 countries. London, with day trips to other areas in England, could easily occupy your whole 10 days. If you want to do 2 countries, how about combining London with an English-speaking country, like Scotland, Wales, or Ireland? On a short first trip, you're likely to use time more efficiently in an English-speaking country. Paris is also relatively easy to get to, given the eurostar train.

Regardless of which countries you choose, if you want to do 2 countries, I would suggest 6 days in London (to allow some time to see the city, given the number of days that will be lost on other things), 1 day for travel, and 3 days in your second location.

As my frequent posts on this forum show I love London. Return frequently and discover new spots each visit. Since you are seeing the Dolphins will assume your travel will be from Miami. There will be jet lag but infinitely less than my usual jaunt from California when I truly lose a day before and after my time in London. As first timers truly believe you should visit both London and Paris and experience two of Europe's most famous fascinating cities. As previously mentioned fly open jaw. Into one city and out of the other. Once you've decided where to start and where to end check the Eurostar website to see when you can book tickets. Super savings if you book as early as possible. Also make note you'll be using different money in each country. London will be pounds. Paris will be Euros. In Paris, Paris Greeters is a wonderful way to see the City of Lights. In London enjoying one, two or more London walks www.walks.com can be fun and informative. Will all depend on which sites in both cities are of interest to you. Both of the RS guidebooks are worth buying and reading. Helpful in defining itineraries as well as understanding monetary exchange, public transport, finding lodging, etc. 10 days London and Paris. Nice!!!

I agree with Claudia with regard to London and Paris. Two countries (2 cities plus maybe a day trip from each one) is a good plan because IMO you don't have enough time to do a proper visit of 3 countries. How many nights will you spend in Europe?

After all the great advice. We've decided to stay in London for 4 nights and then travel to Paris (via) Train for 3 nights.
We really enjoy taking in the local culture (restaurants, bars, etc.) and a bit of History as well. We are not really into museums and churches trips but recognize that a lot of Europe is just that and some are really amazing. Definitely want to see the obvious tourist spots. Is Soho a good place to look into hotels?
Not sure what we want to stay in Paris yet.....

"We've decided to stay in London for 4 nights and then travel to Paris (via) Train for 3 nights."

Keep in mind that outside of both London and Paris, there are other towns and cities worth seeing. There are some great day trips out to various locations around England. You may enjoy Oxford or Cambridge, both college towns, with great pubs. You may enjoy a trip out to the Cotswolds for a walk in the country and seeing cute cottage type houses.

For a day trip outside of London, look at the website for the London Walks company. They offer day trips out of town. They also give guided walks around London. All the walks have a theme, or special area of interest. They have a Harry Potter walk, a Jack The Ripper (horror) walk, a Beatles walk, and walks of neighborhoods in London. www.walks.com

Is your trip still going to be a 10-day trip, or cut back to 7 days?

"Is Soho a good place to look into hotels?"

In my opinion, no. Hotels are expensive there, and not worth it to stay in that section of town. If I were going to pay for an expensive hotel in London, it would not be in THIS neighborhood. It would be in a good neighborhood. And as Emma said, the area is noisy. Known for lots of pubs where the crowds spill out onto the sidewalk or street late at night. Drinking and loud conversation in the street lasts way into the night. If you happen to be staying directly across the street, you won't be getting much sleep.

A good location is the south bank, near the London Eye. I have stayed at the Premier Inn County Hall and liked it very much. Good inexpensive price (for London), near a lot of the tourist sights. Good restaurants and pubs all around, good transportation (tube or bus). Walk across the river (west) to see Parliament and walk on to see Buckingham Palace. Walk to the east from your hotel to walk on the riverfront (lovely walk) past Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and continue on to Tower Bridge; then walk north across Tower Bridge to see the Tower of London.
http://www.premierinn.com/en/hotel/LONCOU/london-county-hall

Thanks for the info. I've heard some really good things about the Covent Garden area as well. has anyone stayed in the area?

If you are interested in sport other than the Dolphins I think you would enjoy a football match. The fixtures for next season won't be announced until early summer but a Premier League match in London would be a good introduction to a different sporting experience.
Another typically English thing to do is to eat your way around our former empire, most especially Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi cuisine. Restaurants can be expensive in London but "Indian" food is generally pretty reasonably priced and often very high quality.