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RE: Itinerary

We will be visiting London and Paris for nine full days in early May, not counting travel days. It is our very first trip. We haven't booked our hotel/lodging yet until we decide where we want to visit. We are interested in visiting the Cotswold Villages and York in England. In France, the Loire Valley , Giverny and Le Mont-Saint-Michel have captured my interest. Since we haven't actually visited London and France, I'm not sure if we are trying to see too many areas outside of the cities. I also don't know the best way to sequence our itinerary. We start our trip in London and end our trip in Paris.

Posted by
4730 posts

Marci, I hate to sound like Debbie Downer, but with only nine full days you might be trying to do too much. First off, you will lose three quarters to a full day each time you change locations. In addition to the actual travel time, there is the time lost checking out, getting to the train station, getting tickets, finding the right track, and etc. Upon arrival you'll have to locate and make your way to the new hotel, check in (maybe), unpack and etc. With that thought in mind you might want to consider restricting yourself to just two locations. London and Paris would be the most logical choice for this trip and save the other areas for later trips. Believe me, London and Paris alone can use up all nine days and you'll still just scratch the surface. But having offered that food for thought, I'll also say follow your heart and do what really calls to you.

Posted by
1217 posts

You really cannot do that justice in 9 days. If you really want to do one if those other than London pick the Cotswolds. York is too far north. But I would stick with either London/Paris or London and the Cotswolds. Focus on less and you will have a better trip. Use RS mantra, you will return.

Posted by
26840 posts

With only nine full days, I would have preferred just London and a bit of England or just Paris and a bit of France. It sounds as if you already have your airline tickets into one of those cities and out of the other, so you are committed to London and Paris. I wouldn't try to do anything else, myself.

If you absolutely must see a smaller town or rural area, limit yourself to no more than one such place in each country, and try to make it one that can be seen comfortably on a day-trip. Also give some thought to how suitable the destination will be if you are unlucky with the weather. You could encounter cool + wet in any of the spots you mention.

Mont-St-Michel isn't great as a day-trip from Paris because from all reports it's a mass of seething humanity during day-trip hours. Leave it for another trip when you have more time.

While York is quite far from London (and arguably deserves more than one day), it is only 2 hours by fast train. Moreton-in-Marsh (the only Cotswold village with rail service) is over 1-1/2 hours away, and you then need buses to get around the area, so there's more travel needed to see the Cotswolds, overall. There are bus tours of the Cotswolds from London, I believe, though I preferred to spend the night in Oxford and pick up a local tour that originated in Moreton-in-Marsh. That way, I had a full day to enjoy the Cotswolds.

Posted by
503 posts

With 9 full days on the ground (and one day spent getting from London to Paris) I would focus on those two cities only especially since this is your first trip. Both the Cotswolds and Giverny can be done as day trips - but you need to weigh that against what you won't see while in London and Paris. There is no right or wrong answer on that one - only what is most important to you. If you do decide to do them as day trips, I'd recommend going as part of an organized tour - that way you don't have to figure out transportation, etc., etc.
One thing I'd recommend is London Walks in London and Paris Walks in Paris. Just google them and check out the walks they have. No reservations are needed - you simply show up at the respective Tube or Metro stop at the designated time and day. The walks take you to areas you may not see on your own - I've done a number in both cities and they are a great way to explore and learn more about each city.

Posted by
2461 posts

Marci,
I can address the Cotswolds day trip from London. I took the 8:20 am train from Paddington station to Moreton-in-Marsh where the Tour guide picked me up at 10 am and we spent the day touring little quaint villages that are remote and not easily accessible except by car. I highly recommend this Tour - Becky's Secret Cottage Tours. Becky herself was my guide for that day and she was delightful, always helping us find good views for good photographs, etc. Dry sense of humor and told lovely stories of the Cotswolds. She lives in a 400 year-old thatched cottage and took us there for mid-morning tea, luncheon and a late afternoon cream tea and then ferried us back to the train station in Moreton-in-Marsh by 4 pm for the train back to London. i arrived at Paddington by 6 pm and met friends at a pub for supper. Terrific day! She drove a Mercedes van that carries 7 passengers very comfortably. She treats you like you are her personal guest. A highlight of my trip to London in Sept. 2017.

Posted by
26840 posts

Your arrival day may well be experienced in a sleep-deprived, jetlagged fog, so I wouldn't count that day as really useful for sightseeing. Whichever city is first would be 5 nights for me.