Travel to London

Do you have any of the Rick Steves guide books? One thing he covers very well is logistics like this.

1. Easiest way is on the Tube straight from the airport. You can use this - to look up exact directions
   https://tfl.gov.uk

2. The Eurostar departs from St. Pancras international train station. I believe looking it up on the tfl site in answer #1 it will be listed last Kings Cross / St. Pancras

I'm not certain about #3. but if you use google maps and choose public transportation it will show you. Hopefully someone else on this board will be able to help you with that.

Thanks so much for your suggestions. Yes, i do have the books. I have been trying to build an itinerary. The map details I have been looking at were a little confusing.

Are you just going to just do a day trip to Paris or will you have luggage?

The Eurostar arrives at Gare du Nord in Paris. Metro line 4 goes from Gare du Nord to Cite which is a Metro stop near Notre Dame. You can buy Metro tickets on the Eurostar and perhaps in the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras in London. I would purchase there rather than trying to purchase in Gard du Nord as the pickpocket threat is higher there than in London.

Here is a Paris Metro Map. If you have a smartphone download the RATP app.

https://www.ratp.fr/en/plans-lignes

You will need Euro for Paris. There are ATMs in the St Pancras departure lounge that dispense Euro which would be a good thing if you are just going over for the day and need a small amount of money.

Here is a "new" metro map which is interactive. Tap on a station and it will give you more detail. I would be tempted to get off at Strasbourg-San Denis and walk the rest of the way, assuming this is a daytrip without luggage.

http://metromap.fr/en

Have you confirmed that your Eurostar train will be running? Manyntrains theough June are affected by the strike.

Oh my, I had not heard about any strike. The tickets were pre-paid a month or so ago. Will be going to Paris on a day trip from London on June 28th, before embarking on a 10 day British Isle cruise. So maybe the strike will not be an issue.
I looked quickly at the link you sent about the transportation in London, looks like it will be a great help. Thanks for the connection information for Notre Dame Cathedral. I'm going to look at both sites more intensely when I get home from work tonight.

While in London and for the day in Paris we plan to try the hop on hop off bus tour to see as much as possible, with the least amount of extra walking. Any comments?

What time is your train leaving London? What time is your return train?

Study up on the Metro. It is really easy to use. Taxis from Gare du Nord are hard, so you are smart to take the Metro. We waited in the queue 45 minutes. If I had known how easy it was to ride the Metro, we would have headed straight for it.

Keep in mind that a day trip to Paris will only make you long for more!

If you plan to take the hop on/hop off bus, check out the various routes. I know one stops at Gare du Nord and if Notre Dame is on its route, that would make your visit easy. I imagine Notre Dame is on all routes, but check it out. You can probably buy tickets in the RR station.

Thanks to everyone for your help. My plans are starting to take shape. From the Metro to the Hop on buses in both cities. when I return I hope I can help answer someone elses questions!

Hop On Hop Off buses are very convenient but not the fastest way to see a city. Both London and Paris have numerous routes. For a one day trip, look at the routes carefully and decide what you want to see the most. Remember, they go in one direction so it may at times be faster to take alternate transportataion between sights.

My suggestion for a one day trip to Paris where you want to walk little but see the city is to ride as many routes as possible and not get off much. The buses run every 20-30 minutes so the more you get off, the more you will have to wait for the next one. And.....they don't run that late. Most stop late afternoon.

Tube : London / Metro : Paris

Faye, if you haven't seen the thread "Rail Strike," in this section, it will give you some updated information. Hope this helps.