Help w/UK-Paris itinerary

Think of your trip in terms of nights instead of days. Two nights in one city is really just one full day in that city. Sounds like you’re committed to flying in and out of London so I would say spend the first 2 nights in London (June 10-11) to get over jet lag from wherever you’re flying from, then take the train to Edinburgh for 3 nights (June 12-14). Fly to Brussels for 2 nights (June 15-16) then take the Eurostar from Brussels to Paris and stay 4-5 nights then take the Eurostar from Paris to London for the remainder of your stay. I think the bullet train you’re referring to is called the Eurostar and you can book up to 4-6 months early. The earlier you book, the cheaper your tickets will be. Don’t wait till the last minute!

Since you daughter is a Potterhead, how about the Studio tour outside of London? It’s a must! I’m a big HP fan and have booked Tour for Muggles walking tour for my May trip. It takes you to movie locations in London. It costs £14 but limits the group size to 20 people which is what I like.

Get the RS Paris and London book if you haven’t done so yet. Also, get your Giverny and Versailles tickets in advance. His books give you the details of how to get to those places which I’ve personally followed. Have fun planning!

I agree with Emma - drop Brussels, as your itinerary is rushed. It's the least interesting city in Europe IMO and you can get waffles, Belgian beer and chocolate in London!

It would make far more sense to fly into London and home from Paris to avoid a day backtracking.

I fear the Eurostar will be a disappointment, as it is just like a regular train that goes a bit faster, but the countryside of northern France is flat and dull.

If you haven't been to London or Paris before, I would give some serious thought to just having 5 days in each, as there is much to do. Versailles is a full day trip from Paris. Giverny is 2/3 of a day including travel to and from Paris, which doesn't leave you much time for Paris itself.

I suggest you substitute tea in London for your Brussels plans. I have been to Brussels and it was forgettable. I have not been to Edinburgh yet-will go this summer for first time although I have been to London 7 times. With all the great day trips from London-Windsor, Cambridge, Salisbury, even Dover and York-I wouldn't go to Edinburgh on a first(or second or third) trip.

Drop Brussels and Edinburgh. You can always go back to Scotland and visit St. Andrews, Loch Ness and more.

I agree that Brussels is not worth the detour.
On the train line between London and Edinburgh you could also stop in Durham and check out the cathedral that was also used as a HP location.

The number of days you list doesn't add up to the number of days/nights you have....

Not making a lot of sense. Have you booked the airline? If not this is a classic example where flying into Edinburgh, train to London, train to Brussels and home from Brussels makes a lot of sense. Efficient use of time, and probably cheaper than what you have proposed.

Thanks all.

Yes, I've already booked the flights b/c I had to due to using points and limited seats, etc. etc. etc. I would've preferred leaving from Paris too, but it wasn't doable.

I can drop Brussels, but not Edinburgh. DH is getting an online degree there and insists on seeing the campus. So about 3 days there is fine w/me.

Yes, sorry, I meant Eurostar, not bullet train. But there isn't a Eurostar that goes between Brussels and Paris, right? Just a regular train? My impression was that Eurostar only was LON-BRU and LON-PAR?

Also, Claudette, can I hear more thoughts on why you chose to not stay more days initially in London? I thought about splitting up that leg of the journey as you suggested, but then I thought, wouldn't it be better to get over jet lag and stay in one place for as long as possible? So I'm interested in hearing why you thought I should split it...thanks!

Since you’re flying home from London, you’re going to have to spend at least the last night of your trip in London. I definitely would not recommend catching the train from Paris to London on the same day as your flight home just in case something happens. Splitting your stay also gets you to try out and explore different neighborhoods in London since it’s so big. I did this on my trip last spring, I did 2 nights in London (Windsor, actually) then went to Brussels,etc then came back for 2 more nights in London. I really liked how it worked out do that’s why I suggested it for you.

Ahh, that makes sense. Thanks for the input!