I'm going to London with a friend in May. Neither one of us has ever been there. Any suggestions on what to do, places to eat and drink? On the maps it looks like Paris in only a 2 1/2 hr ride away. Has anyone done this and is it easy to do? Also i don't know any french, are there any signs in english? I've also heard that Parisians arn't very friendly to those that don't know the language. Is there any truth to that?
I would appreciate any tips or advice.
Tracy
My 2 favorite places for tea are St. Martins in the Crypt and the restaurant/cafeteria right in the middle of Hyde park (particularly if the weather is suitable for sitting outdoors). They are both more "informal" places which means less expensive prices. If you are there on a Saturday, you might enjoy Portobello Market in the Notting Hill area. There is so much to see and do in London that you can't do it all in one trip. Read the RS guidebook and mark what you can't miss and start there. If you have more specific questions about activities, feel free to ask. We have done several of the walking tours that are available and always enjoyed them. London is a great city- have an awesome time.
Tracy: Entire books have been written on what to do in London and Paris. You're going to have to buy at least one book for each city. Rick has written one on London and one on Paris. We'll try to help you but any replies we give you here will only scratch the surface, which means you'll need to do your own research to have your trip be the way you want it instead of the way we want it.You can do Paris as a day trip from London, Rick explains how in his London book. Paris is one of the most fascinating cities in the world and you won't do anything except barely scratch the surface, but that might be better than not going at all. Ideally you would split your time between London and Paris.In Paris there aren't as many signs in English as you might wish for, so it will make your trip more enjoyable if you learn at least some polite survival phrases, listed in Rick's book on Paris.In my experience there is some truth to what you've heard about Parisians being more friendly to English speakers that don't accost them and open up in English. If you work on your pronounciation of a few polite survival phrases and make an attempt to speak to them in their language, it helps make everyone feel better. Kind of like how you'd feel if you're walking down the street in Saint Cloud and a French tourist to Saint Cloud accosts you with questions in French without making an attempt to speak in English.
Hello Tracy,
London is a fabulous city, with so much going on! My best advice is to read a lot before you go and make a plan. Otherwise, you are likely to be overwhelmed by everything.
I would also recommend St. Martin-in-the-Field Crypt Cafe-- for afternoon tea or even dinner. It's cheap and very cool. The Portobello Market is also great, as is the market at Camden Lock.
I would also recommend the wonderful gardens (Regents Park, Kew Gardens, etc.), walking tours (especially an evening pub crawl), and don't miss seeing a show! You can get same day tickets in Leicester Square, or pick a show and just go to the box office at that theater (we got the best deals this way).
You can do Paris in a day, but Paris really deserves more than that. Paris is beautiful. I've been there twice. I don't know much more than "please" and "thank you" in French, but you can get pretty far with just a little French and a smile! Understand their customs and show some respect and the locals will, usually, be nice.
Have a great time!
We always found Parisians to be very polite when approached in the same manner. It certainly pays to address the Parisians in French -- they can usually tell you can't really speak French and then will begin speaking to you in English. You usually only need to learn: Good morning, good evening, etc.
Madame, Monsieur, please, where is the toilette, and the bill, please; excuse me/pardon me; and do you speak English. Most Parisian speak English and will do so if approached appropriately.
We've been to London more than 40 times, and there are still things we haven't done there. Lots we do every time (or almost every time) too! Check out the Tower, go to the theatre, sit in Leciester square and people watch. Go to the markets- Covent Garden, St. Martin's in the Field, Portobello Rd. etc. Kew Gardens are marvelous and I bet May would be unbelievable. Windsor is a great day trip and the yellow rose garden at the castle would be at its peak. York, Canturbury, Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon and Cardiff are all worth a day trip. Check out China Town- we love "Top of the Town"; it has high quality food, great service and value for the price. Adam's Ribs near Picadilly Circus is good. Farm House Table in the Covent Garden/Neal's Yard area for Mediterian. Shakespear's across from Victoria Station for pub grub. Feel free to private message me for more ideas.
What to see in London? Were do you start? Been there twice recently. First time did mostly outdoor stuff - Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace, St. James's Park, Tower of London (via a boat trip), Big Red Bus tour, Harrods, etc. Second time, used tube and went to British Museum, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, London Eye. Still to see Madame Tousseaud's, Globe theatre, Tate Modern, Albert Museum.... You get the picture?!!
English in Paris - Did not find it a problem and, after hearing the horror stories of rude Parisians, we did not find any. People were polite and helpful. An introductory "Bonjour" elicited English resposes - my accent is as atrocious as advertised! While English signs are not plentiful, we found them when necessary and French signs are not indecipherable. We went (one way) Eurostar from London and it is a fast city centre to city centre connection, but really quite a boring ride. The part of France you cover is ubelievably flat. Ever been to Saskatchewan, Canada?
A day trip to Paris is, however, a waste, in my opinion. Paris deserves much longer. If you see the Eifel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe that will be about it, and that is not all there is to Paris.
Tracy...I just took my better 3/4's to London and Paris over the holidays. I've been many times..but this was my first time on the Eurostar to Paris--I'll never fly again!! It was convenient, comfy--and fast--2 hrs from St Pancras to gare Du Nord.
Dont believe any of the "rude French" stories. Its simply not true. I once had an old lady literally take me by the hand and show me where I needed to go.
The French will react "rudely" to someone who shouts in their face "DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?" One of my personal beliefs is that most Americans who experience "rudeness" abroad probably just had their own bad behavior reflected back on them.
