London and Paris Schedule...Thoughts?

Yes, it is do-able but I suggest you forget about Versailles this trip. Give yourselves that extra day in Paris .... you won't regret it.

I agree, skip Versailles this time. Enjoy Paris! If you take an early Eurostar train, you can get to your hotel and have many hours in Paris before bedtime. In London, You might want to visit the British Miseum first, then the Tower and river cruise. There is a dock near the Tower.

Another vote for skipping Versailles on this trip. Also, go on-line and buy a ticket for the Eiffel Tower, so you have a reservation time - saves time not waiting in a long line. I've enjoyed taking an evening river cruise each time I visit Paris. It's lovely lit up at night. The day you're going to the Louvre, walk through some of the gardens afterwards and through the Notre Dame area.

Anything is doable and this is not bad. We have seen a lot worse. Is the 30th your departure date from the US so that you arrive in the AM of the 1st? You first day is good as it makes for a lot of walking in the sunlight to combat jet lag. There are no tours of Buckingham Palace except for when the Queen is at her summer home in August.

Is the 3rd a one day tour package? The Eurostar has an airport like security structure so be there at least an hour before departure.

I don't think you would want to spent a full day in the Louve. It is massive. Second, I support the idea of skipping Versailles and just soaking in Paris on your last day. Time to relax just a bit. Assume you are returning from Paris.

If your flight lands early in the morning, and depending on where your London hotel is, you might consider the Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, a river cruise to the Tower, and the Tower itself for your first day -- a long tiring one, but mostly outdoors. I don't think you'll be able to get into the Houses of Parliament that time of year, so that's an outside view right next to the Abbey. And the boats to the Tower leave from just below Westminster Bridge. That plan leaves your second day for the British Museum, St. Paul's, the National Gallery, or whatever else interests you.

I wouldn't want to try to see Windsor, Bath, and Stonehenge in a single day, even with a tour guide handling the logistics. That's a lot of travel for what would have to be short stays in each place. I'd suggest either Windsor or Greenwich if you want to get out of the city that day.

I agree about Versailles -- unless you're so interested in Louis XIV or Marie Antoinette or the architecture that you're willing to invest more than a third of your Paris time there. And I agree that a full day at the Louvre doesn't make sense on a visit as short as yours. A river cruise in Paris (could be evening) would be worthwhile.

You'll get a good taste of two of Europe's greatest destinations. If you don't like them, you'll have saved the time and money a longer stay costs. More likely, you'll want to come back to each one for a week or two or longer in the years to come.

Yes the 30th is our travel day which gets us to London at 10am on the 1st.

The tour package on the 3rd is one package yes.

We forgot about Notre Dame good idea! We went to the replica in Montreal so we want to make sure to see it in Paris.

Yes we fly home from Paris.

Janet: Notre Dame in Montreal is not based on Notre Dame in Paris. That honour belongs to Mary Queen of the World Cathedral on Boul. Rene Levesque.

Ok I apologize in Montreal I thought they said that the Notre Dame there was modeled after the one in Paris but I apologize if I'm wrong.

Janet: you were given the wrong information. I expect some guides are dead lazy and offer the easiest and most credible explanation. Notre Dame is a common name for anything in Montreal. It translates, of course, to "Our Lady" meaning Mary, and there is a street, a borough, and a Kosher butcher shop among the many places called Notre Dame de something or other. This city is a quite bizarre in many ways, but never boring.

Can't agree more about skipping Versailles. It is so much fun just to stroll along the Seine in Paris and stop in cafes, see the Eiffel Tower in the background and look at the beautiful architecture. Unless you can look at art for hours on end you will probably find some extra time that day also. I can only do museums for a few hours... But one of my favorite in Paris is the Rodin Gardens if you get a chance. Also don't miss the Luxembourg gardens.

Get out early, stay up late, sleep on the train and the plane. There's plenty to do in Paris, with some attractions open until 9 or 10 p.m. Then stroll to see this beautifully illuminated city.

I am not a big fan of London from the Thames, so wouldn't rush to do a river cruise there - the river level always seems so low, the water so brown, and the banks so dirty. I would visit St Pauls instead.
Good fortune in Paris as you can make late visits to the Louvre on Wed 4th and Musee d'Orsay on Thu 5th.

April 30th - Travel Day
May 1st - Buckingham Palace (not taking a tour just want to see it), Big Ben/Parliament, Westminster Abbey
May 2nd - Tower of London, St Pauls, British Museum
May 3rd - Windsor, Bath, and Stonehenge (this is part of our tour package)
May 4th - Travel to Paris via Eurostar (we have the earlier ticket tentatively booked), Arc de Triomphe, Louvre
May 5th - Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Musee d'Orsay
May 6th - Versailles
May 7th - Travel Home

Emma, thanks for the great link! I love such fascinating info; that's one of the reasons I check the Travel Forum every day, so I don't miss this kind of a gem!

My opinion of the Thames, I think, is clouded by the Marchioness disaster of 1989.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marchioness_disaster
I began living in London just a few weeks later. One of my flatmates lost a friend.
It is amazing the number of UK crime/police dramas that find crucial evidence in those muddy banks of the Thames.