Second Trip to Europe

I f you are worried about the UK departure tax, just do a fare search on-line for the same dates for into Paris and out from London, then the reverse, and you can decide if you want to start in London or Paris if the fare for one or the other is significantly better.

Some friends and I were in Paris 3 years and they went to mass at the Madelaine, it looks like a Greek Temple but it is a Catholic Church. I don't know if the mass was in English, but when they chatted with the priest afterward, it turned out that he was an Amercan.

If you are arriving in Paris on a Monday or a Tuesday, get Navigo Decouverte Semain passes. They cost 22.15 EUR per person plus a 5 EUR initial set-up fee. Have 1" by 1 1/4" passport type photos. These will cover your cost on the train into Paris plus the round trip to Versailles and all other transport in the Paris Metro area by bus, Metro, RER. The pass is a one week deal and only goes Monday morning thru Sunday night, so that is why it is best to arrive on those 2 days, although it still might pay if you arrive on a Wednesday. And hang on to it for your next trip to Paris, then you just need to recharge it.

You are going to be busy! You have planned well, but you are going to get tired.
The following reflects my experiences and my opinion. My preferences are likely to be different from yours, so please think of this as food for thought. These are two of my three favorite cities in the world.
Paris:
It is a longer walk than the map appears between the Orangerie and the Orsay. Trust me. Save your feet.
Consider substituting Chartres and its incredible cathedral instead of Versailles. I know this is radical advice. Even more radical is to realize that The City of Light has so much to offer that you might skip doing any day trip out of the city on such a short visit.
London:
Skip Westminster Cathedral. Consider skipping the London Eye, but if you must, obtain tickets beforehand, because the lines can be very long.
Do not miss the National Gallery. I have been fortunate in my travels, and have been to the Louvre, the Uffizi, the Vatican Museum, the Met in NYC, and the Art Institute in Chicago, and I can say without doubt that London's National Gallery rates right up there with any of them.
Finally, be at peace with the thought that you do not have the time to see everything, so take the time to see some things well.
You have planned well, and whatever your decisions, you will have a great time.

No a bad plan, but in my opinion, somewhat laid back itinerary.

If you haven't been to Versailles, that I suggest going there. You can take the METRO and RER.

Day 6, visiting the Arch and Champs is all you plan to do?
Luxembourg Gardens is another place to visit.

I agree with the above comment that it sounds a little laid back. In particular, days 10, 12, and 13 in London look quite light, given what you say about how you like to spend your museum time. Maybe you like to have free time to spend in ways that aren't on the list (strolling through parks, exploring neighborhoods, browsing markets, etc.), in which case, you'll find plenty of those things in both those cities. Otherwise, you might consider consolidating your London plans a bit to make room for a day trip outside of London. There are so many lovely smaller English towns and cities, and they show another side of England that you don't get to see from a solid week in London. This thread has some ideas for destinations.

Be aware that your Eurostar tickets entitle you to two-for-one admission to many museums, but in your destination city only. (That is, if you start in Paris and go to London, you're eligible for the London offers, whereas if you start in London and go to Paris, you can use the Paris offers.) The list of participating museums is here. Note that almost all of the London museums on the list have free admission to their permanent exhibits - the two-for-one offer would be for any special or paid exhibits they might have at the time of your visit.

I'd suggest adding the Orangerie to Day 6, when your walk down the Champs-Elysees will take little time and put you nearby. Then you have Day 7 for Orsay and whatever else you want to do.

On Day 11, go to the Tower of London when it opens to minimize waiting time. Go straight to the crown jewels if you want to see them, before the line gets too long, then take the Beefeater tour or look around the rest of it on your own. Then go to the bridge, which is less crowded and doesn't take long to see. This is another day when you could work in another sight if you want (Greenwich? Southwark Cathedral? Borough Market?)

Generally I think your plan is well designed and will give you time for strolling and new discoveries in both cities.

I think you have time to do more; some of your days are very light. I would add the Churchill War Rooms and St Paul's to London, plus some time in the parks. In Parid, I would add the Cluny and Luxembourg Gardens. I would also suggest doing Sainte-Chapelle first thing in the morning because the security line gets very long. The Champs Elysees is skippable.

If you like classical music, book a concert at Sainte Chapelle. I also prefer Chartres to Versailles. 14 weeks of big cities might be too much for me. Maybe a day trip somewhere from London-Cotswolds, Windsor, Cambridge or Oxford?

Thanks for your suggestions, everyone! We're actually aiming for a more relaxed itinerary, and we like to have a little more wiggle room for wandering around and shopping and the flexibility of switching things around. We do like going to the parks and visiting some of the churches. We're also thinking about seeing a show or play in London - maybe at the Shakespeare's Globe? I also like checking out flea markets. What are some neighborhoods in Paris and London you like to explore?

In Paris, there's the American Cathedral (Episcopal) and the American Church (Interdenominational). They're both wonderful. You can Google them for more info. You could also Google for other churches that offer Mass in English.

When are you planning this trip for? The time of year may affect some of our suggestions. And if the trip is for summer or fall of this year and you want to go to Shakespeare's Globe, you should look into getting tickets soon - those performances sell out well in advance.

Thanks for the additional advice. I mentioned in my post that I'm planning the trip for the next year or two, maybe in September, so we could attend the House of Commons sessions and the Buckingham Palace Tour.

"It is a longer walk than the map appears between the Orangerie and the Orsay. Trust me. Save your feet."

It's actually a very short, less than 10 min, very easy walk. They are right across the river from each other.

We were in Paris & London this past September. One of the things we enjoyed the most while in Paris was collecting picnic supplies from local stores & markets and eating them on a park bench. We did this in the Tuileries, Luxembourg gardens, and Champ de Mars. We were fortunate and had pleasant warm dry days. Enjoy both your trip planning and the trip itself!

this woman thinks your women would insist on the Buckingham palace tour which includes the Queens gowns and process Kate's wedding dress. it takes about a half day. you can skip the mews where the carriages are stored, and Westminster Castle. they probably also will want to see the Victoria and Albert musem. I could spend all day there. the church hill war rooms were fabulous and their restaurant good. so was the imperial war museum.

I appreciate you all sharing your experiences. The first trip I planned on my own was to Italy about 2 years ago and my mom went. It was a great trip, but it did feel a little fast-paced. So this time, we're aiming for a more leisurely pace and having more time to get to know the surrounding neighborhoods and make our own discoveries. A stroll and picnic in Luxembourg Gardens sound nice :)