My daughter (college age) will be studying this summer in London. Our plans are for us to tour Europe 10-12 days before her classes begin. Travel dates: Late June-July 5. I want to make it memorable and fun for us, but I don't know what cities to target, especially since she will be in London for 6 weeks (she will probably do weekend excursions around England, and I am not sure if it is a good idea focus on London). And did I mention we are on a budget! I would appreciate any itinerary ideas. Thank you.
Michele
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
What do you consider "on a budget"? What are your interests? Does she have any ideas what places she will be likely to visit during her stay there (so you don't duplicate)? Are you willing to drive or do you want to rely on public transportation? A little more info from you will help us give you better answers.
Posted by
Downingtown, USA
2369 posts
There are so many options for you, Paris, Amsterdam, etc. Since she will be in London for six weeks, she can take weekend trips to so many places. Edinburgh via the sleeper train, Eurostar to Paris. What are her plans and what is your budget, that would help with giving you some ideas.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Michele, I think a perfect mom and daughter trip is a visit to Paris ( I took my 11 yr old and she loved it).
Its a mere 2.5 hours by train, city center to city center( so no getting back and forth from airports) .. and if you buy online at Eurstar you can get tickets as low as 60-80 euros return,, add a 100-120 hotel room in Paris, stay two nights and have a great time ( I of course would stay longer, but to each their own, Paris can easily fill your scedule for a week!). Look at Hotel Diana, or Hotel Eugenie, or Hotel Des Grand Hommes, all clean, super central, safe, and have a/c ( important in summer in Paris in my opinion) . You can take a train at 7 or 8 in morning, be in Paris by 10.30, dump bags at hotel, go for a nice lunch, visit a museum or two, nice dinner ( maybe a river cruise after, they are 11-15 euros and its nice to see monuments and bridges lit up). You can save money by having casual meals, street stall crepes, sandwiches from bakeries, breakfast at a cafe, not hotel).
Posted by
Troy, Oh, USA
2776 posts
Hi Michele, you could fly into Amsterdam then take train down to Paris. After Paris take the Eurostar to London, as Pat mentioned if you book your Eurostar tickets early you can get a great price. There is a lot that you and your daughter can do in Amsterdam and Paris, both great cities. Maybe getting to London a few days early so she and you can enjoy doing a few things together in London, the best city in the world.
Posted by
Orlando
516 posts
I would fly into Amsterdam spend a couple days, train to Brugge and spend a couple days in Belgium, train to Paris for a couple days and then end in London. Have a great time.
Posted by
Tucson
28 posts
if your on a budget, keep Germany in Mind, it does cost less than the Big Three of London, Amsterdam, and Paris. Berlin, food and transport is cheap, Munich is bit more expensive but still less than Amsterdam and Paris. There are very cheap flight on air Berlin as well.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
My first trip to Europe was with my 21 year old daughter and it was the trip of a lifetime for me. If it were me, I would not focus on London or England as she will be there on her own. She will probably also take a few short jaunts to closer locations. If you want someplace a bit more reasonable and beautiful you might think about Germany and Austria. If you have a car to explore you can stay in smaller villages which are typically cheaper. There are so many choices. If you do decide on Paris you could also stay in the city for 5 days, then visit some smaller villages by taking the TGV to Avignon and explore Provence which is beautiful at that time of year. Have a great trip!