Trip to LONDON, PARIS, and AMSTERDAM

If it were me I would do it London, Paris, Amsterdam. It's best to end the trip in Amsterdam, as it's much more laid-back and relaxing compared to London and Paris....great way to end the trip. Book your London Paris train tickets here: http://www.eurostar.com Paris-Amsterdam here: http://www.thalys.com The earlier you book the cheaper it will be. While in Amsterdam be sure to check out the famous Keukenhof Gardens it opens March 27, and there are all sorts of special events in throughout April:
http://www.keukenhof.nl/

Thank you so much for the informative and QUICK reply... I will take your much needed advice.

For my vote, your plan looks reasonable. Go for it.

I did a trip similar to yours: beginning in Paris, taking the train to Amsterdam, and then spending a week in Germany. I guess I'm wondering why you're only planning to spend 2 days at most in London and Amsterdam. Why not spend 4 days in London or Amsterdam? You'd get more of a feel for the city and avoid one of the pricey train trips.

"You'd get more of a feel for the city and avoid one of the pricey train trips." The advance fare for the Eurostar is 62USD, and 35 Euros for the Thalys ....that's hardly pricey.

Okay, smarty pants...but does the 1-2 days in 2 different cities make sense to you?

Why not? It all depends on what one wants to see and do, and if they've been there before. They may just be in the city to see a particular show or exhibit, or perhaps just visit relatives or friends. There is no law of the universe which dictates that when one visits a city that they have to see every single attraction in one visit.

Hi Ron, Last summer we ran into a daughter that was taking both her parents of about the same age to Ireland. What she found out is that her mother needed 2 days to recover from the flight. I don't know what condition you mother is in, but you might want to take that into consideration at the start of you trip.
Her mother slept for 2 days at the bed and breakfast, while she and her dad got to do some sightseeing.

Ron: Since you asked for suggestions.....on London I agree with Sarah. Unless you have some pressing reason for starting in London, yet spending only a day there (and in Windsor to boot, a train ride out of central London), why not skip it? Start in Paris, give your mother a chance to get over jet lag, then perhaps finish in Amsterdam and fly home. Amsterdam is not my idea of relaxing, and your mother may find it a little disturbing at times. You might want to stay near the Museumplein, and try to avoid the crowded and urban-feeling Damrak near Central Station as much as possible. For Paris, think about walking short distances, taking buses or taxis rather than the Metro which has innumerable stairs and many long connecting corridors. Be prepared for rain, and dress in layers....being from Buffalo, you won't find the weather terribly cold, but the French often overheat their buildings. If you do spend some time in London, think about a hotel in a quiet, pleasant part of central London (like Bloomsbury) to minimize travel into and out of the central city. Plan to take the black cabs rather than the Underground, and plan on some time relaxing in parks in all 3 cities. Try to have tea at Laduree on the Champs Elysee. Try to have a meal at either the Musee d'Orsay or the Train Bleu in the Gare d'Lyon...both are lovely places that scream "Paris". It should be a wonderful trip.

You may want to explore taking a daytime flight to LON out of JFK or Newark. You leave at 9am and arrive around 9pm. It eliminates the first day sleep deprivation issues and (for some, like me) reduces the effects of jet lag over the next few days. As much as I prefer Paris over London, for your situation, I agree with the others in suggesting adding a day or two to London, even if you have to trim Paris. Good for you doing this for your mother.

In Amsterdam stay in a hotel along one of the canals rather than near the Dam. Much more peaceful; green trees and there seems to be much less human and auto traffic. order London-Paris- Amsterdam is what i would do )heathrow is a whole lot easier to arrive through than departure- their security is a huge bottle neck). i would only wtay in Windsor if i had no intetntion of going into London (maybe spending the time with friends). Much too much travel time (reklatively) to get into and out of London- including waiting for trains. Somewhere along a Tube line would be more efficient

To clarify my point re Windsor- in reponse to a helpful PM I received- you could wait up to 30 minutes at Windsor as the train is only every 30 minutes. In addition to the travel time and the time waiting at Sough- so it could, and does often, take over an hour to London.

I traveled this same itinerary except for adding Brugge in May '09. We booked it the same as your agenda because of the price of the flights. For some reason, it is cheaper to fly out of Amsterdam than fly into it. As someone mentioned take as many taxis for your mother as possible to save on walking in the underground and metro. The Eurostar train station is easy to navigate. In Paris you do not hail taxis; you need to go to a designated Taxi stand. They are marked in the Michelin Paris city map I have. They see to be by larger hotels and of course all the major sights. I found buses to be extremely easy, as I have been to Paris 8+ times and my stay in November '10 was my first experience with the bus and I really liked it. It takes a little longer but you can see the city from street level for the same price as the metro. At both the airports I would see about getting your mother a wheelchair just to save her stamina as it just seems like any airport involves alot of walking. I too traveled with my 70+ mother and I have wonderful memories.

BTW: I booked and printed my Eurostar and Thalys tickets from home. It can be a little tricky but worth it as it saves lots of $$ booking early directly with their web sites.

Posts are great, especially about the morning flight. London to Paris seems best as no culture shock. I seem to remember many stairs on the tube and metro but could be wrong. How fit is your mom? Will you be carrying her bags? If so, pack very light. I use a lot of silk skirts, no weight to them at all, also use a jumper, you can wear it numerous times just by changing shirts daily. I have numerous pictures of me in many cities wearing the same jumper but it did save a lot of luggage space.

Hi Ron, if you do decide to go to Amsterdam here is a hotel I recommend. http://www.prinsengrachthotel.nl/index.php It's on a canal and has an elevator. Good Luck!