Dec. 30 2024 through Jan. 7, 2025
Greetings,
Just returned from a trip first to London then an additional week in Paris. My Paris reviews and trip report are on the Les Frenchies Facebook Page if you are interested.
As for London, it was cold but our family of three were prepared for that. We were not prepared to get the flu and take it with us to Paris. So, my report may be a little biased because I wasn't feeling 100% and we didn't get to partake of everything we'd planned. Given our arrival after Christmas, overall crowds were way down except for in stores because of the big sales.
Upon arrival Gerald Feldman picked us up promptly at the airport and took us to our hotel, The Resident Hotel-Victoria. The absolute best thing about the hotel was the location. A three minute walk to Buckingham Palace and less than five minutes to Victoria Station. Lots of buses that ran frequently and went directly to all the tourist sites. We chose to use buses so that we could see the areas we were traveling in. Safe, cheap, warm and secure. The hotel itself was clean but the room was quite small, especially with three in a room. My daughter's bed was actually a hard and lumpy rollaway cot, not at all what we expected for a triple. We asked for another and was told they're unavailable. The gave us second comfortor to put on the "mattress", but it didn't help. There was no room to sit anywhere but on the beds. Bathroom was also small. but fine as was the little kitchenette. We got good use from the refrigerator and microwave. Housekeeping was also good about cleaning up. Front desk staff was pleasant. There is no concierge service at this hotel, nor any other extras but it was the best we could find/afford when we booked during the summer. Our best meals were at Gordon Ramsey Burger in Harrods's and Flat Iron Steak -Victoria. Burger was pricey but it was a good burger. Flat Iron was a great deal and was our favorite meal, bar none. First night was Duke of York pub. Great pub atmosphere and mediocre food. Had breakfast at Duck and Waffle. It's all about the view there. Waiters were very nice, but our food was cold. No excuses given the simplicity and the prices. Hot food would've made a difference. We toured the usual suspects, Buckingham Palace, British Museum, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Westminster/Parliament, Churchill War Rooms/Museum, Harrods and the Harry Potter Studios. Churchill War Rooms was my fave and I could've spent more hours there. Also loved Harry Potter Studios. Recommend using public transport to get there. It's easy and cheap so no reason to pay another $70 per person for a private bus service. It's a solid 4. hour self tour and we didn't do the gift shop. Took in two plays; London theatre never disappoints. Buy your theatre tickets well in advance for the best price and seats. Made trips to Harrods, Marks & Spencer and Fortnum and Mason. I hate what they've done with Harrod's, chopping it up into multiple luxury boutiques. The place is like a maze and the didn't seem to have enough help. That wasn't our experience shopping in the large Parisian Dept Stores. Loved M&S and got a lot of quick food there when we were sick. Their microwave meals were actually quite good. Fortnum's was packed but worth shopping for food gifts. Lastly we took the Eurostar to Paris and it was a good trip. Fast, easy and relaxed. Going through customs coming and going was a breeze, but their TSA was obnoxious. I understand security concerns but they were basically tearing apart folks luggage and then handing it back in a mess. Not to mention rude to travelers. The confiscated a jar of jam and mustard as forbidden. Makes no sense to me nor anyone I've talked to. London has really grown into a city of skyscrapers and reminded me a lot of NYC. I miss the green spaces from my long ago visit. The city has lost some of that special feeling and I don't think we're in a rush to go back. Hope this was helpful.