Everyone has been so great offering advice for our 2 Europe trips, that I thought I would be remiss if I didn't report on some successes we had on our trip to London and Paris last year.
We were first time European travelers and decided to do the budget route, using public transportation and budget hotels.
London - a tip we received was to do the Big Bus tour upon our arrival as we would be very tired from our trip from Ohio, yet didn't want to go to sleep, but rather get on local time. This was great advice. Yes, they are a little cheesy, but helped us get the lay of the land. We bought the 2 day pass, so hopped on it again the next day to get to our desired attractions (such as Tower of London, Westminster, etc.). We supplemented with easy-to-use busses and underground (bought the Oyster card upon arrival at Heathrow). We stayed at a very basic, but clean hotel (Jesmond Dene) that was just across the street from St Pancras/Kings Cross station. Full breakfast each day plus easy access to public transport made up for dorm-like feel of room. Our hotel was able to accommodate our spur-of-the-moment decision to visit the Cotswolds by calling in a favor with a local tour company. It was literally a dream of mine to see this area, so this was very appreciated. We walked right across the street to get the train to Paris.
Paris -- because our hotel was so small in London, I was certain our Paris hotel would be even tinier. Instead, it was MAGNIFICENT! I can't say enough good things about Hotel du Printemps in the 12th arr. Quiet, middle to upperclass neighborhood with lots of character. Right between 2 metro stops (I believe Nationale and Picpus), so easy access to the sites. Our room for 3 was HUGE (even by American standards) with lovely décor. When the trains went on strike, we thought our plans to visit Versailles were kaput as cab ride was estimated to be $200-300 US dollars. When the woman at the hotel saw how disappointed we were, she took it upon herself to call a car service and negotiate a lesser rate (I believe around $100-150). Worked out better than train with "door-to-door" service, and driver wouldn't allow us to pay until we were returned to our hotel. Besides this hotel, highlight was the Paris Authentic tour we took, as recommended in Rick Steves' book. We did the night one which went to Montmartre and Eiffel Tower, including a bottle of champagne. Our driver, Arnaud, and my son shared a favorite band from Ohio (Black Keys) which proved the universal language of music! We still keep in touch with Arnaud. My husband, 15 year old (at the time) son, and I all agreed this was the perfect finale to our trip.