|
| Re:
World
Tour
2010
|
|
 |
|
 |
Having just got back from Paris, I heartily recommend Fat Tire Bike Tours: http://fattirebiketours.com/paris . I went on their day tour and night tour - it's incredibly good value, if you do one, you get the other half price. It also includes a trip on Bateaux Mouche which costs 10 Euro on it's own (+ free wine!)
They do London, Barcelona and Berlin too. Seriously, I can't recommend them enough! It's so much easier on your feet, quicker to get from site to site and the guides are great :)
A trip to Versailles is a must, it's about 30 mins on the train from central Paris (RER line C to Versaille Rive Gauche - train name = VICK) the travel cards below will include it if you have one for zone 5) Get your tickets in advance, or on the day from the tourist bureau in town. Only get them at the château if it's early, otherwise you could be in for a long wait.
The Louvre is another must see, they have late night opening on a Wednesday until roughly 10pm. Tickets are valid all day, so get them and see some stuff in the morning, then return at about 8pm for a much quieter time. I went on an October evening a couple of years ago, it was magical! The whole museum was in twilight, hardly anyone was around. Well worth it!
The Eiffel tower. It's on most people's lists, though personally I wouldn't bother. The queues are huge, it's expensive and a bit of an anticlimax. It's far better to go across town to the Tour Montparnasse - for 10 euros you can go to the 59th floor bar, and then outside onto the roof - all by express lift. There are no queues, and the advantage is that you can see the whole of Paris - including the Eiffel tower :)
For budget food in Paris, I recommend eating at Galleries LaFayette (the self serve restaurant near the top) or BHV 's cafeteria (next to the Hotel de Ville / Town Hall)
For getting around, the Paris Visite card is recommended by the tourist board (It's excellent, but expensive) you can save some Euros by asking for a Navigo Decouverte instead - you will need a passport photo to stick onto the card, but it's a lot cheaper than the travel card they try to pedal you (it's also contactless, so no faffing around trying to find your ticket) for a 1 day ticket, ask for a Carte Mobilis.
To stay, get somewhere that's within the peripherique, otherwise you'll spend most of your time travelling. Don't go for anywhere that says it's 'close to Montmartre' as it will probably be next door in the red light district of Pigalle (unless that's your thing of course ;)
For getting around London I would recommend getting yourself an Oyster card, they have a special 'tourist' version which costs £2. It is the cheapest and easiest way to get around, and will work on the buses and underground. It automatically works out the cheapest fare for you, and caps the price per day at the equivalent cost of a travel card. No more queuing at the ticket desks!
Don't bother with the open top bus tours, use a regular bus and look out of the window - you'll see much more! Most museums are free, I recommend the British Museum (Holborn) Tate Modern (easy to get to from St Paul's) Tower of London (not free, but good if you're interested in seeing the Crown Jewels or are a fan of Henry VIII) Cabinet War Rooms are also not free, but interesting, as they show where Churchill sheltered during WW2.
Camden is a bit more commercialised than it was, but is still good for it's excellent alternative market atmosphere. Try the stable market - it's been redone recently. Every kind of takeaway food under the sun :) Take the tube to Camden Town, turn right out of the station and continue along the high street until you cross the bridge, the market is on your left.
Not sure what your budget is for hotels, but Base 2 Stay in Kensington is excellent value. Small rooms, but they are clean, tidy and modern and have kitchenettes and free internet. Their en suite showers are the most awesome I've ever come across. If you're looking for something more central, try the Strand Palace Hotel. It's right next to Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square. It's so huge they nearly always have rooms free. If your budget extends a bit further, the Russell Hotel on Russell Square is really opulent - the marble staircase is to die for and the bathrooms are enormous.
LOastly, there's more to Britain than London. Explore a bit!
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
AUTHOR OF THIS MESSAGE
Chimera
MESSAGE TIMESTAMP
26 august 2009, 04:22:32
AUTHOR'S IP LOGGED
86.128.188.27
|
|
|
|
