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OMG you cannot understand how excited I am for my upcoming trip that I was shaking when I booked my flight tickets today. I have always dying and dreaming of visiting Paris and London, especially Paris, since I was an early child. Blah I'm doing a countdown already and I hope time will go by fast until March!!!
I will be arriving in London at 6.30 AM on Sunday morning. How should I get myself from Heathrow airport to city center the cheapest and hopefully fastest way as possible? I don't mind taking a transportation where you could see the highways, local roads, etc. because I never been to the UK and love seeing surrounding area and as much possible. I plan on taking a Hop on Hop off bus tour. I want to definitely see Big Ben, London Bridge, Paris wheel, Oxford Street, and Buckingham Palace for sure. Unsure what else to see/do in London for only 2 days?
So Sunday all day until Monday afternoon I will be in London and then take the Eurostar train to Paris. Again, never been to Paris either and I know the train stop at city center. I want to see the Eiffel tower, Champs Elyzee (unsure of spelling lol), Louvre museum, Notre Dame, Soucre Ceur, and basically walk around the city, take millions of pictures, and Hop on Hop off bus tour. From Monday late afternoon until early Wednesday I will stay in Paris (2 night sleep) and then head back from London city center to the Heathrow airport and catch the flight to Istanbul and stay there 9 days to do my Lasik eye surgery (extremely cheap compared to America!) No need to worry about sightseeing in Istanbul because I have family member that will show me around. My plane will have 1 stop in Munich for an hour on the way to Istanbul - hopefully plane will not be delayed! I will arrive in Istanbul at 1.30 AM Also on the way back from Istanbul to America I will stop in Zurich 1 hour.
Any important information needed to know for me as a first time visitor? I'm on a tight budget so I will book the cheapest hotel found in city center or near metro station. I will book the hotels and Eurostar in 2 weeks when I get my wage from work. Also an student discount? How much money to bring for food and sightseeing?
For Paris this is a good walking/boat tour. You will need your map.
Take the Metro to the Arc de Triomphe. You can visit the Arc and the Champs Elysees. From there, walk to Trocadero. This has the best view of the Eiffel Tower. From Trocadero, walk down the hill and across the River Seine. This is where the tourist boats - 'Bateaux Mouches' - leave from. I can strongly recommend them. After the boat tour, visit the Eiffel Tower. Up to you if you want to go up it. From there walk through the gardens to the Ecole Militaire and then walk to Les Invalides to see Napoleon's tomb and the military museum.
Other visits .....
Notre Dame. Obviously. The Ile St. Louis which is the island next to Notre Dame is well worth a visit for lunch.
Sacre Coeur and Montmartre. You need to get the metro there but well worth a visit and great views of Paris.
The Louvre. This takes a lot of visiting because it is so big. Give yourself a full day.
I will be arriving in London at 6.30 AM on Sunday morning. How should I get myself from Heathrow airport to city center the cheapest and hopefully fastest way as possible? I don't mind taking a transportation where you could see the highways, local roads, etc. because I never been to the UK and love seeing surrounding area and as much possible. I plan on taking a Hop on Hop off bus tour. I want to definitely see Big Ben, London Bridge, Paris wheel, Oxford Street, and Buckingham Palace for sure. Unsure what else to see/do in London for only 2 days?
Assuming you are landing at Heathrow and not Gatwick, fastest way into central London is the Heathrow Express. This takes around 15 mins and costs 21 pounds one way. However, depending on where your hotel is, you may also need a taxi or the underground to get from the train station (Paddington) to the hotel.
Cheapest way into central London is the subway (tube). That takes about 60 - 75 mins depending on where you are going. Advantage is that is should take you pretty close to your hotel. When I go to London I like to stay at the Novotel in Hammersmith. It isn't in central London but it is closer to Heathrow and tends to be cheaper than city centre hotels. You can then use the subway to get into town.
If you do decide to use the subway, check to see if you can buy an all day ticket.
For Paris this is a good walking/boat tour. You will need your map.
Take the Metro to the Arc de Triomphe. You can visit the Arc and the Champs Elysees. From there, walk to Trocadero. This has the best view of the Eiffel Tower. From Trocadero, walk down the hill and across the River Seine. This is where the tourist boats - 'Bateaux Mouches' - leave from. I can strongly recommend them. After the boat tour, visit the Eiffel Tower. Up to you if you want to go up it. From there walk through the gardens to the Ecole Militaire and then walk to Les Invalides to see Napoleon's tomb and the military museum.
Other visits .....
Notre Dame. Obviously. The Ile St. Louis which is the island next to Notre Dame is well worth a visit for lunch.
Sacre Coeur and Montmartre. You need to get the metro there but well worth a visit and great views of Paris.
The Louvre. This takes a lot of visiting because it is so big. Give yourself a full day.
I will take Hop on Hop off bus tour and I believe it covers all major sights. I only have 1.5 days in Paris and 1.5 days in London only basically, so not enough time.
Heathrow express is too expensive. I will take the tube instead unless my plane gets delayed (pray to God I will be in time all flights).
Tube is nowhere near as fast, and crowded. No bags, take the tube. If you're dragging luggage, eat the cost and take the Heathrow Express.
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Also on the way back from Istanbul to America I will stop in Zurich 1 hour.
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