Anyone going on the April 29, 2026 A week in London and Paris trip?
Anyone going on the April 29, 2026 A Week in London and Paris trip? Interested ART and HISTORY in both cities. London hotel is the Biltmore Mayfair and in Paris the Intercontinental Paris LeGrand across from the Opera Garnier. Also any casual cafe/restaurant suggestions near both locations?
Thanks so much!
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Without knowing your hotels, it is difficult to make suggestions. If you are staying close to Covent Garden in London, there are many eateries there. Having formal afternoon tea is fun and relaxing.
No matter where you stay in Paris, you probably won’t be far from a pâtisserie or café, both being great places to people watch.
Thank you for your comment. The hotels for this tour are the Biltmore Mayfair in London and the Intercontinental Paris leGrand across from the Opera Garnier.
The InterContinental in Paris is a fabulous hotel and has a lovely, casual café. Sit outside and enjoy the people watching. We have also eaten at their more formal dining room and had very nice meals. You might enjoy a lunch at the Opera House or even enjoy a performance. We have done the former but not the latter.
Aside from the museums, Marais is a great place to explore. The falafels are so very tasty.
Montmartre offers panoramic views. The hotel’s concierge can help with logistics.
Enjoy.
Edited 26 Mar to insert paragraph for BKMD’s reading pleasure. 🌻🐶🌻
Sorry, can't help with restaurants as we eat very light when on our own. On sights, it would help if you'd narrow down your interests. History, art, gardens, shopping, whatever. You can also start with a simple internet search like "top sights in London". Figure out where they are in relation to you hotel, if more than a walk research public transport, check out their websites for hours, tickets, etc. Both cities have hop on hop off buses which are handy for getting around to different sights. Rick Steves has pocket guides for both Paris and London available on his website or Amazon. Small and very useful guides. As you mentioned, the Intercontinental is right across the street from the Opera House where you can get guided or self guided tours. It's also close to Galleries Lafayette which is a beautiful shopping venue with dining options and a free rooftop terrace to visit. No stair climbing.
The Biltmore Mayfair had wonderful fish and chips in the hotel restaurant - good for the day you arrive if you are tired and don't feel like going out. If you haven't planned everything yet - the Churchill War Museum is very interesting- a fairly quick Uber or cab ride from the Biltmore.
I agree with visiting Churchill’s underground bunker. It was the highlight of our time in London. If Tauck does not offer this as an excursion, I recommend visiting it on your own. We wished we could have spent more time there.
Thank you both for your wonderful suggestions to visit the Imperial War Museum in London. I just checked and it is not on our tour so we will plan time to go there on our own. I especially want to see the John Singer Sergeant’s paintings and his famous 1919 painting “Gassed” about his time covering the end of World War I. Of course so many other historical areas to explore at the museum. Thank you!!!
Have a wonderful trip and please consider posting your thoughts afterwards.
We are on the riverboat version. We arrive April 27 and stay at the Rosewood. Several days in London the Chunnel to Paris and get on a riverboat that goes down the Seine.
It's a great trip! I walked from the Rosewood to the British Museum and the Charles Dickens Museum. Sir John Soane's Museum is practically around the corner and near the Inns of Court with lovely gardens.
Glad to hear someone else has discovered the Soane’s museum
I enjoyed it!
We recently returned from A Week in London and Paris with a small group of the most fun and congenial people. We arrived in London a couple days early and visited the very interesting Churchill War Rooms and Museum. Cabs are readily available, metered and the drivers love to talk.
The weather was cool when we arrived, very pleasant with one cold windy day. We arrived in Paris to quite warm sunny weather. We stayed over and experienced cold rain. So layers and good rain jacket were useful.
The Biltmore Mayfair faces small, green Grosvenor Park and is convenient to Oxford Street (2 blocks), Hyde Park (3 blocks), shops, pubs, restaurants. There is a Lloyds ATM two. locks away. All very walkable and safe.
Rachel was our phenomenal director and we had very good local guides as well.
Day 1 dinner was in the hotel.
Day 2 began with a tour of Westminster Cathedral followed by a short drive to Windsor. Time for a snack before entry to the castle. There are a fair number of steps to the castle and a gradual slope. Back to the hotel by 5:00.
Day 3 was the cold day and began with the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels. Time for a cup of tea or snack before a boat ride up the Thames to the London Eye. The Eye exceeded expectations. We had two compartments for our group, plenty of space to move about, a bench if one wished to sit. The views are great. It’s quiet with no sense of movement or really of height if that concerns you. Dinner at the Savoy was good followed by a 90 minute theatre musical. I suggest checking reviews out beforehand to see if it’s to your taste.
Day 4 included a photo stop at St. Paul’s before a guided tour at the British Museum. Tea at Fortnum and Mason’s was fun after which you could take the bus to the hotel or stroll back as we did.
Day 5 we departed at 8:30 for the station to take the Eurostar Chunnel train for two hour trip to Paris. Lunch aboard with wine. Our luggage awaited us in our rooms at the lovely Intercontinental. The Seine River boat cruise was lovely. Take a wrap or jacket to enjoy the comfortable top deck and the views.
Day 6 was a national holiday in France akin to our Labor Day. Our group took our bus to board an open air train to the views of Montmartre. There were many families with the day off. Sacre Coeur was not open but a very old church adjacent was. On the warm day a pub drink was welcome. A good day to see locals enjoying the day off but no shops or museums open.
Day 7. Versailles and a delicious lunch. Farewell dinner at the famed Cafe de la Paix in the hotel. Delicious.
We thoroughly enjoyed this tour though we have been to both cities before. It packed a lot into the time available and is a good way to decide if one wants to revisit. I suggest if you have the time to extend on each end or to combine the trip with another one given the expense and effort of flying to Europe.