We decided to fly directly into London from San Francisco and stay with friends for a few days while recovering from jet lag. It's a long trip from California - about 10 1/2 hours - 17 hours door to door! Between visiting with our frinds and sleeping, we managed to get in a day of sight seeing. We've been to London a few times and have seen quite a bit of the "must sees". This time, The Imperial War Museum was at the top of the list (for the guys anyway!). We also took a walk along the Thames River and caught an Evensong Service at Westminster Abbey. Below is a slide show of some of the sites.
The Imperial War Museum houses many exhibits from World War I to conflicts in current times in which Britian has been involved. In this museum, you will find vehicles, weapons, uniforms, pictures, letters, maps, and many more items that help to give an idea of what war is like. We spent half a day here looking at the vast collection, our favorite being the World War I exhibit!
Start on the bottom floor - Level 0 - which has a wonderful exhibit depicting the First World War.
Westerminster Abbey is a gothic style church begun in 1245 by Henry III. This 700 year old church is full of history! Many kings and queens (17) are buried here, along with writers, soilders, and other significant people. There are also many important paintings, statues, stained glass, and artifacts to appreciate. Tours were closed, but we attended a beautiful Evensong service.
If you come on a Sunday, the church will be closed to touring, but open for services. The Evensong service is a service that is mostly sung by the choir and is a nice one to attend. Book in advance for Verger Tours. Vergers work at the church and give very informative tours.
Eurostar to Paris
The day before the start of our tour, we took the Eurostar from London to Paris. We arrived at the Gare du Nord station in the early afternoon then took a taxi to our hotel and checked in. Our hotel was in the Montparnasse area and not far to the beautiful Luxembourg Palace and Gardens (pictured at top).
The Eurostar makes getting from London to Paris quick and simple. It is about a 2 1/2 hour, relaxing ride -- only 20 minutes of it is actually through the (dark) channel tunnel. The top speed is over 200 miles per hour.
Eurostar Tips There is a dining car with lots of refreshments to choose from or you can bring your own food and have a picnic. You can bring liquids, so it is okay to bring a bottle of wine to enjoy on the journey!
Buy your Eurostar tickets well in advance for the best prices. Tickets go on sale about 6 months in advance. Fares can vary greatly. With a family of four we saved hundreds of dollars by booking well ahead of time.
Select your seats when booking your ticket to ensure seats together and your preferred location of seats. With hungry young men, we choose to be near the dining car!
Arrive 30 minutes or more before your time of departure. You go through a security check much like an airport's.
It's no problem to bring luggage aboard. Each person can bring 2 bags and there are no weight limits, as long as you can carry them. There is a place for luggage near you seats.
To get the best taxi rate once you arrive, be sure to go strait to official taxi stands. Ignore the unauthorized cabbies who greet you at the station. Official taxi drivers stay in their cars.
PARIS!
Luxembourg Gardens Jardin du Luxembourg
We were so excited to be in Paris for the first time! From Gare du Nord (the Eurostar train station), we took a taxi to our hotel, Hotel Apollianire. After checking in, we took our first walk in Paris to beautiful Luxembourg Palace and Gardens.
Marie de' Medicis (wife of Henri IV) had the palace built beginning in 1612. After the revolution the palace became home to the government. The gardens are known for the beautiful lawns, trees, flower beds and the circular pool full of model sailboats.
Seine River Cruise
In the early evening, we decided to take a cruise on the Seine River beginning at Pont Neuf -- with Vedettes du Pont Neuf. Cruises last one hour and there is no need to buy advance tickets. It's a wonderful way to see many of Paris' most beautiul sites. See the slide show below for an idea of the many things you see on a cruise.
Paris began with only 5 bridges and now there are 37! Pont Neuf, which means new bridge, is the oldest. Pont des Arts is the bridge that lovers used to put locks on. The weight of the locks was causing damage to the bridge, so locks are no longer allowed.
Pre-Tour Sites to See
Here's a list of a few things that you may want to experience pre-tour as they are not included on the tour. There is also time during the free-time periods of the tour to visit some of these places. Tickets to the Eiffel Tower and Versailles Palace should be bought in advance to avoid huge lines. (Click each one to be directed to their website!)