An eight night trip to London & Paris gives you enough time to explore each city, with some downtime to relax and just enjoy the vibrancy of the cities. I think I could take a year in each city, and still not see or experience everything that each city offers.
If time is limited, then this itinerary could be easily adjusted to spend three nights in each of Paris & London.
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Booking Flights
Booking through American Airlines, I filtered on non-stop flights, flying American Airlines.
Tip from Susan
While spontaneity is good, it's important to think ahead about what are your "must do" experiences in each city, so that time doesn't get away from you, and some attractions are very popular and require tickets (even if they are free!)
Where to Stay
When choosing hotels, I wanted to find good value, in a decent location, and where possible, selecting hotels in a loyalty program I'm a member of, in order to take advantage of free nights and other discounts.
Hyatt Place London City East
📍: Whitechapel, London
💲 410 for 4 night stay (per room, not per person)
⭐️ 4-star
Why I chose Hyatt Place London City East
I selected this hotel because of the cost of staying there, and the fact that I have Hyatt certificates offering two free nights stay, bringing the cost of the property down to $410 per room (not per person) for a 4 night stay (including breakfast).
The hotel is just 5 years old, so amenities are modern, and rooms are comparatively roomy (London hotel rooms are notoriously small!)
Growing up in Australia, we would play the English version of Monopoly; the cheapest properties on this version of Monopoly were Whitechapel and Old Kent Road.
Whitechapel is synonymous with Jack the Ripper. The infamous, unidentified serial killer murdered several women in this poor East End district of London the late 19th century. Because the culprit was never caught, the crimes are historically known as the Whitechapel Murders.
These days, Whitechapel is a popular place for travelers on a budget to stay. The Greater London area is divided into the City of London (the historic financial district) and the City of Westminster (the political and cultural hub). The most popular tourist attractions in the City of London are the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and St. Paul's Cathedral (where Charles & Diana were married).
Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament are located in the City of Westminster. The British Museum is located about 3 miles from the hotel.
The hotel is within walking distance of a "tube station", making it a good budget-friendly option close to public transportation for seeing all the sights London has to offer.
ibis Styles Paris Gare de Lyon TGV
📍: Gare de Lyon
💲 860 for 4 night stay (per room, not per person)
⭐️ 4-star
Why I chose Ibis Styles Paris Gare de Lyon
I selected this hotel because of the location, close to one of the major train stations in Paris, and for the cost.
The cost of a four night stay here is $860 per room (not per person)
The building which houses the ibis Styles Paris Gare de Lyon TGV hotel was originally constructed in 1900. However, it was fully renovated in 2021, and opened under the Ibis Styles brand in October of that year.
The area near the Gare de Lyon was home to the Bastille, the medieval fortress and political prison, a flashpoint of the French Revolution in 1789.
It's close to the Seine, a pleasant walk to Notre Dame Cathedral, and full of outdoor cafes and patisseries.
