# Traveling from London to Paris **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-from-london-to-paris/251654 "2004-06-22T16:18:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SaxFace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SaxFace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaxFace)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-from-london-to-paris/251654/21 "2004-06-24T21:33:36Z")
Just wanted to echo what others have expertly written. Book the Eurostar as far in advance as possible. The rates rise very quickly. Book your hotel as far in advance as possible. If you need a recommendation, I suggest the Saphir: [http://www.saphirhotel.fr/saphir/anglais/accueil.html](http://www.saphirhotel.fr/saphir/anglais/accueil.html) I think they have a summer special on rooms (55 euros for a single). It’s clean, in a great location (on 3 metro lines) and near the Eiffel Tower (and pretty close to Les Invalides) in the best (IMHO) neighborhood in Paris. The helpful staff speaks English and they have a delicious breakfast. Since Paris is flooded with tourists all summer, I would recommend doing the lesser traveled tourist attractions including the catacombs (great on a hot day) or the sewer tour (not so good on a hot day). I second the visit to Les Invalides to see Napolean’s tomb and a really beautiful chapel with medieval military flags. Boat rides (Bateaux Mouches) are popular but walking around and just getting lost is great, too. Again, be very polite when you enter stores or want to ask someone something, start out with “bonjour, madame/mademoiselle/monsieur” and to say “merci” as needed. It’s important to be very courteous. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-from-london-to-paris/251654/22 "2004-06-24T23:06:36Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > Now it is even quicker on Eurostar. Since the opening of the first stage of the new high-speed line in England the journey time is now just two and a half hours. That is city centre to city centre . Air travel just cannot compete with these times. Great news, I’m going to UK in a few weeks. I have often had the insane idea of doing a day trip to Paris from Windsor. (windsor train to waterloo is direct though a bit slow), If the eurostar is down to 2.5 hours leaving WIndsor at 6.00am would give me 11.00am to about 7.00pm in Paris. (Yes, staying a few days in Paris would be far more sensable, but the day trip idea always appealed to my sense of adventure [or stupidity] ) ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-from-london-to-paris/251654/23 "2004-06-25T04:18:06Z")
Eee, thanks for all the advice, everyone (that hotel sounds great, SaxFace). I’ve made my Eurostar reservations and the hotel should soon follow. Thanks for mentioning Les Invalides, too, Spavined Gelding. Along with art museums (I’m an art history major, what can I say), military museums are one of the main things I’ve been wanting to check out in Europe, though I’m far from a war buff. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-from-london-to-paris/251654/24 "2004-06-25T10:49:52Z")
> [@shy guy](#): > > Eee, thanks for all the advice, everyone (that hotel sounds great, SaxFace). I’ve made my Eurostar reservations and the hotel should soon follow. > > Thanks for mentioning Les Invalides, too, Spavined Gelding. Along with art museums (I’m an art history major, what can I say), military museums are one of the main things I’ve been wanting to check out in Europe, though I’m far from a war buff. Then you should also visit the Imperial War Museum in London. Great place to wander around with many interesting exhibits . It is informative without over-glorifying war. Here is the web-site :- [http://www.iwm.org.uk/](http://www.iwm.org.uk/) ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-from-london-to-paris/251654/25 "2004-06-25T11:39:31Z")
Further to what \*\*Bonzer \*\* and **Garius** said about meeting the local loonies in London, we are having a smallish get together on Saturday 3rd July. See [here](http://p086.ezboard.com/fnadsfrm2.showMessageRange?topicID=1196.topic&start=1&stop=20) for information. If that thread doesn’t scare you off, you’d be more than welcome!! ---
**Author:** ![igloorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/858c86/32.png) [@igloorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igloorex)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2004, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-from-london-to-paris/251654/26 "2004-06-27T20:31:34Z")
> [@shy guy](#): > > military museums are one of the main things I’ve been wanting to check out in Europe, though I’m far from a war buff. You’ve probably already considered these, but… In London, don’t miss: The Imperial War museum on the south bank The cabinet war rooms near parliament The aviation museum at Duxford (20 miles or so from London [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-from-london-to-paris/251654.md?page=1)