Jholmes

Hi everyone,

Some friends want to visit London, Paris Venice and Rome?
Any recommendation where to stay in London, they want to be near the city center and travel via train and don't want to spend more than $200 a night in accomodation. Also,has anyone tried the rail to Paris, Venice and Rome? Is it expensive? Any recommendation is highly appreciated.

penguinsix

$200 a night doesn't buy much in London. However, there is a new botique hotel that is getting RAVE reviews though located a bit out of it. The Hoxton (in Hoxton) is £99 a night, and is supposed to be quite nice.

Right now my hotel of choice is the ParkCity near the Sainsburys on the Cromwell Road at Gloucester Road tube. It is about $250-$300 a night though, but spotlessly clean and relatively quiet.

http://www.tripadvisor.com is essential reading for real reviews of every hotel in London (not bs travel agent reviews--but other travellers).

On a recent trip to Europe I took a train from Paris to Amsterdam. It was about 4 hours on a TGV and I was very disappointed. The TGV was kind of beaten up, and I kept thinking "I should have flown" as it would have been faster and more comfortable (30 minute flight). Unless they are rail fanatics, they might want to consider hopping around Europe on easyjet/ryanair, etc.

surly

I've heard good things about the "Aster House" South Kensington.

Rail Travel Rome to Paris is about $250 first Class sleeper. I've just purchased tickets from RailEurope. Look up their site to get prices.

http://www.raileurope.com/us/index.htm

Pony

I stayed here once. It is nothing fancy, but the rooms are clean. Its walking distance (about 500 feet) from Hyde Park. Great access for public transport. Rooms from $100 a night. If your taking a car then thats an extra $50 a day in parking (it was £24 a day in 2005), plus the congestion charge (£12 a day I think).

Name: Central Park Hotel
Tel: 2072292424 Fax: 02072292904
Email: [email protected]
www: http://www.centralparklondon.co.uk
Address: 49 Queensborough Terrace, London, Greater London, W2 3SS, UK

Kaffy Mintcake

Tell them to resist staying in hotels which cater to tourists specifically, and to look for reviews for them on the web. I have a great Paris recommendation for you ... but it's a Parisian hotel and you'll find more Europeans staying there than Americans. It's in the Marais district which is my absolute favorite area to stay in Paris.

Hotel Jules Cesar
52, avenue Ledru-Rollin, Paris 75012, France

You may know their preferences better than we do. The place I listed above actually had attached bathrooms (rare in Paris) and a small elevator (if it's a family of 4 be prepared to take 2 trips up).

They should look into possibly getting a railpass - it's the only way to travel if you're an American in Europe. A google search should turn them up. That way they can travel whenever they want by simply marking a day on their pass.

Hope that helps!

Kathy

Adnams

Why do all Americans automatically head for London. They should get out of the city and head to places like Bath, The Cotswolds, Shropshire, Suffolk. Ours is a beautiful country and London isnt the only place to see.

rincewind

Because it's an iconic place in England in movies, etc. Same reason why Brits head towards New York, etc.

Most Americans I've met that have been to the UK often do a couple of weeks and drive up to Scotland, go across to Ireland and spend time in the South of England.

NC Penguin

You don't say how long your friends plan to stay in each city.

Toontje

Disneyland?

Bob

If there young, students, can get good discount rail travel.

$200 a night in central London, probably looking more towards a holiday inn than a nice place...

http://www.londontown.com/

Check that site out for places and stuff.

another bloody yank

That's probably what I would do, if I had limited time. I was once sent to San Jose for work and finding I had one day free, declined an invite from some of the guys to see San Fran and headed straight up (driving straight thru Santa Cruz, I've already seen the ocean!)to go hiking in one of the giant redwood parks. Given more time I'd probably make it to the cities eventually, but I really enjoy the country. Cities have too many people.

Dogbyte

Look at Active hotels for London, Campanile hotels for France and not sure of other countries but the above are reasonable,in cities and out but good value.

Jholmes

I got a quote of $2900 per person to join the 11 days tour.

http://www.americaasia.com/triplist....d=87&newsid=87

Do you think its worth paying the amount?

penguinsix

Really depends on the people. If they are 'professional travelers' who know how to do airports, hotels, cabs in multiple countries, aren't easily upset by the little things, are a little more picky in their hotel choices, then no. Let them go on their trip on their own and they'll probably be more happy.

If having a more fixed schedule where 'bags on at this time and va-voom' then maybe this is an easier option. Harder to get lost, confused, not as much hassle.

I don't do the big tour things, but there are times some of the advantages (someone to deal with bags, hotel check-ins, etc) would seem nice. It's is like when you are in London--you can see all the sites on the tube/buses for a few pounds, or you can pay £25 and see them all in a double decker tour bus. Same sites, different experience.

I take more of "a tourist travels in groups, a traveler travels alone" approach in my travels.

TruBrit

i was in bibury, burford and ciren a couple of wks ago visiting friends and the places were full of americans...lol thought i was back here for a nanosecond