momobaig: @sasishan Sasi:sunset pics in London tomorrow. Which lens do you advise on D60+tripod? Nikkor 35mm f1.8 or Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3 OS HSM?
about 9 minutes ago
AkiraGpig: @mswliu81 Oh, & I love London & other "old" cities of Europe. You know, it's my history too (~10 generations or so, but still ;) ).
about 12 minutes ago
HERMANOPRIMERO: @R_McCormack In London or outside London ?
about 18 minutes ago
MxNCinema: 2 Days in Paris click here to watch it online or download it for later :D! link
about 21 minutes ago
noneshall: @ParisHilton Paris all i want for christmas is a message back from you! or check our group out reverbnation.com/noneshallsleeptonight dance!
about 25 minutes ago
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The good news is that the beautiful scenery comes complementary. |
 | By Julie Lawrence   OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Julie Lawrence |
| Published Aug. 12, 2009 at 10:26 a.m. |
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A month ago, as part of OnMilwaukee.com's partnership with AirTran, I flew out to Los Angeles to be "professional tourist" with the goal of returning awash in interesting ideas and good travel advice for our readers entering our Free Recession Buster Getaways blog contest.
My account of the L.A. experience is coming in a couple weeks, so you've got a little time to prepare your blogs detailing why you, and only you, deserve two Air Tran tickets to L.A. and a netbook on which to blog about your trip.
When I wrote a blog asking for your list of must-dos, you readers were gracious with your responses and I ended up doing and seeing many of your good suggestions.
That said, I come to you again. I'm about to get hitched and, subsequently, go on a honeymoon that takes us to Paris for a week and then London for a week. I've never been to either place and am ecstatic to explore unfamiliar cities across the pond.
But, to say we are on a shoestring budget might be an understatement. I'm pretty sure we could put the Frugal Traveler to shame with the number of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches we plan on consuming in the City of Light.
That being said, we've saved enough to be able to see some sights. For Paris, we've done our research and have committed to a five-day Metro pass as well as the five-day museum pass that includes more museums than we'd ever be able to actually get to. That should keep us fairly busy, but I know there's got to be more options out there for us penny pinchers.
Has anyone done Paris on the cheap?
In London we're saving money by staying with family friends who live near the Globe Theatre, so that should free up some cash to have a little fun. Suggestions?
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16 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review. |
Recent Talkbacks ...
Posted by MilwaukeeMaven on Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:50 p.m. (report)
In London, the department store chain Marks & Spencer ("Marks & Sparks") is a great place to grab lunch to go. They carry many pre-packaged sandwiches and other food if you want to picnic or need a quick bite to eat. Also, realizing that you are on a budget, Marks & Spencer "knickers" are the absolute best - great style & quality, last for years. Liberty of London is in a neat Tudor-style building, and known for its floral print fabrics; they have lots of little distinctive gifts that would make very special souvenirs. Crazy printed socks and ties are also distinctly British! As others have mentioned, the Victoria & Albert (decorative arts) and National Portrait Gallery are well worth a visit. The V&A is huge so allow enough time. Even though Versailles is outside of Paris, it's a day trip that really shouldn't be missed. The gardens there are so beautiful beyond description. Sounds like a great trip!
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Posted by mayathedog on Aug. 13, 2009 at 8:57 p.m. (report)
London: DO: go to all of the museums - they are free and amazing (V&A, Museum of Natural History - then walk around Hyde Park) DO: go to East London - the Brooklyn of London. Hoxton Square is a great area to walk around. Go to Spitalfields Market, then Brick Lane (great Indian food) on Sunday - street market, then keep walking north and walk through the flower market, then keep walking north and walk down Goldsmith's Row, stop at the Cat and Mutton buy some pints and sit in London Fields. DO: walk around Covent Garden and Soho get cheap Italian food next to Ronny's Jazz Club (where Sade and Winehouse got their start). Talfalger Square and Buckingham Palace are all within a short walk also. DO: The Tate Modern and walk along the Thames east or west, you can't go wrong. DON'T: Go to Camden DON'T: Get stuck a long way from your hotel after the tubes shut down - the buses are infrequent and the taxis are megabucks. DON'T: Bother with getting fish 'n chips - the good ones are really hard to find and our friday fish fry is way better. GET: A travel card and don't be afraid of the buses, pretty easy to figure out and you get to see the city at the same time. Could go on and on, but that should be a good start. I highly recommend East London. Tons of young people and art/galleries. Feeling like staying out all night? Go to The Green Dolphin in Hackney or The Dalston Jazz Bar. Cheap/good sandwich? Pret-A-Manger
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Posted by jinger33 on Aug. 13, 2009 at 12:39 p.m. (report)
Hi Julie - My husband and I went to London and Paris in May to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary (we had honeymooned there). On our honeymoon we hit all the tourist traps, but in May, we went the "when in Rome" route doing the cheaper, off the beaten path activities and had just as much fun. London: - Metro pass highly recommended - British Museum (free, see The Rosetta Stone and other interesting exhibits) - British Library (free, see some original Beatles sheet music, a - Shakespeare document, a Jane Austen document) - Ride the London Eye Ferris Wheel (About $30 a person, but what a view - at one point you're at the same height as Big Ben which is across the river) - Tour The Globe Theatre (About $22 a person, a great history lesson/experience) - Tour (we took an all day tour (11 hours) out of London to Bath, Stonehenge & Windsor Castle for about $90 a person which included entry fees and nice motor coach transportation - great experience and on the way out of London our guide pointed out Elton John's townhouse, Andrew Lloyd Webber's home and when leaving Bath, Jane Seymour's mansion) - Hyde Park strolling through & people watching (free, took off my shoes and joined the locals in splashing around in Princess Diana's Memorial Fountain) - Sherlock Holmes Museum (About $15 a person, fun to tour and to get your photo taken with the actor who plays Watson) - Restaurant tip - some of the best Indian food we've had Paris: - Metro pass highly recommended - Notre Dame (free, breathtaking) - Sacre Coeur (free, also breathtaking) - Get your photo taken in front of the famed Moulin Rouge (free) - Champs Elysees (free, stroll up and down at night/see the Arc lit up) - Eiffel Tour Picnic (free, we picked up bread, cheese, fruit, etc. and had a great picnic in the shadow of this Parisian icon) - Stroll along the Seine and talk to the local artists selling their wares - Market and street food is good and a great way to save money Have a great time!
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Posted by yinger73 on Aug. 13, 2009 at 12:31 p.m. (report)
I've visited Paris several times and I'd recommend what the others have said. A museum pass is an excellent investment. And bread and cheese isn't exactly a bad meal in Paris. I enjoy Parisian baguettes. I went to school in London and for getting around there I'd recommend buying a daily travelcard. It's good for the buses and on the tube. Each are the best way to get around town. Invest in a "London A-Z" street atlas. You can find it online or even at used bookstores here cheaply. Free/cheap things to do in London: As others have said, take advantage of the free art galleries and museums. My faves were the Tate and National Gallery. Parks. London has several great parks. You may want to visit Speakers Corner in Hyde Park. It's a unique experience. Kew Gardens is very nice but you must pay to get in. Markets. My favorite by far is Camden. It's very eclectic. You can go anyday but weekends are best. Beware of the pickpockets and beggars though. Carnaby Street is fun too. Walking Bond Street can be fun too, you just won't be able to buy anything there. Changing of the guard. Yes, it's a bit corny but it's very British and is worth it to see, IMO. Food. It sounds weird, but there are several good street vendors. I personally enjoy getting a cone of chips with salt and vineagar. Restaurants and pubs outside of the west end are more reasonably priced and usually better quality too. Lastly, congratualtions on your nuptuals and have fun on your trip.
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Posted by wendityme on Aug. 13, 2009 at 9:32 a.m. (report)
I went on a 4-day trip to Paris about ten years ago, and stayed in a hostile almost across the street from Notre Dame for about $30 a night - which included a breakfast of croissants, baguette, and cafe au lait - enough food that I packed half of it in my backpack for lunch, which was actually quite handy when you're out and about. The Metro pass was a godsend, and there is plenty enough to see in Paris for free that you shouldn't have a problem (outside views of the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, & Notre Dame, and admittance to Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Rive Gauche, etc., etc. etc. - don't miss the chance to see an illuminated Louvre or the Seine at night). All in all the trip cost right around $600 including air-fare. Good luck - and have a great time!
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