London to Paris 1 day trip… ???

That sounds miserable in so many ways, and I mean that in the most positive way possible. You only have 6 days. Commit your time to England, let life slow down, and enjoy your time there.

Paris is beautiful, yes, but running around like a chicken with your head cut off to see a couple sights in one day is not worth it. Also, those train tickets will be fricking expensive burning a hole in your pocket just for one day. Don’t overthink this. Those are my thoughts atleast.

I have done it, and it isn’t worth it IMO. Too much time on the train, too little time in Paris. That’s no way to see the city. And I don’t know what it’s like now, but the train fares might be pretty steep.

Personally I’d wait and go when you have time. Once you figure that train a couple hours each way and trying to squeeze in activities in Paris for one day that doesn’t sound like a good plan. I just got back from a London /Paris trip in January and couldn’t imagine doing that in a single day. If you’re hell bent on doing it though and wanna get the most bang for your buck in a single day I’d suggest a hop on /hop off BigBus tour . It would take you around to several of the major sights with some interesting commentary explaining what you’re looking at. Maybe do that for a few hours and grab a nice dinner. Would take some careful planning and a very willful spirit but it could be done. I’d suggest against it like I said but I understand the want to 100%.

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That sounds miserable in so many ways, and I mean that in the most positive way possible. You only have 6 days. Commit your time to England, let life slow down, and enjoy your time there.

Paris is beautiful, yes, but running around like a chicken with your head cut off to see a couple sights in one day is not worth it. Also, those train tickets will be fricking expensive burning a hole in your pocket just for one day. Don’t overthink this. Those are my thoughts atleast.

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100% agree with this post.

Thanks for all the feedback.

I’m just exploring it as an option.

By no means would we be trying to cram in everything in a day or running around like chickens with our heads cut off. I don’t want anything remotely grueling.

I would attempt to make this the most leisurely enjoyable single day trip. Literally just strolling along the Seine and Ile de la Cite for few hours. Maybe a limited 2 or 3 targeted spots and most importantly a nice relaxed outdoor dinner in view of the Eiffel Tower. Just a small taste essentially and we’ll do a more complete trip later on down the line.

It might not pan out. I’m just exploring some options. Seems like it’s an overwhelming “No” from this board.

Do it. It’s your trip. Like I said earlier we did just what you are wanting to do.

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To be fair every poster on the travel board including myself sometimes seems to think no time frame is ever enough. I mean it’s understandable in this situation.

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Yeah, you’re right.

Tbh, we’re very undecided although I’m sorta leaning yes at the moment. I was hoping some folks here would “talk me into it”. But it feels like most are talking me out of it

I did look into train costs… seems to range $150-300 depending on times. That’s really not an issue.

I asked friends as well. It seems to be a mixed bag of yes and no. But I always like to consult the travel board and scan through previous posts. I respect people’s opinions and recommendations here. Travel board isn’t like the OT.

I checked all my London boxes in two days. I won't say I have disdain for London, but there's just not a ton of interesting stuff, at least to me. It's box checking. I would examine your plan for London and figure out where you can conserve time there to spend an extra day or two in Paris.

You *have* to partake in café culture in Paris, which involves sitting at a table for a couple of hours people watching, snacking, eating and drinking. You *have* to stumble across boulangeries and patisseries that nobody on this board has ever mentioned, and be stunned.

Do not underestimate the power you will be able to wield over your wife if you "surprise" her with an extra day or two in Paris. No woman dreams of going to London.

Also, take a dusk or nighttime boat ride on the Seine (hire your own boat, the one I took was located near the ND, be prepared with a playlist on your phone). You'll get closer to the ND on the water than you will on land, and you'll go by the lit Eiffel Tower. Do it with the wife first, and take the kids on it in a few years.

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Tired of London after two days? Wow. To each his own I guess.

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I agree with you, it's not my bag.

I like experiences, not Insta posts just to prove to the world that I was at XXX. London is a business town with some history and architecture sprinkled in. Maybe OP is going outside of London to Stonehenge, etc. but that's not what I'm referring to.

There is just not much that is unique about London other than a handful of things that don't require nearly a week to take in, even if you waste a day in the British Museum.

Everyone's got a different style for sure, but when you're bringing your wife to Europe-ish, between Paris and London, there's no contest. Even if she's a royal family superfan, can you really tell me that there are five days of content in London?

As it currently stands, we’ll be in England 6 full days. Possibly 7 since I’m trying to swap a shift with a colleague and fly in to London a day early. We’re going to Manchester and have an on field/on pitch VIP experience for the Manchester United and Aston Villa match at the end of April at Old Trafford.

We’re not spending 6 full days in London. 4-5 days feels like plenty… which is why I’m considering a quick but leisurely day trip to Paris.