The Louvre, Montmartre and café life in Paris, then the Eurostar to London in about two and a quarter hours for museums, markets, the West End and the Tower. Late spring and early autumn are best for both.
Multi-city route for your dates
5 days from Sat, Dec 5.
- Days 1–3 Paris
- Days 4–5 LondonTrain from Paris to London (about 2.3 hours)
Good to know
- Book the Eurostar early; fares climb steeply in the final weeks.
- Eurostar asks Standard and Plus travellers to arrive 75–90 minutes early for security and passport checks; gates close 30 minutes before departure.
- Since February 2026, visa-free visitors, including US and EU citizens, need a UK ETA before travel; others need a visa.
Eat this
Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
The world's largest art museum, from the Mona Lisa to the Winged Victory — pick a wing rather than trying to see it all.
Climb or take the lift for the view, then picnic on the lawn of the Champ de Mars as it sparkles on the hour after dark.
Cobbled hilltop streets, the white domes of Sacré-Cœur and Place du Tertre where painters still work outdoors.
The rebuilt cathedral and the island around it, including the stained-glass jewel box of Sainte-Chapelle nearby.
Narrow medieval streets packed with concept stores, falafel stands and the elegant arcades of Place des Vosges.
Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterworks inside a converted Belle Époque railway station.
A working market street of cheesemongers, bakeries and pavement cafés — good for a slow breakfast away from the sights.
An hour gliding past Notre-Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower as it lights up — easiest way to see the monuments together.
284 steps up for the view down twelve avenues radiating from the arch, best just before sunset.
Student streets around the Sorbonne, the Panthéon's crypt of national heroes and the Shakespeare and Company bookshop.
Small natural-wine bars with standing room only and blackboard menus — order by the glass and move on.
Louis XIV's Hall of Mirrors and formal gardens, forty minutes by RER from central Paris. Book a morning slot to beat the crowds.
Free entry to the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon Marbles and artefacts from nearly every civilisation on earth.
A nearly thousand-year-old fortress, prison and palace, with the Crown Jewels on display and Beefeater tours included.
The coronation church of English monarchs since 1066, next to the Gothic Revival seat of Parliament and Big Ben.
A riverside walk from the London Eye to Tower Bridge, passing London's oldest food market under railway arches.
A slow half-hour rotation in a glass pod, 135 metres above the Thames with views to the Houses of Parliament.
A sprawling market of street food stalls, vintage clothing and alternative fashion beside the Regent's Canal.
Pastel-coloured townhouses and Europe's largest antiques street market, busiest and best on a Saturday.
A proper Sunday roast or fish and chips with a pint, in a pub that's been pouring since before the area was fashionable.
Free contemporary and modern art inside a converted power station, with a top-floor viewing terrace over the Thames.
London's theatre district, from long-running musicals to new plays — day-of returns and lottery tickets can be cheap.
A riverboat ride to the Prime Meridian line, the historic Cutty Sark clipper and a park view back over Canary Wharf.
The oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world, still an official royal residence, forty minutes from Paddington.