Double Delights: London & Paris — Self-Launched Edition
7 days · London & Paris
Wonderful Holidays UK charges £1,330
No-markup version: ~£446 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 7-day solo route covering the same sights as Wonderful Holidays UK's "Double Delights: London & Paris" tour — three days in London, then the Eurostar to Paris for four days. Instead of a private partially-guided package, you book your own hostel beds, grab an Oyster/contactless card and a Paris Navigo Easy, ride the hop-on hop-off buses if you want them, and self-book the Eiffel Tower climb and Seine cruise via GetYourGuide or directly. All costs are approximate per person in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive London — Westminster & the South Bank
London, UK
Land at Heathrow and get into town cheaply: the Piccadilly line tube to central London is about £5.60 contactless (or £12.80 on the Heathrow Express if you're in a hurry — not worth it for most). Check into a hostel in Bloomsbury, King's Cross or Southwark (£20-30 dorm). Grab a contactless card/Oyster and walk the classic loop: Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column, down Whitehall past Horse Guards Parade and 10 Downing Street, to Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and Westminster Bridge. Optional: £25 to enter St Paul's Cathedral, or just admire from outside.
🚌Piccadilly line tube from Heathrow (~£5.60 contactless)
🛏Central London hostel dorm (Bloomsbury / King's Cross / Southwark)
- →Piccadilly line tube from Heathrow to central London
- →Trafalgar Square & Nelson's Column
- →Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade & 10 Downing Street
- →Westminster Abbey, Big Ben & Westminster Bridge
- →South Bank evening walk
Changing of the Guard, London Eye & Thames Cruise
London, UK
Check the Changing of the Guard schedule online (roughly 11am on set days — no ticket needed, arrive 20-30 min early for a spot near Buckingham Palace). Walk through St James's Park and past Horse Guards. Optional hop-on hop-off bus pass: a 24-hour Big Bus or Golden Tours ticket is around £30-40 if you want it, but a Zones 1-2 travelcard (£8.10/day capped) covers most of it. Book the London Eye (~£29-35) and a 30-min Thames sightseeing cruise (~£15-20) via GetYourGuide or Klook for the same day.
🚌Tube + walking; optional hop-on hop-off bus pass (~£35)
🛏Central London hostel dorm
- →Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
- →St James's Park walk
- →London Eye (self-booked ~£32)
- →Thames river cruise (~£18)
- →Optional high tea near Westminster
British Museum & Covent Garden
London, UK
The British Museum is free — pre-book a timed slot on their site. Spend the morning on the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian galleries, then walk 10 minutes to Covent Garden for street performers, the Apple Market and a cheap lunch (£8-12). Afternoon options: free National Gallery, or National Portrait Gallery. Evening: check Time Out for a pub or hostel social night.
🚌Tube / walking (~£5)
🛏Central London hostel dorm
- →British Museum (free, book timed entry)
- →Covent Garden street performers & shopping
- →Optional National Gallery (free)
- →Pub dinner / hostel social
Eurostar to Paris — Eiffel Tower & Seine Cruise
Paris, France
Book the Eurostar London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord in advance (from ~£39 one-way if booked early, £80-120 standard) via the Eurostar site or Trainline. Journey is 2h20. On arrival, get a Navigo Easy card or use contactless on the metro (~£2.10/journey). Check into a hostel in the Marais, Canal Saint-Martin or Montmartre (£25-40 dorm). Head to Trocadéro for the Eiffel Tower views, then self-book a summit/second-floor climb ticket (stairs ~£11, lift ~£24) directly on toureiffel.paris, and an evening Seine cruise (~£14-18 via GetYourGuide). See the tower sparkle on the hour after dark.
🚌Eurostar (~£39-120) + Paris metro (~£5)
🛏Paris hostel dorm (Marais / Canal Saint-Martin / Montmartre)
- →Eurostar St Pancras to Gare du Nord
- →Trocadéro viewpoint
- →Eiffel Tower climb (self-booked, ~£24 lift)
- →Evening Seine river cruise (~£16)
- →Eiffel Tower sparkle after dark
Île de la Cité, Latin Quarter & the Louvre
Paris, France
Walk Île de la Cité: Sainte-Chapelle (€13, book ahead to skip the queue), Notre-Dame exterior (reopened — free entry, timed slots), then cross to the Latin Quarter for the Sorbonne, Panthéon (€13) and Luxembourg Gardens. Afternoon: the Louvre — pre-book a timed ticket (~£20-22) to see the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory. Skip the museum queues with a Klook/GetYourGuide fast-track if you prefer.
🚌Metro / walking (~£5)
🛏Paris hostel dorm
- →Sainte-Chapelle (~£11)
- →Notre-Dame Cathedral (free, timed slot)
- →Latin Quarter & Panthéon (~£11)
- →Luxembourg Gardens
- →Louvre Museum timed entry (~£21)
Champs-Élysées, Orsay & Montmartre
Paris, France
Start at the Arc de Triomphe (rooftop ~£12 if you want the view), stroll the Champs-Élysées, and cut through the Jardin des Tuileries. Visit the Musée d'Orsay (impressionists, ~£14) and the Rodin Museum (~£12, gardens cheaper). Then metro from Odéon to Montmartre (~£2.10), ride the funicular or walk up to Sacré-Cœur (basilica free; dome ~£7), and wander Place du Tertre. Dinner at a Montmartre café for the classic finish.
🚌Metro Odéon to Montmartre + funicular (~£4)
🛏Paris hostel dorm
- →Arc de Triomphe & Champs-Élysées
- →Jardin des Tuileries
- →Musée d'Orsay (~£14)
- →Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur
- →Place du Tertre dinner
Departure from Paris CDG
Paris, France
Take the RER B from central Paris to Charles de Gaulle Airport (~£10.50, 35-50 min) — far cheaper than a private transfer. Allow 3 hours before a long-haul flight. If your flight is later, leave bags at the hostel and grab a final coffee and croissant.
🚌RER B to CDG (~£10.50)
🛏—
- →RER B to CDG airport
- →Optional last-minute Paris walk
Self-launched vs. Wonderful Holidays UK
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Wonderful Holidays UK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£446 | £1,330 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £884 per person (66%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Wonderful Holidays UK-style trips? Check them out here.~£446
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Double Delights: London & Paris — Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £446 per person for 7 days in London & Paris. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Wonderful Holidays UK?+
Yes — Wonderful Holidays UK charges around £1,330 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £446 — a saving of roughly £884 (66%) per person.
How long is the London & Paris trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through London & Paris.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, budget trip through London & Paris, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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