5% Off European River Cruising & My Top London & Paris Tips
The delightful city of Honfleur in Normandy, a stop on many Paris & Normandy river cruises.
Limited Time Offer: 5% Off AmaWaterways for One Lucky Customer
Exciting news!! This month, I am able to offer one lucky customer 5% off their AmaWaterways river cruise! If you’ve been contemplating a trip down the Danube…or the Rhine…or the Moselle…or the Seine…or the Douro…this could be your chance to save some dough! This is a very limited time offer and is only valid for members of my mailing list through next Friday, May 26th, 2023. The discount is on a first-come-first-serve basis. If you are interested in this offer, please reach out to me as soon as possible. This discount cannot be applied to cruises that have already been booked and may not be combinable with other offers like free land packages.
If you’ve been following my newsletter for a while, I obviously have a lot of love for AmaWaterways but just a reminder — I have great connections with Viking, Avalon, and Uniworld too!
Some of My Favorite Places in London
If I could live anywhere I wanted to, I’d be living in London right now. It’s only the responsibilities of eldercare that keep me in the US these days. I lived in London for over 10 years and I miss it every day. I’m in the midst of helping a number of clients plan their first trip to London — Silversea has amazing cruises like this one and this one that dock right at Tower Bridge — so I thought I’d share some of my favorite things to do and see…
Markets
London is FULL of markets. For food, there’s Borough Market by London Bridge. A 10 minute walk from there and away from the tourist throngs, you’ll find Maltby Street Market which has a fun mix of bars and restaurants and antique shops. Then, in East London, just a quick walk from Liverpool Street Station, there’s Spitalfields Market. I’m not quite sure what to call Spitalfields anymore…it’s sort of a craft market maybe? An indie market? It’s a surprise every time. But there’s this guy from Kashmir there who sells the most amazing pashminas. I always make sure to pick up a few. I know most people will have heard of Portobello Road Market, but it’s not my favorite…too much of a crush at times. (Check it out and make your own decision of course.)
Walking
London is a city that is really great for walking. My absolute favorite thing to do in London when I lived there was go for a really long walk every weekend. Some of my favorite walks…
Walking from Old Street Station down to the bottom of Brick Lane and then up Brick Lane to check out the street art and over to Colombia Road Flower Market for the flowers, the Cockney accents, and the food. (Yes, another market!)
Exploring every street in Soho early on a Saturday or Sunday morning, before the throngs arrive. Tip: If you can’t figure out what street is what in Soho, think, “Going for Dinner with Billie Piper.” Greek, Dean, Berwick, Poland Streets.
Crossing the Millennium Bridge from St. Paul’s over to the Tate Modern and then walking west towards the London Eye from there. Yes, it’s a touristy walk but locals do it all the time too!
Eating & Drinking
Most Americans have this perception that food in the UK is terrible. I’m not sure where that perception comes from but it really can’t be further from the truth. There’s so much diversity in London, which means there’s something for everyone. And London chefs take seasonality and provence very seriously. Here are a few of my all-time favorite places:
Barrafina: This chain of Spanish tapas restaurants is really incredible. There may only be bar stools but if you’re up for a quick glass of wine and a snack in Central London, this is where you should go.
Ottolenghi: Yotam Ottolenghi is becoming more well-known in the US these days and I’m so happy for him. I absolutely love his Meditteranean cuisine, with a focus on interesting ingredients and fresh vegetables.
Dishoom: This is a small chain of fabulous and fun Indian restaurants. Open all day. Drop in anytime. Breakfast is especially interesting and fun.
Honestly, I could go on and on here. These are just a few of my favorite London restaurants! There are just too many to mention.
If you are planning a trip to London, please reach out! I’d love to help you make the most of your time in my #1 favorite city! Likewise, if you already have a trip to London planned, let me know and I may be able to level-up your hotel stay with extra benefits like breakfast for two and room upgrades.
Things Every Tourist Should Know about Paris
For a lot of my career in London, I hopped on the Eurostar every other month to spend time in my company’s Paris office. Hah — yes, I was the original Emily in Paris. (Without the crazy hats.) In France, I certainly learned a lot things the hard way. If you’re considering a trip to Paris this year — perhaps on AmaWaterways’ scenic Paris & Normandy cruise — here are some tips for your visit…
Dress the part. Parisians appreciate style. Leave the sweats at home! Dress nicely and accessorize. (But don’t over accessorize!)
Get ready for stairs. The Paris metro is mostly…stairs. Yes, there are escalators here and there but it’s really not like London at all. Be ready to climb those stairs!
Be careful of pickpockets. I don’t mean to scare anyone but pickpocketing seems to be more of a thing in Paris than it is in London. People will push in behind you on the Metro turnstiles, both to get a free ride and to swipe your phone from your pocket.
Don’t rely on taxis. The metro or RER is often much quicker. Paris traffic can be a nightmare. Worse still, it can be really difficult to find taxis when you need them!
Be polite. A lot of Americans think that Parisians are rude but this is not really the case. Parisians expect a certain degree of manners. ALWAYS greet shop workers and restaurant staff when you enter an establishment. And say thank you when you depart!
Get ready for cigarette smoke. Yup, the French really have not given up this habit!
Order the apertif at dinner! Most nice restaurants will expect you to order a glass of Champagne or some sort of apertif before your meal. (I’m a Kir Royale gal myself.) If you’re not sure what to order, ask your server. (See next tip!)
Always ask your server for wine recommendations. French servers LOVE to give wine recs. Don’t just blindly order what you recognize. In France, there’s practically a wine for every dish!
Don’t expect bread to be delivered before your meal. (Except maybe in more touristy areas where they are used to an American audience.) In France, bread is normally eaten WITH your meal. Don’t expect butter or oil or anything though.
While you’re in France, drink as much French wine as possible!! And try to ship some home. (French wine normally goes for three- to four-times the price in America!)
Paris never gets boring for me. If you are interested in a Paris trip, let me know how I can help you. I have all sorts of resources, from river cruises to packaged tours to rail travel (my personal favorite) and more.
That’s it for this week! If you have any questions or need any help planning your travels., definitely reach out. The world is your oyster — and mine!
