Europe Highlight's By Cosmos

[jmahel]

Would like information on Europe Highlights with Cosmos--London to Paris. How is the weather for latter Sept. & Oct.? I read that the a/c is turned off Oct. 1st. What about booking my own air fare & doing transfers with them? Optional Excursions???I have read that you can do London pretty much on your own & what about Paris? The Versailles Sun King's Palace tour is it worth the money? Is there any one booked to go then?

[Letsgo]

I have not traveled with Cosmos but Globus. I have been to Europe that time of year. It is a great time to go. The weather is cooler and there are not nearly as many tourists.You would not need air conditioning.London and Paris are both easy to get around on your own using public transportation. I always book my own air and if with a tour I than pay for the transfers.When booking air look at Cosmos fare and than check it on your own.When booking your return flights be sure to allow at least 2 - 3 hours to clear customs and immigration if you are making connections stateside. I have always found that the connections offered by the tour companies for their airfare are just not very good.Airfares are really cheap right now.

If you want some idea regarding weather that time of year check out weatherbase dot com.It will give you average temps and rainfall amounts for each month. Everytime I travel to Europe I check out the extended forecast the day before I leave.That way I can change my packing at the last minute.I have not been to Versaille so I have no information about it. On the 2 tours I have been on that offered that optional I was at the point where I needed some alone time to wander in Paris so I did not take that optional. I went to the Museum d'Orsay. Loved it.

[tofurkey38]

I also did not take the Versailles tour, but the other people on my tour who did said they liked it and it was very impressive, but is mostly big empty rooms and some nice gardens. I think, with so little time in Paris, you have to decide whether you want to take the several hour trip outside of Paris to Versailles, or spend that time doing things in the city, like the Louvre, Orsay Museum, Champs Elysees, etc. For me, this was my only time to do my own thing in Paris since I did the farewell dinner and the Eiffle Tower excursions, plus our included tour. However, if you don't do any of the optionals you would have more time on your own.
I didn't do the airport transfers because I wanted to save money by just taking the underground to the hotel, which in London was easy, and there were very helpful employees at the ticket counters. I did not leave from Paris so I dont know how easy it is to get to the Paris airport from the hotel.

[swancity]

We went with this tour last year in July/August, it was very hot in Rome n Venice, Paris, London were OK, best time to go is in Fall.
Paris 3 days, we managed to go to Versailles, the palace was grand, especially the hall of mirror, garden was huge and beautiful, musical water fountain was the highlight. Try to include this if you have time, we went to Louvre on our own, impossible to see everything in louvre in one day, if you go there morning, go the the monalisa first cause that's the one that so crowded,people pushing their way to the front . .