UK & France — 13-Night Itinerary

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Click any day to expand. Click a city header to jump to it on the map.

🏙 London ↗ map 3 Nights · Nov 5–7

💡 Skip the car in London — Congestion charges + parking are a pain. The Tube covers everything.

❶

Day 1 · Nov 5 — Arrive & South Bank

Land at LHR · Borough Market · Tate Modern

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Land at Heathrow (LHR), check in, rest
Evening: Borough Market food stalls
South Bank walk along the Thames
Tate Modern (free, open late)

❷

Day 2 · Nov 6 — Historic Core

Tower of London · Greenwich · Shoreditch

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Tower of London — book ahead, skip the queue
Tower Bridge walk
River ferry to Greenwich: Royal Observatory, Cutty Sark, Prime Meridian
Dinner in Shoreditch

❸

Day 3 · Nov 7 — Royal & Cultural + Train North

Westminster · British Museum · King's Cross

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Westminster: Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey
Buckingham Palace / St James's Park (stunning autumn leaves)
British Museum (free, allow 2–3 hrs)
🚂 Evening LNER train King's Cross → Edinburgh (~4.5 hrs)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland ↗ map 4 Nights · Nov 8–11

🚗 Pick up rental car at Edinburgh Airport (Arnold Clark for best local price). Drive on the LEFT. November mist makes the Highlands cinematic.

❹

Day 4 · Nov 8 — Edinburgh Old Town

Castle · Royal Mile · Arthur's Seat

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Edinburgh Castle — arrive 9:30am before crowds
Royal Mile walk to Palace of Holyroodhouse
Greyfriars Kirkyard
Arthur's Seat hike at dusk (45 min, panoramic views)

❺

Day 5 · Nov 9 — New Town + Day Trip

Scott Monument · Stirling or St Andrews

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Scott Monument, Princes Street Gardens
Scottish National Gallery (free)
Option A: Stirling Castle (45 min drive) + Wallace Monument
Option B: St Andrews (1 hr drive) — cathedral ruins, beach walk

❻

Day 6 · Nov 10 — Highlands: Loch Lomond → Glencoe

A82 scenic drive · overnight Fort William

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Drive A82 north through Loch Lomond National Park
Stop at Loch Lomond viewpoints
Glencoe Valley — particularly dramatic in November mist
Overnight near Fort William (base for Ben Nevis)

❼

Day 7 · Nov 11 — Loch Ness → Edinburgh → Paris

Urquhart Castle · Return car · Fly EDI→CDG

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Drive to Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle ruins
Return south via A9
Return rental car at Edinburgh Airport
✈️ Evening easyJet / Air France Edinburgh → Paris CDG (~2 hrs)

🗼 Paris ↗ map 4 Nights · Nov 12–15

🚗 Pick up rental car at CDG — no need to drive within Paris (use Métro). You'll use it for the Lyon drive on Day 15.

❽

Day 8 · Nov 12 — Arrive Paris, Le Marais

Place des Vosges · Centre Pompidou

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Check in, walk Le Marais
Place des Vosges — oldest planned square in Paris
Centre Pompidou (world-class modern art)
Dinner: L'As du Fallafel or brasserie on Rue de Bretagne

❾

Day 9 · Nov 13 — Iconic Paris

Eiffel Tower · Seine cruise · Musée d'Orsay

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Eiffel Tower summit — book 4+ weeks ahead
Seine River cruise (Bateaux Mouches, ~1 hr)
Musée d'Orsay — Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh
Trocadéro viewpoint at sunset
Dinner: Rue Cler neighbourhood

❿

Day 10 · Nov 14 — Louvre + Montmartre

Louvre · Sacré-Cœur · Canal Saint-Martin

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Louvre Museum — morning, 3–4 hrs, pre-book timed entry
Montmartre: Sacré-Cœur, artists' square, vineyard walk
Evening apéritif at Canal Saint-Martin

⓫

Day 11 · Nov 15 — Notre-Dame + Versailles option

Notre-Dame · Sainte-Chapelle · Versailles

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Notre-Dame Cathedral — fully reopened Dec 2024, stunning restoration
Sainte-Chapelle — extraordinary Gothic stained glass
🏰 Day trip to Versailles Palace (RER C, 45 min) — Hall of Mirrors, Royal Gardens
🚗 Evening: pick up rental car at CDG or city

🍷 Lyon ↗ map 2 Nights · Nov 16–17

🚗 Drive Paris → Lyon via A6 (~4.5 hrs, toll ~€35). France's gastronomic capital — budget generously for food.

⓬

Day 12 · Nov 16 — Vieux Lyon & Fourvière

UNESCO Old Town · Traboules · Bouchon dinner

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Vieux Lyon — best-preserved Renaissance old town in France
Traboules — hidden passageways through apartment blocks
Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière — hilltop panorama
Roman Amphitheatre (1st century AD)
Dinner: Daniel et Denise or Chez Georges — book ahead

⓭

Day 13 · Nov 17 — Presqu'île & Les Halles

Bocuse Market · Beaux-Arts · Farewell dinner

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Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse — world-famous gourmet market
Musée des Beaux-Arts (one of France's best)
Croix-Rousse neighbourhood — bohemian silk-workers' district
Farewell dinner: La Mère Brazier or Takao Takano (Michelin-starred)

🏠

Day 14 · Nov 18 — Depart

Drop car at LYS · Fly Lyon → SFO

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Return rental car at Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport (LYS)
Fly LYS → SFO via Frankfurt (Lufthansa) or Zurich (SWISS)
~13–15 hrs total travel time home

Flights

All prices per person, economy. November is the cheapest month on most of these routes.

✈️ SFO

San Francisco

→

LHR

London Heathrow

$388–$550

~10 hrs · Best: Fri Nov 6

SkyTeam Virgin Atlantic — nonstop · earn Flying Blue miles

SkyTeam KLM — via Amsterdam (AMS) · earn Flying Blue miles

Other British Airways (Oneworld) · United (Star Alliance) · Aer Lingus (Oneworld)

✈️ EDI

Edinburgh

→

CDG

Paris

$63–$150

~2 hrs · Direct

SkyTeam ⭐ Air France — only nonstop SkyTeam option · earn Flying Blue miles

Other easyJet — cheaper but no mileage program

✈️ LYS

Lyon

→

SFO

San Francisco

$600–$900

~13–15 hrs connecting · Tue cheapest

SkyTeam ⭐ Air France LYS→CDG→SFO — best SkyTeam routing · earn Flying Blue

Other SWISS via ZRH (Star Alliance) · Lufthansa via FRA (Star Alliance)

Total flights · per person · economy

Book 6–8 weeks out · set Google Flights price alert

~$1,280

🛫

SkyTeam Mileage Strategy

Best program · all 3 legs · Flying Blue recommendation

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All three legs have a SkyTeam option. The best strategy is to book SkyTeam carriers throughout and credit all miles to a single program — Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) is the clear winner for these routes.

Leg	SkyTeam Carrier	Credit To
SFO → LHR	Virgin Atlantic (nonstop) or KLM via AMS	Flying Blue
EDI → CDG	Air France (only nonstop SkyTeam)	Flying Blue
LYS → SFO	Air France LYS→CDG→SFO	Flying Blue

✈️ Flying Blue (Air France / KLM) — Recommended
Native program for Air France and KLM. Also earns on Virgin Atlantic. All three legs pool into one account. Monthly Promo Rewards often cut award prices 20–50%. Sign up free at airfranceklm.com.

🔺 Delta SkyMiles — Alternative
US-friendly program, good for Delta domestic connections. Can earn on Air France / KLM / Virgin Atlantic as partners. But Flying Blue prices the same SkyTeam awards 20–40% cheaper than SkyMiles — only use SkyMiles if you already have a large balance.

🌟 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club — Bonus option
Distance-based chart can be very good value for SFO→LHR on Virgin Atlantic metal. Worth checking if you have an existing Flying Club balance.

💡 Tip: You cannot merge miles between programs. Pick Flying Blue and credit all three legs there. Book EDI→CDG and LYS→SFO directly at airfrance.com for best earn rates. For SFO→LHR, book Virgin Atlantic directly at virginatlantic.com and enter your Flying Blue number at booking.

💡 November is historically the cheapest month on SFO→LHR. Tuesday/Wednesday departures are cheapest — the LYS→SFO return on Nov 18 (Tuesday) is ideal timing.

Accommodation

November rates are 20–40% below summer peak. Filter by city or tier. Click a card to select it.

🏨 Your Selected Hotels

Budget Estimate

Per person. Adjust party size for the full trip cost.

Mid-Range

Luxury

1 traveller

✈️Flights (all legs)

~$1,280

$1,280 × 1

🏨Hotels (13 nights)

~$3,000

$3,000 × 1

🚗Car rentals (UK + France)

~$550

shared

🍽Food & dining

~$900

$900 × 1

🎟Activities & entry fees

~$300

$300 × 1

🚆Transport (Tube, trains, tolls)

~$250

$250 × 1

Total · 1 traveller

Economy flights · mid-range hotels

~$5,060

Must-Book Checklist

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🛂

Entry Requirements — US Citizens

UK ETA · EU ETIAS · EU EES · Updated June 2026

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🇬🇧 UK ETA — REQUIRED NOW

Mandatory for all US citizens since February 25, 2026. You cannot board a flight to the UK without it. Covers both London and Edinburgh legs.

Cost: £20 · Validity: 2 years / unlimited entries / up to 6 months per stay
Apply: gov.uk/eta or the UK ETA app (iOS / Android)
Processing: Usually minutes · Apply at least 3 working days before departure
⚠️ Only use official gov.uk — third-party sites charge more

🇫🇷 EU ETIAS — NOT required for Nov 2026

ETIAS launches Q4 2026 but includes a 6-month grace period — no enforcement until ~April 2027. Your November 2026 trip to France does not require ETIAS. No action needed now.

When it does apply (future trips): €20 · 3-year validity · covers all 30 Schengen countries · apply at etias.eu

🇪🇺 EU EES (Entry/Exit System) — Live since April 2026

Not a visa — just new border technology. When entering France at CDG, your fingerprints and facial scan will be recorded digitally (replaces passport stamps). This happens automatically at the checkpoint.

Impact on your trip: First-time EES registration takes slightly longer at CDG passport control. Budget extra 20–30 min at immigration. Subsequent EU entries within the trip will be faster.

Logistics at a Glance

All transport legs in travel order.

✈️

SFO → London Heathrow (LHR)

Direct · ~10 hrs · Virgin Atlantic / BA / United
Nov 5 or 6 · Best fares on Fridays

~$400

🚂

London → Edinburgh

LNER from King's Cross · ~4.5 hrs
Evening of Nov 7

~£70

🚗

Edinburgh → Highlands → Edinburgh

Rental car · Arnold Clark · Drive on LEFT
Nov 8–11 · 4 days · single-track roads in Highlands

~$220

✈️

Edinburgh (EDI) → Paris (CDG)

easyJet / Air France · Direct · ~2 hrs
Evening Nov 11

~$80

🚗

Paris → Lyon via A6

Autoroute du Soleil · ~4.5 hrs · Toll ~€35
Europcar/ADA · Nov 15–18 · return at LYS airport

~$230

✈️

Lyon (LYS) → SFO

Lufthansa via FRA or SWISS via ZRH · ~13–15 hrs
Nov 18

~$700

⚠️

Car Rental Rules & Tips

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UK rental cannot cross to France — return in Edinburgh before flying
Scotland: Drive on the LEFT — single-track roads in Highlands, use passing places
France: Carry a reflective vest + warning triangle (legally required)
Paris: Confirm rental has Crit'Air sticker for Low Emission Zone (ZFE)
A6 toll Paris→Lyon: budget ~€35–50

🚇

London Underground — How to Use

Contactless · Oyster · Fares · Key Lines · Tips

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⚡ Quick Start

Just tap your contactless bank card, iPhone, or Apple Watch on the yellow reader at the gate — no setup needed. Daily spending caps apply automatically. This is the easiest option for tourists.

💳 Payment Options

BEST

Contactless bank card / Apple Pay / Google Pay — Tap any Visa, Mastercard, or Amex with contactless chip. Works with Apple Watch, Samsung Pay, wearables. Automatic daily + weekly fare caps. No setup, no fees.

ALT

Oyster card — Physical top-up card, £7 card fee. Only worth it if you want a 7-Day Travelcard loaded on it (£44.70 for Zones 1–2). Available at all station machines.

AVOID

Paper single tickets — Still sold at machines but cost a flat £7 for any journey. Two to three times more expensive than contactless. Never use these.

💰 Fares & Caps (2026)

Journey	Peak	Off-Peak
Zone 1 only	£2.90	£2.80
Zones 1–2	£3.50	£2.90
Zones 1–6 (Heathrow)	£5.80	£3.80
Bus (flat fare)	£1.75
Daily cap — Zones 1–2	£8.90
Weekly cap — Zones 1–2	£44.70 (Mon–Sun)

Peak hours: Mon–Fri 06:30–09:30 and 16:00–19:00. Weekends always off-peak.

✈️ Heathrow → Central London

BEST

Elizabeth Line to Paddington → ~30 min · ~£13.90 off-peak · every 10 min · modern, spacious, easy luggage

CHEAP

Piccadilly Line to central London → ~50 min · £5.80 peak / £3.80 off-peak · slower but much cheaper

🗺️ Key Lines for This Trip

Line	Reaches
Elizabeth	Heathrow, Paddington, Tottenham Court Rd
Jubilee	Westminster, London Bridge, Canary Wharf
Central	Oxford Circus, Bank, St Paul's
Northern	Camden, Bank, London Bridge, Waterloo
District/Circle	Tower Hill, Paddington, Victoria, Embankment

💡 Essential Tips

Tap IN and OUT on the Tube — failing to tap out charges the maximum fare. Buses: tap IN only, never out.
Card clash: Don't hold your whole wallet to the reader — only one card/phone at a time or the wrong card gets charged.
Use the same card/device all week to accumulate the £44.70 weekly cap — mixing devices resets it.
Escalators: stand on the RIGHT, walk on the left. (Tourists violating this will be glared at.)
Best app: Citymapper — far better than Google Maps for London transit.
Night Tube (Fri/Sat all night): Central, Victoria, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly lines.

🚇

Paris Métro — How to Use

No more paper tickets · Navigo · Apple Wallet · RER B to CDG

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🚨 Paper tickets are gone

The old magnetic t+ ticket was discontinued November 2025 and is no longer accepted anywhere as of June 2026. You cannot tap a regular bank card or Apple Pay directly either — Paris Metro does not support contactless bank payments at turnstiles (yet). You must preload tickets via app or a Navigo card.

⚡ Quick Start (set up before you fly)

iPhone users: Open Apple Wallet → + → Travel Card → France → Navigo Paris. Buy Metro-Train-RER tickets directly in Wallet. Tap iPhone or Apple Watch to the purple Navigo reader.

Android users: Download IDF Mobilités app or Bonjour RATP. Buy and store tickets in the app. Tap phone to reader.

Set this up at home — station WiFi is unreliable and machine queues at CDG after a long flight are miserable.

💳 Payment Options

BEST

iPhone Apple Wallet — Load Navigo tickets before departure. Tap to purple readers. No physical card needed.

BEST

Android — IDF Mobilités app — Same as above for Android. Set up before arriving.

ALT

Navigo Easy card (€2, anonymous, reloadable) — Buy at any ticket window or CDG airport on arrival. Tap purple readers. Good backup if phone setup fails.

N/A

Direct contactless bank card / Apple Pay — NOT accepted at Metro/RER turnstiles. Being piloted on buses only in 2026. Does not work at station gates.

💰 Ticket Prices (2026)

Ticket	Price
Metro-Train-RER single (central Paris)	€2.55
Bus / Tram single (90-min transfer)	€2.05
Airport ticket (CDG or Orly ↔ Paris)	€14.00
Day pass — unlimited (no airports)	€12.30
Weekly pass (Mon–Sun, needs photo)	€32.40
Navigo Easy card (one-time)	€2.00

Day pass saves money at 5+ trips/day. Airport ticket is separate — not included in any pass except Paris Visite or weekly Navigo.

✈️ CDG Airport → Paris (RER B)

RER B — trains every 10–15 min, 5 AM–midnight
Ticket: Airport ticket (€14, NOT a standard Metro ticket) — buy before entering the fare zone
Journey times: Gare du Nord ~28 min · Châtelet-Les Halles ~31 min · Saint-Michel ~33 min
Terminal 1: Alight at "Aéroport CDG 1" → free CDGVAL shuttle to terminal
Terminal 2: Alight at "Aéroport CDG 2 TGV" (final stop)
⚠️ Important: From Paris to CDG, verify train says "Aéroport CDG" — some RER B trains go to Mitry-Claye and skip the airport
⚠️ Note: You cannot have a Metro ticket AND an Airport ticket on the same Navigo Easy card simultaneously — use phone app or two separate cards

🗺️ Key Lines for This Trip

Line	Reaches
M1	Champs-Élysées, Louvre, Bastille (east-west)
M4	Notre-Dame (Cité), Saint-Michel, Montparnasse
M6	Eiffel Tower (Bir-Hakeim), Trocadéro
M12	Montmartre (Abbesses), Saint-Germain-des-Prés
M14	Gare de Lyon, Châtelet, Orly Airport
RER A	Versailles, CDG-Étoile, main east-west axis
RER B	CDG Airport (€14), Luxembourg, Gare du Nord

💡 Essential Tips

Keep your ticket until you exit — inspectors board trains and fine without mercy (~€100). This still applies even with phone tickets.
Transfers are free: Follow "Correspondance" signs inside stations to switch lines without exiting. Exit the gates and you use up your ticket.
Metro to bus requires a separate ticket — a Metro ticket does not cover bus transfers.
Pickpockets at Châtelet, CDG-Étoile, Gare du Nord. Keep bags zipped in front.
Metro hours: weekdays 5:30 AM–1:15 AM · weekends until ~2:15 AM.
Best apps: Bonjour RATP or IDF Mobilités for real-time disruptions. Google Maps works well for routing.
Versailles: Take RER C from Musée d'Orsay (Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame) to Versailles Rive Gauche — standard Metro ticket works within Paris, buy a separate ticket for the Versailles extension.

💡 Why November? Between National Day Golden Week (Oct 1–7) and Chinese New Year 2027 (Feb 6–12). Hotels 20–40% cheaper than summer. Far fewer queues at every major sight.

🇬🇧 UK & France 🇫🇷

🏨 Your Selected Hotels