London & Paris Vacation Packages

Zicasso's trip planner worked with my family for the better part of a year planning our big family trip. She provided exceptional service and planned every detail of our trip. We have a large family, with lots of moving parts. There were many changes in the itinerary along the way and she rolled with all the many changes. She was always polite, courteous, and graceful in her many interactions with our family.

She listened carefully during our initial conversations to help us plan the best trip possible. Being a large family, with multiple generations, she really created the best possible experience, taking in everyone's wishes. Working with her was very relieving, knowing she was taking care of all the details.

Our family's trip took us from the States to Ireland, Scotland, and England. We traveled on planes, trains, ferry, and drove a car. Our trip planner arranged every detail meticulously. We stayed in lovely, quaint, boutique hotels, ate the most wonderful foods, saw the amazing sights, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites across all three countries. From the Cliffs of Moher to the Culloden Moor Memorial to Stonehenge to castles grand and desolate; from beautiful cathedrals to old abbey ruins; from little country pubs to Michelin-starred restaurants; and even spending a couple days in an actual 17th-century castle, every minute was amazing! Truly amazing!

A little disappointed in the level of the hotels, and missed the Cézanne museum because I wasn’t told to book online to ensure we got in. A bit expensive for the level of our rooms.

Every hotel had beautiful grounds and views. We had asked for hotels that also had the ambiance of age and antiquity. One of our favorites was in Chelsea. The staff was especially warm and friendly. We felt very comfortable with everyone! We loved all of the rooms in the entry level. It was cozy and beautiful, even the patio.

The Broadway hotel really blew us away. It was built in 1300 or so. It has an outstanding courtyard and landscaping. The staff were flexible. Theye even helped me to find a secluded area for dinner the last evening. We were mesmerized by every sitting area. There were antiques everywhere; I should say ancient antiquities. The coastal hotel was nautical and charming. There were lovely staff there as well! The views of the estuary were stunning. At high tide, the river came right up to the outdoor patio. It was mesmerizing!

Another hotel was very pretty inside and had compelling views of gardens and sweeping lawns. It overlooked the Jurassic coast, as well as a very large beach and piers. It was very far to walk and straight downhill. We could not get any taxi or bus to get to the harbor for our boat ride, sadly. We tried walking, but it was too far. There was no taxi for the return trip either. We had to walk up steep steps and then along a winding garden path back to the top. It was very stressful for me because I have a damaged tendon in my ankle, which hurt me quite a lot. It was very disappointing. However, my husband was thrilled that I made it up the hill. So was I.

There was a mix-up at the hotel about our room. We had discussed with our agent that we needed rooms on the ground floors. They had us on the first floor and moved us at the last minute to a very small corner room with cheap furniture and no space for two people to maneuver. We were both appalled, but fortunately our agent was able to take our call and we ended up in an apartment instead. It had no view other than of parked cars, but it was spacious and modern. It was the best they could do. This hotel was located in Lyme Regis.

Our next stop was Henley on Thames. The hotel was very nice and the two was pretty, but we didn’t arrive until 4.30. There was no Sunday dinner, so went elsewhere. Then we left the next morning at 9.30. The river was lovely to view.

We had fantastic drivers and driver guides throughout London, the Cotswolds, Cornwall, and Dorset back to London.

We missed our tour of Westminster Abbey due to the time change and lack of sleep. Our concierge tried his best to arrange for us to visit it on our last day. I called our travel company and was given the ticket number by email. Westminster Abbey declined because the company it was purchased through refused to confirm it. We were again disappointed. I tried calling the travel company back, left a message for help, but never got a return call.

We may go back again, but I would arrange for someone to meet me at the airport with a wheelchair. I would have been less stressed. That airport was overwhelming and confusing.

I sincerely wished that we did not have the Chelsea Flower Show and Windsor Castle on the same day. I could hardly walk by the end. Our agents offered to change Windsor to a different day, but it was an additional £350 or so. That seemed very unfair.

Our trip was fine... I really wanted to see Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle and Giverny and all that was accomplished. Zicasso's travel agent was very nice. She suggested some hotels but I really wanted one with a rooftop bar (which I found) and she booked us. The agency originally did not want to plan a 3 nt 4 day trip but they made an exception and the cost reflected that. I understand that this is a business but $10K for a three nt. package with 2, 1/2 day tours and transport to/from the airport seemed high. But I accepted their offer and everything went smoothly.

We just returned from a fantastic family vacation through Paris, London, and Cambridge, planned with care by our travel agent. Traveling with two teenagers can be a tall order, but the mix of activities kept everyone engaged and excited.

There were a few small hiccups, like mismatched names on some activity bookings and unexpected requests for payment on experiences we thought were already covered—but the agent was quick to respond and got everything sorted smoothly, which we really appreciated. One of the hotels didn’t quite live up to the promised 4-star standard, which was a little disappointing, but didn’t dampen the overall experience.

Standout Moments:

Dinner cruise on the Seine: Absolute highlight! Gorgeous views, great food, and the magic of drifting past Paris landmarks at night.

London tour guide: HUGE kudos to our guide! He struck that perfect balance of informative and entertaining, keeping the teens intrigued and involved the entire time. Not an easy feat!

Despite a few bumps, the trip gave us lasting memories, and we’re grateful to our travel agent for putting together an enriching adventure for our family.

The communication during the trip was excellent and all of the drivers and guides arrived on time. We loved the London hotel and the Paris hotel; both excellent. The Amsterdam stop was a different story. If we were going to do this trip again, we would not return to Amsterdam, except for maybe a day trip. This environment was not family friendly and the hotel (although the staff were very nice and the breakfasts were excellent) was not a good fit for us. Overall, a really fun trip. Thank you!