Photographing landmarks in London and beyond...

[caption id="attachment_2545" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Big Ben seen through the wrought iron gates at the House of Commons[/caption]

 

Landmarks are such special, wonderful places to visit because of the excitement of seeing something so famous right in front of you. Whether it’s the Golden Gate Bridge or the Tower of London, that sense of instant recognition makes the visit particularly exciting.

We’re lucky enough to have visited a number of landmarks over the years but we’ve realised one thing: they’re always busy! So busy, in fact, that it can be hard to cut through the crowds and bustle, and enjoy some time at the place you’ve spent ages getting to.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go – of course not. We wouldn’t have missed our views of the Eiffel Tower for anything, nor of the White House. But it does make it very hard to get a good photograph!

However, we think that there are ways round this, ways you can get a terrific picture and enjoy the whole experience. Let us give you some examples, but before we do, we'd recommend a visit to the CEWE Photoworld website, where they have a lovely infographic showing the top 10 most photographed places in the world (perfect for bucket list inspiration)!

[caption id="attachment_2551" align="alignnone" width="900"] The Eiffel Tower reflected in the Seine[/caption]

 

The Eiffel Tower
You can’t get much more iconic that his 300m tall construction, which was built in 1887. When we visited, we weren’t disappointed, although I think we might have been if we’d had to stand in a queue for hours to get in! So, our biggest tip is to book online and then take as many pictures as you want. But, if you want something a little different, you've got a number of options. Our favourites include shots from standing at the bottom (giving you a very different view of such a famous structure) and taking advantage of any special weather conditions. I was at the top of the Tower when I spotted that the sun was positioned so perfectly that I could get a picture of the Tower reflected in the Seine. I think it's very special.



Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
One of the most amazing things we’ve done together as a family is a tour of Big Ben, and we’ve realised that not many people know this is possible. You have to be a UK resident, and it’s free – all you have to do is contact your local MP who will put you in a ballot (you can read more about this on our blog post). You can’t take pictures while you’re actually on the tour, but you can take some as you exit the House of Commons. This means you can get views which most people simply can’t – from inside the Parliament setting, giving you a totally different perspective to that which most people see as they walk by on the outside.
Here’s one of our favourites, plus another (at the top of this post) which anyone could take, through the wrought iron. I just like trying to frame pictures in different ways.

[caption id="attachment_2552" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Notre Dame Cathedral[/caption]

 

Notre Dame
We’re back in France for this one – surely one of the most famous Cathedrals in the world and situated in the fourth arrondissement of Paris. It’s always surrounded by people, so it can be hard to get a beautiful shot without everyone crowding in. Ours came from a trip on the Seine itself – a different view of a beautiful place, with the bridge crossing it in front.

[caption id="attachment_2547" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Monument (from below!)[/caption]

 

The Monument
We mentioned going down low to get a new perspective on taking pictures and it is a lovely way to get something that bit different. On our trip to the Monument, which marks the Fire of London, I knelt down to take in this vast column which was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. If you do visit, it’s also definitely worth walking the 300 steps to the top to enjoy the views.

[caption id="attachment_2548" align="alignnone" width="640"] St Paul's Cathedral, seen from the Millennium Bridge, London[/caption]

 

St Paul's and the Millennium bridge

The Millennium Bridge (which you might recognise from the Harry Potter films) is a pedestrian bridge between Tate Modern and St Paul’s Cathedral, and takes you across the River Thames. I really like this picture of two landmarks together, as I love taking shots which show the old and new sides of a city. London is brilliant for doing this, and one of my other favourite London pictures shows The Shard peeking out from behind the Tower of London.

I also really like this picture because it’s from a different angle, so it’s not too full of tourists!

[caption id="attachment_1347" align="alignnone" width="1712"] We got to take pictures in front of the castle with no tourists around![/caption]

 

Disney’s Magic Kingdom
This is one of our most special pictures from what our children would term our “best ever” holiday. As you can see it’s just us in front of the iconic Cinderella Castle. Why? Because we were incredibly lucky.
We were picked to open the park, one of just 365 families to get this honour in a year, and that meant we were ushered in early and able to take photographs with no one else around. I’d obviously recommend this, but it’s not quite as easy to do as the other examples!

We love taking photographs and we actually print them out and put them in albums (I know, we’re old school). This means we can look at them again and again. Sometimes we have logjams of all the pictures we take, but we never regret taking them. It’s wonderful to have memories which last forever.

Disclosure: we wrote this piece in conjunction with CEWE Photoworld who are running a new travel photography campaign featuring the top 10 instagrammed landmarks around the world. From the Eiffel Tower to the Burj Khalifa, it covers great tips on how to get the best shots around - so please take a look! CEWE can also help you turn your treasured shots into your very own professional looking photo book.

Must-dos in Paris with - or without - kids

[caption id="attachment_1195" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The views from the bateau mouche were fabulous[/caption]

The sun is out and I'm sure lots of people have Paris on their minds! Here are our family tips for visiting the City of Love!

A huge group of people are all hurrying towards the same destination. We are in the Louvre Museum in Paris, famous not only for its art, but for its starring role in The Da Vinci Code, and we are moving along at speed to see one specific painting.

[caption id="attachment_1188" align="aligncenter" width="940"] A lot of people wanted to see the Mona Lisa![/caption]

Except, of course it is not just any painting: the Mona Lisa is probably the most famous piece of art in the world. It is over 500 years old and has been housed in the Louvre since 1797. Despite the many objects on display, no one seems very interested in anything but the woman with the enigmatic smile.

When we actually find her, on a wall, behind a rope, she looks a bit smaller than I expected (only 21 by 30 inches). She’s also covered with bullet-proof glass.

Jess, Robert and I wriggle through the many people staring and taking pictures. We try to get an uninterrupted view, but it’s tricky with so many mobile phones in the way.

This museum, with its long queues and hordes of tourists, was not, as you may have guessed, the highlight of our trip to Paris, but it felt like something which had to be done. Luckily, once we had ticked it off our to-do list, we could enjoy some of the other treats on offer.

[caption id="attachment_1192" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Outside the Louvre[/caption]

Of course these included the iconic Eiffel Tower, once the tallest building in the world (it's over 300 metres high). It should be top of every first-time visitor’s list, although it is extremely popular and if you just turn up, your heart will sink at the sight of the incredibly long queues. To avoid those, make sure you buy a ticket online in advance, and when you arrive, look for the signs for "Entree Visiteurs Avec Reservation". You can find more of our tips for visiting the Eiffel Tower with, or without kids, here.

It’s ironic that the Tower, built by Gustave Eiffel for the World Exhibition in 1889, was meant to be temporary and there were complaints that this huge "object" was not a suitable fit for Parisian architecture. Fortunately, those grumbles are long gone and the Tower has become a symbol of the city, hovering into view pretty much wherever you are. If you want to take the perfect photograph, you might want to walk over to the Trocadero after your visit.

The Eiffel Tower more than lives up to the hype, and so does its home town. This so-called city of light is not only known as a place for lovers, but for artists, gourmands and shopaholics.

That doesn’t mean we fell in love with it instantly. In fact, we found Paris less friendly than London (although I’m a Londoner, so might be biased) and a bit confusing because lots of places are closed on certain days – Victor Hugo’s house and the Musee D’Orsay on Mondays, the Louvre on Tuesdays - so you have to plan ahead.

It’s also one of the priciest cities in the world. We were shocked to find that a soft drink or hot chocolate cost more than €5 and I had to bite my tongue when my daughter wanted a macaroon and I saw that it cost €6, or over £5 for one biscuit!

[caption id="attachment_1194" align="aligncenter" width="940"] La Basilique du Sacré Cœur in Montmartre - at night[/caption]

But those things apart, Paris certainly has a lot to offer. The city is actually a collection of villages (or arrondissements) and you can stroll round the artists’ area of Montmartre before taking a short cable car ride up to the beautiful Basilique do Sacre-Coeur (where you can see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night) or saunter through the beautiful Tuileries gardens.

[caption id="attachment_1190" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The beautiful Tuileries Garden can be found between the Louvre Museum and the Place de la Concorde[/caption]

Shoppers should take in the Marais district, which is also full of galleries and cafes, while families should take advantage of the fantastic parks on offer, from ones you just fall upon by chance (such as just outside Victor Hugo's house) to the spectacular, such as the Jardin D'Acclimation, which is worth a visit on its own. Robert has written his own post about this.

We also enjoyed seeing the famous Rodin sculpure of the Thinker at the Rodin Museum. We loved walking around this museum as there are so many sculptures to see outdoors. It was already closed for visitors inside when we were there.

Walking is a particular pleasure because you keep coming upon remarkable monuments, such as the 23 metre high Obelisk, which was originally located at the entrance to Luxor Temple, in Egypt. We also walked past a memorial to Winston Churchill.

One of the most impressive is the Arc de Triomphe, even though it’s right in the middle of traffic chaos. Built by Napoleon, it’s situated in the centre of the Place de L’Etoile (which means “place of the star”). Twelve grand avenues, including the Champs Elysees, radiate off it, to form, funnily enough, a star.

However, our favourite part of our Paris trip was not on dry land. It was a sightseeing cruise along the River Seine in a boat, the famous Bateaux Mouche.

[caption id="attachment_1197" align="aligncenter" width="940"] We absolutely loved travelling on the bateau mouche and saw so much[/caption]

This 70 minute ride, which costs  €12.5 per adult, is a must-do, as it’s relaxing and informative, with fantastic views. It is wonderful to see so much, from Notre Dame to the fortress of the Conciergie, and all from an angle you could never see on land. It really is the best way to see the city.

PS We went to Paris via Eurostar and thought it was a fantastic way to travel and far more relaxing than flying!

Click here to watch our very shaky video of our trip

Read Robert's tips for the best parks in Paris

The Eiffel Tower - with our tips for visiting with kids

Before we went to Paris, we read an article on what you absolutely "must" do. It also had some tips on what you shouldn't do - what you could leave out without it affecting your trip. One of these was the Eiffel Tower.

I wish I could find the author of that piece and tell him straight. If you're in Paris, particularly with kids, you have to visit the Tour Eiffel. Otherwise, there's just no point being there. This may not be true if it's a place you come to often, but if it's your first time, then it's a must!

When my son asked if we could go to Paris. He said it was because he really wanted to visit the Eiffel Tower. Doesn't that say it all? Once the tallest building in the world (it's over 300 metres high) it's a brilliant place, with the most remarkable views. The word is often used, but this really is iconic.

We were very fortunate that we visited on a beautiful Autumn day, with a clear blue sky. We had also booked in advance and I can't stress how vital this is. As we neared the tower, we saw the queues snaking around and around. But there was literally no queue at all for us, with our pre-booked tickets. We simply walked through security and were in the lift after about, ooh, five minutes.

If you are with kids, you really won't want to hang around for hours before going up the Tower, so this is my main piece of advice. It was the only thing we pre-booked for our entire trip.

 We had booked to go all the way to the top, and you should definitely do this. Otherwise, if you (or your kids) decide that they want to go up another level while you are inside, you will have to queue again (sigh). The views at the top are also so brilliant. When you come down again to level 2, it actually feels quite near to the ground.

Of course, you can always walk, and many would recommend this, though probably not with young children. We decided the lift was a better option than hundreds of steps! We only walked between the two small parts of level 2.

Going up in the lift is a bit of a squash, but it only takes a minute or so before you are on the second level (the first level has a restaurant, but no one got out when we stopped there). We quickly took the lift up again to the top, although there was about a 15 minute queue for this, which would presumably be longer at busy times, such as the summer. If you are travelling with kids, this would be a good time to give them a snack/game/your phone to play with.

The Tower was built by Gustave Eiffel for the World Exhibition in 1889. It's made out of 12,000 iron pieces, and at the time it was the tallest structure in the world (this title remained until the completion of the Chrysler Building in 1930), but it was meant to be a temporary one. There were contemporary complaints that this huge "object" was not a suitable fit for Parisian architecture, but luckily those complaints are long gone. It is, instead, a symbol of the city, able to be seen from so many angles.

Despite the people at the top, many drinking a celebratory glass of champagne, we didn't feel rushed or hurried. It was, simply, beautiful.

After walking around the top, we did the same on level 2 where there are souvenir shops and food outlets. You may experience some pester power here, but there are some affordable things in the shops. Be warned also, that you may have to queue for the lift back down again.

We really loved our visit, from the walk from Bir-Hakeim metro station, across a small park, to the shadow of the Tower we could see reflected in the Seine. Paris without the Eiffel Tower? Unthinkable.

We pre-booked our tickets, which cost 14.5 Euros per adult and 10 Euros for children. We thought this was pretty good value.

Our tips for visiting the Eiffel Tower:

1) Do it!

2) Book in advance, and when you arrive, look for the signs for "Entree Visiteurs Avec Reservation" (Visitors with Reservations).

3) Go all the way to the top

4) Dress up warmly

5) Take your camera and video!

6) Go at night if you can or watch the sunset (we didn't do this, but know it would have been magnificent)

7) Don't rush it - take your time going round

8) Look around the base of the Tower too - the architecture is extremely impressive

9) If you want a brilliant view of the Tower afterwards (although there are many in Paris), walk over to the Trocadero afterwards and get snap happy.

10) The Tower lights up at night, for around five minutes each hour. Try to be outside to see this while you are in Paris. We saw it from Montmartre and it was fabulous.

Watch our video of going to Paris!

The Eiffel Tower - with our tips for visiting with kids

Before we went to Paris, we read an article on what you absolutely "must" do. It also had some tips on what you shouldn't do - what you could leave out without it affecting your trip. One of these was the Eiffel Tower.

I wish I could find the author of that piece and tell him straight. If you're in Paris, particularly with kids, you have to visit the Tour Eiffel. Otherwise, there's just no point being there. This may not be true if it's a place you come to often, but if it's your first time, then it's a must!

When my son asked if we could go to Paris. He said it was because he really wanted to visit the Eiffel Tower. Doesn't that say it all? Once the tallest building in the world (it's over 300 metres high) it's a brilliant place, with the most remarkable views. The word is often used, but this really is iconic.

We were very fortunate that we visited on a beautiful Autumn day, with a clear blue sky. We had also booked in advance and I can't stress how vital this is. As we neared the tower, we saw the queues snaking around and around. But there was literally no queue at all for us, with our pre-booked tickets. We simply walked through security and were in the lift after about, ooh, five minutes.

If you are with kids, you really won't want to hang around for hours before going up the Tower, so this is my main piece of advice. It was the only thing we pre-booked for our entire trip.

Read more »

We've been to Paris (and made a video!)

Did you guess where we spent last week? We put some clues on our Facebook page, and also in the post below, and the answer is... Paris!

We had a great time in this beautiful (but very expensive!) European city and will be writing more about our travels over the next few weeks. We especially loved going right up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and were lucky enough to do so on a beautiful day, as you can see from the picture above.


The children made a video of our trip, and if you can excuse the shaky camera, please take a look and see what we got up to. And please leave us any comments too.

Thank you.

We've been to Paris (and made a video!)

Did you guess where we spent last week? We put some clues on our Facebook page, and also in the post below, and the answer is... Paris!

We had a great time in this beautiful (but very expensive!) European city and will be writing more about our travels over the next few weeks. We especially loved going right up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and were lucky enough to do so on a beautiful day, as you can see from the picture above.

Read more »