Queue jumping in London and Paris

As the weather warms up, so the lines lengthen at the top tourist attractions in London and Paris. But there is no need to shuffle forward, frustratedly glancing at your watch and looking enviously at those people who look just like you but who seem to have VIP status and are admitted at the front of the queue as soon as they arrive. For both London and Paris there is a pass that not only gets you to the front of the line but can also save you money.

For London it's called The London Pass. It offers free entry to more than 55 of London's most popular tourist and sightseeing attractions. Once you have it, you don't have to pay to get into any of the attractions covered by the pass. As well as free entry, the London Pass allows you to skip long and frustrating queues at the busiest tourist attractions, including the Tower of London, London Zoo, Kensington Palace and London Aquarium. Full details together with how to buy your pass at: www.londonpass.com

Spring and summer London visitors need to book now for "must-see" events if they don't want to be disappointed. These include The Chelsea Flower Show, The Queen's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour), Beating Retreat and performances at The Globe Theatre. Details of how to book for these events are at: www.chslondon.com/vr/suggestions.htm.

In Paris, The Paris Museum Pass will allow you to visit more than 60 museums and monuments in Paris and the surrounding area, as many times as you like and without having to queue. 2, 4 and 6 day passes are available - but note that the Eiffel Tower is not included. Full details at www.parisinfo.com/rub8013.html . La Conciergerie - www.conciergerie.com will express mail The Paris Museum Pass to your home address.

If you have not yet booked your accommodation, consider a rental rather than a hotel - not only will you have more space but, for more than 2 people, it is also likely to work out considerably cheaper. Coach House Rentals, in business since 2001, offer rentals in London and Paris. They specialize in letting the houses and apartments of residents who are away for an extended period or have an under-used pied-à-terre, giving you the informality, warmth and convenience of a real home in London or Paris. They have a comprehensive web site with pictures and full descriptions of all their properties, 70 in London and 25 in Paris, together with useful suggestions of what to see and do.

They will arrange a car to meet you at the airport and take you to your rental - by far the easiest way to get into the city with lots of bags. An English speaking representative will meet you at your property, show you in, tell you about the local area and answer any questions you may have. They also provide an English speaking telephone help line to deal with any problems you may have. Full details of the Coach House Rentals service can be found at: www.rentals.chslondon.com and www.rentals.chsparis.com

Edited by Wendy J Betts

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