LONDON AND PARIS!
I've been to many countries in Europe, but never been to the most popular places like London and Paris! I have to check it out!
I always travel to Europe in November when it's cheaper, but with all my research, I found October to be the cheapest. I hope October gets here quickly!
I found an amazing deal through kayak.com. Air fare not bad at all, and the hotels are so much cheaper this year. I'm staying in better hotels at the same prices I've spent in the past on budget hotels!
I'm so much looking forward to this!!
LPT

Congratulations, littlepinetree! I'm sure you'll have a great time and still be able to keep within your budget with the new exchange rates. Paris was reasonable when I visited but London was pretty pricey.

The Musée d'Orsay in Paris is my absolute favorite museum in the world. I liked it even better than the Louvre but I guess that depends on how much you like Impressionist artists.

I don't think I ever had a bad meal there but our favorite was a mom/pop/daughter restaurant in the 7th Arrondissement called Le Petit Troquet: http://restaurant.abemadi.com/en/r/Paris/74/

If you try it, remember to make reservations since it's rather small and fills up quickly. It's between the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides but pretty easy to find. The prices are reasonable and the menu is whatever looked good in the market that morning. Everyone we've recommended it to has gone there more than once, so that must be a good sign.

October is a great month to travel, especially in that part of Europe before the weather cools off too much. You might find that London is really easy to maneuver around, especially since you've probably heard of virtually every famous street or site over the years. Can't say I'm a fan of English food (and I tried!) but there's plenty of ethnic restaurants that are pretty good. Outside of one restaurant we found in Venice, their Chinatown was the only good Chinese food we found in Europe (my wife's from Taiwan and has a craving every three days).

Enjoy your trip in the fall!!

Thank you so much for your helpful reply! I'll go to that restaurant for sure!
I've heard English food is not that great, but their desserts sound great, like the sticky gooey toffee pudding I've been reading about. And, I read that they put a lot of booze in some of their puddings. I read this from a woman who lives in London on Rick Steves website. I love booze in my dessert! I bet Sam does too! Lol!
I'm looking forward to this trip!
Thanks again for your wonderful tips!