I definitely think I want to take one or two day trips, as people have suggested. I want to experience the countryside as well as the city. My question now is this: Can I wait until I get to Paris (May 3) to decide which trips to take, or do I have to book them now. If I can wait, then who do I book them through once I am there? As I said, I am staying at the Millesime in the 6th, but I am not sure if they can assist us in booking these trips. If you had to pick one or two MUST SEE places in the countryside, what would they be? Merci beaucoup!!
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Hi Joellesgirl, this might not answer your question but help a little; My husband and I are going to Paris beginning of May for 2 weeks. We are not taking any trips except to Versailles for the day and I am not worried about what to do at all. I purchased a bunch of guide books and watch this forum and what everyone seems to say is just to enjoy your time in Paris without rushing, soak up the atmosphere, wander the back alleys of Montmarte dont rush, I did book a trip through Grayline for the Eiffel tower dinner, Seine cruise and Moulin rouge show and they have lots of day trips to check out. grayline.com.
have a wonderful trip
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There are two main bus tour companies in Paris ,%26quot; Cityrama %26quot;and%26quot; Paris Visions%26quot;. Both can be booked while there, and your hotel will most likely have the brochures openly displayed. The main office for Cityrama was on Rue Du Rivoli right near the Lourve, the clerks all speak excellant English.
We took the Loire Valley Chateau tour with Cityrama, and while not cheap( I think about 140 euros pp) it was a very easy way to see 3 chateaus efficently. Many people would recommend you renting a car and doing outside trips, and that is good advise, but some of us are not comfortable with foreign driving and finding our way around... which is ok also.
Versailles can be done very easily on your own, just a 45 minute train ride, I wouldn%26#39;t( and didn%26#39;t) pay for a tour to there.
Both of these companies have web sites, just google them.
There are also day trips you can take to Chartes, just take the train and once there you can wander through the town and enjoy .
There are posters on this board who will give you many excellant ideas for day trips you can do on your own.
Anyways, the short answer is %26quot; yes%26quot; you wait till you get there to book the big bus companies, but you should book ahead for some of the smaller companies( of which I know nothing) . I think renting a car may be cheaper ahead of time also.
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Consider the Loire Valley. Take the tgv to Vendome and rent a car. Amboise is a great place to stay. I would recommend spending the night. Be sure to visit Chenonceau ( see their web site) . Have a great trip...PS - book all reservations in advance...last minute reservations are problematic and a hastle.
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RJ72, last minute reservations were easy for me, the buses run quite often, just check online to make sure you schedule you tour for a day they run, easy to do by checking the online sites for each tour company.
I do think American tend to try and book too many things from home and often end up paying more ,or paying padded prices by buying through middlemen agencies.
I have heard of Americans buying museum and transportation passes while at home, always paying more for what they get.
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Hello again! Versailles is an easy daytrip (admission covered by Museum Pass - some additional areas extra). No need to book a tour - easily done w/ just a small guidebook, Just take the RER..........
The Loire Valley/Chateau Tours by minivan are also very good, if pricey, but they do get you out into the countryside. The Cathedral at Chartres is also on many people%26#39;s must see lists. Although not too difficult by car, like mentioned above, some do not like driving under unfamiliar circumstances. Your hotel will most likely be able to help you arrange a tour on your arrival (it varies how helpful from hotel to hotel - many of the hotel reviews on this site also mention if the staff were particularly helpful arranging sightseeing).
If you google %26quot;Paris Tours%26quot;, I%26#39;m sure you can get a number of large and small companies that provide all kinds of day excursions. Then check back on this site for anyone else%26#39;s prior experience. We did this for our 2002 minivan tour of Normandy, it was a great day.
The research is half the fun!
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Remember that you can also do many day trips on your own by train: Chantilly, Blois, Fontainebleau, Chartres, Senlis. Start with guidebooks such as Frommers which give a lot of information about how to get to these places, what to see and the train station to leave from in Paris. Also check virtualtourist.com--plug in the name of the town and you can see photos to give you an idea if you%26#39;d like to visit. While you need a bus tour to do the big 3-chateau day door (in one day), the advantage of taking the train on your own for the small town day trips listed above is you can visit the chateaus (except for Chartres which has a cathedral instead), stroll leasurely thru the streets and shops on your own time, and pick a nice place for a leisurely lunch.
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