Rick often talks highly of local guides, but then he also has great tips and walking tours in the books so you don't have to hire one.
I hope to take my artist daughter to Paris and Normandy June 2022. We hope have 12 days, are not on an unlimited budged and hope to hit many of the regular highlights including museums and neighborhoods.
I know this is very much personal option, but when in Paris, what are some times you wish you had a guide, or a specific guide/tour that really added to your trip.
On kind of a side note, I did a 3 hour food tour in NYC and loved it, I thought to look up a food tour in Paris. I know Paris is Paris but the excellent tour in NYC was $58 (they are starting again in July with the same rate). It seems any in Paris are all over 100 euros/person! So if you go to NYC take one....and please let me know if there are some that are more affordable in Paris or if they really are worth the money.
Posted by
Charleston & Birmingham
4605 posts
We took Secret Food Tours and it was worth the money.
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
2662 posts
I've taken and enjoyed a number of the Foods of NY food tours. I have also taken food tours in a number of European cities. I hadn't thought about them being more expensive, but I think all the ones in European cities have included alcoholic drinks, which might account for the higher cost.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6713 posts
Paris Walks offers various scheduled walking tours. No appointment is needed, you just show up, pay, and walk along with others. We've taken several of these, all excellent. From the website it looks like they are starting up again in July.
Several guides and companies offer D-Day tours of the Normandy beaches and nearby. I haven't taken them, but Dale Booth is a popular guide on this forum, and Overlord is a popular tour provider. I think both work from Bayeux. There are others too. The Search feature on this forum should help you find numerous threads about D-Day tours in Normandy.
Posted by
Vancouver, BC
135 posts
Have you looked into the Greeters network? Here is the link to the Paris Greeters. We have done walks with a volunteer greeter in a number of cities in Europe and have met some extremely interesting locals while gaining a unique and very interesting perspective of the city.
Posted by
Darmouth, MA, USA
377 posts
We did two Paris Walks in 2019, Montmatre and German Occupation. We wished we could have taken a third. Sadly, I checked their website and they have raised their prices to $25. https://www.paris-walks.com/index_m.html. It was $15, but still was a great value.
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Posted by
Vancouver, BC
689 posts
For some of the large museums, including in Paris, we have taken ‘highlights’ tours done by volunteers or staff. In large museums that can be overwhelming, we appreciated hearing more detail about 10 or 12 pieces, usually a cross section. Later we will wander around on our own. Years ago at the British Museum, the tour guide had studied Egyptian hieroglyphics and was able to read us what was written on the Rosetta Stone.
Posted by
St Louis, MO
150 posts
Hi Elizabeth,
Would you consider doing a bike tour? We've done bike tours with Bike About Tours and enjoyed those tours. I'm not sure how old your daughter is, but mine was 18 at the time and she loved the Paris tour as did my 13 year old son. My husband and I did Versailles back in 2016 and loved it. We started the bike tour off by going to the local market in the town of Versailles to pick up supplies for a picnic. Shopping in the market was an adventure for two people that speak little French!
Posted by
OP
Corpus Christi, Texas
11 posts
Yay, this is why I love forums.
Thank you all so much for your responses.
I hadn't heard of Paris Greeters and I love that concept, as well as the bike tours.
And you are correct Paris does have alcohol with food tours which the NYC one didn't.
Happy planning!
Posted by
North Georgia, USA
1155 posts
Devour Tours for food tours. They have been doing them as private tours only but I'll bet they'll be opening the group tours back up if they haven't already.