Hi, we have been to Paris many times so are looking for information off the beaten path. Can anyone recommend a guide who can do an in-depth walking tour of the Marais?
What about a World War II walking tour of Paris?
A guide for Drancy? I read that the Shoah Museum offers tours to Drancy once month on Sunday but can't locate any further info.
Thanks for all the great advice. We are set. Thank you!
If you’d consider a group tour, Paris Walks does a Marais tour and various tours with WWII themes.
https://www.paris-walks.com
I’ve taken at least a dozen of their tours over the years and the guides have generally been excellent.
I did a fantastic food tour through Marais (and Montmartre on a separate trip which I highly recommend). It was with Secret Food Tours.
Drancy was the site for rounding up first foreign Jews, then those holding French citizenship for the extermination camps in Poland.
One can see the sign "Drancy" as the TGV or ICE train slowly departs from Gare de l'Est going eastwards, ie to Metz or Forbach/Lorraine before crossing into Germany.
We thoroughly enjoyed Sight Seekers Delight for a couple of tours. We did an excellent Jewish walking tour of Le Marais with owner Karen. Karen is knowledgeable, engaging and has a wonderful sense of humor. We also took another walking tour of Montmartre. An area with cobbled alleys, quaint cafes & hidden corners with the most unique atmosphere. It concentrated on the history of the artists who lived there. We stopped inside Basilica Sacré-Coeur and also enjoyed the magnificent view at the highest spot in Paris. They also offer a WWll tour that we would take on a return trip. Sightseekerdelight.com
Hi Pat, this may be what you are seeking:
https://billetterie.memorialdelashoah.org/fr/evenement/temoignage-de-rachel-jedinak
If you call the Shoah Museum there are usually English speakers available to assist.
I second the idea of Paris Walks. Their guides are excellent and as pointed out above they have a couple of tours that focus either on the Marais (always ensuring to include the Jewish history of the Marais) and one on the Occupation and the Resistance.
Another vote for Paris Walks tours.
Such knowledgeable guides.
When are you going?
Paris Walks is not back up to full strength based on the schedule on their website. It looks like this month they are offering a tour on Thursdays on the Right bank on Paris and the Occupation and Liberation. This one is so good that I did it twice pre-Covid. I did not care for the guide on the one that starts on the Left Bank (too hard to hear her) when I did it in 2019 but unknown which one of their usually awesome guides will be doing it now.
http://paris-walks.com/cariboost_files/2021_20OCT_20WALKS_202.pdf
I also recommend the Liberation Museum in Paris- it’s free, closed on Monday. The Army Museum has a good WWII exhibit as well.
Paris Greeters runs tours by volunteers who live in the neighborhood and who can customize to your preferences. They ask for a donation to their organization and maybe take your tour guide to coffee or lunch. Have to arrange in advance.
Thank you to everyone who made such great suggestions. We did a resistance tour with Sight Seeker's Delight. It was fabulous. Stephanie was a historian with a great sense of humor and even through in a bit of spy craft. We have been to Paris many time but learned so much. Highly recommend Sight Seeker's Delight.
Please note that they are also doing virtual tours!
thanks
patvinkenes, thanks so much for coming back to the forum with your report. So happy to hear you enjoyed your walking tour with sightseekers delight. We took our tours in 2013 and were very pleased. I have since recommended this wonderful company. Karen Reb Rudel, the owner is an expat who married a Frenchman. Her background is in theater. So happy that her business is still thriving!
Edited to add: “A delightful story” https://medium.com/authority-magazine/karen-reb-rudel-of-sight-seekers-delight-the-power-of-flexibility-how-i-was-able-to-pivot-to-a-9b7d3683d8e9
We also did Drancy. We took the shuttle bus out and ended up walking back to the metro and taking the metro back. The tour (only in French) was very moving. Don't skip the museum inside with all the documentation. It is a bit creepy that people are still living in these buildings today (public housing). Well worth doing especially if you have not been to any of the actual concentration camps in Europe but do the Shoah Museum in Paris first. If you have visited the any of the camps, you will find it interesting but a bit sanitized in comparison.
Tip: if you are comfortable with the Paris metro, take it instead of the bus only because Sunday Paris traffic is terrible and the metro is faster. Use your phone to get to the museum. It was a nice walk (about 30 minutes) through the neighborhoods. Perfectly safe.
Also adding (I know you're back) - the new-ish memorial to the Vel d'Hiv' debacle is nice, albeit small. It was definitely a must see on my list.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Jardin+M%C3%A9morial+des+Enfants+du+Vel%E2%80%99+d%E2%80%99Hiv%E2%80%99/@48.8538856,2.2893601,18.33z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x47e671c810cc543f:0x9ef0760d01ee028d!8m2!3d48.8535301!4d2.2885754
And another pro Paris Walks person, I was there in October, though, and only took the one tour on Thursday about the resistance during WWII, but would love to take others when I go back.
