Paris Walks

Paris Walks are very good. Myself and many of my friends have done their walks and liked them very much.

We did one of the Marais walks with about 12 others and it was excellent.
The next day we did the Montmartre walk and there were at least 40 people. We regretted spending the time, there was just too large a group.

My experience is that it depends a lot on which guide you get. Some of them are excellent, one or two are just fair. The routes and the basic information is standard for each tour, it's just a matter of how entertaining and interesting the guide is. But for that price, I think it's worth it even if the guide you end up with isn't top-notch. The only tour I wouldn't take is Iris's Chocolate Walk (which she developed herself) if she isn't giving it. It's pricey so I think without her (she sometimes can't do it), it might not be worth the money. BTW there's a lot of history on that tour as well as the best chocolates in the world.

Usually very enjoyable!

I managed to do 4 of them last Fall and all were excellent. I did repeat one of the walks - Paris during the Occupation - and while the route was similar it was not exactly the same as the one I did in April. The April group was smaller and able to move quicker so perhaps that is why he did a much longer route, ending at the statue of General de Gaulle near the Grand Palais rather than the Jeu de Paume.

They are so interesting to me but luckily I've had excellent guides. I know there are always some guides who are slightly less engaging than others and that does change your experience. for 10-15€ it's worth the chance.

As mentioned I really got so much out of the Paris during the Occupation Walks (an eye-opener to see the Nazis had such swank digs for their headquarters as the Hotel Meurice on Rue de Rivoli), also really enjoyed the one on the French Revolution, a Hemingway one and one thru the Covered Passages. That one is a little more money as it's not as popular and done less often, according to Brad the guide. Last April in addition to the Occupation one I did one on Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin in Paris. That was so interesting. I think when I learned history in school it was always kind of in separate blocks so I didn't really realize how much influence French thinking and ideas had on Jefferson and Franklin and hadn't really keyed in on them having both been in Paris.

I took 3 of their walks when I was in Paris. The Montmartre walk was my favorite. They are excellent walks, very reputable and reasonably priced which is why they are so popular.

That price falls well within the typical range for non-food-related European walking tours. I haven't been to Paris recently but did 3 very good walks in London last year and have taken scattered walking tours in at least two other countries. I consider such tours among Europe's best bargains. A fringe benefit is that the guides are sometimes willing to share personal suggestions for places to eat in the area, during the time the group is moving from one stop to the next.

The great thing about these walks is you just show up, no prior commitment. I find these are a great way to explore an area and learn some history along the way. We have done Paris Walks and London Walks and got a lot out of each walk and felt it was a great value for the cost.

We've done several over the years and enjoyed all of them, including Montmartre. I think it's a very good value. But if 40 people show up, or anything like that number, it probably won't be such a good experience. Since reservations aren't required for most of them, there's no way to know how many will show. But if there are too many, just walk away before you pay.

I've done three, and all were well worth it!

I've done 4 over the course of 3 visits to Paris and enjoyed them all.
And I will do more on my next visits.
The Montmartre walk is very interesting, especially if you both have any interest in Impressionist artists.
Wear comfortable shoes because you will not only be on your feet but climbing up some hilly streets.
Have fun!

We did the Montmartre walking tour last summer and really enjoyed it. We did one other one that we also liked but I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head. I would strongly recommend Paris Walks! I wish I could have done more of the walks.

The reviews look great, but I am skeptical of the price being so cheap. Are Paris Walks worth two hours of our time?

I've taken about a dozen of the Paris Walks over the years and have found the majority to be quite good. Many of the guides have been excellent with one or two being just average. The price is pretty comparable to group walks in other cities (e.g., London, Berlin). I'd estimate the groups that I was in ranged in size from 6 to more than 30. I'd say they make pretty good money when you consider the number of participants so I would not be skeptical of the price.

Another positive is that you're actually waking street level and not in van. because of this you will cross several interesting places that you may want to go back to. I found myself walking down streets I never had been before and totally enchanted with parts of paris that I didn't know existed.

Thank you everyone for your responses. We’re still considering . . . So many wonderful things to see and do, so little time!

we are considering one of “Paris Walks” tours—the Montmartre district

Go for it. We haven't done one of the Paris walks, but we've done similar walks in Florence and Rome. It's a great way to familiarize yourself with an area.

If you really want a treat, though more expensive, take an evening tour in a classic Citroen 2CV. We took the longer 2 hour tour starting at 8:00. You see all the main sites, including a stop to view the Eiffel Tower light show at 9:00. Then it was a scramble up the hill to Montmartre.

When Pierre, our driver found out we were from Macon, Georgia, he immediately put Otis Redding on his iPhone played full blast through a Bluetooth speaker. Between pointing out the sites, Pierre and I sang along to classic R&B songs. There's nothing like driving through the streets of Paris singing "wine and women is all I crave, a big legged woman's gonna carry me to my grave" (Albert King, "Born Under a Bad Sign"). We were having so much fun he extended the tour by half an hour!