Paris Walks guides Iris and Mary Ellen

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My husband and I have taken three group tours with them, two with Peter (an owner) and a third one with an American man whose name I do not remember. Both were excellent. I'll be following your post as we are returning in June and might just want to do another tour. I generally like group tours (PW has a max of 12 people, I believe) because many times the other tourists add to the information/discussion/perspective. Then, again, a private tour might be made to fit your own schedule which is nice.

Lindy — when in June will you be in Paris? I just sent you a private message!

Hi Ruth, I replied to your private message. Lindy

I used to know Iris personally. She is a certified guide who has passed the rigorous French government exams to be a guide. She is by no means one of the students with a script to read and a hat to pass for donations. She has created many tours, including the Chocolate Walk that many others have copied. She has appeared on a PBS travel programs. I know she is in high demand from overseas travel agencies booking private tours for clients.

I have paid many private guides over the years, some were requested once we arrive at a hotel or even on site at the monument, but I have never been concerned about their training in European countries where the governments require guides to pass rigorous exams. The only time we've ever gotten a dud was in the US where anyone can declare themselves a guide.

I don't know the other person.

I have had Mary Ellen on several occasions in the last probably 18 years and she too is excellent.

We had Iris in the Marais district with our RS Paris in 7 days tour and she is great! I think she's from Indiana or somewhere else in roughly the Midwest USA and her husband is French.

The very best walk I did in Paris - and maybe anywhere - was with Iris on her Chocolate Walk. That must have been more than 20 years ago and I still remember many details. She was absolutely delightful. On subsequent visits my timing was off and the chocolate tour wasn't available on my dates, or I would have taken it again.

I did have one guide who was obviously new and pretty disorganized. I ended up on another tour with her a couple years later and she was excellent, including being able to improvise when the tour hit a snag. Other than that, I've never had a tour with Paris Walks that wasn't very good to excellent.