Edited based on suggestions:
Just returned from Paris. It was a wonderful trip despite the heat.
General: Be careful when getting out of CGM. There is an official taxi line with signs on the top of their cars. They have set prices for left side of the river and right side. There are also people that drive taxis that will be aggressive and try to get you to their car and then charge high amounts. Don't let someone take your luggage. Make sure to go to the official taxi line. I believe its 55E for right side of river and 65E for left.
Make sure to say Bonjour when entering and seeing someone. Around 5-6 PM switch over to bon soir.
We were on the tour and my card didn't work getting to the airport. I think it was actually just the machine, but I was worried my bank hadnt opened up Paris despite me going in person. My bank wouldn't open for hours after landing, but I called the desk at the Hotel Londres Eiffel and they paid the taxi when we got there then I paid them back later that same day. The staff is great at the hotel!
The breakfasts at the hotel were great. Mixtures of yogurt, different croissants/bread with fruit and chocolate toppings, cheese, and cold cut meat.
The metro was daunting initially but it's pretty intuitive by the end of the tour. There just isnt much public transport where I'm from. Grab a map and look where you are and where you want to go. Then see what lines you need to cross. Make sure to know the names of each end of the lines you are taking so you know if you are going towards or away from your destination.
There have been some threads about food choices. We had three group dinners. For the first we had a choice of four entrees, three plat principals, and three desserts. Then for the second dinner I believe it was choice of one of three entrees, three plats, and two desserts. The river cruise menu was set unless someone had a dietary restriction.
Day 1: Arrived early. I got there same day as the Ireland tour a few years ago and had terrible jet lag. I made sure to drink more water this time during travel and limit caffeine to get a little sleep on the plane. After landing we got to the hotel and dropped bags off. Luckily it wasn't too hot yet. We went to Madame Brasserie at the Eiffel tower. The food was good but expensive. But also its a restaurant in the Eiffel tower so it was certainly memorable.
Day 2: Went to the Louvre before the tour started. The place is massive! I figured would want at least two rounds of going so I got tickets early. The tour started with a meeting and going to La Terrace. Many places in Paris didn't have air conditioning or it wasn't turned up much. The food at La Terrace was great but it was pretty warm. I had (French) onion soup that was great and the desserts pretty much everywhere in Paris were amazing.
Day 3: We had a guided walking tour of the Ile de la City then lunch on our own. I had a pizza that was really good. Of note many public bathrooms require 1-2 euros. Some of them have card machines. You can use a restaurant bathroom if buying food there.
Unfortunately the trip to Saint Chapelle was cancelled due to the heat. On our own we wen to Notre Dame which was beautiful but again very warm in the line and in the church.
Day 4: Today was a guided tour of Montmartre. It is a hill with an interesting history. We heard that "bistro" came from the Russian for quick. Beautiful view of the city from Montmartre. Then went to Sacre Coeur on our own. The D'Orsay was originally part of the tour but we got notification that they aren't allowing groups in. We got individual tickets when we arrived to go on our own which we did this day. The building itself is an old train station. Highly recommend the D'orsay.
Then we went to 7vine for a group dinner in the afternoon. Had a really good cold cucumber soup with watermelon balls (like ice cream scoops of watermelon).
Posted by
OP
Midwest
8 posts
Updated based on suggestions:
Day 5: Paris has 20 administrative districts or "arrondissements" that start in the center and spiral out a bit like a snail shell. The tour hotel was around the center in the 7th district and it was very accessible to several major sites. Today was a guided tour of the Marais district. This had been a swampy area that was drained. This afternoon was supposed to be the Louvre but it was closed due to the heat. Instead we went to the aquarium after the walking tour partly to get out of the heat. That afternoon the tour guide did a mini wine tasting and explained different aspects of French views on wine.
Day 6: Versailles! This was one of the main things I was interested in when booking the tour and I was worried it would be closed due to the heat. Luckily it was still open. Very extravagant. Tried to walk the gardens but it was just too hot. Then went for a wine and cheese tasting that I had signed up for outside of the tour. It was discussed that in France they care more about the city/region of a wine rather than the grapes. The soil, climate, and other "Terroir" aspects affect each wine's taste. A glass of wine sometimes was cheaper at restaurants than a soda. The host had also talked about how important bread was and how if there are a few bakeries in a district at least one has to be open every day of the year so they have to get together to figure out what day they are closed and what holidays. Our tour guide Daniela worked hard to keep the mood light and find things to do as several things were closed due to the heat. She set up a Toot bus of the city. It gets dark late in Paris so even at 9-10 pm it was still too light out to see the Eiffel tour sparkle, but when we were done with the bus tour we got to see it on the walk back.
Day 7: Today we had an impromptu guided tour of the 1st and 2nd arrondisments and a cheese, oyster, and chocolate mousse tastings set up by the tour guide as several things had been closed due to the heat during the tour. The food was all delicious. Then had a guided tour of the Rodin museum which I believe was set up because the D'orsay was not allowing groups and not due to the heat. The Rodin museum is self funded as he allowed his works to be used after his death. Then we had a river cruise and delicious salmon appetizer, then a sea bass plat principal, and a chilled dessert.
Final day: It was 72E for the taxi from the hotel to the airport. From leaving the hotel to getting to the airport terminal was about 2 hours. At the airport there were two sets of lines. On where you scanned your passport then went forward and they took a picture of your face. A lot of these stalls seemed to not work and the ones that did seem to have problems with stalling out. Then the usual line with putting your carry on luggage on the line and going through the detector.
Overall this was a wonderful trip. I feel much more comfortable with the metro which was a concern initially and part of why I wanted to do a tour.
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
3352 posts
Glad you enjoyed your tour!
It would be helpful to edit your title to, maybe:
Best of Paris tour trip report
Posted by
Walnut Creek, CA
909 posts
Did you visit Paris on your own? Or did you go with a Rick Steves tour?
Which Eiffel Tower restaurant did you eat at? Was it the Jules Verne? Did you have to wear a men's suit jacket?
Did you visit the Louvre with the RS group or did you do that on your own? Was the D'Orsay on your own?
Interested travelers want to know!
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
17354 posts
Yes, more information, lolol!!
It sounds like you had fun in spite of the heat! I'm glad the Londres Eiffel has good AC. That is helpful to know.
Your strategy of arriving a day early for your tour is a good one. Not only to enjoy something special but just in case of some kind of travel delay which it sounds like you had.
Glad you got into the Orsay...I'm sure the 5th floor where the Impressionists are was toasty!
I did the Best of Paris tour in 2013 and it helped SO MUCH in my comfort level on using the Metro and getting around Paris. Now I can't stay away and I'm really not a big city gal, hahaha!
Thanks so much for posting!
Posted by
France Southwest - Occitanie
4021 posts
I had (French) onion soup that was great
1/ You should never eat French onion soup in the summer, it's strictly a winter dish.
2/ Keep in mind that French people haven't really eaten French onion soup for a hundred years, back when it was a poor man's food because it was the cheapest thing available. Nowadays, it's just a myth for tourists, kept alive by marketing and a few restaurants looking to turn a nice profit.
I hope it was good, at least! :)
Posted by
OP
Midwest
8 posts
That’s interesting about the soup. On the Ireland tour I believe it was the Guinness beef stew one of the guides said that Irish people don’t actually eat much.
The soup was really good. I also get iced coffee in the winter so outside temps don’t matter much to me as far as food/drink haha.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
3313 posts
If you want French Onion soup you should have it. Don't worry about the "censure" it's not like the locals haven't already figured out we are tourists :) (And in February I saw Parisians eating the soup!)
Glad to hear you did well with the heat. I have friends threatening to cancel a trip due to "fear" of heat (and we live in Atlanta, so it's not like we don't have heat LOL!)
Posted by
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
6001 posts
Keep in mind that French people haven't really eaten French onion soup
for a hundred years
The French don't eat it?? You really should, you don't know what you're missing. I've never had it in France but my wife concocted a recipe she calls French Canadian Onion Soup because she adds maple syrup to it. So good. The Michelin chefs of France would be jealous.
Posted by
USA
624 posts
I love French onion soup and I don't care what others think of it or what time of year it's supposed to be eaten. Eat when you enjoy! La Terasse is a nice place. Actually it kind of reminds me of when I was a young adult and realized I didn't have to confine green bean casserole to Thanksgiving.
Posted by
Chicagoland
2478 posts
Thanks for sharing your trip report. Sounds like you had a great time in spite of the heat. And I'm glad you enjoyed your onion soup, but you're cold cucumber soup with watermelon sounds delicious.
For future travel to Paris (or any large city with public transportation like London, NYC, ...) download the Citymapper app. It will give you detailed instructions including what entrance/exit to use, where to sit, alert you when it's time to get off and more.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
17354 posts
Wow....thanks so very much for your expanded Trip Report!
I am totally jealous of your guided tour of the Rodin Museum! That sounds unusual and awesome. This is a real benefit to having a Rick Steves guide who can help mitigate unusual circumstances and has a budget set aside for contingencies.
I AM glad you did the Louvre on your own. It is one of my favorite museums but even on days that are chilly outside it's quite warm and stuffy to me inside. I can understand them closing it. That glass pyramid is good for gathering dim winter sunlight but he!! for heat waves!
The service you got from the Londres Eiffel with them paying the taxi is spectacular. This is why Rick's tour groups use it often. Wow.
What a fabulous time you had in spite of the heat! I loved reading about your time in Paris because if I'm not there I want to know that others are having fun, hahaha.