Will be traveling on a Rick Steves tour in May. As Rick Advises, just coming over with a carry on. Would like to do laundry at a place in Paris and/or Normandy where I can drop off clothes, have then washed. folded and then pick up later. Thoughts?
Are you looking for a recommendation for a place to have your clothes washed and folded? If so, what neighborhood/area?
On our trips in France on our own every hotel where we asked was able to send out laundry. Just ask at the front desk. And at the intro meeting the guide will usually mention one or two stops on your tour where it will be available.
Your RS tour guide will tell you when and where laundry facilities are available. On the tour, the guide will know what your timeline looks like and will make suggestions according to what the travel plans are on on the tour.
We've had all kinds of options suggested on various tours, sometimes drop off and pick up, sometimes the hotel collects it, but it all has been with the guide knowing what works with tour timing.
If you decide that doesn't work for you, I would definitely double check the schedule to confirm that the timing works. You wouldn't want to drop off and plan to pick up, yet find the group is out on an activity and you aren't back in time to pick it up.
This is an excellent question to ask your RS tour leader at the first meet-up as other people will want to know too. And knowing at the beginning can help you plan ahead. If you're going to have a hotel do it, a tip is to have your laundry ready to turn in when you're checking in, so they have max time to deal with it. The hotel will be more expensive than taking it your self, but very efficient time-wise.
Thanks for the many replies...I will be staying in the Montparnesse neighborhood.
If you want to spend a lot of money on laundry, ask your hotel to do it.
If you'd like to spend a small to modest amount of money on laundry, be like the people who live there and seek out a laundromat so you can do it yourself. You can walk around the neighborhood and grab a coffee or wine while you wait.
Most laundromats in France these days work off debit or credit cards, with the washers and dryers operated from a single panel, so it's pretty straightforward how to work them. No need to hoard coins as in the past.