Paris Tour by Car/Bus

Heather, The only tour that comes to mind are the Hop On / Hop Off Bus tours. As I recall, there are at least two to choose from, the Red Bus and Green Buses (details in the Guidebook). I've never heard of any car tours, but there certainly could be some. Cars are probably not the most efficient way to tour Paris, as the traffic is usually fairly thick. Travel by Metro is faster and more efficient (but of course that involves some walking). It would be a good idea for your Mother to speak with her Physician, to see if he can offer any suggestions. It's very easy to do lots of walking in Paris, so overworking her knees is a legitimate concern. However, if you "pace yourselves" and allow frequent rest breaks, hopefully she would be able to manage. Good luck and happy travels!

We went to Edinburgh when I had just broken three toes and there was a lot of walking up hills but what we did was walk a little, say a block or two and then rest a bit and we made it okay. Would suggest bus rather than metro in Paris as there are stairs in some metro stations if I remember right. Agree with what Ken said about car. Paris is very flat, the only thing she might have problem with is visiting Sacre Couer but the rest she should be okay. It also might be helpful if at all possible to ask for bulkhead seat on plane as would give her more leg room. Also be sure hotel or B&B has elevators. Encourage her not to cancel trip, please, it would be memorable for both of you..

Paris is a lot of walking. The Metro is definitely out. Familiarizing yourself with the regular bus (not a tour bus) would probably be your best way to get around to minimize walking in addition to doing a HOHO tour one day. Also figuring out what sites you want to see, then seeing what else is nearby to minimize walking is something i'd suggest. A lot of the "must see" sights in Paris are all over the city, but there's interesting stuff and beauty everywhere. There's no rule that you have to see all the "must sees". For example, The Lourve is amazing, but is a lot of walking and it can be hard to locate the elevators sometimes, so you might want to skip it in favor of a smaller, more mangable art museum like the Orangarie.

I have used:
http://www.paris-trip.com They have tours in minivans. It's a bit expensive, but you can cover a lot in one day.

I'm 69 yrs with arthritic knees & feet & am heading for Paris this fall. I've been many times. It's a city you have to see by walking. I'd suggest that she buy very comfortable shoes & maybe a cane if it helps take pressure off her knees. I walk until I get tired or I'm in too much pain & then I find a cafe & people watch for awhile. Then I get up & do it again. It works for me. Even tho the Metro involves lots of stairs & walking, it's still my preferred method of getting from one area to another. I find the bus more difficult unless I'm able to recognize the stop where I'm to get off. Also, if your Mom doesn't already take a presciption pain med, I suggest she talk to her doctor about it - at least for the time she's on the trip. Your Mom needs to see Paris -- everyone needs to see Paris.

It's worthwhile to figure out the bus system. If your mother uses a cane, that will help her secure a seat. Some seats are dedicated to the elderly, pregnant, and disabled. I have started using buses and taxis more since my knees started being a problem. It is possible to buy a book which provides details about all the buses in Paris. Also, the Rick Steves Paris book discusses a number of bus lines in Paris that travel to the most interesting tourist places. The hop-on, hop-off buses will give an overall view of the main sights in Paris. Be sure to stay at a hotel with an elevator.

If the issue is stairs, you have to avoid the Metro, but can take city buses. If the issue is hills, you will only have trouble in Montmartre; the rest of the tourist areas are flat. But if the issue is walking on flat surfaces, you will need frequent breaks. This is where the cafes come in. They are every few feet, and for the price of one drink, you can sit as long as you like. In addition to coffee and Diet Coke (which they call cola lite), you can get mineral water, teas, beer, wine, and my favorite - citron pressé. That's freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar, and water as three separate parts - you mix it yourself to taste. A "limonade" is something else (not sure, but believe it's like a Sprite - which, by the way, they also have). They also have sandwiches if you need something more substantial. When I went with my mother, who needs more frequent breaks than I do, we simply stopped in 1-2 cafes every morning, and then again every afternoon. This makes the trip much more restful, even for those who don't have mobility problems. Of course, cafes on main thoroughfares and in tourist areas are more expensive. Every cafe has a menu with prices posted. If you are on main street and the prices are high, go around the corner and see how the price will drop a bit, even in very touristy areas.

Check out this website; I used them for a one-day combination Versailles and Giverny tour. They came by the hotel to pick me up and took me back and we skipped the lines at the sights: http://www.parisvision.com/en

Thanks, everyone! I have a lot of ideas and we'll do the best we can. I'm keeping everything crossed that she stays on board for the trip! Happy travels!

Heather, when you are in Paris and have picked up a map of the bus routes, look at buses No. 42 and 69. Both of these are excellent for sight-seeing from the beginning to the end of their routes.

There are tour companies that do day tours within Paris and outside of Paris (Giverney, Versailles, Normandy Beaches, etc.)

OOoh, definitely do not cancel the trip! My mom also has really bad knees, but considers Paris her favorite city in the world. She avoids the metro like the plague. There are many stairs and long walks underground. Not recommended. The bus tips are all useful, but if you get desperate it might be worth it just to grab a cab. Sometimes those knees just can't go another step. (And my mom has difficulty climbing the steps into the bus.) Another knee-friendly way to see the city is with a boat tour. The views from the water are just lovely and you'll see all the highlights. Highly recommended. For museums, identify the location of key works on arrival so you can go straight to them instead of wandering around. OR: The Louvre has free wheelchairs. Forget pride, we're talking about being able to see the greatest art in the world here! Also, most museums have a cafe, so she can recuperate before heading out again. Be sure to get a hotel room on the ground floor (remember, the first floor is one flight up in Europe) or book a hotel with an elevator. And make sure the breakfast room isn't in the basement. (Live and learn!)
One last bit: my mom has a cane with a seat built into the handle. When needed, it folds out to make a little spot to rest. She kinda hates it, but she does use it. :)

I would highly recommend Paris Vision Tours. We have used them in some capacity every time that we have visited Paris. They can be a little more pricey than some other tour operators but the quality of the tours is top notch. We did a bus tour of Paris combined with an Eiffel Tower trip, but they have many different tour options.

Keep in mind that almost every HoHo bus tour involves a double decker and the best views are from the top deck. If your mother has bad knees she may find it difficult to climb up or down the stairs that lead to the top deck to get herself a decent view. City buses are used by locals and are often very crowded, so there is no guarantee you will even get a seat at certain times of the day, not to mention 2 seats right next to each other. Given her medical condition and her concerns, this is one situation where I would consider springing the bucks for a private car tour. Yes, there is traffic (the same traffic a HoHo or regular city bus also sits in...), but the private car tour driver will basically pick you up at your hotel and since it's a private tour, you can often have the tour tailored around what you and your mom really want to see and not some generic route followed by the HoHo buses. See something interesting along the way? The private car tour driver will actually make a detour for you, where the HoHo bus is on a specific schedule and doesn't make random stops in between their designated drop off/pick up points. One of the neater private car tours would be the ones where you can see Paris in a convertible Citroen C2V. There are a number of different operators who offer these, so you'd have to search several to compare prices based on length of the private tour. There are also a number of YouTube videos about touring Paris this way if you want to see the type of car you'd be riding in (ex. Viator is one tour operator that has some promo videos of Paris Citroen tours on YouTube).