Hi We will be in Pris for 2.5 days end of July. I have been before but my 16 yr old son has not. None the less all the sights will be new and fresh for me as it has been 29 yrs since my last visit.
Question: I am interested in two tours and so is my son and husband.
Is the Chocolate and pastry tour going to hold my son's attention? He loves food especially sweets so this initially sounded good to him. Also it looks very $$$. About 140e pp. Are there any less $$ chocolate and pastry tours?
Second: The Segway tour. Looks fun and reviews are great. But... we are in Paris at the height of tourist season . Can one really ride these without causing a major public nuisance or personal endangerment!? Are streets packed with tourists like in Venice during high season? If you have been on this tour did you like it and if so for what reasons? Are there ever any discounts for these tours?
Barbara/Chicago
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
Have you seen the video at www.citysegwaytours.com/paris? It gives a good example of the places you will tour. I haven't done the one in Paris, but I have done the one in Chicago. Even though we toured through areas that were full of tourists (July), there was plenty of room for everyone. And the route was chosen to avoid areas where there would be a lot of pedestrians. I'm sure the Paris one would be much the same. It is very easy to learn and is tremendously fun. I wouldn't worry about being a nuisance or in any danger at all.
Posted by
Fort Wayne, IN, USA
2349 posts
Are you saying that a chocolate and pastry tour is 140 euros each, and would then run you 420 euros? That sure seems pricey to me, but then I'm cheap. You could stop in each and every patisserie and chocolate shop that you see and save a lot of money.
Posted by
Lebanon
711 posts
Hi Barbara... There are many reasonable tours of chocolate and bread places and other neat tours and even dinners with French people in Paris. Google Meeting the French and you will find wonderful things to do that are cheap. Sponsered by the Paris Tourist Bureau. You can reserve online.... some are as little as 6 euros.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32352 posts
Barbara,
I can't offer any suggestions on the Chocolate tour, but I have taken the Paris Segway tour so have a few thoughts on that.
Yes, you can ride these "without causing a major public nuisance or personal endangerment", as the firm provides a training session before you ever venture out on the streets. They also limit the speed of the devices (which is set by the colour of the "key" that you use to activate the Segway). The most challenging part is going over curbs, as the rider has to adjust balance to make sure not to tip forward (it's not that bad once you get used to it).
All riders MUST wear a helmet and reflective Vest! If you're worried about crowds and traffic, I'd suggest taking the evening Segway tour (hopefully they still offer that?)as the traffic should be a bit more manageable.
One point to mention on the Segway tours is that you'll probably be required to make a deposit on your credit card for each machine, to cover any damage which might occur. The charge will be refunded at the end of the trip if the Segway is returned in good order. It's very unlikely to damage the machines if one follows the instructions of the Guide.
I found the Segway tour to be a lot of fun, and is definitely something I'd like to do again.
Happy travels!
Posted by
San Antonio
10 posts
My 16-year-old daughter and I took the evening Segway tour about a month ago and it was one of the highlights of our trip.
They were much easier to ride than I expected and there is a training session at the beginning. Helmets were provided.
A few times we were in areas with pedestrians but because they tended to stop and watch the group ride by it was never an issue to zip along past them safely.
I highly recommend it!! Just riding the Segway would have been fun but using it to see the sights more efficiently was well worth it as well.