Two Paris questions - cost of car and driver, and package tours

Um, you might try this one: http://tours.ricksteves.com/tours/city/paris

Wow sarah,, sounds like it might be hard travelling with your sister,, I suggest that Nancys suggestion is a very good one, consider doing a Rick Steves Paris tour,, they not only tour you around, you do get free time too, but they will teach and guide your nervous sister,, no need for a driver that would be going over board to me,, and trust me, being stuck in Paris traffic is not fun either.. and it will be expensive ,, very no doubt.
Paris is such an easy city to do on ones own, you can book daytrips and such ,, but it does require doing some homework,, which some of us like and some do not like.

Nancy's answer is really the best. Just think, if your sister has to meet up with the driver she will to communicate with him each time. Drivers can't use mobile phones while driving. Having a driver for a week would cost a bomb. I can't imagine how much. Just a guess - if it were €250 a day that's €1,750 plus tips. Spend some of the money on a RS tour. Both of you will be so well taken care of, have a great time and see so much. Family harmony is priceless.

Sarah, you might also consider checking out the Paris bus system (maybe that's covered in Nancy's reference?). I prefer it to the metro because it's like a sightseeing tour. You can see more from a bus than a car, as well, because you're higher up. Maybe you could do the car and driver thing just for one day. Also, you could do a minibus excursion to Giverny to see Monet's garden. Some tour operators combine this with a tour of Versailles.

Thanks, all. I doubt that this trip will happen because she is such a nervous traveler, but I'll tell her your comments. She makes a lot more money than me and even said that because she's not a traveler and because she has wanted to go to Paris for so long, she could spend $6,000 or $7,000 on this trip to live it up in comfort. I'm a total plan-it-yourself-and-travel-on-the-cheap kind of person so our travel philosophies are at odds. We'll see what happens...

Wow! Six grand for two weeks! I'm happy that I can get by spending about $1200 for one week. Part of he charm of traveling is wandering. Certainly packaged tours have their place and my first trip was one arranged by my college French instructor for her class for three weeks. But, wandering on my own has allowed me to see and explore where a package tour would probably deny me the chance. Paris is a walking city - I can't say anything about London but I suspect that the same observation applies. I use the Metro exclusively, have had no problems and this trip will be taking my sister for her first out of country experience also.

I don't understand. What is your sister "nervous" about? Is she afraid because she can't speak French? Is she a control freak? Has to know exactly where she is going, where to eat, etc? Shy about speaking to strangers? Is she the high anxiety type? Afraid of the unknown? Easily stressed. Do these issues come up when she travels in the States? How can she be "nervous" and be successful in her career making so much money? We traveled once with a guy who was an inexperience traveler. And that was on an Alaska cruise, which is easy compared to going to Europe. He was the insecure type. We had a terrible time because he couldn't go with the flow. Constantly complaining, worrying, snapping at his wife.
Unless your sister can get over her issues, no one will have a good time in Paris.

Anna - thanks for the bus system suggestion. If the trip looks like it will happen, I'll definitely check it out. Kevin - yeah, I know! My budget for a two- to three-week trip is between $2,000 and $3,000. I completely agree with you about wandering, but you and I, along with most other people on this board, are travelers. We love planning trips and then experiencing what we spent so much time and money planning. I'm not a package tour person at all (it's too expensive and I would feel trapped by someone else's schedule) but I understand that some new travelers feel a lot better when someone else plans everything for them. The Metro in Paris is very easy. Please report back about your upcoming trip with your sister! I'd like to hear how everything goes. (continued)

Chun - it's hard for her to articulate exactly what's wrong. When she visits a friend in another city in the U.S., she's fine because the friend knows the city and there isn't a problem getting around. Something about navigating in a foreign city, even in an unfamiliar city in the U.S., scares her, even if someone else does all the navigating. The foreign language doesn't bother her; neither do strangers. She's very smart and capable and does well in her job; she just has a problem with this kind of travel. Everyone has shortcomings. I'm sure you struggle with some things that other people would find pretty easy. I'm worried about this potential trip because we've never traveled together as adults and I don't know what to expect. She might be fine; she might freak out every day. She might decide to go with her boyfriend (who's never been out of the country either) and do a package tour so neither of them have to worry about getting around. But I want her to know that I'm there for her. This would also be a special trip for us both because our grandmother was born in Paris in 1906 and came to the U.S. in 1911, so if possible we'd like to do some research in the archives about our family.

I understand about people having anxieties that might not be reasonable (I have a fear of heights). It sounds like your sister wants to go to Paris so much that she may be able to overcome her fears (at least somewhat). I think that a lot of people who never travel, or who never travel out of the country, do so because they're nervous about some aspect of it, whether it's the foreign language, foreign food, or some other thing that's out of their element. A car and driver, in addition to being very expensive, would really reduce your flexibility, I would think (and those traffic issues). How does she feel about taking taxis? You could take at least some guided tours while you're at places like the Louvre or the Musee d'Orsay, if that makes her feel better. Then you could do some travel by walking, and some by cabs. And some by Metro, but I know plenty of people who live in cities in the U.S. who never have to take public transportation, have never taken public transportation elsewhere, and would be very nervous doing that (I'm not one of those). If you had time, I would suggest that you plan a trial trip here in the U.S., the both of you spending a weekend or so in a city she's never been in, and see how you both can accommodate her concerns.

I like Lexma's suggestion of a quick, trial trip. Why not take a weekend in Montreal to see how she does, the French-speaking side?

I'm not aware of any tour companies that will arrange everything for you. However, you could probably find a fee-based travel agent who is willing to make arrangements for you. And if your sister really wants to see the sights of Paris, and be driven around, there are options. One option is to purchase hop-on/hop-off bus tickets. My parents were terrified of the Metro and used this as their exclusive means of transportation for two days. Pricey and slow, but comfortable for them. There are now three companies and each has a different itinerary. Foxity, Les Car Rouges, and L'Open Tour (although I may not have that last name exactly right). Paris Vision will do small group tours in a minivan. Some of them will pick you up at your hotel and drop you off later. You could sign up for several of their tours. I've seen their vans drive around the Arc de Triomphe, so you can even get that experience if you wanted! Another option you have is to hire a private tour guide who will escort you everywhere. If Paris is important to your sister, but doing it herself is not an option, then you can still make it happen. Luckily she realizes it will come at a cost and she has the means to make it happen.

Sarah,, of course your sister may be right about her having more money then you because she doesn't travel,, but what she may not understand is that she is poorer in other ways. You cannot take money with you, it doesn't comfort you with memories in your old age or if you become infirm at a younger age,, travel is priceless. A new kitchen or car is lovely, but no one has ever been on their death bed and said " remember the blue lamp we purchased in 1993,, it was beautiful" .. no ,, once you lose a few close people in your life you realize that having stuff,, having money in the bank IS nice,, but having spent your time building and layering memories and experiences is far more enriching and rewarding. Personally,, my attitude is,, love your sister,, but don't travel with her,, she may end up ruining your trip|( inadvertantly) , I have read tripreports that have definately shown that a poor travel companion match can ruin the trip for everyone.

Lexma - thanks so much for the suggestion about taxis. I think the fact that she doesn't travel very much has a lot to do with it. She's worried about things that more experienced travelers aren't concerned with. I understand how not knowing how to get back to your hotel or missing your stop on the Metro can be frightening. She also doesn't have a strong desire to travel, but I hope that because she really wants to go, that will help her overcome some of her anxiety. Bets and Lexma - I actually suggested going to Montreal for a few days because it isn't very far from home and you get that French flavor, but she wasn't interested! It seems to be Paris or nothing. Dina - thank you for the info about the hop on/hop off bus tours, and the Paris Vision company. I've only been on one arranged tour as an adult (well, I was 17) so I'm completely ignorant about them, obviously! I'll definitely keep your suggestions on hand for the future. Pat - you have a good point about this trip. If she decides that she definitely wants to do this, then I have to decide if I want to take the chance that the trip could be really un-fun for both of us. Traveling partners can make a trip wonderful but they can also make it awful.

I really hope your sister makes the trip, especially since your grandmother was from there. My husband's grandmother was from Sweden. A Swedish friend did the research and found his cousins. We went to Sweden and spent about 5 days with them. It was a memorable experience. It sounds like your sister has some kind of phobia. Has she thought of getting professional help? The Paris trip could be an extra motivator.
Wishing you and your sister the best success.

If she does agree to go and you move forward with buying the airline tickets, just be prepared to travel solo if she has a meltdown right before you are scheduled to depart. Her fear could get stronger as the trip departure date approaches and she could easily leave you in a position to lose out on the money you laid out for your airfare and cancel your own trip unless you are comfortable traveling solo (a lot of people, even ones who do travel outside of the US, are uncomfortable about going overseas alone - if you are one of them, talk to her now about whether you'd expect to be reimbursed for your ticket if she bails on you). Also, many posters here scoff at what they refer to as "American Style Hotels" in Europe. Personally, I think instead of a private car & driver you should spend the $$ on staying in a central Arrondissement in Paris in a large business hotel like Sheraton, Marriott, Hilton. She may find some comfort knowing there are multiple front desk staff 24/7 that speak English and typically a concierge that can make arrangements for a driver or guide if you suddenly feel like it's necessary. If you go without a tour group, spend the first few days getting her acclimated by taking a hop-on/hop-off guided bus tour, a bike tour like Fat Tire with an English speaking guide and walk around a lot or sign up for Paris Walks guided city walks. As she starts to recognize areas she has been through, she may feel more secure venturing further out to places that aren't as central (like Montmartre, Versaille, Pere Lachaise) with you taking the lead on the Metro, bus or RER.

Chun - thank you for this post. I might indeed call it a phobia, since she has an almost irrational fear of being in a strange city without knowing anyone. She's more comfortable with travel in the U.S. now than she was a few years ago, so I think she's on her way to being able to travel internationally. She really wants to go and I hope that will be a good motivator. She'll probably have freak-out moments like anyone does who tries to conquer a fear, but the important thing is that she tries it. Ceidleh - that brings me to your point. It's a very good idea to be prepared in case she backs out. I wouldn't mind going alone, although I would be annoyed because I'd like my next trip to be 2 weeks solo in England. I'm willing to change my trip plans for her but she'd better get on the plane with me! As far as accommodation, I told her that we could rent an apartment in Paris so she'd feel more like she was at home (and she likes to cook, and I know she'd love going to the markets and getting ingredients for meals). But I'm really glad you mentioned this because I should consider the chance that she might bail; in that case, maybe we should book a room in an American-style hotel (and I would expect reimbursement for the hotel, if I couldn't cancel it and change my plans and go to England). The bus tours are a very good idea too.