BOE 21--Paris question

if you posted this a few minutes ago, call them. It is already quarter past 4 in the afternoon in Paris. No reason for you to wait. They will be going home soon.

If you mean calling Rick Steves' gang, yes they have a couple of hours yet to sleep.

I'm confused--not unusual :) I thought the RS office is in Washington State, so it would be 7:15 in the morning.

it sounds from your question that you are having trouble booking the Eyefull Tower. So you needed to talk to them.....

I have the Eiffel Tower booked for day 19 of our tour based on what the RS planning page suggested doing for the BOE 21 tour. Now, I see there is an evening tour on day 19 and that day isn't listed as a recommended day for booking Eiffel Tower tickets. I'm just wondering if this is a recent change as I don't remember reading it in the daily itinerary when I booked the tour.

Do call and talk to them in an hour or so. It could be that they have had to shift some sightseeing. You will want to be careful with your timing on the 20th because you will not want to miss your farewell dinner. That was such a special event.

You can still do it on the 19th and just miss whatever is planned for that afternoon/evening. That would be a Tuesday so the Louvre is closed on that day so not sure what they would have scheduled.

I hope you enjoy this tour! I loved it!

Recent tour reviews suggest they've just changed up the tour to add a (very popular) evening private bus tour of Paris, which concludes at the Eiffel Tower. Sounds like you're going to need to contact the RS Tour office to find out specific details, and may need to choose between the tour and the tower.

Interestingly, the BOE21 is currently MIA from the list of tours. Can't find it anywhere! Perhaps they are making other changes as we speak??? Very strange....

I also couldn't find it on the tour home page but I did a search and it showed up, here is what it now says for day 19:

"Day 19: Historic and Neighborhood Paris
This morning we'll drive straight to Paris, where you'll have an orientation of the neighborhood markets and cafés to find lunch on your own. After checking into our nearby hotel, we'll have a transportation lesson and Métro ride to the historic heart of Paris: the Ile de la Cité. Prepare to be awed by the brilliant stained glass windows of Sainte-Chapelle, and enlightened on a historic walk through the Latin Quarter, ending at the stunning Notre-Dame Cathedral. After dinner on your own, we'll regroup this evening for a private panoramic bus tour through the City of Light. Sleep in Paris (2 nights). Bus: 6 hrs. Walking: moderate."

I guess you should call them for confirmation and then decide which you'd rather do - you're always free to opt out of the group activity if you so desire.

Pam-- We are there on Thursday and Friday(Day 19 and 20). The Louvre is on Friday. I agree with you about not running into the farewell dinner. That is something we want to make sure we are available to join.

Ruth and Nancy--I noticed that the BOE21 was missing from the tours and that is what prompted me to check the itinerary when it popped back up. I noticed the bus tour on Thursday night and it surprised me because I knew this was the night I had booked our tickets because it was supposed to be a free night. I started snooping around and noticed the recommended days had changed.

Fortunately, the tour tickets aren't that expensive so I can book for the next day. I just knew I wrote everything down to make sure I didn't schedule something for a time when a group activity is planned. I did the same thing for booking our Vatican tour. I don't want to miss the bus tour as it sounds beautiful. I probably should be thankful that I found this out now with time to rebook tickets rather than not figuring it out until we are in Paris.

Update--I spoke with the RS office and the gentleman that I talked with said they recently changed the first night in Paris to add the night bus tour(starts at 8:00). He confirmed that they had given out the information that Day 19 or 20 could be booked for the Eiffel Tower and recently changed it. He apologized for the conflicting information and said we didn't have to go on the bus tour.

So, if anyone is looking to book tickets, make sure you schedule for Day 20 so you can enjoy the bus tour. I will be booking tickets for the 1:00-4:00 timeframe on our last day.

Happy Travels!

Rachel

Thank you so much for this heads-up, Rachel! I was also doing my Paris planning work based on the old information and greatly appreciate you sharing this. I was stressing a bit about not yet finalizing our Eiffel Tower visit & tickets but sounds like it was a bit of a blessing in disguise that I waited. The evening lights bus tour sounds like a fantastic addition!

I think we may be on the same tour together - I'll drop you a private message to connect :)

Warmly,
Michele

It would have been nice if the Rick Steves office had given their customers a heads up about the schedule change.

Oh goodness...I am not sure how I leaped at the wrong date. So sorry! I must have been thinking July 19 instead of your 19th day. I might miss the night bus tour. You may have a little bus tour when you arrive just getting to your hotel. Our guide had the driver go around Arc d'Triomphe and pointed out a number of different sites, but it probably depends on how your time is running as well as the guide and driver.

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful time!

Hi, all.

Our planners were excited to be able to add this popular evening drive to both the 14- and 21-day Best of Europe Tour itineraries, even though mid-season and with the trade-off that some customers might have already booked Eiffel Tower tickets. The update has been going out in the reminder email to tour members sent 30 days before the tour start. But we're looking at sending this message to all upcoming tour members now, rather than week by week. Also, the tour web pages are back online in the Find a Tour index.

I think that addition to day/evening 19 sounds wonderful.....bummer about the tower tickets, though. I'm not sure you can transfer the tickets to day 20 but it's worth a try. That is probably something you want to do at least once in your life! Seeing Paris at night is very memorable!

Thanks for posting this. As soon as I read your note I checked our 14 day tour to find the new info. Alas we did book Eiffel Tower tickets too for that night. Guess we will miss the bus tour.

We did receive an email from RS office with the update. Your post may have gotten them to act quickly. Most people never see this forum.

Thank you

While I have not taken the BOE tour, I did take the week in Paris and it has the bus tour. It is a sight not to be missed. The tour was over an hour and we drove all over the city. It was especially nice because everything is lit up. You may see things you would not have a chance to see otherwise. I have been to Paris and have not gotten to the top if the Eiffel Tower yet. If I had the choice, I would take the bus tour.

We did the BOE 21 tour in May. I don't remember the bus tour on the itinerary, but it was a lovely way to end the day. Luckily I did not have your conflict. However, the Eiffel Tower is a must at some point in your travels. Hope you can reschedule.

Went to the top of the Eifell Tower a few weeks ago. Very crowded. Despite having tickets you wait in lines to summit and back which move slowly due to limited elevator access. From the top a nice view. If I had your choices I'd choose the bus tour.