This was a rescheduled trip from September, 2020.
Flights: I booked my flights 10 months in advance. You can't get anywhere from Cleveland. I am always jealous of the great airfares that some of you are able to snag. I was able to get one layover flights (ATL outbound and DTW return) in Delta One outbound and premium select return for $1400 and some miles. Flights were smooth, service adequate, food barely adequate. My flight from CDG to DTW was delayed by 30 minutes due to air controller strike at CDG.
Hotels: I checked in to Hotel de Londres Eiffel on Saturday morning. Surprisingly, after a ten minute wait, I was given my key. It was about 8 am. I paid 235 Euros/night for 2 nights prior to the RS Paris city tour starting. This is a great hotel. Yes, the rooms are Paris small. My room was perfect for one. It is beautifully decorated. The staff is outstanding. You get a note when you check in that the hotel is their home and they want it to be your home in Paris. The staff follows through on this promise. The neighborhood is safe, quaint, and lively without being too noisy. Air conditioning worked well, safe and mini fridge. Small desk and chair. I highly recommend this hotel if it is in your budget.
On the next Saturday, I moved to Hotel Du Lion D'Or Louvre. It is between The Louvre and Palais Garnier. I stayed in a single room. It is like a dorm room. There is a twin sized bed, a small wardrobe with full length mirror, a safe and a small desk and chair. The sink and shower are in the main room. The toilet is in its own tiny room with a door. I paid 139 Euros per night. Air conditioning worked well. No mini fridge. Staff was kind and helpful. Good breakfast, included if book online. Neighborhood is safe, but more gritty in the 1st compared to the 7th. Very close to Metro stop on line 1, so easy to get around. I would stay here again as I think you get very good value for the money. I originally booked this hotel for 2020 paying the prepaid, reduced rate. They readily offered me a voucher that lasted 18 months after my booking date. They did not really want to extend the voucher further or refund my money. But, I persistently sent them email requests to extend my voucher or to refund my money as laid out by French law. I even told them I would happily accept a reduced room rate. Eventually, they honored the voucher. I paid a small amount to make up the difference for the room rate (48 Euros). I would stay here again.
TOUR: You can easily read the tour itinerary on this website. Our guide was Marie Altman. She is excellent. Our local guides were Cerise (Montmartre), Elisabet (Louvre), Joelle (D'Orsay) and Vincent (Versailles) All guides were excellent. The tour included a Navigo Decouverte one week pass and a six day museum pass. We took an evening bus tour of the city the first night. In the past I said that I wouldn't take a city tour because I can handle myself in a big city, but I do feel the tour is worthwhile. The guides make a big difference. It is also nice to have some company since I was traveling on my own this time. There was a good mix of guided time and on your own time. There were 20 of us on the tour. Four people were on my tour mate list that didn't end up on the tour. All of my other tours had 28 people, the smaller group size is nice. Based on this experience I will likely take another city tour in the future.
Safety: I felt safe in Paris the whole trip. I did not wear a money belt. I use a Tom Bihn medium size cafe bag that I wear cross body. I use 2 of the Tom Bihn zippered wallet like thingies that clip to the inside of the bag. In one, I had my drivers license and my credit cards. In the second I carried cash and my individual metro tickets for before and after the tour. Because they are clipped, they would be difficult to pickpocket and would be impossible for me to forget them somewhere. I carry my passport everywhere.
...cont'd