Paris Impressions from the Seine: Paris to Normandy May 23rd to May 30th, 2024
Part ONE
Tour Leaders: Karman Liovic, Dan Brandau, Victoria Putz (each and every one of them was excellent)
This was a fantastic trip for me and my husband. I would advocate for anyone to visit France this time of the year. I knew the river levels would be in a green mode as the spring runoff from the snow was completed. It was so very pleasant, cool and I have some mobility issues, so, I will review the trip in that manner. Our tour guides, the ship, the food, the people were all top notch. The average age appeared to be 60’s to mid-80’s. This was our third Tauck cruise and will not be our last. My father landed on the Normandy beaches 6 days after D-Day in 1944 and he was only 18 years old, so, this trip was a bucket list for me. I will also warn everyone to make sure you bring your aspirin with you as only the pharmacies in France sell such items not the other stores.
Charles de Gaulle Airport We took advantage of Tauck’s one free night for second time cruisers and flew in on May 22 to land at 12:15pm to stay at the Hotel Napoleon. I opted for Wheelchair and the airport was not prepared. We waited 20 minutes for the chair to show up and then were escorted down a flight into a small bus which drove the entire length to the customs area. You had to be able to stand and get on and off the bus. We were moved to a Mobility Assistance area only to have to wait 20 minutes for a wheelchair to escort us to baggage claim and customs. By this time, I was afraid our Tauck driver was going to leave us. We finally rolled down long hallways where they discovered the elevator would not work and I was informed I was either to take the two flights downstairs or the escalator. Since I cannot handle escalators, I grabbed the handrail and somehow made it down the stairs. Shame on you Airport! Because of all the delays, there were only 3 bags rolling on the baggage carousel and two belonging to me and the other wheelchair. We grabbed luggage, went through customs or vice versa and were wheeled hell bent to the exit. I was frantically looking for my Tauck driver and there he was! We transferred to Hotel du Napoleon in a 40-minute drive. Take note, Paris rush hour is around 8 AM and 5 to 6 PM and you do not want to arrive and drive around these times.
Mobility Do not come to France if you are wheelchair bound. Tauck excursions and the landmarks visited can be on rough, uneven surfaces and they are not set up to push you around in a chair. If you tire or must sit down a lot, they will advise and help you call a cab to go back to the ship as some cruisers did. Was NOT for me as I came to see these sites! They will position a guide in front of the group and one at the back and constantly keep count of your party. You will not be left behind and that is why I use them. They would also come to me the night before and tell me what to expect in terms of cobblestone steps. Versailles was particularly arduous after the tour from the day before and at the end I was escorted to an elevator rather than descend the grand marble staircase. Feel free to use a cane, but, be warned you will have to access steps and walk across a lot of gravel surfaces. Some of our group reported that their Fitbit was recording 10,000 steps a day. The buses used for the tours must park a distance away from the monuments, so, there is quite a bit of walking involved and you will find tours leaving at 7:45AM because of the hordes of visitors. We were rising at 5:15am most days and taking advantage of the 24 hour coffee and hot tea machine in Arthurs Café until breakfast opened at 6AM. I found it best for me to stop drinking coffee two hours before departure time because restrooms are not as plentiful as they are in the US. They do have at least one Disability bathroom available at each site and I am pleased to see them now on the Delta planes!