Small group - evening visit to Louvre - which night?
We are taking the Normandy, Brittany, Paris and Loire Valley small group land tour in April 2025. At the end, we have two full days in Paris (evening arrival from Giverny, first full day is a city bus tour in the morning and walking tour in the afternoon; second full day offers Musee d'Orsay and a farewell dinner.)
We are repeat visitors to Paris and plan to spend the first full day on our own (opting out of the bus tour and the walking tour). We plan to get tickets to places we want to see and use public transportation or walk.
I've considered a boat ride on the Seine but it was also mentioned that the small group tours are also given an evening tour of the Louvre. I would not want to book a boat tour that conflicts with the Louvre visit. Can any offer insight as to the timing of the Lourve visit? The Tauck agent is not able to help over the phone. The itinerary for this tour does not mention the Louvre visit at all but I know I read it somewhere!
Comments
Per the 2024 & 2025 itineraries posted on Tauck's website and in my 2025 color catalog, they don't include the Louvre after hours visit anymore. I believe they had some issues with the museum canceling on them and have dropped that activity. You could call Tauck to double check. It's too bad as it was a highlight of the tour for us.
We are going on this trip this fall. An after hours tour is not included on our itinerary. We have scheduled a morning tour on our own the first full day in Paris rather than taking the bus tour.
When we did this tour in 2023, not all tours (small group or otherwise) visited the Louvre. The only way to tell was to call Tauck. I did and found out our tour would not visit the Louvre. So, we booked a private guide who we met after the Tauck bus tour. We had time to visit Sainte Chapel, the Conciergerie, and the Louvre with her. The Louvre was very crowded and we only had a little over two hours to spend there- from what we heard it was about the same amount of time Tauck typically spent there. Our guide knew right where they were located and the best route to get there, so we saw many of the biggies.
The next day we departed the group after the Musee D'Orsay visit and walked to the Roden museum and then to the Eiffel Tower before walking back to the hotel, Le Meurice. We had a little time to rest and freshen up before the farewell at Fouquets. We purchased tickets for everything in Versailles and Paris in the months and weeks before our tour.
These are awesome pictures, thanks. Brings back good memories
Yes, the Tauck afterhours tour wasn't long. Mostly the guide focuses on Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, Mona Lisa and 1 other painting I don't remember. The main advantage was no crowds.
Thanks everyone for the info and awesome pictures! We have been to Paris before so trying to figure out what to squeeze into our time while the group might be doing something we aren't interested in like a bus tour of the city. I will call Tauck regarding the Lourve tour.
Surgie,
We enjoy the Montmartre area (highest point in Paris). The little train/trolley is fun to take as it goes up and up the hill. You would need several hours, however.
Another option would be to explore the Marais District—the old Jewish quarter in the 4th arrondissement. It's a great place to stroll and have a scrumptious falafel.
If interested, your hotel's concierge can assist with transportation options.
Thank you for those suggestions kfnknfzk. I called Tauck and the agent said the small group Louvre tour did not happen at all in 2024, she suspects due to the Olympics and preparation. Tauck has submitted date requests for 2025 but they have not heard anything back yet so I will wait a couple months and check back.
You are most welcome. I do hope you can experience the after-hours Louvre tour. Good luck to you.
AlanS you have put together a good description of your trip to Normandy, Brittany, Paris & Loire Valley in 2023. Do you have a copy of your Tauck Tour Director's itinerary given to you on the trip? it would be helpful. Thanks
ricwig
Thanks.
Well, I looked- I save everything, from every trip- I have every ticket, stub, attraction brochure, map, menu, etc, etc. from this trip, enough to fill an accordion folder, but can not find a TD itinerary! My wife says she doesn't think we got one, which would be unusual. I don't remember, but, in any case, we unfortunately do not have one. Sorry.
This is our first Tauck trip, which we are looking forward to. It seemed that Tauck encourages people to "dress" for dinner. This is a fine idea, but do people really do it? Thanks.
It depends on the group you get. With only one suitcase allowed, it can also be an absolute pain to pack stuff you barely wear for a couple of hours.
I will say that some do and others don't, I would just go for the welcome and farewell dinners, for the rest unless you are going to a castle I wouldn't worry, also look at how many dinners you have on your own.
We just returned from the Normandy, Brittany, Paris, etc. we were encouraged to "dress" for the welcome dinner and dinner at Le Meurice Hotel (not the Farewell dinner) Le Meurice dinner is a 3 Micheline star restaurant in a gorgeous dining room. Tables are for 2 or 4, so it is appropriate to dress up. That said,most of our group were seniors and the men wore sport jackets, but you are on your own...just don't wear jeans! The Farewell dinner is at Fouquets which is an upscale old-fashioned brasserie, so business casual is perfect. Other group dinners were mostly nice but casual attire. Our group did not get to do the chateau dinner with the hounds (for which Tauck has apologized) so that might be more dress up. If you have more questions about this trip in particular send my a private message by accessing the link at the above right corner of this page. (PS, we had one large bag each and 2 carryons...Tauck never complained)
@British - we are booked on the Tauck Normandy tour in April. I don't see anywhere that only one suitcase is allowed per person. Is that information you received with your documents closer to the tour? We normally travel carry-on only but dress up more in the European cities so not sure we will have just two suitcases.
Surgie, I’m not sure if this is your first Tauck tour, but all their tours state that you should bring just one medium sized suitcase plus a carry on bag which they suggest should be able to fit under a bus seat.
Here is what is says for your tour.
Checked Luggage – General
Due to space restrictions, we ask that you please limit your checked luggage to one suitcase per person weighing no more than 50 pounds (23 kg) and with overall dimensions (length + width + height) not exceeding 62 inches (158 cm).
Besides complying with the Tauck restriction noted above, you should also be sure to research and comply with all airline baggage restrictions relating to your flights to and from your Tauck journey. Airlines have become much more strict in enforcing size and weight limits in recent years, and luggage exceeding airline standards for size or weight may result in expensive overage fees or other consequences.
Airlines are free to revise luggage policies without notice, and certain airlines have different baggage allowances for different classes of service. Researching and complying with airline luggage restrictions is the responsibility of the guest, and Tauck cannot be held responsible for any costs or disruptions to travel caused by the failure to research and comply with airline policies.
Tauck luggage tags will be provided by your Tauck Director on Day 1 of your itinerary. Please do not attach a Tauck luggage tag to any carry-on items, as the Tauck tags designate luggage that is to be handled and transferred by ground operators and hotel staff during your journey.
Carry-on Luggage - General
Although oversize bags and wheeled, carry-on luggage are popular for airline travel, they are often not convenient or appropriate for motor coach travel or for many on-tour flights. Most modern sightseeing motor coaches offer limited space for numerous or larger items. Space under seats or in the overhead rack is typically small, and designed to accommodate items like coats, hats, purses, and small camera bags, etc.
For your day-to-day travel while on tour, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to a small, soft-sided carry-on piece, and that you bring only those items you need handy during the day such as make-up, medications, cameras, film, etc. Items too large to fit under the motor coach seat or on the overhead rack must be stored in the luggage bays beneath the motor coach, and may be inaccessible during daytime travel.
Surgie, if you go to the tour page and scroll towards the bottom you will see a section "Travel Requirements for this Tour." We did this tour last fall and most everyone had one suitcase and a small cabin bag or backpack. Personally my wife and I travel with a Monos medium checked bag each and I had a 30 liter Tom Bihn backpack and my wife had a 20L or so wheeled cabin bag. They limit the bags primarily for handling luggage purposes for the bus driver and the hotel staff. We find this perfectly adequate even with several "dressier" option. On this specific trip I Brough a Mizzen Main travel blazer and wore six or seven times. By wife had 3 Eilleen Fisher tops and bottoms giving her 9 outfits for the evening occasions. Have a great time.
Our Briggs & Riley Baseline luggage (25 x 18 x 9.95 inches) works just fine for us and enables us to travel without the need for anything else except for one carry-on tote to handle medicine, phone charger, amenity kits, et al. With a section specifically for jackets, dresses, skirts and shirts, packing appropriate evening attire is a breeze. It also expands, but I think I have only used that feature once on a Tauck tour.
In my opinion, choosing the right material for clothing and knowing how to mix and match (as Ben indicated) make it easier to pack lighter.