Never have been to France, need your input on excursions choices.
I'm excited about the tour in April 2025 and, since I haven't toured France before, I'm narrowing down my excursion options. The itinerary includes a visit to either Versailles or Montmartre. Could you provide insights on both choices? Thank you!
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It depends on your interests. I visited Versailles independently decades ago. Although significant from a historical perspective, I found it to be too garish for my tastes. I did enjoy the gardens, however.
I have been to Montmartre several times and keep returning because I like it so much. It was this tour in April 2023 when I took the Montmartre excursion with just seven (7) other guests. Tauck put us on a tram/trolley which worked its way up and up to the highest point in Paris—Montmartre. The views of the city are unparalleled. There is a Basilica, many shops, cafés and artisans at work. It is a lovely place to stroll.
It's a great tour. I doubt you will be disappointed no matter which excursion you select.
For me, hands down Versailles. Obviously the main chateau but also to see the sheer enormity of the place (2,000 acres). You won't see everything but from the itinerary you'll see a lot. Some day you might want to go back and see the rest. Amazing place.
I'd recommend, if you can afford it, to add days in London and/or Paris because there is so much to see in both cities.
If you don't do the Monmartre excursion but want a good view of Paris, the roof top terrace of the shopping center Galleries Lafayette is an excellent alternative. Its free, you take it to the top via escalators, has a fairly good restaurant and some decent souvenir shopping. Plus all the other shops and dining options. Its very close to the Opera House. Another good tour.
Years ago when we went to Monmatre, I remember it seemed like a really seedy area, gypsies trying to tie string round our fingers was one thing we encountered. Definitely for me would be Versailles, I love the old French style opulence and colors. I’d go back there in a heartbeat, plus, we went in winter so it was not busy at all.
Those mussels!
I have never seen a "seedy" Montmartre either. To the contrary, it was clean, inviting and the local shopkeepers and artisans were friendly.
We went to Montmartre in 2017 as part of this cruise. The area where we got on the little tram had a couple of sex shops. With any luck they are closed. Up by the cathedral we had a good lunch (croque monsieur) and walked around a bit. There were numerous street artists who followed us trying to get us to have a picture done. One wouldn't leave us alone and I told him I wouldn't buy anything. He insisted on doing it anyway. Was awful but he laid on a big guilt trip so my husband paid him. The picture got left in our cabin trash. Very annoying and a waste of time. I'm glad if others had better experiences.
Perhaps the incident with the unruly artists occurred outside the confines of the town's center—maybe by the Basilica where many people congregate. I say this only because the Montmartre street artists are highly regulated and are even licensed by the city of Paris. It also takes years (according to the local guide who lived in Montmartre) to be given a coveted spot. I just don't think a legitimate artist would give up her/his livelihood after working so hard to establish a footing in the area.
Regardless, I shall continue to visit this treasure of a spot when I return to Paris. And I'm having those mussels next time!
Edited 10/20 to correct a typographical error.
Cathy, that pretty much looks like the restaurant we ate at. We did enjoy our lunch.
We were near the basilica with several artists trying to get people to engage with them. No idea what constitutes the "town center" so I have no idea about that. It was a crowded, hot summer day.
I'm not sure how good our local guide was either since we didn't have a lot of knowledge beyond it being an area where lots of famous artists worked and the basilica. Maybe a better guide would have pointed us to some areas to visit in more detail after his time with us.
If they've cleaned things up that's great.
cathyandsteve - No wonder why Steve is grinning being surrounded by the women! I passed that restaurant but didn't stop because our excursion started immediately after breakfast. I did stop at a small café and had a latte after being given free time. Great people watching! I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip.
Yes, it must be way more cleaned up then when we were there which I think was 11 years ago, my only time in Paris, I much prefer rural areas of France and the local foods and markets.
Indeed. (;-)
Been both places at least twice. For me, Versailles easily wins.
Montmartre - This area survives on the view (which is admittedly spectacular) and the history, but today it is mostly a tourist area. While in the 19th Century it was a center for artists, those days are long past. Today it's filled with tourist restaurants and "sketch your portrait" street artists. The artists can't afford to live there, they just come to hustle the tourists. The seedier parts are near the Place Pigalle, a square near the bottom of the hill. It was once Paris's red-light district (that's why the Moulin Rouge is near there). Today, it is a nightlife district, aimed mostly at tourists - cabarets, nightclubs, and the occasional sex shop. I'm not sure if the ladies still ply their trade in the evenings.
Versailles - The seat of power for Kings Louis XIV through Louis XVI, it is one of the largest and grandest palaces ever built - think Buckingham palace on steroids. Lots of history here, including the incredible Hall of Mirrors where the treaty was signed ending World War I. In addition to the palace, there are extensive gardens and several important outbuildings, like the Petit Trianon. I particularly enjoyed the Hameau de la Reine, Queen Antoinette's pretend peasant village. She and her court used to dress up as milkmaids and play at being peasants here. With a good guide, Versailles is one of the premier sights of greater Paris. In my book, it's a must see. The Wikipedia article will give you a good idea of what you'll see here.
We just returned from a Tauck's land version of your tour (Normandy, Brittany, Paris and the Loire) and have been to Paris on our own several times. Yes, Versailles is grand, both in size and decor. We walked there from our hotel in Versailles (hotel included a guest pass for Tauck visitors). Even with timed tickets the wait is substantial. If you want to see the whole palace that is fine. If you are just interested is specific rooms (king's apartments, Hall of Mirrors, etc) then you will have to endure horrendous crowds and lots of superfluous walking with items of marginal interest. In my opinion skip Versailles and go to Montmarte.
We went in the winter and it was not busy.
I'm in the Montmartre camp. I typically research the excursion options and then call Tauck if I still have questions. I think the earlier posters have provided useful information. The answer depends on your interests. You might ask Tauck how much time out of the day each tour (Montmartre and Versailles) requires and how much free time each tour includes. A visit to Versailles may take the entire day, leaving you little free time in Paris. If you opt for Montmartre, take a few minutes to visit the 12th century St. Peter (St Pierre) church located between the Sacre Cœur basilica and Place du Tertre (the artists' square). I visited the Montmartre neighborhood in September 2023. It was cleaner than my former visits. I purchased fabric and passementerie at shops east of the bascilica. I returned from Paris last week (no visit to Montmartre this trip) and agree that every neighborhood is cleaner with more pedestrian-friendly streets. Be sure to listen for the cyclists ringing their little bell to warn you to stay right as they approach from behind. There are fewer cars but far more bicycles. My experiences at Versailles (all prior to 2010) required a lot of standing still, waiting for the tour groups ahead to make space for my tour groups to progress, followed by very slow moving, elbow to elbow, through the rooms, and not having the opportunity to step back to appreciate the space. The Versailles gardens are magnificent. Enjoy your experience.
Some of your decision is whether or not you will be taking an extra day or two in Paris after the tour or if you will be coming back for another visit. Your ship will be docked roughly a twenty minute walk down river from the Eiffel Tower. From there via bus it will take 30 to 40 minutes to get to Versailles. Typically the tour will include the Palace and a portion of the Gardens. To really experience Versailles you really need time to include the Estate Trianon and the Queen's Hamlet. If you are spending a couple of extra days then you could arrange a tour on your own. There is a regional train that runs right to Versailles. I would choose Montmartre and depending on. the time you could take the subway from there to the Arch de Triumph and then head over to the Eiffel Tower. In theory you could walk to the Eiffel Tower after you return from Versailles or after dinner your first evening on the ship. If you choose to go up the Eiffel Tower you will need to have ticket which unless you are going with a tour company you will need to purchase months in advance. The published itinerary doesn't specifically tell you how much free time or the time the ship will leave the dock, therefore a call to Tauck is recommended.
We just returned from a Seine Cruise with Tauck. It was wonderful. Versailles was part of our itinerary.
I suggest watching you tube videos produced by a retired couple, living near Paris, "les Frenchies." I found their you tubes invaluable while we were in Paris. They have you tubes about Montmartre and Versailles. Watch them and determine which excursion would be more fun for you.
If we had your choices, we would choose Montmartre.
I can't speak to Montmartre, but to truly take advantage of fabulous Versailles you need more than a day. I recommend two full days (or more).
You need to carefully plan your visit because there are special tours and exhibitions you may want to see that require separate tickets, e.g. King's Apartments, King's Favorites, etc. (not all are in English) and special features (musical fountains and fireworks) that are only open on certain days. Get non-timed Palace tickets (specifically a "1 year in Versailles" card). The Tauck/hotel ticket just won't hack it IMHO. The One Year in Versailles pass is only slightly more expensive than a "Passport" ticket, but it gives you much more flexibility (e.g. unlimited non-timed entry to the Palace- arrive anytime and enter for a year, some special accesses, discounts on special exhibitions, tours, the tram, food, etc.)
Versailles is huge and encompasses multiple areas (Main Palace, Trianon Palaces, Queen's Hamlet, stables. and Gardens and fountains that are spread out over a large area, so planning is essential to get the most out of your time there and limit unnecessary walking. To prevent buying counterfeit tickets, buy tickets from the Versailles website. https://en.chateauversailles.fr/ If a lot of planning, a lot of walkiing, and the seeing the history and trappings of arguably the most noteworthy French King and Queen during the most turbulent period in French history, aren't your things, you might want to stick with Montmartre. We thought Versailles was wonderful and wish we had more time to spend there.
To second what Ben said about the Eiffel tower. Tickets for the elevator to the top go on sale 60 or so days in advance, but even then sell out quickly. I used the Tower website to watch ticket sales and did partial bookings so I knew down to the minute when a batch of tickets were going to be released and how quickly they sold out, so I could get the time slot I wanted (it was like the old days of Ebay sniping) but even so, I missed our desired spot by a half hour which was acceptable. You can get tickets on-site early in the morning on the day of your planned visit, but are taking a big chance, especially if you want a certain time slot. After the Eiffel Tower, we planned to casually stroll back to our hotel along the Seine, rest a bit, clean up and change before getting on the bus to the farewell dinner at Fouquets, so even having a half hour less time was important to us. Our casual stroll was interesting, but unfortunately more of a quick step!