Who is going April 2?
My wife and I are looking forward to this trip. We will arrive in London on April 1, for an extra day there, and also have three additional nights in Paris at the end.
Wondering if any others on that tour are watching this forum.
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Did this last year / same timing - it's a great trip. Enjoy!
Yes, April was a lovely time when we, as well, took this journey. A great trip and very enriching. The tulips 🌷 at Monet’s Garden were stunning.
Yes! Also on that tour with my husband and arriving in London on April 1st! Getting excited!
Bear in mind that the tour is over the Easter holidays, so it will be extra busy and some smaller places will be closed. Advice is to book restaurants in advance.
We do this tour on April 25th. But, we don’t expect to get the Taylor Swift room at the Rosewood in London.
I look forward to reading about your experiences, especially your thoughts on the Rosewood. We stayed at The Savoy, Tauck’s hotel choice at the time. Such an amazing experience! Have a great time.
Our friends did this trip and stayed at the Savoy. The Rosewood and the Savoy according to the web are equals, but the Rosewood is supposed to be more contemporary. I did some research and the Rosewood was Taylor Swift’s choice on her last tour of London. She of course had rooms that are above the Tauck category.
Did this trip last year. The Rosewood was a great location. Walked to the British Museum and the Charles Dickens Museum from the hotel.
Just a week now until we leave home and still trying to decide on how to best spend our three days in Paris after the tour. We have a guide for the Louvre, and a walking tour of Montmartre scheduled. We want to visit Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle, Musee D'Orsay and L'Orangerie, Galeries Lafayette, Palais Garnier, and see Champs Elysees. We don't want to have such a full schedule that we feel pressured or get exhausted but still are looking for highlights.
This will be our first visit to Paris. What are your "don't miss" suggestions?
Hello Bob, I think you are being too ambitious about what you might be able to see. It’s hard to know which direction to point you to as everybody is different about what attracts them most about a place. I would suggest reading as much as possible about each location. Some museums for instance, suggest how much time the average person takes to go round it. For my husband and I, he can get round a museum faster than I can, I read more about the exhibits and linger more over my favorites. Some places, we like to chill and enjoy people watching. Of course you have to eat and find restrooms, all of which eats into your day and possibly takes more time on your own than on a guided tour.
If you have the travel bug, then this will probably not be your only time in Paris. Many Tauck tours begin and end there. May I suggest that if you like it, you go back independently, maybe in the off-season, stay about a week and soak in Paris a bit more leisurely. I have to confess I’ve only beento Paris once but have stayed in many other parts of France which I love. Unlike most people, I find Paris ok, but not a place I’m desperate to go back to. I think we had three days there after visiting family in England in a February. We were over jet lag and it was quiet.
Please do post your impressions when you return.
Don't plan too much...Paris is a great city to walk around and just see the city and the people. Ride the Metro, go to a big department store and see the marvelous food halls, sit by the river for an hour and watch the people. I have been to Paris about 15 times and love to go back and soak in the city vibe.
Have a great time
I have been to Paris 10 times and other parts of France, also. My husband and I are really loving Nice, lately. Back to Paris. Guide to Louvre and walking tour are good. Curious, where do you start that walking tour in Montmartre? It’s very hilly.
I find, I’m good for about 3 hours max in a museum. Having said that, go to the Museum D’Osay when it opens and look to see if they have any exhibit that requires a timed ticket. (Do this online, before you leave). You can use their Audio as a guide. Right before noon, go to the restaurant which is lovely, sit down, have a glass of champagne and a light meal. The restaurant, is very nice. (Don’t think, you are going to walk out the front door and find lots of places to eat!). Finish up anything you missed in the museum. Go across the bridge, walk up the Tuileries Garden to the Orangerie Museum. (I don’t think we spent much time here - looked at the water lilies and left.).
If you still have energy, go back across the garden and find the yellow, 1 line metro stop - Concorde. Take it George V, get off. You can stroll down the Champs Elysees towards the Arc de triomphe. Lots of cafes, time for more wine, beer, people watch, etc. no need to go up the Arc in my opinion. I like watching the traffic!
Have fun.
I agree with PF606590. A more leisurely pace will allow you to fully appreciate whatever activities you choose.
Regarding Montmartre, there is a trolley/train that will take you up and down the hill. The views are extraordinary. The hotel concierge can assist with the logistics.
Don’t be afraid to get out and just walk. Sit at an outdoor café, start a conversation with a local, buy a baguette and cheese, find a park bench and have a picnic. Our most memorable experiences have always been the unscripted ones.
No matter what you choose to do, have a glorious time. I look forward to reading your critique afterwards.
An early morning stroll through the Tuileries is just lovely — fountains, sculptures, and those gorgeous old chestnut trees lining the way. Then step straight into L'Orangerie. It's a small place, but the morning light in those oval rooms makes Monet's Water Lilies absolutely beautiful.
I've been back to the Musée d'Orsay (and Pompidou and ...) many times — a definite don't miss. And as Katherine_Wnek mentioned, we always end up taking a lovely break in the café behind that iconic, massive clock.
Thanks for the suggestions and insights! I'll do my best to report upon our return.
If you like Monet go to the Marmottan Museum. It is off the beaten path and normally no crowds like the Louvre. It is actually my favorite museum in Paris.
Sealord - Thanks for the museum suggestion.
Bob, your ship will be docked just south of the Eiffel Tower, 20 minute walk. On day 11 you can return to ship for lunch and then head out from there or you possibly talk the TD into dropping you off somewhere along the bus tour route. I tend to compartmentalize Paris for site seeing. Where the ship is located you have close enough to walk to the Javal or Bir Hakeim metro stations. The latter you can grab Line 6 to Arc de Triomphe and then head down the Champ Elysees. Easy walk to/from the Eiffel Tower to the ship. As you mentioned the Lourve and Montmarte(which is a great place to visit and overlook Paris.) If you are staying post trip at the Hotel Lutetia(fabulous hotel) you are in a perfect spot for walking through the Latin quarter/St Garmin, Luxenberg garden and seeing the Pantheon. Notre Dame and Sainte Chepelle are easy to do together. One option to consider is seeing if there is an evening concert. I have used Classictic.com multiple times and they have concerts in a number of great historical buildings.
Many people also don’t know there is a museum in the top of the Arc de Triumph. There is also a tunnel to get there, so you don’t have to run across six lanes of traffic on the circle.
Ah, the Hotel Lutetia — that really takes me back! We stayed there on our very first trip to Paris in '92. Such a classic, historic spot. I still remember the brasserie menu being entirely in French — très Parisian!