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Classic Paris Tour
Traveling on the French Waterways cruise and part of our trip is a Classic Paris Tour. Trying to book an afternoon activity and am curious if anyone has an idea of what time this Tour returns to the hotel.
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Got tickets from the concierge for the D'orsay and mistakenly thought we could get lunch in the museum. The ticket part worked well (we were able to skip a very long line at the museum entrance) but lunch was a bust due to the only 2 restaurants in the museum being busy and with slow service. Ended up with a sandwich from a vendor out front. Just as well as it left us plenty of time to walk around and see the sights.
Unless it has improved, the tour really wasn't that great. We drove by Notre Dame, stopped for pictures outside of the military museum (where Napolean's tomb is) and the Eiffel Tower. No time to go into any of these. Given the short time in Paris on this trip you might do better planning your own day. Am trying to talk my husband into a Segway tour on our next visit.
We ended up stopping at a Monoprix (kind of a French Target chain) that had a small food store on Blvd des Capucines a block from the hotel. They had great premade salads, wraps, sandwiches, fruit, cheese, wine, etc. We picked up some food, a bottle of wine and a cork screw at a souvenir vendor outside the hotel. They seem to be closed on Sundays so no help for that night but you might use them the next day. Our TD recommended bringing our own take out for the train ride to Lyon since the train dining is limited and slow.
Another option is the Galerie Lafayette shopping mall about 2 blocks over on Blvd Haussman. It had several food options from casual takeout to fancier sit down. And a great free top floor deck with a view of Paris. It may well be closed on Sunday too. Hard to tell from their website.
Your best bet is to ask the TD and/or the concierge when you get there. There are a ton of restaurants in the neighborhood. And of course there is always the hotel. Café de la Paix, where you’ll probably eat breakfast on Tauck, is pretty pricey for dinner. But you can also get food in this atrium like room in the center of the hotel (I think it’s called La Verrière) which has less expensive, more casual options.
Hope you enjoy this cruise as much as we did. Our only regret was not coming 1-2 days earlier so we could see more of Paris. We’re doing the Seine Plus London and Versaille next year. Can’t wait.