Paris as you please day

My wife and I have been booked for the July 8, 2017 tour since they announced the dates in January of 2016. You might say we are a little excited.
On day 13 of this trip the online itinerary says there will be a morning guided tour and then the rest of the day as you please with included admission to your choice of museums. The green booklet they sent us says the morning is only for the art museums without mentioning any guided tour. I know that Tauck has trouble with Paris and Venice and London because they have travelers in a group who have been there ten times already and others who have never been there before. I have noticed that they tend to leave the itinerary wide open "as you please" for the most part. I imagine some of the more seasoned travelers would roll their eyes at the thought of going to the Eiffel Tower "again."
For those who have done this or similar tours, what is included in the Paris morning guided tour? When you choose your museum do they give you a Paris Museum Pass good at all the other museums for two days or just one specific pass for that museum that day? Is the museum tour at all guided or just a ticket?
Thanks in advance.

EDIT

Now that I have gone and just returned I can answer my own question to those who may read this. On the northbound trip you arrive in Paris in the early afternoon from Lyon by train and take a bus around the city for a few hours where they drive by some of the sights and a local guide tells you about them. You get out at the Eiffel tower for 10 minutes to take pictures and also at a cafe across from Invalides for a bathroom break and a quick drink. We got to the hotel at just before 5 pm, so most of the museums were closed. We decided to go for it and ran up to Sacred Heart in the north of the city as it was going to be light for another 5 hours. The next day is the "Paris as you please day" and they gave us the opportunity to go to either the Louvre, the Orsay or the Orangerie. These visits were happening simultaneously so you could only do one of the three. They drove us to the Louvre with a local guide who took us through the group entrance skipping the line and gave a quick but nice overview of the museum's history and took us through the major works there while explaining quite a few details. It was about two hours, then they collected our listening devices and let us out on our own. We could continue there and spend as much time in the museum as we wanted or go to other sites in the city. Paris has a Museum Pass where once you buy it and activate it you can get into several dozen museums for the one time fee. The trip to the Louvre did not have the option of upgrading to this pass so we had to just buy it separately.

Comments

  • edited April 2017
    I suggest you call Tauck in case things have changed for this tour a little, so you get the correct answer. They are very helpful. Meanwhile, lots of research for you to do to decide your priorities for where you would like to go. How far from the hotel, how long it might take you to get around the museum---- for instance, when it comes to museums, my husband usually gets around maybe fifteen minutes faster than I can do the average museum and when I think about all the different friends I've done museums with, some take much longer than me to get around, so I guess I am somewhere in the middle of your average museum visitor. Quite often, museum websites will tell you how long the average person spends there, which is very helpful for planning. If they have a restaurant, you might find reviews for that too, it might be a great place to eat. Example, when I was at the Tate Modern in London last year, they have a fantastic restaurant. Have a great time in Paris, you'll want to go again!
  • We've been to Paris twice with Tauck & once with Uniworld River Cruises & usually the morning guided tour is an overview of the sights. It's usually by bus but sometimes a walking tour to help you get your bearings regarding where the main sights are.

    You'll want to see & do as much as you can but make sure you make time for strolling along the Seine & doing some café sitting just taking in Paris. It's such a gorgeous city!

    Fingers crossed we'll be back next year. Enjoy every minute of your trip!!
  • We did French Waterways a few years ago which is similar to this tour.

    In Paris there was a morning bus tour that only included a drive by of the Louvre and Notre Dame then very brief photo stops at the military museum and the Eiffel Tower. In retrospect - completely miss-able.

    Re museums - since it says "admission" to me that reads a ticket but no guide. I certainly wouldn't think it means a multi-museum pass. Only Tauck can tell you for sure on this.

    We bought tickets to the D'Orsay from the hotel concierge (saves time at the museum). Was a bit disappointed since the signage at the museum is very limited and we didn't have a guide. Should have brought ear buds, a spliter and paid the 5 euros to rent an audio guide to share.

    You'll be staying at the Intercontinental which is lovely and very well placed to visit Paris. A metro across the street and walking distance to several sites including the Opera house.

    We also enjoyed the dinner at Fouquet's. Of course we were jet lagged and starving so maybe our standards were low.
  • We were with Tauck in southern France last fall, starting in Monte Carlo, high speed train from Avignon to Paris. In Paris there was one morning drive by of Eiffel Tower, Arc, etc., with lunch at a wonderful place with gorgeous city views, and then free. While the major sites weren't new to us, it was still fun to see again. The next, and last day in Paris, we had a guided tour of the Louvre in the morning, which my husband and I quickly abandoned to explore the museum on our own. Once away from the crowded Winged Victory and the selfie-snatching throngs at the Mona Lisa, it was wonderful! Napoleon III's apartments, Vermeers (the current temporary exhibition caused a sensation in Paris and it will be in DC in October 2017), etc., all without the hustle bustle.
    Your itinerary sounds different with a ticket to your museum of choice. That's a very nice way to handle things. We've traveled often with Tauck and they've never offered a multi-day "pass." Have a great time!

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