My Husband and I had a wonderful time on the Tour. The subject matter expert tour guide Elisabeth brought to life the history of all the beautiful works of art we saw there.". A FIVE star experience! Our tour guide, Rolinka, made all the difference in how much we were able to learn and discover on our own. Food was excellent. Jewish Art and History Museum History of Judaism in Europe. "I loved the Musee d'Orsay and Versailles. "Based on the number of photos taken, the iconic Eiffel Tower.". I have never been treated so royally. My husband and enjoyed everything about the trip. Merci et au revoir! Genius.". This afternoon, we'll visit Europe's greatest museum the Louvre where you'll come face to face with the works of Raphael, Delacroix, and Leonardo and timeless treasures including the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Venus de Milo, and hundreds more. The hotel & staff were a pleasure to return to after walking through Paris. Website. Next time in Amsterdam have a look at The Toren. Everything was perfect. "The hall of mirrors at Versailles and woman sculpture in one of the museums we visited.Going through the Orsay with guide Joelle was excellent.". I cant pick just one.". Carry your luggage up several flights of stairs to reach your hotel room. Fast-paced, interesting, informative and so much fun! "My "wow" moments included looking up into the stained glass at Sainte-Chapelle, and seeing The Orangerie at the Gardens of Versailles for the first time.". Rick Steves was right! - Review of Le Florimond, Paris, France The wonderful stermalms Saluhall market hall one of my 10 favorite markets in Europe is just up the street. He was always willing to make suggestions and answer all my crazy questions. A few in the group got lost, even me. Day 1 Morning: Follow my book's "Historic Paris" walk, featuring Ile de la Cit, Notre-Dame, the Latin Quarter, and Sainte-Chapelle. We saw all the wonderful sites, had fantastic tour guides, and ate some terrific French food and wine. In 30 minutes you'll be at the Jardin des Plantes or the Canal Saint-Martin! Paris is synonymous with the finest things that culture can offer in art, fashion, food, literature, and ideas. We had a better hotel than expected, we were thrilled that wine was included with dinner. "Learning how to use the metro and trains. There was a concert to listen to and lots of people to watch. As someone who travels in Europe for three months a year, I have, by default, become a connoisseur of hotels. And the Londres Eiffel has a handy one: a short walk from the Eiffel Tower in one direction and from the thriving Rue Cler market street in the other direction. They have great restaurant recommendations where youre treated like VIPs. Our guided tour of the Louvre on the Best of Paris tour was 100% better than the self-guided tour for the Heart of France had been. And I especially enjoyed our walking tour of the Marais district, our visit to Versailles, the guided tour of the Orsay Museum and the Seine River cruise.". Plus I loved hearing the senior class of students on our boat singing and just having a blast!". Great weather, February is a good month to visit Paris. When our tour guide, Claire, started the official tour, we learned so much about the city, it's history, the food culture, and its people.Suddenly, Paris came alive in unexpected ways. The tour members were all friendly and enjoyable to be around. What are your favorite hotels in Europe, and why? I also enjoyed walking around Antoinettes Hamlet at Versailles; so peaceful and charming. "I most enjoyed the unexpected things: stopping at La Tartine, a little bistro on our Marais walk where we shared coffee, wine and charcuterie; our talented guide entertaining us with her singing and accordion playing during one of our dinners! Your email address will not be published. In Palermo, AdHoc Rooms is a peaceful, tidy oasis in the very heart of an intense, gritty city. Let's Talk About Our Favorite Hotels - Camerons Travels | Rick Steves This time we opted for a tour that stayed in one city. My Nana wanted to surprise me and I was surprised when she decided to tell me where we were going one day before the trip. Good location, pleasant courtyard, nice rooms. Our seven day tour in Paris was just amazing! It was easy to meet everyone while we toured the city. We are going again for my birthday November 2023 on our own. 2. The detail into each day and the care our tour guide gave us was outstanding. Take a trolly then long walk. Because the hotel caters to long-stay clients, there's a small coin laundry in the basement. If you're arriving from or heading to Provence, Marseille, Nice, Switzerland or Italy, you are two Mtro stops away from the Gare de Lyon. "Every day had "wow" moments. It's a breeze to reach Paris' airports by taxi, shuttle, or public transportation. Love Marie Anntonetts garden. Any recommendations? Our accommodations and meals were great. There are so many wonderful moments to enjoy recalling! We developed warm relationships and really enjoyed their company for the week. The sights are top notch, and there are more must see sights than actually can be visited in a week. Hotel was in a great location. All of the must-see sites were accessed easily and at the best possible time to avoid peak crowds. Sadly, we were canceled for the Louvre tour which was a big disappointment. "My favorite wow moment was the Seine cruise and seeing the Eiffel Tower light show!". Everyone there is pleasant and helpful. Charming. In Alba, we had a fantastic stay at La Terrazza sulle Torri . "The Eternal Notre Dame 3D Virtual Experience was the Highlight of this tour. There were many little and big details that were thought out for us and made my first experience in Paris a great one. I would Definitely recommend a Rick Steves tour and hope to go on another one soon! Overlooking the city of Paris from the Basilica is an added bonus.". Hotel perfectly located and Metro & museum passes invaluable. The entire food and wine experience was the very best we had during our entire trip. La Dfense and La Grande Arche The city's own "little Manhattan" business district and its colossal modern arch. "Silly though it might be, one of my favorite moments of the tour was watching Rolinka show us the difference between the way American women walk and the way French women walk. Visiting an open-air market or a fine food store, anywhere in the city, becomes a different experience when you have access to cooking facilities. Such a great climax to this wonderful tour!". "My favorite wow moment was seeing the Eiffel Tour sparkle after dark.". Great staff, quirky and elegant building, lovely rooms and a great bar. Made the trip nearly stress free. ", We enjoyed our Rick Steves tour overall although a few things could be improved. Strenuous walking: 28 miles throughout the day with lots of hills, stairs, and uneven terrain. Paris was beautiful. ROLINKA was very detailed in a fun way. Right mix of structured tour and free time. Everyday was something new and interesting. In 2010, we stayed at the Valadon (I think it has a different name now) in the Rue Cler neighborhood. As a first time visitor to Paris, I thought the tour was a great intro to the city. It might sound very touristy, but it really is a wow moment that shouldn't be missed.". Thanks for the experience of a life time, again. Mr and Mrs Dodge were most gracious and helpful. Such ostentation when so many were poor and hungry". In Tuscany, just outside of Pienza, Isabella and Carlo Moricciani run the best agriturismo Ive experienced Cretaiole. The group itself was great, easy to get along with. The tour guides were so genuine, helpful and educated us to be able to get around to make the most of our free time. "Last restaurant we ate at Vin et Mare Local guides we met: Brad in the Marais Vincent in Versailles Joelle in the Orsay Extra activity at the 3 D show of Notre Dame Sainte Chapelle All of Rolinkas wonderful stories about Paris as we walked, and the treats she bought us". The experiences I didn't capture in the 3000+ photos I took will forever be remembered every time I dreamily reflect on my tour of Paris! Due to my age, I found the tour to be a challenge. This was an art, history, culture and architecture immersion into the City of Paris. Then we'll get acquainted with one another over a delicious "Welcome to Paris" dinner together. She gave me the confidence to return to Paris on my own! Each day there was a selective new place to experience and was in Awe with Paris and its history not to mention picture moments everywhere throughout. The restaurants we ate at were delicious. Hey Rick, at least as long as the cathedral is closed, add this to your tour activities!!". Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Fukuoka We had an amazing group of tour members, and we had a lot of fun together. "Loved sitting in the street with your friends and watching the Bastille Day fireworks and lights on the Eiffel Tower.". 1260 posts I have stayed several times at the Hotel Minerve and the Hotel Familia, both in the 5th and next door to each other on the Rue des Ecoles in the 5th. Truly a Magical city of Amour ??". This May, I was one of the hotels first-ever guestsand I promise you, Ill be back. We experienced as much as possible during our Rick Steves tour. Our Love if Paris is IN SEINE!". Arnaud was extraordinarily knowledgeable about French history and an excellent guide through the bustling world of the Paris Mtro. Sleep with street noise and no (or weak) air conditioning. Posted by Jane Champs-Elyses Paris' grand boulevard. We loved our guide, Rolinka. Offering lots of opportunities to explore more of Paris during free time. A one in a lifetime unforgettable moment that will live in our minds and hearts forever!". This, along with the Paris Holocaust museum/memorial, accomplished my further mission as a Holocaust/Genocide Studies educator. In Avignon, my stay at Le Clos Saluces was impeccable. Previously we have visited Paris in the dead of winter and found it much more enjoyable. The tour guides and the friendliness of the tour group made the Paris tour exceed all my expectations. This was my first group tour, and I would absolutely travel with a Rick Steves group again in the future. We suggest arriving a day or two before your tour begins to allow ample time to get over jet lag and be well-rested for the first few days of your tour. Master the Louvre and Orsay museums. Quit locale. Staff at hotel friendly, welcoming & professional--went above and beyond to create a great experience, "Visit to the Orsay Museum with our guide Joelle. The owners love to pamper their guests. "Too many to pick one favorite standing in front of Van Gogh's Starry Night, stained glass windows in Sainte-Chapelle, twinkling lights on the Eiffel Tower at night, fresh and warm crispy croissants, champagne!". Daniela also went out of her way to make my birthday special. "Paris was just one big wow after another. ", Fast-paced, rigorous tour with lots of walking when combining formal tour events with free time sightseeing. "My first "wow" was how much of Paris was "under construction"- apparently a city wide clean up for the Olympics in 2024. "Sitting in the Musee De L'Orangerie after being at Giverny. A truly amazing experience! William, our guide, was amazing. Arc de Triomphe Triumphal arch marking start of Champs-Elyses. Hotel was in the ideal location to access all of the popular sites of Paris and the staff was amazing. 3.The "love locks" !!". This was my first tour ever and it far exceeded anything I could have imagined! Vincent was an excellent tour guide with so much flair and knowledge. Cheers It made me feel like I was in an Impressionist painting. Airbnb We thoroughly enjoyed our week in Paris! The crowd was too great for me and we did not have time to personally appreciate what we were seeing. "There was no wow moment - it was more of a wow week for me. It's quiet with friendly and helpful front desk personnel. We went into it without any expectations. The hosts are also wonderful at gardening, antique collecting, and cooking! The tour was interesting and well-organized.