Amsterdam & Paris in peak season
Jul 1st, 2015, 11:49 AM
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Amsterdam & Paris in peak season
My wife and I recently returned from a 10-day trip featuring Amsterdam and Paris. Our 3 nights in Amsterdam were our first ever, and our week in Paris was our first since 1996. The Paris week was part of a Rick Steves tour group. We did most of the major sights in each city, so this report has no stories of magical finds no tourist has ever seen before. Instead I will focus on the decisions or experiences which were especially good or bad.
Good Decisions
1. Getting appointments or skip-the-line tickets. For Amsterdam we booked advance tickets for the Ann Frank house, the Rijksmusum, and the van Gogh museum. The ticket lines for the first two were very long, at least 1-2 hours. For Paris the R.S. tour included a 6-day museum pass which saved us comparable time at the Louvre and Orsay museums and Sainte Chapelle, and obtained an appointed time months earlier for the Eiffel tower, saving another 2 hours. We get precious little vacation time in the States so spend a little extra money or do some advance planning to make the most of it. Or learn to enjoy standing in lines if you travel in peak season.
2. Packing Light. We always pack light - a single overhead-compliant backpack weighing no more than 18 pounds. It makes walks to, from, and through train stations a hands-free breeze. You get to skip the luggage claims process at the airport. And negotiating the hellscape that is the Atlanta-Hartsfield passport control is so much easier without an extra stone or two to drag.
3. Seven Day Paris transit pass. This came with the R.S. tour and was easy to use for the metro, RER (in the central zones), and buses. The latter came in handy when the taxis had a one-day strike which jammed the Metro. We were able to change transportation plans quickly because the pass covered the bus.
4. Guided museum tours. We took an excellent historical walking tour in Amsterdam led by Ben de Jong and which focused on the Jewish experience during the Occupation in WW2 (I posted a separate review of this yesterday). Our R.S. tour in Paris of course came with a general guide (Toni Seymour), but it also included special guides for the Louvre and Orangerie museums, and the Montmartre neighborhood walk. These guides were outstanding. Having regretfully skipped art history in college I get so much more out of art sightseeing when I have a knowledgeable guide.
5. Using a Rick Steves tour for our Paris week
I have been to Europe many times and I could have easily put together most of what we did on my own, but I just didn't feel like doing it this time. I've never been on any other guided tour so I can't compare experiences to other tour packages. The R.S. tour was a group of 25 people (mostly middle age or a little older) with one overall guide. As mentioned in item #4, it also included excellent supplemental guides for particular sights. There were group tour activities each morning and with afternoons free. It included 3 dinners, a river cruise, and week-long transit and museum passes.
Poor Decisions
1. My choice of footwear. I took only one pair of shoes as is my custom, but I chose the wrong pair this time. I took my Mephisto boots to stomp around city pavement and museum tiles for 10 days. The soles were ill-suited for this purpose and my heels and lower back paid the price. My boots are great for managing the alps, but I should have taken my Eccos for this trip as their soles are much better suited to the cityscape.
2. My choice of dental gear. I opted for a standard old-fashioned toothbrush as it weighs a few ounces less than my electric brush, which pleased the pack-light fascist living in my head. Within a few days I was dreaming of giving my teeth a proper cleaning with my electric.
Miserable Experience
The flight home because my vet called met a few days before to tell me that my dog's health was declining rapidly. I had to put her down the evening I got home.
Hotels
Amsterdam: Sunhead B&B at 152 Herengracht. Clean, comfortable, friendly, and quiet! Friendly staff. 515 euro for 3 nights for 2 people.
Paris: Hotel Duquesne at 23 Avenue Duquesne in the 7th (Ecole Militaire). Also clean, comfortable, and very quiet with a room on the back away from the street. Good breakfast! It was something like 230 euro per night for 2 people for the extra day we tacked onto our stay. The tour company probably gets it for substantially less.
Good Decisions
1. Getting appointments or skip-the-line tickets. For Amsterdam we booked advance tickets for the Ann Frank house, the Rijksmusum, and the van Gogh museum. The ticket lines for the first two were very long, at least 1-2 hours. For Paris the R.S. tour included a 6-day museum pass which saved us comparable time at the Louvre and Orsay museums and Sainte Chapelle, and obtained an appointed time months earlier for the Eiffel tower, saving another 2 hours. We get precious little vacation time in the States so spend a little extra money or do some advance planning to make the most of it. Or learn to enjoy standing in lines if you travel in peak season.
2. Packing Light. We always pack light - a single overhead-compliant backpack weighing no more than 18 pounds. It makes walks to, from, and through train stations a hands-free breeze. You get to skip the luggage claims process at the airport. And negotiating the hellscape that is the Atlanta-Hartsfield passport control is so much easier without an extra stone or two to drag.
3. Seven Day Paris transit pass. This came with the R.S. tour and was easy to use for the metro, RER (in the central zones), and buses. The latter came in handy when the taxis had a one-day strike which jammed the Metro. We were able to change transportation plans quickly because the pass covered the bus.
4. Guided museum tours. We took an excellent historical walking tour in Amsterdam led by Ben de Jong and which focused on the Jewish experience during the Occupation in WW2 (I posted a separate review of this yesterday). Our R.S. tour in Paris of course came with a general guide (Toni Seymour), but it also included special guides for the Louvre and Orangerie museums, and the Montmartre neighborhood walk. These guides were outstanding. Having regretfully skipped art history in college I get so much more out of art sightseeing when I have a knowledgeable guide.
5. Using a Rick Steves tour for our Paris week
I have been to Europe many times and I could have easily put together most of what we did on my own, but I just didn't feel like doing it this time. I've never been on any other guided tour so I can't compare experiences to other tour packages. The R.S. tour was a group of 25 people (mostly middle age or a little older) with one overall guide. As mentioned in item #4, it also included excellent supplemental guides for particular sights. There were group tour activities each morning and with afternoons free. It included 3 dinners, a river cruise, and week-long transit and museum passes.
Poor Decisions
1. My choice of footwear. I took only one pair of shoes as is my custom, but I chose the wrong pair this time. I took my Mephisto boots to stomp around city pavement and museum tiles for 10 days. The soles were ill-suited for this purpose and my heels and lower back paid the price. My boots are great for managing the alps, but I should have taken my Eccos for this trip as their soles are much better suited to the cityscape.
2. My choice of dental gear. I opted for a standard old-fashioned toothbrush as it weighs a few ounces less than my electric brush, which pleased the pack-light fascist living in my head. Within a few days I was dreaming of giving my teeth a proper cleaning with my electric.
Miserable Experience
The flight home because my vet called met a few days before to tell me that my dog's health was declining rapidly. I had to put her down the evening I got home.
Hotels
Amsterdam: Sunhead B&B at 152 Herengracht. Clean, comfortable, friendly, and quiet! Friendly staff. 515 euro for 3 nights for 2 people.
Paris: Hotel Duquesne at 23 Avenue Duquesne in the 7th (Ecole Militaire). Also clean, comfortable, and very quiet with a room on the back away from the street. Good breakfast! It was something like 230 euro per night for 2 people for the extra day we tacked onto our stay. The tour company probably gets it for substantially less.
Jul 1st, 2015, 12:10 PM
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Nice report!
We just got back from a wonderful independent trip to Paris. Our trip next spring to Amsterdam is going to be a tour, just because we would like someone to take care of us!
You point out that different itineraries, different gear, different approaches work well for different people, and they work well for the same people at different times. Our trip-after-next will probably be independent again. Glad you had a good one!
We just got back from a wonderful independent trip to Paris. Our trip next spring to Amsterdam is going to be a tour, just because we would like someone to take care of us!
You point out that different itineraries, different gear, different approaches work well for different people, and they work well for the same people at different times. Our trip-after-next will probably be independent again. Glad you had a good one!
Jul 1st, 2015, 12:34 PM
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Laundry! We each took 4 pairs of socks and underwear. We washed a set in the shower each night and hung them to dry. Around day 5 or 6 we spent a few hours at a laundromat for a thorough washing. There was one a few blocks from our Paris hotel. It cost 7 euro to wash and dry a load and took 2 hours. The hotel offered this service but charge about 8-10 euro *per garment*!! It's nice to take a break from touristy things. We met a few ordinary Parisians doing their own laundry and had fun talking to them.
Jul 3rd, 2015, 05:57 AM
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So sorry about your dog
We tried to book Ben however he was full up for the August time slot we needed. We have booked the Anne Frank House and the Rijksmuseum-still trying to figure best time for the van Gogh (as it fits in to our one week stay in Amsterdam-followed by 2 glorious weeks in Istria). Can't wait, 53 days and counting down.
I travel with a battery toothbrush and my portable water pik....some things a girl just can't do without!
Sounds like you had a great time. We do the "laundry" in our showers as well and travel with a portable clothesline
We tried to book Ben however he was full up for the August time slot we needed. We have booked the Anne Frank House and the Rijksmuseum-still trying to figure best time for the van Gogh (as it fits in to our one week stay in Amsterdam-followed by 2 glorious weeks in Istria). Can't wait, 53 days and counting down.
I travel with a battery toothbrush and my portable water pik....some things a girl just can't do without!
Sounds like you had a great time. We do the "laundry" in our showers as well and travel with a portable clothesline
Jul 3rd, 2015, 09:17 AM
#6
Nice report. I have never moved on to a fancy toothbrush, so there is no way for me to have regrets about such a thing.
I have nothing against tours for people who are unable or unwilling to decide what they want to do in a city, but I would like to know if there were times when you wanted to escape the planned route or activity and do something else.
I have nothing against tours for people who are unable or unwilling to decide what they want to do in a city, but I would like to know if there were times when you wanted to escape the planned route or activity and do something else.
Jul 3rd, 2015, 10:27 AM
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Did you buy some shoes that were right for the trip while on the trip? I did that once. Realized quickly the shoes I had with me were not going to work and took myself to a shoe store and got ones that worked much better for me. If your feet are aching, you're miserable,
Jul 3rd, 2015, 10:53 AM
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I lose my toothbrush quite regularly in hotels...
I liked you report, I am also interested in why you chose a tour and how it was organized : you were lead by a guide or everything was arranged and 'just' had to follow a schedule ?
Where did you eat ?
And yes sorry for your dog too.
Happened to us once too and another time we had to have our dog killed the day before leaving ...
I liked you report, I am also interested in why you chose a tour and how it was organized : you were lead by a guide or everything was arranged and 'just' had to follow a schedule ?
Where did you eat ?
And yes sorry for your dog too.
Happened to us once too and another time we had to have our dog killed the day before leaving ...
Jul 3rd, 2015, 02:42 PM
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The tour had a 2-3 hour morning activity each day and an additional evening activity on a few days. The rest of the time you can do what you want and you're certainly free to opt-out of anything but as it's all inclusive, there are no refunds for things you skip. Here was our group schedule:
Monday - Met the group at 3pm on a rainy afternoon, took a private bus for an overview look at the city, dinner
Tuesday - 9am-12: walking tour of Ile de la Cite, Sainte Chappelle, Latin Qtr.; 5pm wine tasting, dinner, and river cruise. We skipped the river cruise since we had pre-arranged a 10:30pm Eiffel Tower visit. The group guide gave us the river cruise tickets to use on another night, which we did.
Wednesday - 9am-12: walking tour of Marais; 5-8pm tour of Louvre highlights with special guide.
Thursday - 9am-12: walking tour of Montmartre with special guide. 2pm - tour of Cluny (I skipped because I had prearranged a guided tour of Picasso museum).
Friday - 9am-5pm tour of Versailles. I skipped this in favor of doing my own thing, which included sleeping in, renting a bicycle, and visiting the natural history museum (which is awesome and totally off everyone's radar for an inexplicable reason!)
Saturday - 9am-11am: tour of Orangerie with special guide. 7pm: dinner.
The rest of the time was free. On our free time we visited the Orsay and Carnavalet museums, did plenty of cafe-sitting, napped, and of course, laundry.
We chose to do a tour group because these were the activities we were planning to do anyway. The tour provided terrific guides for this content, a 6-day city museum pass, a Navigo transit pass, and a 3-star hotel in the 7th. While I could have arranged all this on my own, I doubt I could have found individual guides this good, and I certainly would not have been able to get the hotel for as good a rate as the tour company did.
Monday - Met the group at 3pm on a rainy afternoon, took a private bus for an overview look at the city, dinner
Tuesday - 9am-12: walking tour of Ile de la Cite, Sainte Chappelle, Latin Qtr.; 5pm wine tasting, dinner, and river cruise. We skipped the river cruise since we had pre-arranged a 10:30pm Eiffel Tower visit. The group guide gave us the river cruise tickets to use on another night, which we did.
Wednesday - 9am-12: walking tour of Marais; 5-8pm tour of Louvre highlights with special guide.
Thursday - 9am-12: walking tour of Montmartre with special guide. 2pm - tour of Cluny (I skipped because I had prearranged a guided tour of Picasso museum).
Friday - 9am-5pm tour of Versailles. I skipped this in favor of doing my own thing, which included sleeping in, renting a bicycle, and visiting the natural history museum (which is awesome and totally off everyone's radar for an inexplicable reason!)
Saturday - 9am-11am: tour of Orangerie with special guide. 7pm: dinner.
The rest of the time was free. On our free time we visited the Orsay and Carnavalet museums, did plenty of cafe-sitting, napped, and of course, laundry.
We chose to do a tour group because these were the activities we were planning to do anyway. The tour provided terrific guides for this content, a 6-day city museum pass, a Navigo transit pass, and a 3-star hotel in the 7th. While I could have arranged all this on my own, I doubt I could have found individual guides this good, and I certainly would not have been able to get the hotel for as good a rate as the tour company did.
Jul 4th, 2015, 05:40 AM
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Loved reading your trip report!
i have been doing the combination of booking a tour with a few days on my own before or after for the last few years. It really works for me as a solo senior female traveler.
You are right on about the convenience of having professional guides for the main tourist attractions with the personal choice to follow along or strike out on your own when desired.
My next tour is an October Bordeaux river cruise with five days in Paris on my own beforehand. I'll take the TGV to Bordeaux to meet up with the cruise after my free time. The days in Paris are roughly planned out to walk the city and parks, visit museums and enjoy some old favorites as well as new restaurants.
i have been doing the combination of booking a tour with a few days on my own before or after for the last few years. It really works for me as a solo senior female traveler.
You are right on about the convenience of having professional guides for the main tourist attractions with the personal choice to follow along or strike out on your own when desired.
My next tour is an October Bordeaux river cruise with five days in Paris on my own beforehand. I'll take the TGV to Bordeaux to meet up with the cruise after my free time. The days in Paris are roughly planned out to walk the city and parks, visit museums and enjoy some old favorites as well as new restaurants.
Jul 4th, 2015, 10:13 AM
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Great report, thank you. I am glad you had such a nice trip but am sorry your trip ended with the sad news about your dog. I have given thought to doing a Rick Steves tour at some point having met a group staying at the hotel in Switzerland where we were and hearing about the great time they were having.
