French Walking Tours
Jul 4th, 2011, 07:53 PM
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French Walking Tours
We are 60-somethings planning our first trip to France for our 25 anniversary in Sept, 2011. We'll have 1 week in Paris (we have found an apartment in the Left Bank) and then want to do a independent walking tour, preferably in the Dordogne area. We're looking at Belle France and Randonnee Tours and would like to hear personal experiences or recommendations to help us decide. One issue I have is being committed to more than 8 miles a day. We love museums, history, food, walking, & getting off the beaten path. Any favorite/special walking tours in Paris, special places to eat in both Paris and Dordogne would be appreciated.
Ceili
Ceili
Jul 4th, 2011, 11:39 PM
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<< One issue I have is being committed to more than 8 miles a day >>
Don't walking tours have support vehicles you can hop on when you've walked enough? They should take you to your hotel or farther down the road so you don't walk as far. You should call the companies or look at their web sites for this info.
Paris walking tours:
Paris Walks - lots of great, inexpensive 2 hour walking tours.
http://www.paris-walks.com/
Notre Dame - free 2 hour tour of the cathedral given by volunteers. Wed & Thurs at 2:00; Sat at 2:30
Sandeman's - 3 hour overview of Paris.
http://www.newparistours.com/index.p...d=17&Itemid=30
Don't walking tours have support vehicles you can hop on when you've walked enough? They should take you to your hotel or farther down the road so you don't walk as far. You should call the companies or look at their web sites for this info.
Paris walking tours:
Paris Walks - lots of great, inexpensive 2 hour walking tours.
http://www.paris-walks.com/
Notre Dame - free 2 hour tour of the cathedral given by volunteers. Wed & Thurs at 2:00; Sat at 2:30
Sandeman's - 3 hour overview of Paris.
http://www.newparistours.com/index.p...d=17&Itemid=30
Jul 29th, 2011, 05:12 PM
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Thank you for the tips. My concern about being committed to more than 8 miles/day is for the Dordogne portion of our trip (not Paris). I am exploring different walking tour companies, and am interested in any fodorite Dordogne experiences.
ceili
ceili
Jul 29th, 2011, 05:18 PM
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The book <u>Parcs et Jardins de Paris ...à pied</u> offers 23 different walks through Paris, and while the theme is gardens, it includes what there is to see in the streets connecting the green spaces.
Jul 29th, 2011, 07:08 PM
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The Grandes Randonées are walks you do yourself, following designated trails. One of them literally goes right over the roof of my house in the Dordogne (and I'm tired of people stopping to eat their picnic lunches there!)
You can go to the GR website and plan your own route, 8 miles or more or whatever per day. Villages in the Dordogne aren't usually that far apart, so there are always good places to stop for lodging and food (but if going in high season, you'd best reserve rooms ahead of time).
You can go to the GR website and plan your own route, 8 miles or more or whatever per day. Villages in the Dordogne aren't usually that far apart, so there are always good places to stop for lodging and food (but if going in high season, you'd best reserve rooms ahead of time).
Jul 30th, 2011, 10:24 AM
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Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Michael, gardens/jardens, are a passion of ours so your suggestion is appreciated. St.Cicq, I promise to be aware of peoples' lawns, & personal spaces when picnic-ing. We live in a popular tourist area in Calif. and understand how tourists can be intrusive. I especially appreciate the referral to the GR website-I think that will be very helpful. HD wanted a tour that had us out walking (on our own, not part of a group) every day and then would take care of moving our luggage. I was thinking that having a nicely located hotel, or B&B (my preference, cause I enjoy the friendliness of B&B's) or two in two different villages, from which we could strike out every day and have the advantage of returning "home" (a familiar room), in the evening. We're going in Sept/Oct so I know I need to make reservations ASAP. Any suggestions on well-located B&B's? Domme sounds like an especially beautiful area and, of course, Sarat get a lot of positive comments for having lots to do, and places to eat in walking distance (HD doesn't want a car to have to find parking for. We both find it much better to walk and then get to poke our heads into shops, interesting alley's, without the hassle of other (tourist) drivers and parking. We had a wonderful experiences in Bali by hiring a local driver to take up to some "less touristed" spots, then arranging to meet us later in the day to return us home. Are there people in the villages who offer this? If so, how might I find them?
Ceili
Michael, gardens/jardens, are a passion of ours so your suggestion is appreciated. St.Cicq, I promise to be aware of peoples' lawns, & personal spaces when picnic-ing. We live in a popular tourist area in Calif. and understand how tourists can be intrusive. I especially appreciate the referral to the GR website-I think that will be very helpful. HD wanted a tour that had us out walking (on our own, not part of a group) every day and then would take care of moving our luggage. I was thinking that having a nicely located hotel, or B&B (my preference, cause I enjoy the friendliness of B&B's) or two in two different villages, from which we could strike out every day and have the advantage of returning "home" (a familiar room), in the evening. We're going in Sept/Oct so I know I need to make reservations ASAP. Any suggestions on well-located B&B's? Domme sounds like an especially beautiful area and, of course, Sarat get a lot of positive comments for having lots to do, and places to eat in walking distance (HD doesn't want a car to have to find parking for. We both find it much better to walk and then get to poke our heads into shops, interesting alley's, without the hassle of other (tourist) drivers and parking. We had a wonderful experiences in Bali by hiring a local driver to take up to some "less touristed" spots, then arranging to meet us later in the day to return us home. Are there people in the villages who offer this? If so, how might I find them?
Ceili
Jul 30th, 2011, 11:53 AM
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I seriously think you need to rethink the whole car rental issue. I've never met anyone in a village in the Dordogne who wanted to drive people around, nor have I ever seen such a service advertised in the tourist shops, local papers, etc. Heck, there are hardly even any taxis in the Dordogne. That doesn't mean such a thing doesn't exist, but in the 20 years or so I've been in that area, never heard of it or knew anyone else looking for such a service. If you wanted to find them, I guess you'd contact the tourist offices or go online to www.sudouest.com and read the petites annonces.
You're going in the fall. Parking isn't going to be an issue.
Domme is a nice, but heavily touristed, village. You'd have to be prepared for one heckuva walk up to it to get back to a B&B from there, though - if using it as a base for walking tours.
You're going in the fall. Parking isn't going to be an issue.
Domme is a nice, but heavily touristed, village. You'd have to be prepared for one heckuva walk up to it to get back to a B&B from there, though - if using it as a base for walking tours.
