Hi guys,

I will be in Paris for 5 days in a little over a week from now. I have decided to hire Michael (by recommendations from this forum)

I am thinking that I'd want him to show us around the places that are great but confusing for first time visitors. On the other days, I think we can manage to go to major tourist sites on our own.

So, my first question is: Which places would you recommend that I ask Michael to take us? (He has suggested Montmartre)

My second question is: We will be in Rome for 5 days in the begging of March. Do you know of a private guide like Michael who we can hire for a day? And which sites would you recommend that we ask the guide to take us.

Thanks in advance of your insight.

ttt

I would trust Michael's instincts and go to Montmartre with him. Compared to other areas of Paris (I think) there is less guidebook information about Montmartre.

On your own it would be easy to hit seedy Pigalle, touristy Place du Tertre and Sacre Couer and miss other sites in the area due to lack of information.

From fgg01 on anotgher post...
"Last year we visited Rome in June and met up with Peter Kilby, a guide from Australia, that we thought was wonderful."

limens, as a Michael Osman fan, you're going to have some fun. As to where to go, my answer would depend on how much time you will be spending with him. We spent 3.5 days with him last year and had a blast. If you're planning to take in the Lourve and/or the deOrsay, you might consider him for those because they are huge and getting around can be tricky. He's like having your own GPS system, plus he's great at explaining the art. We also enjoyed walking around the various districts with him. He really made them come alive. He'll put in full day, often more.

As far as Rome, if you do a search here, you'll probably come up with some other guide names. A lady whose last name is Franchetta, or something like that, has been highly recommended by others here. Something else you might consider. Context Rome (contextrome.com) has small group tours (limited to 6) which aren't cheap but probably a lot less than a private guide. We took several and they were all excellent. They get consistently good reviews here. Dave

If you plan to visit the forum in Rome, it would be good to have a guide. It is hard to fully appreciate the ruins without someone to help you to understand what you are seeing.