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-   -   Paris Charms & Secrets bike tour (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/paris-charms-and-secrets-bike-tour-890090/)

Maudie May 9th, 2011 06:41 PM

Paris Charms & Secrets bike tour
 
http://www.parischarmssecrets.com/main_en.html
This company had a write up in the travel section of our Aussie newspaper, wondering if any one has taken a tour or knows anything about them?

We will only be in Paris for 4 days and were condisering an afternoon tour on a Sunday, thought it might be a fun way of seeing some interesting places and some of the main sights.

Your thoughts?
Thanks
Maudie

ParisAmsterdam May 9th, 2011 07:35 PM

My daughter and I took a tour with them in 2008 and loved it.

We met our guide in Place Vendome and were pleasantly surprised to find only 1 other person in our group. The electric bikes were below the square in a parking garage.

They are very easy to ride... you just pedal like a normal bike but the electric motor gives you a nice boost. I had not ridden a bike in years yet after 4 hours of riding I could have done the tour again. You do get off a few times to walk into places and we stopped for coffee at Place de la Contrescarpe.

Our guide was a young Parisian woman who spoke excellent English. She took us to some places we would not normally have
found and we learned a lot. And had a lot of fun. We covered
such highlights as the Palais Royale, Louvre, Arenes de Lutece,
Rue Mouffetarde, the Pantheon, Eiffel Tower and more. We also went into a few of the 'secret' places you wouldn't get to on your own but I won't give those away. ;^)

We had a great time and I'll do a tour with them again next time we're in Paris.

Maudie May 9th, 2011 08:24 PM

Hi ParisAmsterdam, thanks for your reply. It sounds great, I think we would really enjoy it. We aren't going to try and see too much while we are there, just enjoy being "in Paris".

I hope we have a simmilar experience, people wise, that would be almost like having a personal tour! NO, don't tell me the secret places. I am holding off booking to see what the weather will be like, can't imagine it would be much fun in the rain. Fingers cross for us that's its fine on May 29.

We rode bikes around Stanley Park in Vancouver last year, if we can do that we can sure manage with an electric one. Like you we hadn't ridden for years.

Thanks again for your post.
M

bilboburgler May 10th, 2011 02:04 AM

we used "fat tires" (sic) who do bikes or segways also good fun

ParisAmsterdam May 10th, 2011 04:44 AM

I've done 3 Fat Tire Segway tours and will do one again too next time we're back. But they are all about the Segway experience and the route is planned for maximum safety/convenience.

The guides are also American college students for the most part.
Don't get me wrong... there is nothing wrong with this but I would much prefer a Parisian guide. OTOH, I wouldn't much want a French tour guide if I was in Washington DC. ;^)

Maudie May 10th, 2011 03:47 PM

Thanks for your replies, I think we will stick with the electric bikes. ParisAmsterdam,I have to agree with your last paragraph, an American college student just wouldn't do it for us either.

Thanks everyone.


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