Dollar wise what is the best company to use to see the sights of Paris? We have a short time there and would like an over view to see what we want to spend more time viewing. What is your experience with the open buses I have been told about? Are any of the tours run by the government or are all private companies? <BR>Thanks

I haven't done any of them so can't comment on quality but they are all about the same price and very competititve. The Open Tour is govt-run, that's a little more leisurely thing (you get on and off the bus over two days as you choose) and not quite the same as a concentrated 2-4 hr overview tour. If the goal is to get a good overview, I think the others might be better. They are all about 150-200F for two hours or 250F for four hrs. I know of three, Parisvision (www.parisvision.com), Cityrama (www.cityrama.com) and Voyages a Paris (www.paris-anglo.com/vap/index.html I think RATP (the govt transportation company of buses+metro) may have city tours also but I suspect they are only in French. I'm not sure if they still do now that they've started that Open Tour thing, but RATP has various tourist services and their tourist office is on place de la Madelaine next to the Marche aux Fleurs.

Hi Audrey: <BR>I have used both ParisVision and Cityrama for tours when I only had three days in Paris. People will tell you that they are expensive. I did not think so. I saw a lot of Paris and then when I return for a longer stay I knew what I wanted to go back and see. On my return trips I have used public transportation especially the buses. The open buses are OK too. Hop on--Hop off for two days. I would use them if I was going to be in Paris for for a week. Again because, I knew what sights I wanted to see. Whatever you decide have a wonderful time in Paris!!

We loved L'Opentour. You can purchase a one or two day pass (for prices and routes go to www.ratp.fr). In the nice weather, the open upper deck is a fabulous way to see along the way (and terrific for taking photos). It's hop on/hop off and goes all over. It's wonderful to be able to get off in an interesting neighborhood (most stops are at major attractions) and get back on later. You're given a headset for the commentary, which is okay, but not quite as comprehensive as the Cityrama or Paris Visions, etc., half-day or other tours (but these are finite tours and you spend almost all your time on the bus). We took a Cityrama tour, and enjoyed L'Opentour much more. Few buses are allowed on Montmartre these days, so L'Opentour is the best way to get to Sacre Coeur (stops right at the foot of the finicular).

Audrey...we took the Cityrama tour the day we arrived in Paris.. It was ok, gave me a good overview of the city, yet if I had to do it again I think I would skip it...it was 2 hours long and took up too much of my short time there. I suggest you either go to the library and read as many guide books as you can about Paris or purchase a good guide book (i.e. Fodors, Frommers, etc). Read about the different sites and pick those you may want to see. Get a metro pass and go see those sites. The metro was the easiest and best transportation system I have ever been on. We had 5 days in Paris and I saw more than most people would see with more time! Also, dont miss a day trip to Versailles (RER line C). It was well worth the trip!

Get a copy of either the Eyewitness guide or Rick Steve's book on Paris. They both have excellent outlines of tours you can do on your own from your hotel using the metro. Paris is so easy to get around in that you will have no trouble. A boat tour is also an excellent way of seeing a lot of the architecture from a different perspective. You can do a lot of exploring ahead of time on the web. There are many interactive sites. We did a lot in 3 days by planning our own itinerary from the internet.

Hi Audrey, <BR> <BR>One beauty of tours not mentioned, especially when time is limited, is when they include entrances to heavily visited sites. We only had four days in Paris for our very first visit and wanted to see as much as possible of course. Which meant all the real touristy spots you've always heard about and dreamt about. <BR> <BR>We booked two half day tours spread over two days to get an overview of the city and the first one included the Eiffel Tower and the second one included the Lourve. (We used Cityrama and like someone said earlier they are all pretty comparable). Both tours ended at these sites so you could stay on as long as you wanted but the best part was the group goes right in. No waiting inline to buy tickets and no waiting in line to get in. We were there in August so that was a real plus because it was crowded everwhere. When we entered the Lourve our tour guide took us to the main highlights so without spending tons of time looking for the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, the Dying Slave, Venus de Milo, etc. we quickly got around to all of them and with commentary of interesting information (the tour guide we had for both tours was very good). Then we had our afternoons and evenings free to venture on our own to all the other wonderful things we had researched. <BR> <BR>My advice is, with limited time, it's a good way to see a lot in a short amount of time - something to consider. I did tons of research on the internet and went very prepaired. Now, having had an overview of the city, the next time I will venture out more on my own and definitely use the on/off bus to get around. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps, <BR>Joan