Sheryl

My Mother and I will be in Paris next March and would like to take a day trip or two. Last Spring when we were in London together we used The Big Bus tour to visit Bath and their Windson/Hampton Court tour. We enjoyed the convienence of the tour. Has anyone used either of the above tour companies for daytrips outside of Paris? How do they compare to The Big Bus or Evan Evans in London?

xxx

Used both tours quite a few years ago in Paris. In comparison with Evans Evans, I'd have to say that Parisvision was better than Cityrama but the same as Evans Evans.

elaine

Hi Sheryl<BR>I can't compare them to Big Bus, but both Cityrama and Paris Vision are very reliable, they've been doing what they're doing for a long time. Not much difference between them, just the days and times of day vary.<BR>Some of their basic tours have live or taped commentary in several languages, it can get tedious listening to the same phrases being repeated 3 or 4 times if it's a multi-lingual group.<BR><BR>I will add that PV and CR tours can be expensive and very unnecessary if you are going to a destination that is just as easy, less expensive, and sometimes even more enjoyable to go to on your own, unless one of you is infirm and needs door to door service. For example, Versailles is a simple train ride plus about a 1/2 mile stroll on flat ground from the train station. And if you've bought a Paris museum pass (which I strongly recommend unless you are not planning on visiting the Louvre and the Orsay museums), you will have free admission to Versailles included on the pass. Chartres Cathedral is also a pleasant train ride and a short walk into town.<BR><BR>I have a file on Paris; if you'd like to see it, email me<BR>good luck

Ron

A friend took a Parisvision tour to Versailles and thought it was awful. I'm with Elaine as to going alone on day trips. Our favorites have been to Vaux-le-Vicomte, Auvers-sur-Oise, Giverney and Chantilly, which are all easily accessible. One tour I would recommend, however, is the noon tour [in english] at the Opera Garnier.

Leslie

A few years ago, 3 of us took the deluxe Cityrama tour to the Loire Valley. Cityrama only takes 8 people on this trip, and it was expensive, but well worth the cost of about $125. We were picked up and dropped off at our hotel (pick up was at 6:30am, return at 9:00pm). The tour included entrance to 5 chateaux, a guide, an excellent lunch, and transportation. We specifically selected this tour because it was more in depth and the size of the group was small. For the price, we thought this was a bargain. Our other alternative was to take a train into the Loire Valley and then take cabs or buses to each chateau. <BR><BR>The reason we didn't take the 55 person bus tour that was 1/2 the cost is that we decided that there was a lot of time just boarding, unboarding, waiting for lagging passengers, and long bathroom stops.