aj

Any suggestions for informative city tours of Paris, English please, for a good over-view early in our visit? Also could use some suggestions in touring Normandy. <BR> We go mid-September.

elaine

bus tours of sights inside and outside of Paris (including Normandy beaches) <BR>www. cityrama.com <BR>www.parisvision.com <BR>Sightseeing Boats: Call to confirm schedules <BR>1. Bateaux Mouches, Seine Cruise: <BR>Pont de l'Alma, Right Bank, Paris 8th. Metro: Alma-Marceau <BR> Reservations: 01-42 25 96 10, Information: 01-40 76 99 99 Large boats, upper deck is open. Taped commentary. <BR>Departures: Mar-Nov:10am-10:30pm (every 30 minutes) daily. <BR>Cruise lasts: 1 hr, 15 mn. <BR>2. Vedettes du Pont-Neuf : From Le Pont Neuf, Square du Vert-Galant, Paris 1. Metro: Pont Neuf. Small boats. Live commentary. Highly recommended as a boat choice. <BR>Reservations, information: 01-46 33 98 38. <BR>Departure: from 10:30am-6:30pm daily (every 30 minutes) <BR>There evening cruises with or without dinner. I recommend without. <BR> <BR>Many people also enjoy "Paristoric", a multi-media presentation shown in a theatre at 11 bis rue Scribe, near the Opera Garnier. It is shown hourly, on the hour, until at least 6pm. <BR>Your hotel or the Tourist Office may offer a discount coupon for this. www.paristoric.com <BR> <BR>

Bob Brown

Try this spot: <BR>http://www.parisplus.com/parisdayexcA_O.html <BR> <BR>I booked a day tour to Fontainebleau and <BR>Vaux-le-Vicomte with them. It was the only company I could find that offered a tour to both polaces in one trip.

Marion

Bob, were you please with the tour? Did you have adequate time to explore either or both sites and Barbizon? <BR> <BR>Thanks

Bob Brown

One of the reasons I was relatively brief in my post, as opposed to my usual style, is that I have not taken the tour yet. That is why I said "booked". <BR>I ain't done it yet!! Gimme a few more days!! <BR>I quizzed a rep of the company over the phone and it sounds !! like we will have enough time. The total length of the tour is 9.5 hours. That should be enough time to see something. If it turns out that the person I spoke with was talking through his hat, I will post it all over this board, vehemently. If If the tour is good, I will do the same. Normally, I freelance things like that. In fact, my wife and I did both Versailles and Giverny on our own last year. But this time I am a little short on time (other destinations this trip), so I figured this tour would get me to both places in one day, thus leaving 3 more days to go where I did not go last year: particularly Musee Marmottan and Musee Rodin, and the Arab Institute. I also want to get back to Musee d'Orsay. Then, it will be time to get to the number one priority - some alp in Switzerland. I can only take so much "culture". Then it is time to pull on the boots, stab a pole in the dirt, and see how out of breath I can make myself clambering up some Swiss trail, all the while pretending I pass for normal. <BR>(I seem to have this "thing" for getting out and wandering around in the sleet. My wife tells me that normal people don't do that sort of thing. Well, normal people don't look down on the Moiry Glacier either, which is a sight I will never forget!! Besides, I am equipped, the only drawback is that sleet usually comes out of heavy clouds so that I cannot see anything except puddles.)