AT LEAST my husband and I (and MAYBE 2-8 additional family and friends) are planning our first ever trip to France. We plan on several days in Paris, of course, but would also like to see the countryside, and, perhaps, even travel by train to Italy to re-visit our favorites.
When in Italy, I used Benvenuto Limousines, and they were tremendous - made the trip perfect! I%26#39;d love to find a tour company/guide in France to provide personal, customized services. They must speak English, but we%26#39;d prefer the perspective from someone French (rather than an American in Paris, if you know what I mean!).
We MUST explore the Musée d%26#39;Orsay and Louvre, as well as Montemarte and all of the normal touristy things (like the Eiffel Tower, Champs d%26#39;elysee, etc.), perhaps Giverny, Aux de Provence, etc., maybe even a trip to an outdoor market and a cooking class! We are no longer %26#39;drinkers,%26#39; so, although I%26#39;d love to see vinyards, I%26#39;m affraid wine tastings and the like would be far too tempting.
Tips on how much time to allow, clean, comfortable, warm and friendly lodging (without too many stairs to climb), sites, tour guides, restaurants, shops, etc. would be greatly appreciated!
I know this is a lot for a post, but, thought it would be a good place to start!
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you%26#39;re right it is a lot to post about!
for starters, decide if you are going to Italy or not, then book your airfare as %26#39;open-jaw%26#39;, flying into Paris and out of (Italy). Then you don%26#39;t pay time or money to return to Paris from Italy.
All of the Paris sights you mentioned are easy to do %26#39;on your own%26#39;, and you can augment with inexpensive walking tours as you like.
Use the forum search and type %26quot;cooking class%26quot;, %26quot;market%26quot;, etc. because there are already a lot of posts about these topics.
Here is a step-by-step I wrote on how to use this site to find hotels:
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k24891…
I suggest you buy a good guidebook on Paris and another one on France. You really have to build your plans yourself, then fill in with help from forums like this.
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What do you mean by %26quot;Aux de Provence%26quot;? is that AIX en Provence, a lovely town part of the greater Marseille (French spelling)area? It is a 3-4 hrs trip from Paris by fast train and another trip altogether.
France has so many fascinating regions, each with its unique culture, to explore (many of these region are unfamiliar to average Americans) that there really is no need to go to Italy (the name Provence means that it was once a Roman Province and it still has many Roman ruins. Parts of the Cote d%26#39;Azur region, just east of Provence, were still Italian less than 200 years ago and do have an Italianate flavour).
Paris is made for walking..there is no need for a limousine or such (would not be convenient at all in the narrow streets of the most interesting districts) and a good guide book will explain all you need to know.
There are also great walking tours..don%26#39;t dismiss an American guide as he/she is likely to know more than an average native. try Googling %26quot;private walking tours of Paris%26quot;?
You do need to check several guidebook about France ASAP as only you can decide if you prefer Provence (great but so touristy and expensive) or Alsace (quaint in a German fairy tale kind of way) and only 2hrs from Paris by fast trains. Or Normandy, with thatched cottages and Tudor style houses and the D Day beaches, Or the brooding, austere and relatively unspoiled mountainous region of Auvergne, or the huge sandy beaches of the Aquitaine region, also well known for the sheer number of medieval villages in its sub-regions of Dordogne and Lot. There are many more regions..like Pays Basque, Brittany, Loire Valley, Northern France (Lille and its Flemish flavour)etc.
You also need to firm up your plans re number of travellers ASAP. 8 people will present big logistic problems re hotels, restaurants, trains etc. Paris hotels, especially, are booked months and months in advance,
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Also, while some may %26#39;boo%26#39; me here, I suggest you look into some escorted tours of France, which will give you an overview of various regions and take care of the logistics for you/your group. I%26#39;d then add on 3-4 days at the end to explore Paris individually and in a more relaxed way.
For comparison%26#39;s sake:
http://www.affordabletours.com/France/
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With that large a group, you might want to go to a 2-3 bedroom apartment rather than a hotel. A really nice loft is at:
http://www.loftfactory.net
and you can find larger apartments at:
http://www.haveninparis.com
http://www.athomeinfrance.com
http://www.villeetvillage.com
You might want to check out these custom tours
http://www.parisluxurytours.com/
http://www.paris-france-tours.com/
and a little different tour in 2CVs at
http://www.4roues-sous-1parapluie.com/
Sounds like a great trip!
and cooking classes at
http://www.promenadesgourmandes.com/
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