Travel question. Instead of an escorted tour, any of yall ever book at a hotel in

[raccoon]

Paris (or wherever) and then at the hotel book day trips to the Louvre or wherever you want to visit?

I have a chance to join a sibling in Paris for a few days in July.

[WinkyDink]

1. No. I've always had a leased car (Renault in France) contracted for while Stateside. They met me at

De Gaulle.

I liked to drive wherever, as opposed to booked tours.

http://www.renaultusa.com/

[flying rabbit]

2. Usually I will book a hotel wherever and

then just go on my own. Paris has great public transportation and is an awesome city just to get out in.

[GoneOffShore]

3. Book a tour? Ah, non!

However - do the Canauxrama tour of the Canal St. Martin - http://www.paris.fr/pratique/Portal.lut?page_id=8625 (sorry it's all in French) - You can book tickets on-line and print them at home.
And you can book tickets for the Eiffel Tower at http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/en/preparing-your-visit/buying-your-tickets.html and avoid the lines.

Skip the Louvre and go to the Musée d'Orsay, then walk across the Pont des Arts and walk past the glass IM Pei pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre - http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html?cHash=1030a57d48 -

Buy some bread, cheese, wine and a bottle of wine and have a picnic in the courtyard of the Palais Royale - You can look in the windows of Grand Vefour and salivate. Or you can go to Willi's Wine Bar nearby on Rue des Petits Champs. For a more informal lunch go to Juveniles, just up the street from the Comedie Francaise - Address: 47 Rue de Richelieu, 75001 Paris, France
Phone:[phone]
The owner - Tim Johnson - can be a little eccentric - and the place is tight. But the wines are great and the food good.

And visit the Isle St. Louis, have lunch on the terrace at the http://www.labrasserie-isl.fr.

And we've used AirBnB a lot, to rent apartments. https://www.airbnb.com/s/Paris--France?checkin=07%2F01%2F2014&checkout=07%2F05%2F2014&source=bb

Just remember that the "first floor" in Paris and all of Europe is the American second floor. If you want to avoid stairs(and not all buildings have "ascenseurs" or elevators) get something on the rez de chaussee.
Have fun.

[anasv]

4. the only time I booked a tour

was when I went to an arab country. Otherwise, on my own.

[RebelOne]

5. In London, I stayed at a hotel in Victoria Station.

I did my own tours. All I had to do was step outside of the hotel and hop onto a train.

[mainer]

6. Yes. Just go to the hotel website.

Check out Tripadvisor for a list of traveler recommended hotels, click on the links to the hotel's website, and book. Most have English-speaking staff who will respond.

I never use an escorted tour and always book online directly with the hotel.

p.s., for tour information, you can often buy tickets online in advance. I did that in Florence for the Uffizi -- saved me hours of standing in line.

[mainer]

7. Check this site for online tour tickets

http://www.parispass.com/paris-attractions/Louvre-Museum.html?aid=30&gclid=CLXZ5s-fq7wCFSISMwodll8ATw#.Uu0TMnnlef0

note: I've never tried this site myself, but have used a similar site in Italy and it was great.

[DrDan]

8. even better - check out the Gites

stayed in one for two weeks last year - it was great.

We were on a working farm about an hour from Paris Central. The train station was a short drive from our Gite. It was a remodeled barn with all the modern conveniences - but kept the charm via rock walls etc. Very very comfortable. Our hosts were working farmers - very friendly with tons of great advice.

We would vary trips into Paris with trips elsewhere - Fontainebleau, Vicompte (more impressive than Versailles), etc. Weekly train/metro passes are very reasonable. The metro will deliver you close, within a block or less) to all the favorite sites.

This was my 6th trip to Paris, and by far the most enjoyable.

pm me if you would like more info.

btw - I absolutely hate escorted tours. I avoid them with a vengeance. This was a much better alternative for us. We could have breakfast at "home" at our convenience as we had a kitchen with all conveniences. We ate a few evening meals at home also, as it worked a bit better with our schedule. We had a very nice patio with the privacy of a farm, yet very nicely appointed.

[raccoon]

9. Thanks, everybody, some good suggestions! ny

[distantearlywarning]

10. Paris is really easy to get around in

There is really no need to book a tour in Paris - the average tourist can DIY it everywhere. I don't speak a word of French, and I was easily able to navigate the Paris Metro on two different trips. Metro stops are everywhere, and the trains go to all the major tourist attractions. They are safe too, except you have to watch for pickpockets. If you are going to be there for more than just a couple of days, you can get an unlimited Metro pass and go anywhere without having to buy a ticket at the station. I also suggest getting a weekly museum pass, which will get you into many different attractions as many times as you want and in some cases will let you skip to the head of the line.