Sunday 5 September
7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Ship’s Description
- A Taste of Paris – LH05
- Approximate Duration: 10 hour(s) 30 minute(s)
- Prices starting from: $124.00 USD (Adult)
For guests who would like an orientation to Paris and then time to explore independently this full day excursion is provided. The tour begins as your guide greets you at the pier. A 2.5-hour drive via the highway will take you across the Seine Valley, past Rouen and through the rich dairy country of Normandy. Entering the gates of Paris, begin with a drive down the Champs-Elysées, the principal thoroughfare of the city. See the 164-foot Arc de Triomphe planned by Napoléon to celebrate his military successes, and then pass the Opera House and Madeleine Church. Drive past the world famous Louvre Museum with its recently added glass pyramid, to proceed to the River Seine and the island of La Cité to pass by the Notre Dame Cathedral. The coach will continue down the left bank, past the Hotel des Invalides, burial place of Napoléon and the Latin Quarter.
The coach will drop you off in the city center and the guide will inform you when and where to meet the coach for the return trip to the ship. The tour includes approximately 3.5 hours on your own and does not include lunch or entrance fees.
Note: Guests must be able to walk approximately 50 yards over even and uneven surfaces with 2–5 steps. Walking during the free time is at the guests' discretions. Guests should be on time for the return coach as a courtesy to their fellow participants. If guests should miss the coach, the return to the vessel is their own responsibility and at their own expense.
The bus trip from Le Havre to Paris was about 3 hours long.
Reviews and Suggestions
We booked the ships tour, A TASTE OF PARIS because Paris is 2.5 hours by bus from the port, Le Havre. The guide was very nice and informative, (the only Parisian we met who was nice), and the sights were incredible. We had about a 45 minute bus tour of the city, and then we were let out at the Eiffel Tower for 3.5 hrs. 3.5 hrs is not enough time. We set out along with 2 other couples and took the metro to Notre Dame Cathedral, which was unbelievably beautiful, both inside and out. We walked from Notre Dame, along the river Seine, past the Louvre to the Place de la Concord, by then it was getting close to the time for us to meet the bus.
We tried hailing a taxi but it took quite a while, even at a taxi stand. Unfortunately, the first taxi could only take 4 passengers, so we agreed to split up and we would wait for the next one. It took another 15–20 minutes to hail another taxi and that driver didn't want to take us. After pleading he agreed and we just made the bus back to the ship by the skin of out teeth. The other 2 couples we were with held the bus for us. We were 10 minutes late but made it.
The bus ride back was long and tedious. We arrived back at Le Havre along with all of the other busses. There were 1200 of us trying to get on the ship; it took us 40 minutes from getting off the bus to actually boarding the ship. This was extremely poor planning on the ships part to have all the tours end at the same time, as they should have been staggered.
Another problem we experienced was we felt that there should have been more on our own time given in Paris I have heard rumors that the Parisians are rude and indifferent. I must say all this and more is true. We made attempts to speak the language and tried to adhere to their customs, but none of our attempts were appreciated, and no one was willing to help in the least. Paris is truly a beautiful city, but I don't think we will return.
At the Louvre we did a 90 minute highlights tour, conducted in english. It takes you to all the biggies in the Louvre, you go up the back stairs and there you are at the Mona Lisa…down another set and you’re facing the Venus De Milo…on and on. Great tour, it was 5 euros with the Paris Museum Pass…I think with a regular admission it was 6.50. We took ours at 11a.m. (first one of the day). I know there was at least one afternoon one, not sure when though.
We did not waste our time going up the Eiffel tower…the Arc De Triumphe was just as good for me and there was no line.
A taxi or the #69 bus will take you from the Eiffel tower (if that’s where the cruise bus drops you) to the Louvre, Musee D’Orsay and very near Notre Dame. The bus is located in front of the Tower (not the river side). Very easy to use, 1.45 euro.
Don’t worry about speaking great French, just learn a few words to be polite, always ask (in French) if someone speaks english “parlez vous anglais?” before speaking in English. We didn’t encounter anyone who did not speak some english.
Notre Dame was cleaner than I thought. I expected a grim laden structure giving the Gothic architecture an even more dark and mystical feel. Sadly, it seems the building as been cleaned over the last few years. I think it takes away from the history and foreboding of the structure. C’est la vie right? The inside was pretty standard and the front reminded me of doumos in Italy. The real beauty of Notre Dame is its buttressed oval rear. This part is breathtaking and the Gothic art here is very intricate and well designed. The downside to Notre Dame is the sea of tourists who crowd this place. They swarm around like flies to honey and I quickly decided to leave. It was nice but not worth the annoyance. I marveled at it from afar- away from the crowds.
We were very ambitious… Our bus dropped us off at the Eiffel Tower. We took some pictures but didn’t go up. The line was way too long.
We walked to the Arch de Triomphe (don’t forget to go up to the top there are beautiful views of the city and the Eiffel tower … oh and to cross the street there is an under ground tunnel – don’t try to cross the highway … very dangerous). Then we walked down the Champs de Elysse, thru the Gardens and into the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo only. We ran back to the Eiffel tower. We did stop for a quick lunch along the Champs de Elysse. It was 35 dollars to 2 sandwichs and 2 sodes. Yikes.
Champs-élysées
It was a wonderful day though. I would recommed a taxi back to the Eiffel so there is no running involved!!! lol. It was a packed day but we are so happy that we got to see everything that we did.
If you want something more relaxed I would skip the Louvre. While it is wonderful, you can’t take pictures of the Mona Lisa and really seeing the museum requires a few hours.
Some of the people we met on the cruise did the ride to Paris and tour on the bus and they wished they had done what we had done.
The Batobus that goes down the Seine is the way to go. The major (Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, The Louvre) sites are along this route and it is lovely. Obviously you can’t do it all in 5 hours – you'll have to view things from outside rather than standing in lines to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower
Catch the Batobus across the river and ride it to the sites. It's like a hop on/hop off bus only it’s a boat.
We wanted to get up close and personal with the city so we did the Paris on your own off the BOS in April. Bus drops you off at the Eiffel Tower and you have 5 hours to explore.
The one thing that was a must for us was Notre Dame. We took the subway. We probably spent 2 hours there taking the whole thing in, inside and out. It was beautiful beyond our expectations and I could’ve spent a whole day there. Unfortunately there was a long line and we didn’t venture up to the bell tower. We then walked about the Notre Dame area and ate at an outside cafe. Then headed back to the Eifel Tower on the subway. We didn’t find the subway system as user friendly as we had read about and lost a lot of time trying to figure it out and ask directions. I finally got the nerve up to approach a policemen and ask if he spoke English. He did and we were able to find the right one back. But then it stopped mid route and we were really perplexed. Apparently it was out of service for the day?? We started to panic a bit as did some other tourists. Fortunately a local woman was kind enough to show us how to get back on another train.
Whew. made it back to the Eifel Tower. A close one. We spent the 45 mins or so taking pictures and enjoying this wonderful landmark we had only viewed in pictures and on TV. I would’ve loved to have gone to the top but we didn’t have time.
We had a great time and saw what we wanted to see, no regrets. But not understanding the subway system as well as we should’ve made for some stressful times. I think a tour or the hopon hopoff bus would be best for most people.
It’s definitely worth an overview trip for the day. Paris is wonderful. On the cafe at the Eiffel, there is one cafe called Altitude 95 and one restaurant called Jules Verne. Altitude takes reservations by phone only and can be reached at 33 01 45 55 20 04 – if you go there, request a table on the north side by a window. Jules Verne is very hard reservation to get and is in the $200–$300 pp rate… my suggestion would be to call gold or platinum card AMEX if you want to try to get in here. With either restaurant, you by pass the lines at the bottom (with a reservation) but still pay and must pay and wait in line to go to the very top. Depending on the time of year you plan to visit (i.e., if in peak summer), IMHO it is worth it. Food at Altitude was very good. Outside of those two, there are sandwich vendors within a few blocks and cafe vendors on the floors of the Eifflel as you go up.
Assuming you plan to hit the Eiffel Tower and venture up and then hit a Seine cruise, I would plan to visit Notre Dame for a walk through of the ground-level church – it’s free and beautiful. At least walk by the Louvre…you'll pass the D’Orsay on the water. Go into Musee De L’Orangerie (get off at Place de la Concorde)… it is a fantastic small museum with works by many of the best known French artists… easy to do in an hour and give yourself a flavor for the art at the other museums. Give yourself two hours in St Germain de Pres to walk and eat at a cafe or grab a glass of wine or coffee. And finally, do a 20 minute walk around Pont Neuf and the Seine. If you have extra time and are into art, hit the top floor of the D’Orsay. If you have extra time and are into shopping and/ or people watching, hit the Marais area/ place des vosges. If you have extra time and want another absolutely breath taking church/ former prison where Marie Antoinette was housed and later executed, hit St Chapelle and the Conciergerie. This is a great stop for Christians or those with an interest in European history. The church is like nothing else we have seen – truly breathtaking.
Crowds swarm the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral, creating queues that wrap around each structure. Should you go mid-day, you’ll be waiting a few hours to climb each. Head there early in the morning to avoid the rush. Queues start to form about an hour after opening.
The maps the tourist office gives away doesn’t include all the streets. Should you get lost, aim for a main street and you can coordinate your position from there. Moreover, the map is not really drawn to scale. The tourist information map is a good reference but for more detail stick to a guide book map.
Moreover, Paris has few street maps for tourists. Unlike Amsterdam or London, there are few signs telling you where you are. Don’t expect easy navigation while walking around. If you do find a sign, it will be in French and not English. (Signs describing historical monuments are also only in French).
If you want a good view of the city but don’t want to wait to get to the top of the Eiffel tower, head to Montmartre. This little district, where artists like Picasso and Pissaro used to live, provides sweeping views of the city without the wait or the cost.
The Louvre is discounted after 6pm on Fridays and free on Sundays (or maybe the Louvre is only free for the first Sunday of every month). During the low season, it is also closed on Tuesdays. It’s located in the center of the city and has two metro stops- both marked “Louvre.” Get off at either one.
Buy a metro card. Paris has over 300 subway stations so it is easy to get around the city. A day pass is only 6 Euros.
Musée National du Moyen Age / Musée Cluny
When the line to enter the Louvre starts to wrap around the building, you might want to consider going elsewhere. Paris is filled with museums touting famous works and historical knowledge. One of my favorite lesser-known location is the Musée National du Moyen Age (National Museum of the Middle Ages), sometimes referred to as the Musée Cluny. Check out the Roman baths, sepulchers from Notre Dame and 13th and 14th century tombstones. Even better, sit in the dimly lit room that houses the magnificent Unicorn Tapestries. It’s a hauntingly peaceful spot, just perfect for contemplating their rich symbolism. Quietly tucked away in the Sorbonne/St. Michel neighborhood, this Museum offers all the art with half the congestion.
Cluny was once the home of Mary Tudor, widow of Louis XII. The building is magnificently preserved and is almost on the spot where the first part of the city was built. The remains of that period, and later centuries, are waiting to be rediscovered. It is also the home of The Unicorn Tapestries, brought to light in the writings of George Sand.
Take in the Cluny. It’s well worth it. As is the medieval mansion that houses the remains. It should be on your list of ‘musts.’ You won’t be disappointed. You’ll need time to digest the displays. Go early when you are rested. Early Sunday may be a good day when the museum is uncrowded and the admission price is lower. Watch for steps that are not always obvious.
The courtyard draws you in. It is a perfect architectural example of 16th century design. It was erected by Jacques d’Amboise Abbot of Cluny. The cobblestone Cour d’Honneur contains flamboyant Gothic building wings with seashell motifs, popular at that time. There are gargoyles and turreted walls with dormer windows. It was seized during the Revolution, rented in 1833 and bought by the government in 1842.
The Roman Baths date to 200 AD and included a Palestra, a tepidarium, caldarium and frigidarium to close the pores in cold water. It was once decorated with ancient fish prows of Paris boatmen. The area around the building is authentic Middle Ages, even though the gardens were rebuilt in the year 2000. It is neat, trim and perfect for photography in the shade of chestnut and sycamore trees.
Location
6 Pl. Paul-Painleve
Paris 70005
Tel: 01 53 73 78 00
www.musee-moyenage.fr
You can walk to the Museum from the Notre Dame area or from the RER station at St. Germain and St. Michel.
Metro: Cluny/ La Sorbonne; St.Michel; Odeon
Buses : 21, 27, 38, 63, 85, 86, 87
Hours:
Daily from 9:15am to 5:45pm
Closed Tuesdays.
Garden open 8am or 9am depending on the day
to 5:30 in winter, 9:30 in summer
Cost:
5.50 euros for adults 4 euros on Sunday
4 euros for those age 18-25
Free for children under 17
Minimum Time to Allow
In order to appreciate all the exhibits we recommend at least 2 hours. During the warmer months you may want to spend time in the garden, but even if you are visiting indoors there are places to sit and relax. You may be there when there is a concert or lecture. That too gives you time to relax.
For history buffs, plan a whole afternoon. My legs got tired before my quest for information was over! Leave the Unicorn Tapestries for the end of your visit. A hand guide and a seat make the viewing more comfortable.
Our last cruise there, we took the dinner/cruise and the tour of the city combination. IF that’s the one you're taking: It’s a long ride on the bus to Paris, no doubt about it (about 3 hours or so). The way there is rather interesting, as the tour guide on the bus tells you about the things you are passing and gives you some history. Once we arrived in Paris they drove by all the major tourist sites (too numerous to list) – photo ops only – no getting on and off, too much traffic. We went to the boat for the dinner cruise on the Seine. From the river, we passed Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the other well known places situated on the river. They told you what you were passing as you passed it. After the cruise the bus took us to the Eiffel Tower where we actually got to get off the bus for about 45 minutes, or so. The lines to go up the tower were unbelievable. We didn’t have the 2+ hours to wait in line, so we didn’t. There are some small cafes and shops within a block or so of the tower where we bought our “trinkets.” The bus trip back was long. Not much talking. Everyone was tired from the day and most people slept. Besides, there’s not much to see at night. Would I do it again? If I’d never been to Paris, YES.
Paris was freaking awesome!!!!
I never have been there before and the only way I can try to explain it is everything is on a more massive scale than I could have imagined. Just beautiful buildings and history, and yes they do have a ton of stores (lol). Very long bus ride there and the excursion guide never stopped talking for 3 hours (lol). After listening to anyone for more than a half hour I just get into an overload mode and just can’t absorb any more information. I appreciate guides who take a little break here and there from the talking on the PA system, but that’s just me
We took the “taste of Paris” tour, which sounds exactly like the above excursion minus the lunch cruise. We had about 3 hours of free time after driving by all the sites (will not all but most the major ones) and parked right next to the Eiffel Tower.
By the way, every local we encountered while in both Le Havre and Paris were extremely nice to us and really appreciated their culture. BUT, watch out for the Gypsies. Twice in Paris we were walking and they would pretend to find a man’s golden ring lying right in the middle of the street in front of us. Then they would get all excited they found “real gold” but then played a role that their religion wouldn’t allow then to wear jewelry so then they were nice enough to give us the ring for free. Then a couple after we walked a couple of steps away they would come running back and explain they have no money and would we please give them something for the “real golden ring” (lol). I knew what was going on the first time but my wife kind of fell in the trap. Instead of pulling the covers on the whole scam I just watched it play out until they came back for money and then threaten to call the police (boy, they didn’t stick around after that). The second time I just didn’t feel like playing anymore and just told the guy this is the 2nd time this scam was played on us in the past half hour, and he too disappeared. Just want to give everyone a heads up that there are scam artist preying on tourist, so please be careful.
Back to Paris, we had enough time to catch their public transportation to Notre Dame and then have some lunch and walk back to the Eiffel Tower and that was it. Phyllis and I agreed we need to come back to Paris for at least a week to enjoy all it has to offer, so maybe in a couple of years But the tour was great knowing we would get just what the tour was called, “a taste of Paris” and would recommend it to anyone like us who has never been to Paris
The bus ride was about 2 hours and 15 minutes each way. What was nice was the bus dropped you off right next to the Eiffel Tower. If you want to do the tower, a suggestion is avoid the lines that involve taking the elevator to the top and go to the line where you can take the stairs to an observation point about mid way up. Since there are no tall buildings nearby the view is nearly as good and the wait a fraction of the time.
We had a very upscale European sized tour bus with a guide who did offer commentary en route Paris. Much of the Paris tour was a drive-by with one brief photo stop, a lunch river cruise, and about an hour stop in the vicinity of the Eiffel Tower. No guide or commentary en route back. I was dragged kicking and screaming into this tour by my DW but, much as I hate to admit these things, found it to be worthwhile.
Paris Walking Tour: Secrets Along the Seine from Traveler magazine
Īles de la Cité and Saint-Louis: Secrets along the Seine
Île de la Cité was the first part of Paris to be settled. Solemn and museum-like, it’s the city’s religious and judicial center, with a Gothic crown jewel in Notre Dame. After all the historic grandeur, Île Saint-Louis, linked to Île de la Cité by a tiny bridge, offers a welcome hedonistic respite, its grid of narrow streets parading a lively mix of fine food shops, arty boutiques, and top restaurants.
Start your walk at the (1) Pont Neuf (“New Bridge”) which, despite is name, is the oldest bridge in Paris, celebrating its 400th birthday in 2007. Take Quai de L’Horloge to the (2) Conciergerie. This 700-year-old former royal palace housed a notorious prison during the French Revolution and became the last address before the guillotine for Marie-Antoinette and some 2,700 others.
Turn down Boulevard du Palais for the 13th-century (3) Sainte-Chapelle (sainte-chapelle.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/) rising beside the Palais de Justice – hence the high-security entrance. Founded by the crusader king St. Louis, the chapel glows with 16 enormous stained-glass windows that illustrate more than a thousand biblical scenes. “The place seems to be made entirely of glass,” says Sylvie Clavel, Sainte-Chapelle’s director. “It has an amazing lightness – Gothic and radiant.”
Continue along wide pedestrian Rue de Lutèce, Paris’s original name when it was founded here in 250 B.C. Here the (4) Marché aux Fleurs has been selling its flowers for some 200 years. In front of you looms the Hôtel Dieu, the city’s oldest hospital, founded in 651, while just to the right opens Place du Parvis, front stage and center for a sublime medieval masterpiece, (5) Notre Dame cathedral (www.cathedraledeparis.com). Look up to see its looming gargoyles, then head around back of the cathedral for the famous flying buttresses and a glimpse of the falcons that often nest on the roof of the cathedral. Nearby you'll find the entrance to the (6) Memorial of the Deportation. Austere and claustrophobic, this modernist monument commemorates the French who perished in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. “Inside is a low passageway with 200,000 beads of glass that reflect the light and glimmer in the darkness – a reminder of those who were martyred,” says Oriel Caine, co-founder of Paris Walks.
Cross over the bridge to Île Saint-Louis and walk up the buzzing main drag, Rue St-Louis en l’Île . Artisanal cheese shop (7) La Ferme Saint-Aubin is on the left. On the right, (8) Mon Vieil Ami (www.mon-vieil-ami.com) is the acclaimed Alsatian bistro of Strasbourg superchef Antoine Westermann. “It’s really the restaurant of the isle,‣ says Patricia Wells, food critic for the International Herald Tribune.
At the next corner you’ll reach your final destination and reward, the beloved half-century-old ice-cream parlor (9) Berthillon (www.berthillon.fr).
