Tours in paris
There are many companies offering tours of Paris to suit all tastes and budgets, from private, air conditioned shuttle tours that stop at the major monuments and the Moulin Rouge, to small walking tours that focus on historical or cultural themes. Tours where a large group is taken on a set itinerary are usually less expensive than custom- Guided Tours in English n 73 ized tours for private groups. Always call to confirm times for tours where reservations aren’t necessary. Any tours that include a lunch or snack break usually don’t include the food and drink in the price. Be prepared for outdoor tours with appropriate seasonal clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
Boat tours
Bateaux Parisiens, one of the main boat tour operators of bateau-mouches, glass-enclosed boats that ride the Seine. Fare isn’t too pricy at €10 for adults, €5 for children, for the basic one-hour sightseeing tour. The company also offers lunch and dinner cruises, as well as an “enchanted cruise” geared towards children.
Paris Canal offers a two-and-a-half-hour tour of the Seine and Saint Martin Canal and features passage through a tunnel beneath Place de la Bastille. Although a bit more expensive at €16 for adults, €9 for children, you get to see a lesser-known part of the area.
Walking tours
Get oriented to much of the city with Classic Walks Paris’ four-hour walk, which costs €20. The company also offers a DaVinci Code walk, as well as bike and segway tours. Get in Shape provides an active way to discover the tourist sites on foot by pairing tourists with personal trainers/guides for a tourist-oriented run around Paris. Paris à Pied, French for “Paris on Foot,” features a mix of themed neighborhood tours, such as Montmartre, the Latin Quarter, and the Marais.
Helicopter Tours
HeliParis (% 08 25 82 60 04, www.heliparis.com) offers helicop-
ter tours around Paris (i119 per person) and Paris-Versailles
(i199 per person). Flights take off conveniently from the
Héliport de Paris (Porte de Sèvres, 15th). They also have piloting initia-
tions for anyone at least 15 years old (from the heliport at Toussus le No-
ble, near Versailles), and Porsche 911 driving on a race track. The web site
is currently only in French, so call or e-mail particuliers@heliparis.com
for more information.
Paris en Helicoptère (% 01 48 35 90 44, www.helifrance.fr) organizes
Sunday helicopter flights from Le Bourget airport around Paris (i122,
i110 for kids) and Paris-Versailles (i149, kids i140). They also have
flights around Paris-Versailles-Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay from the He-
liport de Paris (Porte de Sèvres, 15th), with a free one-hour visit of the Ab-
bey, for i185 (i152 for kids).
