FRANCE - Best of Europe 2014 - page 257

On Foot
Paris Walks
Thiscompanyoffersavarietyoftwo-hourwalks,ledbyBritishandAmerican guides.Tours
are thoughtfully prepared and entertaining. Don't hesitate to stand close to the guide to hear
(€12-15,generally2/day—morningandafternoon,privatetoursavailable,familyguidesand
Louvre tours a specialty, call 01 48 09 21 40 for schedule in English or check printable on-
linescheduleat www.paris-walks.com ).ToursfocusontheMarais(4/week),Montmartre(3/
week), medieval Latin Quarter (Mon), Ile de la Cité/Notre-Dame (Mon), the “Two Islands”
(Ile de la Cité and Ile St. Louis, Wed), the Revolution (Tue), and Hemingway's Paris (Fri).
They also run less-regular tours of Paris' Puces St. Ouen flea market and of the Catacombs,
plusathemedwalkontheOccupationandResistanceinParisduringthe1940s.Calladayor
two ahead to hear the current schedule and starting point. Most tours don't require reserva-
tions, but specialty tours—such as the Louvre, fashion, or chocolate tours—require advance
reservations and prepayment with credit card (deposits aren't refundable).
Context Paris
These “intellectual by design” walking tours, geared for serious learners, are led by docents
(historians, architects, and academics). They cover both museums and specific neighbor-
hoods, and range from traditional topics such as French art history in the Louvre and the
Gothic architecture of Notre-Dame to more thematic explorations like immigration and the
changing face of Paris, jazz in the Latin Quarter, and the history of the baguette. It's best
to book in advance—groups are limited to six participants and can fill up fast (€40-90/per-
son, admission to sights extra, generally 3 hours, tel. [phone], US tel. [phone],
www.contextparis.com ) . They also offer private tours and excursions outside Paris.
Classic Walks
The antithesis of Context Paris' walks, these lowbrow, lighter-on-information but high-fun
walking tours are run by Fat Tire Bike Tours. Their 3.5-hour Classic Walk covers most
major sights (€20, departs May-Sept daily at 10:00; Mon, Wed, Fri and Sun only March-
April and Oct; meet at their office at 24 Rue Edgar Faure, Mo: Dupleix, tel. [phone]
54, www.classicwalksparis.com ) . They also offer neighborhood walks of Montmartre, the
Marais,andLatinQuarter,aswellasthemedwalksontheFrenchRevolutionandWorldWar
II (€20, tours leave several times a week—see website for details). Their Easy Pass tours are
designed to allow you to skip the lines at major sights. They run tours of the Louvre, Cata-
combs, Eiffel Tower, Pompidou, Orsay, and Versailles (€45-85/person, includes entry and
guided tour, www.easypasstours.com ) and sell skip-the-line tickets to key sights. Ask about
discounts with this topic.