Visiting Paris For Just A Couple Of Days?
March 2nd, 2009
If you’re planning a trip to France, Paris is surely on your itinerary. However, there are so many other places you want to see in this beautiful country, you’ve alloted only two or three days to seeing the sights in Paris. So how do you make the most of your time, see the sights that are must-do’s for you and still gain a flavor for Parisian culture, without running yourself ragged? There is a way to easily accomplish your goals. There are hundreds of Paris tours, conducted by bus, or walking tours of many of the districts, or neighborhoods of Paris.
Bus tours may be most convenient if you’re not up to long walks, or your time is really short. With this style of Paris tour, you ride in air-conditioned comfort, and cover a generally larger number of districts and famous sights.
Your bus operator is also your tour guide, who knows every little detail of the places you visit during the tour. Your bus tour takes you through a district, as your guide gives you some cultural background, as well as interesting historical and architectural tidbits. Bus tours, due to the guide’s skill and knowledge, gives you a flavor of the culture in a nutshell and are typically quite informative. You’ll learn far more than you ever did in history class! When touring Paris by bus, you can visit a number of landmarks in a single afternoon. Depending on your choice of Paris tour route, you may stop at the Eiffel Tower and stretch your legs a bit, as your guide tells you all about the history of this most famous Paris sight.
If you prefer a walking Paris tour, your experience is a little different. You’ve got your feet on the ground. You can mingle with Parisian natives and see everything up close and personal. The walking tours usually begin at a designated meeting place, where your group of fellow travelers follows the tour guide through a district. Tour guides are typically native Parisians, so they’re very well informed and, as with all Paris tour guides, speak excellent English. The tour route is mapped out for you, turning down this or that street, organized in a way that allows you to see the most interesting and historic areas of the district. You can stop to browse in shops if you like. With a map of your tour route in hand, you can spend a few minutes in a shop, if you like, and easily catch up with your group. Walking tours often stop for a bite to eat, in some charming bistro you’d probably never have found on your own.
Any way you look at it, taking one or many of the available Paris tours is a perfect way to get familiar with the City of Lights!
