Every guide we had was outstanding! Marlene who was our guide/driver for Versailles was a spirited, well-informed, humous and marvelous guide! Sin Se was a lovely guide for our tour on/in Montmartre! Camille, our guide for the castle tours and winery in the Loire Valley was simply outstanding! She was fun, funny, accommodating, and knows how to pivot when things are not quite right, or requests are made. Her Dad ended up our driver the next day to take us to the Tour train station and he was kind enough to stop at the Cathedral in tour for us to get a quick glimpse. Normandy Sightseeing Tour guide Emma was phenomenal for our beaches and cemetery experience. We had great drivers, including Hischam, who managed our rides and luggage for the Mont St. Michel. There were many highlights of the trip, but near the top were Versailles, the Louvre, cruise down the Seine, stay in the castle at La Tortiniere, tour of the Normandy beaches, the castles in Loire Valley (Amboise and Chenonceau), the town of Bayeux, Mont St. Michel and being up in the Eiffel Tower. AND, the French people were consistently LOVELY!
Hotel Reviews
Domaine de la Tortinière
Veigne
I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this place to stay!!! It was a beautiful setting and the staff could not have been more accommodating and nice. The woman who greeted us who expressed sincere enthusiasm that we were there, the gentlemen (I think Andre was his name) who managed all our luggage, the staff who helped us figure out how to turn our shower on [;)], all seemed to want to provide a great stay for us, and they succeeded!
Authenticity & Character
To be able to stay in a chateau as beautiful, clean and lovely was a treat! The breakfast spread was fabulous!!!!
Location
It had STUNNING views and we LOVED having a pool to unwind after four fun-filled but hectic days in Paris.
Staff
The staff were so friendly and gracious!!!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Spotless!!!
The hotel was perfectly situated... close enough the the center hub for an easy walk, and distance enough to not have the night noises of people celebrating.
Authenticity & Character
Space in the rooms.
Location
Close enough to walk everywhere, but enough distance to not hear nighttime revelers.
Staff
Each shifts' staff was friendly, helpful and accommodating!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean!
Auberge Saint-Pierre
LE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL
Super tight quarters!!! Centrally located on the rock which was nice.
Authenticity & Character
Total character - no ac, seagulls and pigeons who could enter one's room since there were no screens on windows!
Location
Room was tight for three.
Staff
Very little by way of dealings with staff. They were kind enough to allow us to leave our luggage in the dining area while we did a tour just before we left.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Maybe screens on the windows. Realistically, any place on the rock has its understandable limitations.
Hôtel Lorette - Astotel
Paris
Although there only one night, the rooms were lovely, clean. The area was very cool. The food/drink spread they have in the lobby for guests was unbelievable and fabulous! The staff was lovely.
Authenticity & Character
The refreshments in the lobby, the beautiful decor, the lovely staff... just terrific!
Location
Very cool area of Paris. Would have liked to explore it more if we'd had the time.
Staff
The night staff desk clerk was super helpful in giving us bags to put our soaking wet clothes (caught in the storm). The hotel had take-out breakfast bags for us which was so lovely since we were leaving so early in the morning.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Spotless!!!!
Activity Reviews
Paris: Illuminations Seine River Cruise
Paris
I loved this! It was such an incredible treat to be able to say that I was able to cruise down the Seine. I liked having the guide point out various sites, but she didn't overdo it! This ride was a highlight for me.
Quality of Experience
It was a great way to end a long day of walking and touring.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The guide we had was well-versed and did not overdo on all she knew about what she was pointing out.
Transport
We had learned to navigate the Metro quite well!
Half-day Versailles & Gardens private tour
France
Can one really put into words how spectacular this place is?! It was BEAUTIFUL! Our guide could not have done a better job of navigating the crowds while simultaneously providing a wealth of information on the history. She also made sure she took pictures with all of us (7).
Quality of Experience
What a stellar piece of history that is being preserved and also providing such beautiful history.
Food
We got sandwiches and baked goods at our local bakery back near our Air BNB.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Marlene was a FABULOUS guide!! Her humor, her ability to navigate the crowds and the wealth of information she had was incredible.
Transport
Marlene navigated getting us in/out of Paris in crazy traffic while simultaneously pointing out historic places on the way out and back into the city.
Guided Family Tour of Montmartre
Paris
SinSe' was a terrific guide. It was an unexpected treat to see exactly where so many famous artists lived and painted. The stories those cobbled streets and hills own...amazing!
Quality of Experience
I enjoyed the history of the area - the artists, the martyr stories,...
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Sin se' did a great job! Getting to meet up with him via the Metro was a mess.
Transport
See above about navigating the Metro for this particular trip.
The truth is, we could have walked from the train station to our hotel as it was that close, and we saw others who had done it. We didn't know so, no regrets.
Quality of Experience
I loved staying in Bayeux. It had so much to offer by way of shopping, dining, and having a lived-in experience in such a small village.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our driver to/from the train station was friendly and lovely! Our guide, Emma, for the Normandy beaches was outstaning!
Transport
Our driver for the train station and then to Mont St. Michel was lovely. Emma, our guide and driver for the Normandy beaches was TERRIFIC!
Chateaux Day Tour: Chambord and Chenonceau - Full-day
Tours
These were two very beautiful castles to take in and learn about. I really enjoyed this! The only drawback to the day was the winery where they were not prepared for our visit. The staff pivoted well and they set up a nice tasting and charcuterie boards.
Quality of Experience
The castles were a sight to see!! The settings were stunning!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Camille was probably my favorite of all our guides! She has a great sense of humor, was able to navigate some bumps (the winery not being prepared for us) with great grace, and she was just flat out fun to be with.
Transport
Camille was a confident and great driver and guide!
Full-day Tour of D-Day Sites
Bayeux
This tour was chock full of information I did not know and wanted to know! It was amazing to be on the actual beaches where so much history occurred! It was moving, but the American cemetery and being present while the flag was being lowered and 'Taps' being played had me teary-eyed. THANK YOU France for honoring our fallen soldiers! I am SINCERELY filled with GRATITUDE!
Quality of Experience
To know that France honors so many countries who allied with them to fight evil... just so moving!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Emma was outstanding! She had her information broken down in such a marvelous, digestible way! She was gracious and kind.
Private Transfer from Paris hotel to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
France
Our driver was on time and pleasant.
Quality of Experience
He got us on time and dropped us off perfectly.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
He was pleasant and helpful.
Local specialist: Sebastian Prino
