1 day guided tour of Paris by mini-bus ?

[HAZELGROVE]

Hi All

Will be over in DLP for the first week in April and hope to do a day trip to Paris. Can anyone recommend a tour company that will collect us from our hotel, do a tour of the city and bring us back either for a half day or full day.
There are 3 adults, 2 children and 1 baby so we dont fancy doing the hop on and off open bus tour with the kids, buggy etc. We will need a 7 seater MPV or a minibus I guess. We are staying in Hotel L'Elysee, Val d'Europe so we are close to the train station which maybe another option - i.e. train to city centre and then arrange to meet tour guide & vehicle. Which train station would we be arriving in at Paris from Val d'Europe ?
I have sent off a few emails and am waiting for replies but ight get a schock when the prices come back !!

Thanks.

 

[Cass]

subscribing! I'd love to know this info as well

 

[Cyrano]

I have sent off a few emails and am waiting for replies but ight get a schock when the prices come back !!

Which companies have you already contacted ?

 

[bavaria]

I recommend taking the RER to Auber station and taking the hop on/hop off tour. Their head office is right by that station. Fare is 25 euro per adult per day, or you can buy a two day pass for a little more. There are four routes total.

http://www.grayline.com/Grayline/destinations/europe/paris.go?mode=activityDetail&apid=1436&sid=488

 

[Cass]

The OP has an infant and a stroller to contend with, they don't want the hop/on-off.

 

[RJAYL]

I will be traveling in June with 6, including almost 3, almost 6 and now considered adult (for billing) 12, as well as my 14 year old.

DLP has tours, does anyone know there pricing and timelines?

 

[bavaria]

The OP has an infant and a stroller to contend with, they don't want the hop/on-off.

ah, but one doesn't need to hop OFF if one doesn't want to Seriously, it is an option to do the full route from Auber, or get off and transfer once to a different route. She did say that she could do the train, so it means train to Auber, exit and board bus, take main loop, exit bus and board train.

The mini van rates will run about 100eu per person if not more, I would suspect. A half day mini van tour starts around 55eu not including pickup at DLRP.

It really depends if the OP wants to get off at any of the stops - exiting the mini van isn't that different than exiting the bus (actually the bus has more space - I've even seen mobility impaired people with wheelchairs use the bus)

If cost is no issue, then yes, the mini van private tour is the easiest way to go. Otherwise, if cost is a consideration, I still stand behind my recommendation of taking the bus tour from Auber.

 

[bavaria]

This option gives you a half day either morning or afternoon, with a few stops to get out. But again, it is 55eu per person assuming a Paris hotel pickup so you would still need to consider how to best access the tour. Another idea would be to exit the RER at CDG Etoile and arrange a pickup from there. But the RER station/Metro station there has a lot of ups and downs with stairs, FYI.

I think that Auber may have a lift or be easier to navigate.

http://www.city-discovery.com/paris/sightseeing_tours_paris/paris_city_first.html

 

[woody73]

I will be traveling in June with 6, including almost 3, almost 6 and now considered adult (for billing) 12, as well as my 14 year old.

DLP has tours, does anyone know there pricing and timelines?

Bus departs form the Hotel New York at 9:45 am, and returns at 6:30 pm.

Woody

 

[Ware Bears]

I will be traveling in June with 6, including almost 3, almost 6 and now considered adult (for billing) 12, as well as my 14 year old.

DLP has tours, does anyone know there pricing and timelines?

The prices for the daytime Paris tour in the official brochure for June 07 are £44 adult and £23 child so approx 63 euros adult and 33 euros child.

See this link here for more info on their tours.

 

[RJAYL]

Thanx

The prices & the link were perfect!

 

[HAZELGROVE]

Hi

Thanks for all your replies - very helpful as always.

I take all points well made re boarding etc - I guess the hop on / off is very flexible time wise and probably the best value. Train to Auber sounds fine and then do bus tour. I will have a look at the different routes. As already stated, that way you will get to see even more from the bus and only get off for the main attractions.
The coach tour from DLP is another option but certainly less flexible - can anyone go on these or is it restricted to residents of the hotels ?

 

[bavaria]

Hazelgrove, also factor in that with the hop on/hop off you can somewhat control the day. If you want to do some shopping or windowshopping, you could go to Galleries Lafayette very easily from Auber, and have a meal in the top floor cafeteria, which has good food and a spectacular view of Paris.

Or you could get off the bus at the first Champs Elysees stop, window shop and have lunch and then walk to the third stop. Or get off at the Louvre and walk to Place de Concorde. Or get off at the last Invalides stop and walk to Champs Elysees stop. All of those are easy walks.

You may also have something that you really want to see ie Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame, and this type of tour lets you stay for as long as you want before taking the next bus. It's easy to cross over routes at Notre Dame as well.

 

[woody73]

On our very first visit to Paris, we went on a hop on hop off bus, and it was a very good introduction to the city. We saw more that we expected. Also, it was very convenient to hop off if we wanted to explore a particular site, take pictures, or if we were hungry.

Woody

 

[Scratch42]

So which tour would you HIGHLY recommend? They all sound so wonderful!

j

 

[mickey4kids]

I have sent off an email and had a very friendly response to this. I am going to disney staying at Explorers on 2nd - 7th March. We are looking at a sight seeing trip to Paris and have been quoted 200 euros and the minibus is picking us up (my mother, me, my children aged 9, 6 and 3 plus a pushchair. He is english speaking but not a guide, he will give us a list of 40 sights to see and we can decide which ones for a tour of 2 1/2 hours. I think this is excellent value. The reason for us booking with them is because my mum has knee trouble and with her walking around the park all the time she is there I want to treat her to something, also with having three children (and leaving my husband at home) it will be a lot for me on and off buses and trains so it will be a nice little tour. I am asking to be picked up at 8 am and will therefore be back in the Disney Park for the afternoon and I have checked if its a weekend the park will be open until 9 pm, plus they are having fireworks because its the welsh festival. Should be lovely

 

[Cyrano]

Hi mickey4kids and welcome to DLP DIS board
We are a friendly bunch here so please join in on any other thread or if you have a number of questions then just start a new thread for each

If you have not had a look yet, posting guidelines can be found here and details regarding help on signatures here

 

[Ware Bears]

Hi mickey4kids, welcome to the DIS!

This sounds ideal for your family, we'd love to hear your thoughts on it afterwards.

 

[mickey4kids]

~Yes I am new to this site and I dont really know what I am doing yet, dont even know how to put things on yet but at least a can type and people can understand what I am saying. Thank you for your welcomes!!

 

[Cass]

I am also looking for a escorted day tour with transfer to Paris. I found a company that does exactly what I want and have made a reservation.

The company is britishtours.com (operating tours in Paris with english speaking guides)

A guide will pick us up at the Disneyland Resort and taking us to Paris and give us a 4 hour tour of the highlights and then dropus at our hotel. Cost is 300 UKL (approx 600.00US) total.

Travelling alone with my daughter I don't want to have to deal with luggage or trains/buses etc... having everything looked after and no stress is the best way to have a holiday