First they teach you the ABC's of French wine and how to do a proper wine tasting. They focus on 3 of the major French wine regions at a time. The wines selecedt come from any of these famous French wine regions: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace, Loire, Provence, Languedoc or Champagne. Next, they teach you how to read a French wine label - how to sound like a pro when ordering French wine at a restaurant here in Paris, France or anywhere in the world. Next, they take you out to a favorite tapas and small plates bar. Here you get to try out your new wine pairing skills straight away. Order a small plate of something delicious and then choose the wine you'd like to pair with it. Groups up to 10 people are welcome!
Recommended for Tours and Excursions because: Food and Wine is not just France's specialty, it's a big part of the country's cultural heritage. In this food+wine experience, you'll discover the best of both.
Paige's expert tip: Join in on a 2+ hour wine + food pairing seminar-workshop experience and tasting trek in St. Germain des Prés, Paris. This is a perfect way to learn how to effortlessly order that bottle of French wine at your favorite restaurant - and what to pair it with perfectly!
This wonderfully extravagant palace, where royals frittered away much of the treasury, is a necessary stop for visitors. Top designers of the day created an ornate complex of gardens, lakes, stables and guest houses to complement the luxuriously furnished palace, where Louis XIV, XV and XVI lived before the kingdom gave way to revolution. Beautifully restored rooms hint at the court's wealth, as seen in the gilt, crystal and hand-painted furnishings and details. Make sure to see the historic Hall of Mirrors. Guided and unguided tours are available. The gardens are as much as an attraction as the interior, especially when the spectacular fountains are turned on to music on summer weekends. Access from Paris by train (RER line C; Versailles Rive Gauche station is an 8-minute walk from the palace).
Recommended for Tours and Excursions because: This is a must-see when in Paris - with comfortable walking shoes!
Paige's expert tip: Make a day of it. Versailles, especially if you take in its gardens, too, which you simply must, is worthy of an entire day's excursion at least.
Up, up and away in Paris's beautifu, beautiful hot air balloon... That's the jingle you will be singing as you plunge through the Parisian skyline overlooking the city's famous monuments below. The Paris tourist office likes to boast that this is the biggest hot air balloon in the world. True or not, it's still worth checking out this family friendly attraction (under 3 yrs old ride for free and 3-11yrs. old for half-price) for yourself. The altitude reached is a whopping 150 meters above the Seine and since it launches just on the far side of the Eiffel Tower, the views of the city and its surrounding landmarks is nothing short of spectacular. This helium balloon, also known as the Ballon Generali, is a tethered hot-air balloon so no need to fear that you might end up in the Atlantic on a windy day!
Recommended for Tours and Excursions because: Up, up and away. In my Beautiful Ballon de Paris. Gliding above even the Eiffel Tower. How could you possibly miss this?
Paige's expert tip: Price to ride is only 12 euros for adults, 6 euros for kids. This makes it one of the most affordable forms of good, clean, fun entertainment in the city for you and the whole family. That said, the operation of this tethered hot-air balloon depends wholly on the weather.
This classic sightseeing cruise offers a relaxed and enchanting way to take in the many beautiful and historical monuments that can be seen from the Seine River. It's a great way to sightsee for sore feet. And its boarding location, just near the Eiffel Tower and also on the Left Bank, couldn't be more convenient. This is also one of the only river cruise boat companies that offers special tours and guided commentary - Cruise Mysteries of Paris - for children. There are two special programs on offer for kids, one for the 3-6 year olds and another for the 6-11 year olds. To make the most of your day, you can show your ticket from this excursion at the entrance of the Paris Aquarium (Aquarium de Paris - Cinéaqua) which then gets you and your children a 20% discount on entry fee (under 3 get in for free).
Recommended for Tours and Excursions because: While there are several exceptional river boat cruise companies to choose from, this one also offers guided commentary designed just for kids.
Paige's expert tip: A good bargain is to combine one of these trips with their bus partner, Foxity. The bus tours allow you to hop on and hop off. And the Vedettes give you the option of cruising by day or by night.
Anyone can use the Velib' service which is a fleet of thousands of public bicycles positioned at 1,800 strategic points all around the city, as prolific as M�tro stops. The first half-hour is free so if you get from point A to point B and re-dock your bike, there's no charge for use. Required is a credit card with that little magnet strip on it so that when you swipe it at the automated rental kiosk (directions in English, too) it can deduct a deposit, returned when you return the bicycle. In the early hours of a Paris morning the traffic is much lighter than during the day and Parisians swear by their Velib' system - they say it's the best thing since, well, sliced bread.
Recommended for Tours and Excursions because: The Velib': a Parisian instituion. While other cities talk green, Paris got busy installing the infrastructure of a public use bicycle transport system. Bravo!
Paige's expert tip: If you prefer not to do the pedaling yourselves, stationed around the city's tourist spots like the Eiffel Tower and The Louvre are pedicabs. They are reasonably priced, too.
Take a tour of the city in a sidecar - with your own dashing driver. Fun activity for the whole family - even your 80 year old Mom (if she's keen on it). The kids will get a kick out of it, of course, too. But be prepared to be the center of attention as you spin through the small Parisian streets and out of the way little corners that this sidecar takes you down, as everyone seems to get a kick out of this novel approach to touring the city. One nice bonus is that they provide blankets, so you needn't worry about being cold or even catching a chill. The sidecar is cosy and it's as safe as being on a motorcycle. For those wishing to celebrate a romantic time, try the Retro Night tour which includes a bottle of champagne and a custom designed map of Paris.
Recommended for Tours and Excursions because: Fun for all ages and truly a unique way to see the small, back streets of Paris.
Paige's expert tip: There are several different tours you can book with Retro Tour. There's the Retro Classic, The Great Escape, the Retro by Night and Tailor Cut. The most popular is the Great Escape probably because they come and pick you up at your hotel or wherever in Central Paris you ask them to.
In local parlance these tours are known as the Paris tours by the Homeless. Why? Because as part of a social conscious entrepreneur model, these tours were started to 1. afford visitors a glimpse of Paris that they might not otherwise see and 2.offer gainful employment to people in need of it. The tours got a buzz straight away in Paris media and many, even locals, flocked to take the tours. After all, payment is by tips and on a pay-what-you-can basis, so there was nothing to lose. "It's partly a scenic tour where we show them community gardens, beautiful hidden streets with little houses, and street art work, but it's also historical where we take them to buildings that used to house factories and we tell little anecdotes about the sites," says founder Selma Sardouk.
Recommended for Tours and Excursions because: These tours are truly led by locals, most of whom live on the streets and who share a side of Paris you rarely see.
Paige's expert tip: When it first launched, the tours were only around the offbeat 20th arrondissement (the neighborhood where the famous Père Lachaise cemetery is located). They have now expanded their tours to include Montmartre, but have kept to their theme of back alleys and off-the-beated track tours.
Some of these walking tours are paid for and some of these walking tours are pay-what-you-can. It's worth having a look at their website to see what's right for you. They promise that all tour guides are native-born locals. In Paris, that's a bit of a stretch since even most (French) Parisians come from elsewhere, but you can be sure that your guide will be well-versed in the areas they are showing you around. A few of the more popular guided walks are the Left Bank (Latin Quarter) and the Trendy Marais tour. There is also a River Tour and a Paris Landmarks tour. Most have a scheduled mid-morning departure and early afternoon departure. Just show up at the meeting point at the designated time and away you go.
Recommended for Tours and Excursions because: Started only a few years ago, this company is now present in most of the Central European capital cities.
Paige's expert tip: This bills itself as "free walks with local guides" and it is, technically, since for many of the city walks around localized neighborhoods, it is on a "tips only" basis. They do, however, have themed tours, like their Impressionist Tour, which have set prices attached.
Château de Malmaison was purchased by Joséphine in 1799. It served as the seat of the French government (along with the Tuileries) from 1800-1802. After her divorce in 1809, she settled in permanently and it is where she passed away in 1814. To get here, take bus #258 from La Défense, and get off at the stop called Le Château. There has been a house on this site since 1244. The house you see here today is smaller than the one that Napoléon and Joséphine occupied, at the beginning of the 19th c.and only 1/20th of the grounds Joséphine originally purchased now remain. The house was entirely redecorated by Percier and Fontaine in 1800, the two architects Napoléon hired to renovate the house. The library's original decoration has been preserved and is furnished by pieces mainly brought from the Tuileries. Today the house is a national museum.
Recommended for Tours and Excursions because: This is where Joséphine lived with her Napoléon, the Emperor of France, and where she died.
Paige's expert tip: There are no on-site dining options. So pack a lunch that you can enjoy out in the gardens, weather permitting. In the château itself, don't miss the lavish red and gilt room containing the bed, in the shape of a tent, designed by Jacob Desmalter, in which the Empress died.
The original tour of Paris is in a 2CV (that's the Beetle-like cult French car that makes you think of twirled waxed mustaches and black beret-wearing Frenchmen). This is one of the most comfortable and entertaining ways to the see the city. Your personalized tour guide gives you a running commentary as you tool through the narrow Paris streets and the broad Parisian avenues. There's ample flexibility, too. Tours last about 1 1/2 hours and the best times are mornings or early afternoons and also at night. Hours to avoid are rush hour. This is a delightful way to see the city and these guides are all genuinely passionate about Paris; Like Kevin - a half-French half-Canadian Paris resident for 30 years who will delight you by the breadth of details he'll narrate as he expertly navigates you through the quaint and colorful streets of Paris.
Recommended for Tours and Excursions because: One of Paris' longest-running city tours, there is no escaping the charm of seeing the City of Lights in a classic 2CV.
Paige's expert tip: When you opt for the Secret Paris tour, expect to have the city's little-known side streets in cherished neighborhoods like Montmartre and the Marais revealed. For romantics: Opt for the night time excursion with champagne. The very French name of the company literally translates to: 4 Wheels Under 1 Umbrella.