Paris plus Italy ~ Our specialty in Italy is what got us so much involved with Paris, because the combination is irresistible. You're already flying across the ocean to get to Italy. Like just about everyone, you've always wanted to visit Paris. You may already be stopping in Paris to change planes on the way to or from Italy. And if you're also interested in seeing some (or a lot) of Switzerland, you can take a train through the heart of Switzerland on the way to Italy from Paris.

Paris plus Switzerland. Fast train service now links Paris to Switzerland. In less than 3.5 hours you can be in Basel or Geneva. With one connection at Basel, you can get to Lucerne from Paris in 4 hours and 41 minutes. So now it's possible to make a fine combination of Paris chic and Swiss scenery in just one week. Lots of combinations are possible, because Switzerland has two world-class airports -- at Zurich and Geneva -- you can use in conjunction with your flight in or out of Paris. We especially like the combination of Paris and Lucerne. Fly into Zurich and transfer to Lucerne for 3 nights, then train to Paris for 3 or 4 nights, and fly home from Paris. Or do it all in reverse.

Paris plus a river cruise. One of the most obvious and appealing combinations with a Paris stay is to add a river cruise. Paris is right in the middle of two great options for river cruises. One is on the Seine River from Paris to the north through Normandy towards the North Sea. The other is from Paris to the south, on the Saone and Rhone Rivers through Burgundy and Provence towards the Mediterranean. You can even get a longer cruise that does it all, including a Paris stay and an optional stay in Nice at the finish.

Paris plus Brussels and Amsterdam. Fast trains make this a popular combination. You can get from Paris to Brussels in less than an hour and a half and from Brussels to Amsterdam in less than 3 hours. And you have world-class airports at both ends so you can easily make it a one-way trip, into Paris or into Amsterdam and out the other.

Paris plus a cruise. Because Paris is so well linked by air with other cities in Europe, you can marry a Paris stay with just about any cruise in Europe or the Mediterranean. You can also choose a cruise which either departs or arrives at a city that has good train connections to Paris, such as Amsterdam or Nice.

It's best if you know about the possibilities and can tell us which tours and other activities you want us to include. Below we have summarized the broad possibilities, so that you have an idea of the range of tours and other activities you can purchase in advance of your trip to Paris.

We also offer the option that you can go to the sightseeing list yourself and book those tours separately from whatever package we provide for hotels (see more about that below, or ask us about it).

Hop-on/Hop-off ~ This is where you get a pass for one day or two days so that you can get on and off the bus as it makes a circuit around Paris.

Orientation tour by bus ~ These tours are on buses which hold about 50 people. There are several choices in terms of length of tour and whether you get off the bus anywhere for walking tours. For example, some of them include a walking tour inside Notre Dame Cathedral. Then you can also get combos of these bus tours with other activities such as a cruise on the river or a walking tour of the Louvre Museum. To join one of these tours, you go to the office of the tour company, which is located in the center of Paris near the Louvre Museum.

Minibus tours ~ Here you are in a vehicle that holds only 8 travelers plus the driver. It's really a small-group tour. And you get picked up and dropped off at your hotel, so it's quite different from the regular group tours on the full-size buses. However, the tour options are much more limited. There is a general city tour, a tour out to Versailles, an evening illuminations tour, and the "Da Vinci Code Tour," which is mostly a tour of the Louvre Museum.

Tours in a little car with driver ~ These are unique tours in a small convertible car with driver, so while they are not private tours, there are only as many people who will fit in the car. There are quite a few options.

Private tours ~ In Paris, private tours tend to be extraordinarily expensive compared to what you can get in Rome, Florence, or Venice, and that is mainly because Paris is so large and has so many touring possibilities. You cannot just get a guide to walk around the city with you, so walking tours are more localized and specialized. General tours of Paris must include a car and driver, to deal with the travel distances, and that really runs up the cost.

Illuminations tour of the city ~ After dark, you can do this by regular bus, minibus, or by car. Surprisingly, the big bus is not a bad choice, because you are on a higher viewing platform compared to minibus or car.

Dinner cruises on the river ~ Extraordinarily popular in Paris, and there are loads of options in terms of when -- early evening or late -- how long the cruise is, and how fancy (and pricey) the food is.

Tour of the Louvre Museum ~ We think that a tour here is a good idea, as opposed to doing this museum on your own. Talk about overwhelming. You can actually walk out of the Louvre unhappy and frustrated just for spending a lot of time walking, feeling lost, not finding key works of art, and dealing with the crowds. A tour can make it a lot more pleasant. Some tours, like the Da Vinci Code Tour, are in small groups, while most are in large groups. Some tours are in the evening and some are during the day.

Versailles ~ By far the most popular daytrip from Paris. Versailles is quite close to Paris, only about a 30-minute ride, and so many people think of it as being effectively part of Paris. Some Versailles tours, like the one by minibus, take you there and let you go in to tour the main palace on your own, while others include a guided walking tour inside. Most Versailles tours are done as half-day ones. Bear mind that the Versailles complex is very large, so that if you wish to really tour there in detail, seeing all parts of it, including the gardens, the Trianons, and Marie Antoinette's village "Le Hameau," you ought to go out there by train and tour it on your own, since all the group tours we know cut corners and focus primarily on the main palace.

Fountainbleu and Chantilly ~ Fountainbleu to the south of Paris and Chantilly to the north are fabulous chateaux, or palaces, that some people enjoy even more than the visit to Versailles. They are usually done as full-day tours.

Giverny ~ For Monet's gardens with famous pond and his house; sometimes combined with a tour to the city of Rouen, which is in the same direction from Paris.

Rheims ~ For the great cathedral plus tours in the champagne cellars.

Chartres ~ For the great cathedral and the nifty town; sometimes offered in combination with a tour to Versailles, which is in the same direction from Paris.

Loire Valley motorcoach tour ~ This is a long day, and it starts VERY early in the morning, but wow, you get to tour the best of the Loire Chateaux in the comfort of a nice motorcoach, and you do it all from your base in Paris.

Burgundy ~ Including a visit to the village of Vezelay and a wine cellar for a white wine tasting.

Normandy D-Day beaches ~ Omaha Beach, Pt du Hoc, Juno Beach and Arromanches, plus the Caen Memorial.

Mont-Saint-Michel ~ Off the coast of Brittany, west of the D-Day beaches in Normandy, this is the incredible castle-like village that you see in photos rising out of the sea on its little island.

Bruges, in Belgium ~ The city with the canals, incredibly preserved from the middle ages and oh-so-picturesque.

Cruise-only ~ You can do this at various times of the day and evening and for various lengths of cruise.

Lunch and dinner cruises ~ Loads of options in terms of when, how long the cruise, and how fancy (and pricey) the food is.

Cruise plus a tour ~ Combos are available with and without food for a cruise plus various kinds of tours.

Lido
Moulin Rouge
Crazy Horse
Paradis

Private walking tours with specialists such as photographers and historians

Wine tastings

Food tastings and walking tours with food tastings.

You name it...a cruise plus the Eiffel Tower or an illuminations tour plus a night club show or the Louvre Museum plus a tour of Montmartre. The list is extensive.