In 2012, we took our first Rick Steves Tour, The Best of Europe in 14 Days. On our flight home, we talked about what a great experience the trip had been. I said the one place I regretted not being able to visit was Normandy and the D-Day Beaches. Lisa expressed the same feeling about Monet's home at Giverney. We soon found that there was another Rick Steves itinerary that included both sights:"Paris and the Heart of France." When our next opportunity for a European trip arose, signing up for this tour was an easy choice.
The Paris part of the itineraries of both tours was very similar. That created a great opportunity for us to enjoy parts of Paris that we had not previously experienced while the rest of the group was touring places we had seen before. We spent a lot of time taking the neighborhood walks featured in Rick's Paris guidebook in the Marais, Montmartre, the Left Bank, and up the Champs-Élysées. Those walks, especially in Montmartre, were highlights of the trip.
In 2012, we got to Paris two days early in order to see things not included in the tour, including a trip to Versailles, a hop on-hop off bus tour, and dinner in the Eiffel Tower. For a first-time visitor, we would recommend all three experiences.
The Paris part of the itineraries of both tours was very similar. That created a great opportunity for us to enjoy parts of Paris that we had not previously experienced while the rest of the group was touring places we had seen before. We spent a lot of time taking the neighborhood walks featured in Rick's Paris guidebook in the Marais, Montmartre, the Left Bank, and up the Champs-Élysées. Those walks, especially in Montmartre, were highlights of the trip.
In 2012, we got to Paris two days early in order to see things not included in the tour, including a trip to Versailles, a hop on-hop off bus tour, and dinner in the Eiffel Tower. For a first-time visitor, we would recommend all three experiences.
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