Luxury for Less Paris Holiday Tour - December 7 - 14, 2019      
Early Bird Discount - Save $50 for registrations received by July 21, 2019

Paris is glorious any time of year, but especially so during the holidays.  Join us as we visit the Christmas markets, marvel at the lights on the Champs Elysees, and kick off the holiday season in style.  Best of all, you will enjoy 40% savings by traveling in low season.  With the money you save, you'll be shopping in style too!   We are passionate about delivering a first class experience on a coach budget – that’s what we mean by "Luxury for Less".          

This trip is perfect for ladies traveling alone as it is fully escorted by experienced Paris guides every day!  We travel together in a small group, and navigate as the locals do, using the efficient Paris metro and bus systems, visiting local cafes and restaurants, small venues and charming off-the-beaten path sites.

We’ve hand-selected unique experiences and venues from our years of Paris itinerary planning to offer you exclusive tours and offerings you won’t find on any other tour – a curated collection of special moments designed to delight all your senses!

Here are just a few of the highlights: 

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of an authentic Parisian boulangerie in Montmartre.  You will be invited to step behind the counter and into the kitchen to stand beside the bakers as they make the delicious fresh baguettes and pastries.  A Frenchman must have his fresh baguette twice a day, and you will learn a few secrets passed down from three generations to ensure a soft, moist interior, and a crisp crust.  Can’t you just smell the warm bread baking in the oven? 

We visit the popular Marais district for a private class with a master cheese-maker. You’ll venture down into his cellar where the cheeses mature and ripen to perfection until they are ready to sell. You’ll learn the important roles of temperature, humidity and oxygen in the aging process. Then Pierre will invite you to sit at the long, rustic table for a tasting of six different types of fromage, paired with wine from his family’s vineyard.  He will teach you how to really savor the flavors, engaging all your senses.  Do you know what wine is best to serve with French Roquefort?  You will learn this, and more.

Your Luxury for Less Holiday Tour includes:

• 7 nights in a 4-star boutique hotel in a fabulous location, just steps from the famous market street, Rue Cler, and a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower
• 7 full breakfasts at your hotel each morning
• 5 day Paris Visité pass for unlimited transportation on Metro/bus lines; we travel with you and teach you how to use the very efficient public transportation system
• VIP Skip-the-line admission for every major museum and attraction in Paris including, the Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, the Orangerie, Picasso and Rodin museums, Sainte Chapelle, the Arc du Triomphe and  much more
• Expert Paris tour guide to accompany our group to the museums and give you rich background and details you would never otherwise learn
• Seine Dinner Cruise aboard Paris’ famed Bateaux Parisian, including fine wine, appetizers, main course, dessert, coffee or tea as you sail past the city’s most famous bridges and monuments awash in holiday lights
• Neighborhood Orientation walk on your arrival day, where we point out all the essentials – ATMs, pharmacies, favorite cafes and restaurants, grocery stores, nearest Metro and bus stops, etc.  We want you to feel at home in your neighborhood.
  
• Delicious Welcome Brunch at the exquisite tea room of the Jacquemart Andre mansion
  
• Admission & tour of Jacquemart Andre museum, with private guide
• 2 hour cheese-tasting class with a master cheese maker
• Behind-the-scenes tour of a typical French boulangerie (with tastings of course!)

• Guided walk of the famous food street, Rue Cler, to discover how Parisians shop for their fresh provisions each day, visit the neighborhood butcher, green grocer, patisserie, wine shop, chocolate shop, florists etc.
• Visit to a traditional marché de Noël– Christmas market – you’re sure to find a few treasures to bring back home
• Admission and tour of the incomparable  Opera Garnier – most famous opera house in the world (remember Phantom of the Opera?)
  
• Entrance to the mesmerizing new art venue, Ateliers des Lumieres, which is the hottest ticket in Paris right now.  You’ll be immersed in a sound and light show of Vincent van Gogh’s masterpieces. Words and photos don’t do justice – a truly unique and engaging experience.
  
• Visits to the animated holiday window displays at Printemps and Galeries Lafayette department stores
• Farewell Dinner on our last evening
• Half-day free to shop/explore/discover on your own.  Eiffel Tower, anyone?  We can book your tickets weeks in advance.
• Free wi-fi Internet access while we are out touring via our mobile hot-spot
• One hour free consultation with me, to answer all your questions and help you plan any optional excursion
• Complete flexibility if you want to customize a day to your liking, and we will even help you plan an optional excursion (perhaps to Versailles or the D-Day beaches of Normandy?)
• Small group guaranteed, 10-12 participants maximum
• Personally escorted & at your service throughout
• All taxes and gratuities

Hotel du Cadran is your 4 star boutique hotel in a prime location.

Each room has one double or two twin beds, fully equipped with comfortable bedding, a Nespresso coffee machine, flat screen TV, mini-bar, safe, air conditioning, heating, and of course wireless Internet connection.

The hotel offers 24 hour reception, concierge, a terrace, wine bar, small spa area, elevator and a charming breakfast room with vaulted brick ceiling.  The entire hotel is non-smoking for your comfort. And did we mention the fabulous location?  We keep returning to this neighborhood again and again, as it has a real Parisian neighborhood feel, ideal location for sightseeing.

Note:  Hotel rooms in Europe are tiny by American standards, and especially so in the large cities. Please downsize your expectations in terms of the hotel room spaciousness. However, the entire hotel was renovated just last year and earned a 4 star rating by the French tourism authority, Atout France.

Pricing for all these luxuries is 2,475 Euros per person, based on two people sharing a room. An unbeatable value for a fully escorted tour.  Or you can splurge and have a room all to yourself for an additional  599 Euros.   All major credit cards accepted.
Early Bird Discount - Save $50 for registrations received by July 21, 2019

Current exchange rate is less than $1.15 to the Euro, that’s 20% better than 3-4 years ago, so your dollars stretch even farther.  Deposit of 50% is needed to confirm your spot, with the balance due on Oct. 15, 2019.

The tour will require a minimum of 6 people to operate, and a maximum of 12, to ensure a personalized experience.  Book early to avoid disappointment. 

What do previous tour guests have to say?

"Mary Ann, when I think of what a great time I enjoyed I get teary eyed, my trip was a dream of 45 plus years.  The price package was affordable, the accommodations were very acceptable & I might even attempt to cook pasta from scratch.  My granddaughters and I are planning on enjoying "The Paris at Christmas" trip, that's how impressed I was. "
Bobbie R., Irving, TX

"Mary Ann did a fantastic job of organizing every detail. Our accommodations were wonderful, and convenient to all of scheduled activities. Hotel beds were comfortable after each fun-filled day of activities. The meals that were included were so enjoyable and highlighted the local fare. Every stop was a fantastic photo opportunity, and gave me some of my best vacation memories yet! Thank you, Mary Ann for giving me another chance to join one of your wonderful tours, and thank you for taking the worry out of planning. Your choices were perfect! I had the best time!"
Amy G., Seattle, WA

“It's clear that months of preparation and years of experience resulted in an extremely well-organized tour, with every detail arranged and prepared perfectly to make a complicated multi-day, multi-city trip run smoothly, from hotels to train travel to day trips. Excellent mix of planned activities and free time plus the flexibility to sit out planned events if a traveler decides last minute they'd rather explore another activity.  The guided tours were excellent; they served to not only orient us to a new city but provided invaluable insight into the art, history and culture we encountered;  Mary Ann's passion, knowledge and experience makes everyone feel perfectly taken care of.”
Sharon G.
Los Angeles, CA

This is an active walking tour.  Participants should be prepared to walk 2-3 miles each day (with rest stops) and be able to navigate at least 2 flights of stairs at a time. 

Items not included:  airfare, transfers to/from airport, medical & trip cancellation insurance (strongly recommended), meals not mentioned above and items of a personal nature.  We will make recommendations for airport transfers.

If you are an airline employee flying standby, you might want to consider flying in a day early to be sure you don’t miss a single thing.  Plus you get a chance to sleep off the jet lag.  Another bonus, the first two weeks of December are historically some of the best weeks of the year for standby travel. 

** Prices quoted in Euros and will be exchanged to US Dollars using prevailing exchange rate on the dates of your deposit and final payment.