Going to Monet's garden at Giverny had been a "bucket list" item for me, and I was able to make the…read moretrip recently while visiting Paris! It was such a beautiful place and did not disappoint. The flowers in mid-April were beautiful to see, with huge peonies, lots of tulips, crocuses, wisteria on the Japanese bridge, and other spring blooms. This also seemed to be a good time to visit as it gets more packed during the summer. Tip: Rather than doing a bus tour, it was fairly easy to simply take the SCNF train to Vernon. From Vernon, there are regular shuttle buses directly to Monet's garden for 5 Euros each way (10 Euros round trip), so it is very straightforward. The train from Paris to Vernon leaves from Gare St. Lazare. Also, if you do go via train to Vernon to get to Giverny, there was an adorable cat cafe there for lunch: Cookie's Cat Cafe!

We visited in early June and the most wonderful flowers were blooming!…read moreWe had a guided tour through Viator, which you don't need. We only had to do it for the transportation from Paris to Versailles. We went through the house first, because later in the day, the line for the house can get long. The house had interesting decor and colors, and a TON of Japanese artwork, which he fancied. I enjoyed checking out the old school kitchen. There are some paintings of his in the first room, of both of his wives. The garden was magnificent. They have a path that has directions. You can't just go anywhere you want. Some areas are blocked off. Workers were busy pulling weeds etc. There is a Japanese garden that isn't too far to walk. That was very peaceful. It surrounds a lake with lily pads. Very picturesque. Summer is a great time to visit because lots of things are in bloom. Later, the sunflowers will bloom. So each season has its own stars. I have heard winter time isn't fantastic for flowers, which makes sense. So I would say spring summer and fall are best for the gardens.

Oliver and Normandy 44 Tours gave our family (2 adults, 1 pre-teen) an amazing day of sightseeing…read moreand touring. Oliver's knowledge goes beyond just taking you to the big sites and telling you a few things. Oliver's knowledge is truly deep, giving you insights that you will never get from a book or internet search. Some of the history of Normandy and D-Day is passed down by word of mouth and the stories that those who were there told their children and grandchildren. Oliver knows these stories and so much more. Oliver's english is better than some Americans. Oliver was able to connect with each of us on our tour, gave us time to walk around and experience various sites and museums as well as left us with memories we will carry with us forever.

I can't imagine a better Normandy tour experience than with Olivier from Normandy 44. Olivier is…read moreobviously passionate about WWII, and about the role of the Allies in liberating France and defeating the Nazis. (Olivier's own father fought with the Free French against the Nazis.) He is extremely knowledgeable about the events of D-Day, and the broader military and political setting in which it took place. He can point out the minute details and exact location of some pretty extraordinary events of June 6, 1944. And he does it all with a great sensitivity and good humor that make it pleasant to spend a day focusing on some inherently dark events of the lives of those involved. My family and I (including three kids) came away enlightened, uplifted, and inspired. Two other points worth making: (1) Oliver's idiomatic American English is excellent. He lived and worked in the U.S. for several years, and he worked for U.S. companies before and after that. There is zero language barrier. (2) Olivier co-founded a larger tour company in Normandy a number of year ago before launching his current tour company, working for himself. He is greeted warmly by the other guides you'll see along the route, many of whom he trained.

Recently we had a full day tour with Mathias. As stated in the previous review, "he did not…read moredisappoint". His expertise and passion for the events of D-Day/Normandie was in full view. Unfortunately, we only had one day to take advantage of his knowledge. However, we absorbed much history during our time with Mathias. If you are looking for a complete history overview of D-Day/Normandie, I would highly recommend setting up time with Mr. LeClere. Mathias, we mostly thank you for your care and thoughtfulness as you described each event. You presented such a realistic visual of the challenges, the men, the fear, the pain...we could almost reach out and touch. A very special day indeed.

So for some reason Mathias has not yet been Yelped. But he has plenty of reviews on Trip Advisor…read more ALL FIVE STARS. He did not disappoint. My father served in WWll as an infantryman on the second wave of the first day of D Day. When we had the opportunity to visit France, we made a point of carving out time to visit Utah Beach, where he landed with the90th Division. My hubby did some online research and found the most knowledgable and passionate tour guide in Mathias LeClerc All arrangements were made online and Mathias picked us up at our hotel for a day of reliving the liberation of Sainte-Mère-Église One day was not sufficient. But it was so worthwhile. Because of our itinerary it was not possible for us to extend our time. Don't make the same mistake if you can avoid it. Plan for a few days of sightseeing and history and learning. Because it is a personal tour, scheduled in advance, Mathias researched specially to show and teach us about the history surrounding my father's experience. He is a masterful storyteller, and helped us to get a sense of the perspective from the Allies, the civilians and the Germans. We spent an entire day together. Walking along Utah Beach was special. Later, visiting Omaha Beach and the US Memorial and cemetery was If you want to learn about the history of the Normandy region, Mathias LeClerc is the one to contact.

Lorenzo was a great tour guide. He knows his history and presented a great story and vision of the…read moretime! It was a great way to learn about the details of Versailles, the gardens, the petit Trianon, and the Hamlet. I feel like I had a personal history lesson.

Monty was excellent, knowledgeable about Notre Dame, its history, the fire, and restoration. He…read morewas alo willing to share his knowledge about Paris, kings, the city and more We would be ecstatic to book with him again.

April 11, Montmartre Pastry and Chocolate Food Tour, Paris…read more Our family of four with a son 9 and daughter 10 did a pastry and chocolate tour through Montmartre and it ended up being a really fun way to explore the area. Arrival and First Impressions The group was small, just our family and another family, which worked out well. The shops we visited were tiny so taking turns going in and out was part of the experience. Our guide was knowledgeable and walked us through side streets, small parks, and local spots we would never have found on our own. The Highlights We stopped at six different locations including chocolatiers, bakeries, and pastry shops. Highlights included a choux pastry, crepes, madeleines, artisan eclairs, and multiple chocolate tastings. The final stop for hot chocolate and macarons was excellent. The macarons were so good we ended up buying some to bring home. The tour was not just about food. We saw the Love Wall, hidden streets, and learned about the history of Montmartre including small details about the neighborhood that made it feel more personal. The Challenges The guide did not have a very loud voice so in a bigger group it might have been harder to follow, but with our small group it worked fine. Would We Return Yes, especially to try a different tour. It was a great mix of food and exploring. Final Thoughts This tour is a great way to experience Montmartre beyond just walking around. The combination of food, history, and hidden locations made it a memorable and worthwhile experience.

Their ticket purchasing process is misleading and unethical. You go about filling our information,…read morelike you do for many websites, but unlike any other website, you hit the "Next" button (for the third time) and suddenly you have purchased the ticket, without any opportunity to review your tour date, number of participants or even credit card info. All the previous "Next" buttons led to the next step in the process, as is implied by the word and as you would expect, but not this one - it is the final confirmation of purchase even though there is NO indication that this is about to happen. Then they tell you that there are no refunds under any circumstances and that the credit and ticketing laws do not apply to them. Perhaps this is because they are based in Cyprus, which I assume they have chosen precisely to evade regulations. Note that they say there are no refunds no matter what - even if your overall trip gets cancelled or the tour gets cancelled or the guide does not show up. Be very careful, or better yet, avoid these folks and do any of the other more legitimate tours out there for wherever you are travelling to.

Our family of three (including my 11 yo son) chose the Paris night bike tour. Even though it's…read morerecommended for 12+, and is a late-night excursion, he's an excellent bicyclist and regularly bicycles in longer trips at home, so I knew he'd be fine, and he stayed up by the tour guide in front the whole time. We heard a lot of compliments from other tourists who enjoyed him, but beware, if your child is NOT a good bicyclist, or well practiced in bicycling, please do not subject other tourists to them-we heard a couple of horror stories of other bicycle tours where this was the case.) This bicycle tour was fantastic! The guide was knowledgeable and the locations were spot-on. Highly recommend if you (like us) only have a few days in Paris, as you can see so much on this tour! The sunset boat tour was absolutely stunning as we boated past the lit up Eiffel Tower, but my highlight was riding around the Louvre (also at sunset). Stunning tour was definitely a highlight!

A fun way to go around the main tourist area of Paris and get a glimpse of the sights. As I go…read morearound Europe for work a lot, I am always looking for somethink to do different on down time, an easy bicycle ride on a beautiful day was a great think to do. I don't recommend this currently with all of the Olympic venues up. The roads are too congested and you can't get to some areas because of the street closures.

If you're looking for the "french" experience, warts and all then this hotel is for you. It looks…read morelike it hasn't been reviewed in three years, so here I go. Its location is good for touring all the normandy sites and museums. You have to have a car as there's nothing you can walk to. Its very charming and the grounds are beautiful. They have adequate parking, a tennis court and a playground. I definitely would not bring children here as the rooms are small and there are lots of uneven stone stairs. They speak limited english at reception and none in the bar and restaurant. We arrived a few hours before checkin and thought we could have lunch at the restaurant as other people were there. But no they said they were not serving lunch but we could purchase a charcuterie plate. That charcuterie was the best thing about our stay! Fresh bread, meat and cheese with dried fruits and butter. I asked about dinner reservations for that night and they said no, they were full. The restaurant basically caters to the locals and they don't accommodate their hotel guests at all. I felt like I was in Paris with how curt they were with us. We ended up only eating on the property for breakfast which was very good. The room was very small and theres no air conditioning or fan so I would not stay here in the summer. Its a very old stone building with thick walls so we were ok. There was one small window you could open but no screen. The bed was comfortable. Theres a safe but no frig. The bathroom was also very small but the tub was huge. Very clean rooms. I ordered room service one night and it was laughable. I ordered fried chicken with potatoes and vegetables (thats exactly how it was worded on the menu) what I got was a small bowl of soup. So don't bother with room service unless you order a charcuterie board. We bought a bottle of wine to drink and I had to ask at the bar for an opener, the bartender told me I had to drink it in my room! Ok just another instance on how off putting the staff is here. So in review, 1.not a great place for children or elderly people who may have mobility issues, 2. don't expect to get any food here unless you're French. And don't order room service 3. Look at the square footage of the room before you book it. 4. Bring your own shampoo,conditioner etc. 5.ask for extra towels as they skimp on them in the room. 6. Dont stay here in the summer heat. Picture of my "fried chicken" room service in pics.

This hotel is absolutely gorgeous. The stonework gives the property a timeless feel while the…read moreamenities at the hotel are modern and comfortable. You will definitely need a car to get to the property as well as for any touring you plan to do. It's about a 20 minute drive to Bayeux where most of the Normandy tours pick up/drop off. The restaurant is quite good as well - I thought the appetizer selection was especially outstanding!