Paris tours and excursions
Paris tours
Driving tours
For the ultimate way to see Paris, take a tour in a patriotically coloured Citröen 2CV. Paris Authentic runs trips in the cute 1950s cars which chug round the city's attractions on themed jaunts. The 'Da Vinci Code' tour is popular, as is a romantic drive around Paris, but nothing quite compares to the 'Moulin Rouge by Night'.
Tel: +33 6 6450 4419.Website: http://www.parisauthentic.com
Walking tours
Paris is such a beautiful city to walk through, and travelling at such a sedate pace really gives you the chance to think about what you're seeing. Walks on a variety of themes are offered by Paris Walks, including 'Hemingway's Paris', 'The Village of Montmartre', 'The Marais Circuit' and many more. Tours depart from various métro stations, which are listed on the website, and last for around two hours.
Tel: +33 1 4809 2140.Website: http://www.paris-walks.com
Paris excursions
Disneyland Paris
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Disneyland Paris is located between the airports Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly. It boasts over 50 attractions, the newest addition being the "Star Tours: The Adventures Continue" that catapults you into space. Other attractions include themed hotels, restaurants, bars and cafés, as well as shops, spas, a golf course, tennis courts, a Sea Life Aquarium and Davy Crockett's Adventure Park. Don't miss the shows, parades, special events and highlights like Disney's Halloween Festival or Disney's Enchanted Christmas. A highlight is undoubtedly the opportunity to meet your favourite Disney characters; the Disney princesses, Goofy and Mickey Mouse and many more are all there.
Tel: +44 8448 008 898.Website: http://www.disneylandparis.co.uk
Giverny
The great Parisian painter Monet lived in countrified Giverny from 1883 until his death in 1926. Situated 80km (50 miles) northwest of Paris, the house in which he painted his last, vast water lily canvas, is open to the public as Musée Claude Monet.
Drive on the A13 from Paris to Bonnières then onto the D2+33 1 to Giverny. The train from Gare St-Lazare station goes to Vernon, from where visitors should take a taxi or bus.
Tel: +33 2 3251 2821.Website: http://www.fondation-monet.com
Château de Versailles
No sooner had Louis XIV set eyes on his finance minister's château at Vaux-le-Victomte, had he decided to build a bigger and better one. The result is one of the grandest palaces in France, where mobs gathered to demand justice from Marie Antoinette at the height of the French Revolution. Versailles, a UNESCO site, is located 23km (14 miles) west of Paris and is easily accessible on the RER line C5 to Versailles-Rive Gauche.
Tel: +33 1 3083 7800.Website: http://www.chateauversailles.fr