Segway Tours - A Great Way To Discover Paris

 

Why you Should Take a Segway Tour of Paris

By Peter

There are many ways to explore one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Paris is exciting, and to have a rewarding trip to the French capital, you have to experience the city in as many ways as possible. A Segway tour is a perfect way to feel the spirit of Paris, especially if you do not want to navigate the city on foot.

With Segway, you can cover more sites and be treated to more smells, sights, and sounds of this beautiful city. There are many Segway tour companies that are committed to making your experience unique in Paris. These tours have different packages and are often ranked by customer service, guide enthusiasm and knowledge, safety, group size, and tour cost. You should also take a Segway tour of Paris because it is children-friendly and safe.

Here are some Segway Tours You May Want to Consider

Paris Original Tours

This tour has both Segway and bike tours of Paris at reasonable prices. In the case that you want an intimate tour vibe, you will need to pay an additional 5 euros to join a group of 1-5 people. For those who prefer a bigger group, they can save 5 euros by choosing a 6-18 person group. The price for the two plans includes Segway, training, and helmet. 

You should also know that raincoats are not added but can be bought for around 1 euro. 13 years is the minimum age to ride, and minors under 18 must visit with an adult. Please be advised that Paris Original Tours do not recommend rides for pregnant women. The tour is available by 10:30 am daily.

Go Go Tours

This is a well-known company among locals and tourists, and they specialize in Segway tours around the French capital. The company offers an option of private tours and a 2-daily group tour with one nightly group tour. 

For the daily group, departure is at 11 am 3 pm and 8:30 pm. Go Go group tour routes have all the main spots like Musee d’Orsay, the National Residence of the Invalides, the Eiffel Tower, and Louvre, and lots more. 

Dubbed the Private Silver Tour, it is a 45 minutes tour, and availability is open to at least 2 guests. The Private Golden Tour takes around 90 minutes in total, and just a minimum of 2 guests are to book. The Private Diamond Tour takes about 180 minutes (11 am and 3 pm), and the Private Night Tour is about 90 minutes with the Group Night Tour (8:30 pm and 10:00).

The Green Way 

Founded in 2013, the Green Way leads the pack in Segway tours in both French and English languages. The tour company has a wide range of packages, all of which are in the mid-price range. The largest difference with Green Way is that the tours can be personalized, giving participants the chance to decide where and when the tour starts. 

This usually is a well-known choice with families and small groups who are looking for a more personalized tour experience. At the Green Way, all tours are run every day, and participants can customize the start times of the tour as well. The costs are fair, for example, Discovery (Vincennes or Saint-Mur) is for 25 euros. Monuments of the city is for 40 euros. Seeing the city at night is for 50 euros, and the Bois de Vincennes is for 38 euros.

Logic Way Segway Tours 

This company offers 3 different types of daily Segway tours, with private tours available also for booking. The two-day tours are 1.5 hours and 2.5 hours, respectively. The 2.5-hour tour, see all the spots contained in the 1.5-hour tour, with Napoleon’s Tomb, Invalides, Ecole Militaire, amongst others.

Logic Way Segways tour is also a 2.5 hour night tour that covers the same spots as the 2.5 hour night tour. If this is your first time on a Segway, no problem. All the tours start with a 30 minutes tutorial on how to ride a Segway. The 1.5-hour tour costs between 35 and 38 euros. The 2.5-hour tour costs between 45 and 50 euros. Finally, the 2.5 hour night tour of Paris costs between 50 and 55 euros.

Experience Paris – Segway Tours  

This tour company is run by 2 separate Segway tours, in addition to their many other tours of Paris. Every participant will pay about 69 euros, making it more pricey than some of the other tours run by different operators. However, its reviews are good because customers are satisfied with the services rendered. 

Viator’s Segway Tour

Viator is a big tour company that specializes in a wide range of Paris tours. From walking, helicopter, to winetasting and others, the company has been helping tourists enjoy the City of Lights like never before. With their tour, participants will be able to explore the majestic boulevards and massive plazas of this romantic city on an interesting a45-minutes, 90 minutes, or 3-hour Segway tours.

Before setting out, you will learn how to control your easy-to-use self-balancing Segway. Ensure you follow the guide on a thrilling tour around the Champ de Mars, the Seine Waterfront, and Champs-Elysees. Also, glide past the French capital’s iconic monuments like Musee d’Orsay, Place de la Concorde, and the Grand Palais. Then, jump along the way to capture the fascinating sights of the Eiffel Tower on camera. 

Note that, upon booking, a confirmation will be received for all participants. As regards safety, people’s weigh is set to be at least 40 kg but not more than 120 kg. Mothers, children, and pregnant women are not allowed to participate in Segway Tours. And if you do not speak French, there is a multi-lingual guide on standby. Remember to wear warm clothes as the company operates in any weather.

Fat Tire Tours

Fat Tire Tours is a private Paris Segway day tour, and it boasts of being the world’s first guided Segway tour. With that reputation, you should expect the most assuring of Segway experiences. Their plans and packages facilitate the ease of seeing the popular highlights of the city in a short time. Absorb the ravishing and majestic cobbled streets of the City of Lights while you glide along comfortably.

This tour can be customized to offer the best of Segway vibes. Ensure to have the very best of the company’s premium service by engaging the guides. You will learn a great deal about parts of Paris that catches your attention as you have ample time to savor the Segways by reserving a tour.

Fat Tire Tour will also ensure that all participants will have a guide for groups, giving them an intimate time to enquire about the city’s best-kept secrets. They also have the chance to relate with local Parisians.

Why you Should Take a Segway Tour of Paris – Summary

Starting with a short training session at the company’s office, a guide will ensure that participants feel relaxed on the Segway before leaving for the city center. They will then glide by many of the city’s iconic sites with stops at a few for photo sessions, stories, or anything else to learn about the beautiful Paris. The tour company has designed an interesting itinerary for a full overview of the city, while participants still have the time to explore other areas. 

The aim of Segway tours is to give tourists an impressive overview of Paris while visitors have fun and relax at the same time. Tours are reasonably priced, safe, and children-friendly. To see Paris from a unique viewpoint, book a Segway ride from one of the tour companies. Some have customized packages for participants where you call the shot on where and what you want to see. It is a thrilling experience! 

https://francetravelblog.com/why-you-should-take-a-segway-tour-of-paris/

Most Beautiful Cafe in Paris - Le Jardin du Petit Palais

 

What many visitors to Paris don't realize, is that this museum, which sits just across the street from the Grand Palais, and which is not so little at all, offers free museum entry year-round to its permanent exhibits. 

The other oft-unknown little tidbit about this wonderful Parisian place is that it has one of the most charming garden cafes in this part of Paris. 

Indeed, since it is located just off the Champs-Elysees, you can often try to think of an inviting, classy but not too Champs-Elysees-expensive place to relax in around here. 

Keep in mind though that while the setting is fancy the food here is not. Meals are served in a sort of lunch box or snack box style which is another reason why the prices here are so reasonable. 

It's a wonderful spot to catch your breath or enjoy a light lunch or both. And since the cafe is in the inner courtyard of the museum, you are sure to be sheltered from noise, traffic and other possible urban annoyances.

"It's free to go to this cafe situated inside the Petit Palais, one of Paris' lovely museums, since entrance to the museum is also free year-round. While there though, and after you've fortified yourself, of course, it just might be a goo idea to take in the museum's temporary exhibit which is always a big cultural draw."

• BEST FOR OUTDOOR DINING BECAUSE: A cafe in the open air courtyard of a Paris museum, one whose name translates to "Little Palace" is a Parisian moment not to miss.
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• https://10best.usatoday.com/destinations/france/paris/8-me-arrondissement/restaurants/cafe-le-jardin-du-petit-palais/

Paris is a Movable Feast

 

Paris is a moveable feast, indeed, and most visitors tend to wonder: what are the spots every foodie shouldn't miss? From luxurious department stores to quirky bottle shops, coffee roasters to an English language cooking school, we've crafted an enviable itinerary of edible adventures for a DIY food tour. These are our picks for the best places to snack, sip, learn, and, when you inevitably must leave, to stock your suitcase with souvenirs.

Maison Plisson specializes in artisanal items that reduce waste, eschewing mass-market food (and indulging the growing expectation for transparent sourcing) for some 3,000 products, 80 percent of which are French. The market highlights the talents of leading food artisans from France: Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) butcher Didier Massot, cheesemonger Ludovic Galfione, and locally grown produce from Alexia Charraire of the Comptoir des Producteurs. The bakery area is run by Liberté, a beloved Paris boulangerie, and there's specialty coffee from roaster L’Arbre à Café.

Let’s start with scale. Where are we between global flagship and neighborhood boutique?
Paris's answer to Dean & Deluca is a grocer-café hybrid with thousands of products from France and across Europe. It's more intimate than the city's big food emporiums.

If money’s no object, what goes in the cart?
The cheeses, produce, and creamery items (like Bordier butter) which will set you back more than your average supermarket or cheese shop.

And … what if we’re on a strict budget?
A sandwich or a pastry from the Liberté bakery on the café-side of the store or stay for a light lunch (there's table service).

Who else shops here?
Bobo (bourgeois + bohemian) locals and out-of-towners who know it's a great spot.

Any secret tips, or “don’t go home without” purchases?
You'll find products that may not be readily available elsewhere, so it's an interesting opportunity for discovery. The store's produce department is a real standout; you'll likely find veggies here that you can't find elsewhere—not even at the city's open-air farmers markets.

Maison Plisson Address:

93 Bd Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris, France

https://www.cntraveler.com/shops/paris/maison-plisson

Dining Out in Paris - Ten Favorites

 

In the capital of haute cuisine, hard-and-fast kitchen etiquette, and bustling bistros, the Parisian dining landscape has evolved radically over the years to highlight a kaleidoscope of quality food experiences, influences, flavors, and atmospheres. On a given day, dining out in Paris today might mean throwing back a piping hot pita stuffed with beef bourguignon for lunch and following it up with a multi-course tasting menu with cinematic presentation.  From the classics that shouldn't be missed to the newer and notable food destinations, our list of the best restaurants in Paris highlights meals that stand out among the masses.

Substance.  For the sleepy 16th arrondissement, Substance is a refreshing jolt right from the door. Expect a relaxed, but exacting, foodie crowd in the evenings; these are diners who are either well-versed in chef Matthias Marc's resume (a Top Chef candidate), champagne connoisseurs, or locals of Western Paris. The biggest draw here is the champagne selection, with more than 180 cuvées from both well-known houses and small producers; Substance, named for a top-end bubbly, is the only restaurant in Paris serving the Jacques Selosse Initial Brut cuvée. For food, you might find potato emulsions with trout eggs and pickled onions, goat cheese and beetroot cannelloni, and lots of plant-based dishes (be sure to specify any food allergies or intolerances right when you get the menu). From start to finish, dishes are refined and modern, predicated on the seasonality and local-sourcing that diners have come to expect from the best French restaurants.

Clover Grill. A modern French steakhouse that’s as well suited for a business lunch as for a lengthy meal among friends, Clover Grill, from award-winning chef Jean-François Piège, is an elegant spot popular among the fashion and media crowd. The chef found a location with a big enough space to fit a custom meat cabinet as well as two dining rooms. Beef is the obvious star of the show here—filet, prime rib, or as a burger—but don’t overlook the elevated starters, such as tomato tartare with basil and straciatella, or a gravlax of wild sea bass with lemon and dill. There’s divine braised shrimp and local fish, served with a choice of sauces. Go light or go all in, but whatever you do order the churros for dessert, which you’ll dream about long after you’ve left the restaurant.

Epicure. There's no mistaking it, this is a triple-Michelin-starred restaurant with the white tablecloths, immaculate service, chic decor, and culinary muscle to prove it. The dining room is vast and widely spaced—the best tables are those in front of the window that overlooks the hotel's (Le Bristol) interior garden. Music is hushed, as are conversations, which allows you to focus on a meal experience that borders on religious. Lean into the fussy Frenchiness of it—though you'll hardly be thinking about the decor once Eric Frechon's first dish is placed before you.

Allard is among the last-of-its-kind classic gourmet (if ever there were an apt if antiquated word) bistros you come back to again and again. "Here, beauty is both in the room and on the plate," says Mimi Thorisson. "The duck with green olives is utterly satisfying." Frogs' legs, poached turbot, and duck foie gras are prepared as they should be and without unnecessary or unwanted flourish.

Le Tour d'Argent. This Seine-facing beacon of French dining was built as an inn in the 16th century, and it wasn't until the 19th century that it became the restaurant as we know it today. If ever there was a place to leave your meal up to the chef, it's at La Tour d'Argent. Or if surprises aren't your thing, opt for the several course tasting menu which includes signature dishes from the restaurant's long history that have been updated by the chef Yannick Franques, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France who took over the kitchen three years ago, in addition to the chef's own recipes. If you're into duck, that's a longstanding draw for diners since the late 1800. (If meat doesn't inspire you, everything from fish to plant-based dishes are balanced and sublime.) With 300,000 bottles in the wine cave and 15,000 different references, this is absolutely the destination for wine lovers. On the way to the elevator, pay attention to the photographs and newspaper clippings of all the world-renowned personalities, from JFK to Angelina Jolie, who have dined at the restaurant.

Benoit Paris. Like a time capsule to your first trip to Europe, dishes from this classic bistro, which first opened in 1912, look like still life images from the Time-Life "Foods of the World" series. Think escargots bathing in butter, garlic, and parsley (and the warm baguette with which you sop every last drop up), cassoulet, pâté en croûte, Scottish salmon with Béarnaise sauce, seared scallops with leeks, a perfect cheese course, and even crêpes Suzette, if you can believe.

Le 52. A hangout for 10th arrondissement locals and other Right Bankers who love the accessibility of the neo-brasserie format that Charles Compagnon helped pioneer. These are diners that are serious not only about food but also a high good-times quotient and the comfort of knowing the servers. The menu changes at least once a month and it's that endless variety that keeps them—and the occasional out-of-towner—returning. In addition to more classic cuts of meat and fish, you might also find sardines, mackerel, root veggies like Jerusalem artichokes, and poultry, which can make for an affordable but no less interesting meal.

Septime. Meals in this warm yet pared-back Scando-inspired space start with exquisite, creative, plant- and vegetable-focused dishes that change every two weeks. But despite the ambition of the food, this is fine dining without the pomp and circumstance or cult-of-chef arrogance. Grébaut is a master at coaxing out the flavors in every ingredient and playing on texture; it isn't uncommon to have a mix of raw and cooked (in a variety of methods) on the same plate.

Breizh Cafe offers, quite simply, the best Breton-style crêpe in Paris. And while not gratuitously tricky, the menu includes more original flavor combinations, beyond the usual egg, ham, and cheese. To wit: smoked herring with Saint Malo potatoes; smoked salmon with ikura salmon roe, crème fraîche, and dill; poached peaches, raspberry sauce, vanilla ice cream, and fresh mint; rolled crêpe with white chocolate mousse and matcha tea, with strawberries; and a brown sugar with Bordier salted butter, classically done with top-shelf ingredients.

Tekés is perhaps the most unique of the restaurants from Chef Assaf Granit and his team. For one, there are two ways to enter—from the street or via the calm, cobblestone-covered courtyard for Klay, the posh fitness club that the restaurant is associated with. But the real reason to go is for the menu, which is entirely vegetarian. Talk about a menu that's so bright and flavorful! The name means "ceremony" in Hebrew so you better believe the food is both a celebration of food and the best introduction to vegetarian cooking in the city for even the most carnivorous of diners. Most dishes are cooked over charcoal and embers, a nod to ancestral cooking in Jerusalem, and include a fluffy Challah-like bread made with olive oil from east Jerusalem and sea salt, cold and hot mezze (a highlight: the grilled courgette with cinnamon labneh), and mains such as the vegetarian “chicken liver”. The latter is cooked without butter and made with caramelized onions and mushrooms. Everything is meant to be shared, and the portions are generous.

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-restaurants-in-paris

What is a great Sunday activity in Paris? Stroll through Parks

 

Have you ever been to Paris, attended Church, and wondered about a great way to spend the afternoon?  What about strolling through a beautiful park?

The historical garden.  I first recommend the Tuileries Garden. Framed for its terraces in the formal French style and circular pond with vies of the Place de la Concern, this garden is set along the Seine River and is the oldest public park in Paris.  Created in 1564, for three centuries it was attached to the Tuileries royal palace which is no longer standing.  A green lung in the city extending out from the Louvre, the garden itself is something of an open-air museum featuring classical scultures as well as a fine selection of 20th century works created by Rodin, Dubuffet and Giacometti.

The scientific garden or museum Both, actually! The Jardin de Plants is the historic heart of the National Natural History Museum,  the Jardin des Plantes features botanical gardens, tropical conservatories and conservation galleries set over 28 hectares, right inside the Latin Quarter. A scientific project started in 1640, the former “royal medicinal plant garden” is still home to some fascinating attractions for science enthusiasts including the Gallery of Evolution and the Palaeontology Galleries.

The charming one. The Parc Monceau is located beyond a set of opulent gates and opened in 1860. Among its many treasures, the most noteworthy are the Chartres Pavilion, a neoclassical rotunda once used as a sentry post, and the Naumachie, a pond bordered by a colonnade of Corinthian columns. Not to mention marble statues, a stone bridge, a waterfall, a man-made cave, ruins transferred from the site of the former town hall and plenty of shaded footpaths for a moment of peaceful contemplation in the centre of the city.

The iconic one. It is the Luxembourg Garden. Every nook of this park has something to see or do: the large octagonal pond where toy boats float on the water; the oldest merry-go-round in Paris. It has been entertaining kids since 1879; the marionette theatre; the emblematic green chairs perfect for enjoying a moment in the sun, the incredibly romantic Medici fountain, the footpaths beneath the canopy of remarkable trees, hundred-year-old bee hives. An institution!

The hilly one: Parc des Buttes-Chaomont. Spread over 25 hectares, this park was built from nothing on former gypsum quarries in the late 1800s. Today this urban oasis set on rolling terrain is a popular spot for Parisians who come for a stroll among its variety of fascinating features: A lake, streams, a waterfall and a cave as well as belvederes and winding pathways bordered by faux bois elements share the green space with plane, poplar and chestnut trees planted over a hundred years ago.

https://www.en-vols.com/en/getaways/travel/paris-most-beautiful-parks-gardens/#item=1

How Do You Get to Paris From Salt Lake City?

We are fans of non-stop flights.  My wife has chronic pain, which is aggrevated by lay-overs.  We have found that Delta is the airline that offers a daily non-stop flight to Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport.  The departure times vary between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. and the arrival times are between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.  

For the return flight, it generally departs around 10 a.m. and arrives in Salt Lake around 1 p.m.  Charles De Gaulle is so busy that it is recommended you are at the airport 3 hours prior to flying time.  We have elected to stay at the airport Marriott the evening prior to our flight in order to not risk anything happening with the morning traffic.

Other cities where you can fly direct to Paris include:   Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Denver (DEN), Detroit (DTW), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Minneapolis (MSP), New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), and Washington, D.C. (IAD).

What are the cheapest months and the cheapest time of the year to fly to Paris? You can usually find the lowest fares during late November, early December, January, February and early March.

What is the best way to get around Paris?

The best way to get around Paris is on foot and by metro. The elegant arrondissements are practically made for pedestrians. Still, Paris is very big, so you should take the efficient metro to travel long distances. The Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens or RATP system, which runs the metro, also offers several bus routes around the city. Those traveling to Paris by plane can arrive at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), about 22 miles northeast of the city center, or Paris Orly Airport (ORY), about 11 miles south of the city.

To get to Paris from CDG, you can take a bus (No. 350 or No. 351), hop an RER train (an airport shuttle from CDG takes passengers to the Terminal

 2 RER station and the nearby Roissypole RER) or hop on the RoissyBus. Travelers with a late arrival time can also take advantage of the Noctilien night bus, which runs to Paris from midnight to 4:30 a.m. For those coming into ORY, travelers can take an airport shuttle to the nearest RER station (Pont de Rungis) 

or hop on the Orlyval shuttle train that goes to the Antony RER station. Both RER stations go straight to Paris. Taxis are another option, but can be quite costly 

averaging anywhere from 30 to 55 euros (around $33 to $61); driving is not recommended.

If you're traveling from other French or European cities, you can also take the train to Paris. SNCF rail and TGV high-speed trains run throughout France 

(the former also travels to other European countries). The city has six main train stations, all of which also act as bus stops and metro stations, so you'll be

 able to get from the station to your hotel quite easily. You can also take the Channel Tunnel (aka the "chunnel") underwater rail service via Eurostar from London.

Walking:  Because most travelers tend to book hotels in the attraction-heavy city center, walking is the best mode of transportation. Even if you aren't right on the

 Champs-Élysées, Paris' chic and compact neighborhoods (often with plenty of amenities of their own) are perfect for walkers. Walking is also the best way to take  in Paris' famous architecture as well as the city's oftentimes magical atmosphere. However, if your home base is a little farther out, or walking to top attractionsare a few miles journey, you might want to rely on the metro for fairly cheap, but quick and efficient travel.

Metro:The metro, part of the city's RATP public transportation system, is easily accessible, cost-effective and runs 16 extensive routes identified by numbers 1 to 14, then the 3 bis and 7 bis) throughout metropolitan Paris. You can purchase single tickets (1.90 euros or $2.12 for a single, one-way journey),but it's easier to purchase a book of 10 t+ tickets or a Mobilis day pass. The book of 10 t+ tickets is 10 individual metro tickets offered at a reduced rate. 

If you have a good idea of how often you are going to ride public transportation in a day (the book of tickets covers the metro, RER trains within Zone 1, buses and more), this option is your best bet. A book of 10 t+ tickets costs 16 euros ($17.83) for adults and 8 euros (about $9) for children. If you aren't so sure of how much ground you're going to cover, a Mobilis pass is the better option. One-day Mobilis passes are available for 7.30 euros (about $8.14) for travel within Zones 1 and 2 (most of Paris' top attractions are located in Zone 1). You can buy tickets in metro stations and Paris tourist information centers located around the city. The metro runs from around 6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. daily. Be sure to check the metro's specific timetables before traveling. The RATP also has a handy route planner available on its website to help travelers navigate the city.

Train: The Réseau Express Régional (RER) trains operate five express routes (identified by letters A through E) from the Paris city center to surrounding suburbs. RER trains service both Paris  airports and take travelers into the heart of the city. The best way to get to Versailles Palace is via the RER C train, unless you want to take a pricey taxi or drive. 

You may also use the RER trains to explore smaller towns and sites outside the city, including Disneyland Paris. Tickets can be purchased at any RER

or metro station. RER ticket prices are calculated station to station for any travel outside of Zone 1 and vary widely in price. Hours are the same as the

metro but wait times to destinations are longer.

Bus: RATP operates 59 bus lines that run throughout Paris and its suburbs. You can use t+ tickets and metro passes to pay for bus trips – a ride costs the

 same as a metro ride unless you buy your ticket on the bus, which then costs €1.90 EUR (about $2.50 USD). While the bus system is slower than the metro,

 it offers more scenic routes and maintains a longer schedule. Bus hours depend on the line, but generally buses run from Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m.

 to 8:30 p.m. Some lines from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. The Noctilien night bus system picks up the slack past 12:30. There are four night bus lines, each of 

them running till about 4 a.m.

Taxis: Paris is full of taxis. There are about 17,000 taxis and cars for hire in the city. Official Paris taxis are designated with a Taxi Parisien sign on the roof 

of the taxi. When the taxi is available, the Taxi Parisien sign is green, then red when it's not. The meter starts at 2.60 euros (about $3) and then charges by 

every kilometer traveled. (One kilometer is equal to about ¾ of a mile.) After the base fare is applied, the charge for from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to 

Saturday is 1.06 euros ($1.18) for each kilometer. From 5 p.m. to 10 a.m., the fare increases to 1.30 euro ($1.45) Monday to Saturday as well as 7 p.m. to 

midnight on Sundays. You can hail a taxi on the street but it's easier to wait in line at one of the taxi ranks spread throughout the city. Getting a taxi in Paris

 both at night and during rush hour, especially if you're trying to hail, is not an easy feat. Not only that, but traffic is known to occur even outside of rush hours 

so don't be surprised if you're bumper to bumper at 2 p.m. The main taxi companies in Paris are Taxis G7, Alpha Taxis and Taxis Bleus. The ride-hailing app Uber also operates in Paris.

Cars: Driving in Paris is to be avoided unless you plan to explore a good amount outside of the city's bounds. The usual culprits apply – heavy traffic, potentially 

confusing road signs, scarce parking – making driving a nightmare. That said, rental cars, or "car hires" as they're called, are available at the airports and several of the main train stations.

https://travel.usnews.com/Paris_France/Getting_Around/

Thanksgiving On Month From Today: The One Day The Americans Eat Better Than The French

 

This confidential column was leaked to me by a high government official in the Plymouth colony on the condition that I not reveal his name.

One of our most important holidays is Thanksgiving Day, known in France as le Jour de Merci Donnant. (Art Buchwald Article in New York Times, 1970)

Le Jour de Merci Donnant was first started by a group of Pilgrims (Pelerins) who fled from l'Angleterre before the McCarran Act to found a colony in the New World (le Nouveau Monde) where they could shoot Indians (les Peaux-Rouges) and eat turkey (dinde) to their hearts' content.

They landed at a place called Plymouth (now a famous voiture Americaine ) in a wooden sailing ship called the Mayflower (or Fleur de Mai ) in 1620. But while the Pelerins were killing the dindes, the Peaux-Rouges were killing the Pelerins, and there were several hard winters ahead for both of them. The only way the Peaux-Rouges helped the Pelerins was when they taught them to grow corn (mais). The reason they did this was because they liked corn with their Pelerins.

In 1623, after another harsh year, the Pelerins’ crops were so good that they decided to have a celebration and give thanks because more mais was raised by the Pelerins than Pelerins were killed by Peaux-Rouges.

Every year on the Jour de Merci Donnant, parents tell their children an amusing story about the first celebration.

It concerns a brave capitaine named Miles Standish (known in France as Kilometres Deboutish) and a young, shy lieutenant named Jean Alden. Both of them were in love with a flower of Plymouth called Priscilla Mullens (no translation). 

The vieux capitaine said to the jeune lieutenant :

"Go to the damsel Priscilla ( allez tres vite chez Priscilla), the loveliest maiden of Plymouth ( la plus jolie demoiselle de Plymouth). Say that a blunt old captain, a man not of words but of action (un vieux Fanfan la Tulipe), offers his hand and his heart, the hand and heart of a soldier. Not in these words, you know, but this, in short, is my meaning.

"I am a maker of war (je suis un fabricant de la guerre) and not a maker of phrases. You, bred as a scholar (vous, qui tes pain comme un tudiant), can say it in elegant language, such as you read in your books of the pleadings and wooings of lovers, such as you think best adapted to win the heart of the maiden."

Although Jean was fit to be tied (convenable tre emballe), friendship prevailed over love and he went to his duty. But instead of using elegant language, he blurted out his mission. Priscilla was muted with amazement and sorrow (rendue muette par l'tonnement et las tristesse).

At length she exclaimed, interrupting the ominous silence: "If the great captain of Plymouth is so very eager to wed me, why does he not come himself and take the trouble to woo me?" (Ou est-il, le vieux Kilometres? Pourquoi ne vient-il pas aupres de moi pour tenter sa chance?)

Jean said that Kilometres Deboutish was very busy and didn't have time for those things. He staggered on, telling what a wonderful husband Kilometres would make. Finally Priscilla arched her eyebrows and said in a tremulous voice, "Why don't you speak for yourself, Jean?" (Chacun a son gout.)

And so, on the fourth Thursday in November, American families sit down at a large table brimming with tasty dishes and, for the only time during the year, eat better than the French do.

No one can deny that le Jour de Merci Donnant is a grande fete and no matter how well fed American families are, they never forget to give thanks to Kilometres Deboutish, who made this great day possible.