Paris in August short tours out of Paris

We will be in Paris this August. Will museums and other tourist attractions be open? Specifically we will be there the weekend of 14th and 15th. We are looking for ideas for short tours out of Paris. Does anyone have any suggestions for guides or tourist agencies that you can recommend? What would be doable for a two day trip out of Paris. Can anyone reommend some good tours within Paris walking or riding to become acquainted with the area for first time visitors. Do you need advance tickets for any of the attractions or museums? Any other information that may be helpful. Thank you.

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The Paris Museum Pass is a great investment for many people. Go to their website and see if the museums you plan to visit come close to the price of the pass. The bonus is skipping the long lines (except at the Notre Dame Towers).

Versailles is not to be missed, but is a day trip. Other trips outside Paris include Loire Valley, Chartres, Giverney, and Normandy.

You do not need advance tickets except to Versailles, if you don%26#39;t have a museum pass. Tickets can be obtained on line. The lines to purchase at versailles are very long.

We enjoyed a Seine Cruise the first day to relax and get our bearings.

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Thank you for taking the time to write. I will definitely investigate the museum pass and the boat ride sounds like a great idea. How did you get around Paris? I appreciate your suggestions.

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We did not do any tours - we are very independent travelers.

Mostly we walked and walked and then walked more. Take comfortable shoes, because this is how you really see Paris.

We also bought a carnet (book of 10 Metro tickets) and used the Metro when we went places too far to walk.

We purchased some good guide books and good maps before we left, so we had some favorite things we wanted to see, plus we just wanted to enjoy the city.

We found 7 days in Paris (including Versailles, which is a must see) to be just right. We then took the train one day to the Loire Valley, though 2 days would have been nicer.

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Be aware you will be there during a French Holiday August 15 th.

discoverfrance.net/France/DF_holidays.shtml

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Thank you for your ideas. We are in the process of purchasing some guide books. Can you recommend the ones you found most helpful? We appreciate your taking the time to write to us.

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Thank you for that excellent web site. Since our plans involve us being in Paris on Auguist 15th would it be a good idea to take a day trip that weekend? Do you have any suggestions? Is that a Natioinal holiday or just celebrated in Paris? We appreciate your input.

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The 15th is a national holiday and a MAJOR day for beginning/ending holidays. Do NOT leave Paris on this day. The roads are jam packed and the trains are too. Areas outside of the city will be even quieter than within. Stay in Paris for the 15th.

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August 15 is Assumption Day and is a holiday all over France. From Wikipedia:

%26quot;The Assumption of Mary is the traditional belief held by Christians of the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and some Protestant churches that the Virgin Mary at the end of her life was physically taken up into heaven.%26quot;

I would imagine that these days it is a holiday more out of habit than anything else.

You are probably just as well off in Paris as anywhere else. We landed in Nice on Aug 15 last year and didn%26#39;t notice any problems with closures.

I think the best guidebook you can get will be the Michelin Green guide for Paris. There is more info on more sites than in any other comparable sized book. Nothing about hotels or ding though.

Getting around Paris is easy as there is a great bus and metro system.

www.ratp.info/touristes/index.php?langue=en

Even better is a pair of comfortable walking shoes!

Rob