Guided tours usually take visitors to major tourist sites such as Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Monet's Gardens, Mont St. Michel, Normandy, the Bayeux Tapestry, and famous chateaux. Stops into quaint villages set in stunning countryside landscapes are usually included. A tour guide is along to assist travelers with transportation and to offer information about the sites. Transportation between cities and locales may be by plane, bus, train, or car. Moving by land may take longer, but it will allow the traveler to take in the gorgeous landscape between towns. Sometimes the price includes meals and discounts at top shopping spots.
Independent tour packages are usually semi-arranged for the visitor. These are usually only offered for trips to Paris, not throughout the country. Typically, a guide will be available for the first day of the vacation. This helps visitors get acclimated and learn about the major tourist attractions there. The rest of the time is left for guests to spend alone and in any way they choose.
Solo travelers can make arrangements through an agency that will typically be at a much lower rate than someone will be able to plan for themselves. These packages have optional tour guides and arrangements for introducing solo travelers to one another.
Finally, arrangements can by made without a travel agency. Several web sites list people around the world who rent out a room or even a whole apartment to travelers. Home rental rates, as well as youth hostels, are typically lower than hotels. Some hosts even offer boarding for no fee.
The Seine River only flows through the north of France. Similar to a guided French tour, famous historical spots in Paris, Normandy, Rouen, Giverny, and Versailles are common stops on a Seine River tour. The Saone River in the east continues into Switzerland and also connects to the Rhone River in the southeast, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea. These tours cater to lovers of wine and cuisine, but also include visits to famous architectural beauties. Stopovers may include Lyon, Burgandy, Viviers, Avignon, Arles, which inspired Van Gogh to produce a large body of work, and Nice.
River Cruises often include meals on board and tour guides to show visitors around the destination cities. Vacationers should ask their travel agent if they will be required to pay port charges at each stop along the waterway.
