Easy, Entertaining, and Cheap Way to Tour Paris
Though the Parisian subway is fast and efficient as a transportation mode, its blind tunnels are a sorry excuse for a sightseeing outing. For a fun, short and open-air visit of some of the streets of the French capital, prefer the Open Tour double-decker.
Four circuits, four different feels
Riding a double-decker offers a couple of advantages in Paris: the upper deck is a great vantage point, and the traffic fumes are not as pungent. The top deck is very pleasant. During rainy days, take shelter inside the bus
The Open Tour operator offers you 4 circuits, each one giving you an opportunity to tour several well-known areas of Paris. The longest tour is called ‘Grand Tour’: it takes 2 hours. The ‘Montparnasse - Saint-Germain’ tour is a very interesting one too.
The operator took care of the language issue: guests are provided with a commentary in 8 languages. But perhaps the best benefit of the Open Tour circuits is to allow you to get off at each stop, visit the area, and board the next Open Tour double-decker with your day pass.
Choosing the ‘Grand Tour’
The starting line for the Grand Tour circuit is at the ‘Printemps’ department store, where you can buy day passes for the ride. The first stop is the Opera Garnier. Recently renovated, the Opera Garnier is a prime example of Second Empire architecture. It hosts the National Ballet Academy where young pre-teen girls walk the hard-labor path in the hope to be eventually awarded the coveted title of ‘Star’, a soloist ballerina.
The Open Tour then moves on the Palais Royal Gardens where stand the “Buren’s Columns”. These glorified stumps of black and white concrete are the brainchild of French sculptor Daniel Buren. This work was commissioned by the French government in the early years of Socialist President Francois Mitterrand’s first tenure. Some like them; I don’t find them particularly attractive in a classical courtyard which predates them by 3 centuries.
The bus then moves to the central courtyard of the Louvre museum where you will admire (or loathe) architect Li Pei’s glass pyramid. There again, the contrast between such a modern structure and the classical proportions of the Louvre buildings is open to debate.
Off to Notre Dame Cathedral, across the river Seine, over the Pont Neuf, the medieval bridge built from 1578 to 1604 during the reign of Henri the 4th. You can tour Notre Dame Cathedral, and attend a Catholic mass. For those of you who are in good physical shape, the high towers offer a great view of Paris left bank at the top end of a long and painful flight of stairs. The plaza which lies at the feet of the cathedral has become a stage for street performers.
If you want to continue your tour by the Orsay Museum, the Open Tour double-decker will carry you there right after Notre Dame. Following the left bank of the Seine to the museum is pleasant ride. The museum itself is an old train station which was reconverted during the 80’s, and made into a wonderful home for impressionist art.
A little detour will have you cross the Seine again, and land on Concorde Square, a plaza of awesome dimensions. There stands the Louqsor obelisk offered to King Charles X by Egyptian sovereign Mohammad Ali in 1831. Then it’s up the Champs Elysees Avenue.
The lower part of Champs Elysees has retained its old charm with dirt sidewalks, and trees. On your left, the ‘Petit Palais’ and ‘Grand Palais’ (the ‘Small’ and ‘Large Palaces’) are major exhibition venues. Check out their program, and treat yourself right.
Atop the Champs Elysees stands the Arch of Triumph, a monument commissioned by Napoleon I to celebrate his victory over the Austrian armies at Austerlitz. The four pillars of the large Roman-style structure bear the names of the killing fields where the French tyrant exacted his death toll on European populations.
Around the Arch of Triumph, down a side avenue. The Open Tour bus rides you to the Trocadero, a very large structure built in the Roman style at the end of the 19th century. The Trocadero plaza is one of the two places in Paris from where you get the best full view of the Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower is a must-see. The decker goes around it, across the Mars Mall, a vast expanse of grass which extends from the feet the Tower to inside the upper-class 7th district. A fine place to stop at and tour before re-boarding the next Open Tour bus.
The Open Tour home stretch leads you back across the Concorde Plaza, up the Rue Royale and along the upscale chic Rue St Honore. The rich 2-hour tour stops at the gates of the Madeleine Church.
Details of some importance
The Open Tour company offers 1-day and 2-day passes. Those allow you to board and de-board the company’s double-deckers at any stop along the tour circuits. Both passes also give you access to take all 4 tours. At €25 and €28 respectively, they are excellent value for money. Children’s rates are discounted 50% over regular rates. The Open Tour should be a thrill for your teenage kids. That you can board and get off at any stop ensures they won’t get bored, or grow impatient.
The website of the operator shows you where to buy your day pass, where to board the bus, and at what time. Type “open tour Paris” on Google, they come up first.
I leave you on this final note: when you want to see as many sites as possible but feel dead tired after 3 days of walking the streets, the Open Tour double-deckers offer an easy-going way to soak in some more history and architecture. Good deal!
About the Author
As a noted Paris specialist, Phil Chavanne has helped many to make the very best of a trip to the French capital. Find many of the answers you need to prepare your next stay to Paris at http://www.Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com, a free information guide about Paris hotels, restaurants, monuments, and sightseeing opportunities.
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