April 11, Montmartre Pastry and Chocolate Food Tour, Paris…read more Our family of four with a son 9 and daughter 10 did a pastry and chocolate tour through Montmartre and it ended up being a really fun way to explore the area. Arrival and First Impressions The group was small, just our family and another family, which worked out well. The shops we visited were tiny so taking turns going in and out was part of the experience. Our guide was knowledgeable and walked us through side streets, small parks, and local spots we would never have found on our own. The Highlights We stopped at six different locations including chocolatiers, bakeries, and pastry shops. Highlights included a choux pastry, crepes, madeleines, artisan eclairs, and multiple chocolate tastings. The final stop for hot chocolate and macarons was excellent. The macarons were so good we ended up buying some to bring home. The tour was not just about food. We saw the Love Wall, hidden streets, and learned about the history of Montmartre including small details about the neighborhood that made it feel more personal. The Challenges The guide did not have a very loud voice so in a bigger group it might have been harder to follow, but with our small group it worked fine. Would We Return Yes, especially to try a different tour. It was a great mix of food and exploring. Final Thoughts This tour is a great way to experience Montmartre beyond just walking around. The combination of food, history, and hidden locations made it a memorable and worthwhile experience.

Their ticket purchasing process is misleading and unethical. You go about filling our information,…read morelike you do for many websites, but unlike any other website, you hit the "Next" button (for the third time) and suddenly you have purchased the ticket, without any opportunity to review your tour date, number of participants or even credit card info. All the previous "Next" buttons led to the next step in the process, as is implied by the word and as you would expect, but not this one - it is the final confirmation of purchase even though there is NO indication that this is about to happen. Then they tell you that there are no refunds under any circumstances and that the credit and ticketing laws do not apply to them. Perhaps this is because they are based in Cyprus, which I assume they have chosen precisely to evade regulations. Note that they say there are no refunds no matter what - even if your overall trip gets cancelled or the tour gets cancelled or the guide does not show up. Be very careful, or better yet, avoid these folks and do any of the other more legitimate tours out there for wherever you are travelling to.

I went for the Belleville street art tour on a Saturday morning and it was excellent. This was a…read morevery unique, informative, and fun exploration of Paris city streets. Children are welcomed, bring snacks and wear comfortable sneakers as this is a walking tour. You will see many types of street art in neighborhoods full of charm, culture and personality that tourist otherwise neglect. You will get lots of insight into the Street Art community's history and culture. The art itself was often beautiful, sometimes enigmatic, and always thought provoking.

From the owner: Street art tours of Paris and graffiti mural art workshopsread more

Weiyang was extremely knowledgable of all of the tourist attractions in Paris. He was fluent in…read moremandarin, English, and French. We had a wonderful time in Paris, with him leading our way. He worked with us and tailored the schedule according to our interests, allowed us to visit at our own pace, and he even brought us to some local hangouts. He treated us like his friend instead of his customers, which made our Paris vacation even more enjoyable.

I did the Latin Quarter tour with two friends on a trip to Paris in October 2015. It was wonderful…read moreas John-Paul Fortney took us to quaint French restaurants that had authentic food and great wine pairings. There was a wonderful walking tour around town and was both interesting and fun. I am sorry we took the Tour on our last day in Paris or we would have taken another one. I am now going back to Paris on a trip with my family and we will be sure to sign up for the Montmartre Tour and maybe even another one!

This was truly one of the highlights of our trip! We took three tours while in Paris, one by Fat…read moreTire, one by Sight Seekers Delight, and this tour by John-Paul and both agreed that this was by far the most enjoyable. First, compared to the other two, it was such a value- you will not leave hungry! Second, John-Paul was a fantastic guide! He's an American who moved to France to perfect his French, ended up marrying a French girl, and staying. He was full of interesting insights into his experiences with French culture from an American perspective. He also provided information about regions of France, different types of wines, and the influential art history of the neighborhood. He was easy to locate with his brochure at the start of the trip and was it was clear he put a lot of thought and planning into the tour. At the end, he provided a wonderful list of his favorite places in Paris including restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, and chocolate shops. He even offered us metro vouchers at the end in case we wanted to take the funicular up the mountain-side to see Sacre Coeur- the church of the sacred heart. The neighborhood has earned a bit of reputation for being "seedy" due to the street housing Moulin Rouge, which includes several sex shops. It's sort of unfortunate because while we took a quick stop down there to see the Moulin Rouge, the rest of the tour was like something out of a fairy tale. The hilly neighborhood is actually extremely charming, with a quaint residential vibe that we had been missing at many of our touristy destinations from earlier in the week. Not to mention the million dollar views down side streets, which due to the elevation of the neighborhood, provide views overlooking the rest of the city! If you are a lover of art history, top notch French cuisine, or just want to get a taste of the true local culture, take this tour. I promise you will not regret it!

My husband and I took a Chocolate and Pastry Tour with this company, and set it up through our Visa…read moreChase Rewards program. It was one of the highlights of our whole European vacation! We ended up being the only participants during this particular tour, so our guide may have gone a little off script with this one, making it so much more memorable. Her name was Marie and she was obviously a huge fan of architecture and French history. It was fascinating to listen to her stories and learn about Paris as we walked and dined on some of the best sweets I've ever had. We made at least 5 stops at different bakeries and chocolatiers, and got little samples from each. When I say little, I mean full sized portions of desserts! They were very generous and we had so much to eat along the way, we even brought some back to our hotel for later. We sampled mini apple pies, some homemade sourdough, macaroons, truffles, tortes, and so many more tasty morsels. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Once the tour was technically over, Marie decided to take us into a local church, and show us around Paris a little longer. It was a magical experience, and I'm so happy we did it!

My husband and I took a cooking class with Chef Marthe Brohan while in Paris. It was a fun…read moreexperience. There were only 6 of us in the class and we met in her apartment. We walked over to the market, got all the fresh ingredients (including ordering fresh French bread!) and then went back to her apartment to cook for a few hours. We made a zucchini salad, a quiche and a plum dessert. Each of the recipes was tasty and interesting, but it was still something we felt like we could make on our own at home. It was fun to learn from Marthe as well as to meet the other tourists. Wear comfortable shoes because you will be on your feet for a few hours cooking! She also does a macaroon class in the afternoons, which I will do if we ever go back to Paris!

I booked a 'skip the line' ticket for the Paris Catacombs, advertised on TripAdvisor's "Viator"…read morecompany and apparently offered by My Genie in Paris (Voyages LLC) according to my receipt. This type of ticket is 3 times the face value of getting in a venue. It is supposed to allow you to, well, skip the line, as the name implies, to enter the venue on a preferred basis. That was not the case for me. I paid premium dollars, had my ticket, was standing in the correct line and the 'Soup Nazi' making the entry decisions went to the general entry line and let in hoards of people waiting who were only paying the face value of the ticket. Hey, that is great for them but leaves the rest of us feeling like complete chumps. Soup Nazi finally graced us with his attention, only to then again cut in front of our group with some other people who apparently had booked Super Deluxe Ultra Swanky Your Mother Wears Army Boots tickets. This was a complete waste of money and I would have gotten in the venue faster waiting in the regular line. Now I will have to dispute this with my credit card company because Trip Advisor has no email contact and I see from these other reviews that trying to get anywhere with this tour operator is going to be a worthless waste of time. DON'T BOTHER BOOKING SKIP THE LINE TICKETS THROUGH TRIP ADVISOR/VIATOR/MY GENIE IN PARIS. They will process your credit card but you won't get the service you are paying for. Just go to the catacomb early in the day (before they open) and I'm sure Soup Nazi will wave you right in.

CAUTION - CAUTION - No show for Catacombs tour…read more THIS IS A STRONG WARNING - Even though their website describes a "almost no waiting" tour of the catacombs, they do not do this anymore (there are more people who got taken by this below). I booked this tour on June 11 to occur on July 5. On July 4 (the night before - while I was in Paris) I get a notice from my bank (used Reward points) that they just received noticed that the tour company just notified them that they no longer do this tour. This seems to be a common thing for the Catacombs tour. USE ANOTHER COMPANY. I ended up having to wait 3 hours and ruin most of a day just to see something that I THOUGHT I booked 2 weeks earlier. Visited July 2014

If my body is already below 0 when I fall and die off the zip line would be preferred All in all…read more10/10

SHORT REVIEW: Sydney's Champagne tour will be the best day…read moreof your France vacation. She customizes the tour to your preferences and is the perfect tour-guide for visitors of all ages. LONG REVIEW: My wife and I took a tour of the Champagne region with Sydney and Tasty Side to Life on May 29, 2012. It was tremendous - just a perfect day. (I'm sure her Paris tours are equally excellent, although I do not have first-hand knowledge.) It's 6 months' later, and we are still talking about the tour, enjoying our champagne and looking through photos from the day. Over the past years, Sydney has developed personal relationships with numerous small producers, chefs, shop-owners and businesspeople in the Champagne region. Accordingly, her tour offers a unique, unequaled experience. Before, during and after the tour, Sydney is likable and professional, and her level of service and attention to detail is fantastic. In addition to planning the tour, Sydney's skills as tour guide/host are equally excellent. She knows when to join in the conversation and when to leave you alone. She deploys her vast knowledge of the Champagne region and process with aplomb; she is great at feeling out her audience and knowing which information will be particularly interesting for her specific guests. Prior to our arrival in Paris, Sydney emailed us various options (small vs. large producers, lunch/dining options, transportation options, museum/cathedral tours, zip-line/hot-air balloon rides, etc.) to tailor the tour to our preferences. In addition to her "menu," Sydney was happy to accommodate my request to attend a France national soccer team game that night and even offered to purchase the tickets if I was unable (for an additional, hourly cost through her concierge service). Ultimately, we chose to skip the game, see the Cathedral de Reims, see 2 small champagne producers, 1 large producer (Moet) and take a tour of a chocolate atelier. We paid in full approximately 1 month before departing for Paris (although, I believe Sydney was amenable to a deposit, with the balance paid the day of the tour). The afternoon before the tour, Sydney sent us a confirmation email. On the morning of the tour, Sydney and the driver picked us up at our hotel in Paris. On the way to Reims, Sydney explained the history of the region, her business-school experience in the region, the champagne making process, the history of champagne making, and answered any other questions we had about Paris, Champagne or France in general. We toured and tasted two small producers in the morning, then went to lunch. Once the owners of the champagne houses realized that Sydney had arrived - as opposed to another tour guide/company - they came running out of their homes or caves with huge smiles on, and led our tour themselves, rather than having another worker to take us around the grounds. You may buy as much champagne as you like, but there is no "hard-sell" or pressure to purchase; we bought a total of 8 bottles at 2 of the 3 houses we visited. Our one recommendation - eat at La Briqueterie, with Chef Michael Nizzero. Sydney arranged for Chef Nizzero (the youngest Michelin-starred chef in Europe, I believe) to come to our table, say hello and even answer any questions about the meal, the region, and/or his experience. In the afternoon, we went to Moet and a local chocolate atelier, before the driver took us back to Paris. The tours at the small producers were more individualized, private and we met the champagne-makers themselves, who walked us through their small-batch champagne production (with Sydney acting as translator). The tour at Moet was very professional, and informative, but not quite as personal - approximately 12 people. We were able to see first-hand, the method of "mass" champagne production (although each bottle is hand-produced). The best part of the tour: in mid-November, Sydney emailed us with a menu of champagne houses that she is working with, to ship bottles/cases of champagne to the states, if we wanted to purchase before the holidays! Happy holidays to us! We are a 30-year-old professional couple. I would strongly recommend Sydney, without reservation or qualification, to anyone interested in seeing the Champagne region, regardless of age or anything else. Sydney and her tour are as good as it gets. Finally, I hate to talk about price, but just in case you are considering booking with another guide or service - prior to booking, we got numerous quotes from different tour-guides and companies. Sydney's price was competitive with all of them (a bit lower or higher, depending on which options we chose). In short, choosing Sydney is a no-brainer!

It's a MUST DO while you're in Paris!! It was our family first trip to Paris. Xavier was very…read moreaccommodating to all of our requests, even the last minute booking!! Francois was our tour guide. He was wonderful! He showed us a GRAND time around Paris. We only had 3 days in Paris and the scooter tour gave us a taste of all the beautiful landmarks. We love Francois so much we decided to tour the next 2 days with him by foot. He was able to take us to all the places we wanted to go to and more!! He took us to the best ice cream place in Paris! You can bank on that. He was very knowledgeable, kind and patience. He has great photography skill so you're guaranteed to have great photos in Paris. He's also a foodie so he'll show you all the best places to eat in Paris, like a local. He saved us so much time and trouble. You will not regret your time with him. My family loved Francois so much they invited him to visit them in the States! Lol.

My husband decided to book the tour to Versailles. At first I was very hesitant…read morethinking that it would be too dangerous. However, I am glad he went ahead and booked the tour. It was the most memoriable experience we had on our whole trip in Paris. Xavier was so friendly and nice. We had another couple with our tour and Xavier was able to make everyone's request happen. We couldn't ask for a better tour guide. It really is a must do!!! Don't miss out on your chance of a life time, book now I highly recommend Paris by Scooter.