Private Tours Paris
Private Tours Paris
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About
PRIVATE TOURS PARIS was founded 9 years ago in 2005.We are a group of 15 experienced, professional, licensed guides (the only guides that are allowed by the French Ministry of Culture to guide within all the museums and official monuments in France).All our guides have their own little, special field of expertise (HISTORY former history teachers, ART (Ecole du Louvre), ARCHITECTURE, SOCIOLOGY (specialized in children tours) etc.Languages spoken: english, german, spanish, italian, dutch, portuguese and more…Our experience allows us to adapt to the wishes and needs of our clients to make them ours.The guides are also the drivers. They pick you up at your hotel or apartment and bring you back there again at the end of the tour. We use a fleet of luxurious and recent, air-conditioned minivans (Mercedes Benz).All our efforts serve one single purpose: to make our clients happy
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
438 reviews
Excellent
390
Very good
22
Average
12
Poor
5
Terrible
9
mmvtravel
Atlanta, GA3 contributions
Sep 2022 • Family
Nicolas was the best guide! He made our trip so memorable and easy. He shared so many interesting facts and stories and took us to so many wonderful places. He is very knowledgeable about the area and was able to help us navigate our first few days in France seamlessly. My son has a nut allergy and he was able to help us comfortably translate that too, so we could ensure safety. Nicolas was a fun guide, with an easy-going personality that made our few days together a joy. He was the perfect guide for our family. He even kept my teen and pre-teen engaged! Highly recommend this tour and Nicolas, in particular! Such a wonderful experience!
Written December 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Meli
Hong Kong, China1 contribution
Feb 2020 • Friends
Our 8 hour private tour of Paris and the Picasso Museum was absolutely fantastic. Julien our tour guide was phenomenal and provided such a detailed and interesting tour. Private Tours Paris were very professional in all their communication and I would thoroughly recommend them.
Written February 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Bryce H
New York City, NY8 contributions
Nov 2022
Seeing Versailles with our new best friend, Marlene, who knows everything you want to know about the incredible palace and grounds.
She met us at our Paris hotel and whisked us off in the comfortable car to Versailles. Along the way pointing out neighborhoods and historic sites.
We skipped the line at Versailles and she got us right inside and guided us through the palace. Then onto the gardens! After a break for a nice lunch on the Grand Canal, we then got to see the Petite Trianon and the Hamlet. Then back to Paris.
You will love this tour!
She met us at our Paris hotel and whisked us off in the comfortable car to Versailles. Along the way pointing out neighborhoods and historic sites.
We skipped the line at Versailles and she got us right inside and guided us through the palace. Then onto the gardens! After a break for a nice lunch on the Grand Canal, we then got to see the Petite Trianon and the Hamlet. Then back to Paris.
You will love this tour!
Written December 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Lyndal C
Sydney, Australia4 contributions
Aug 2022
We had a wonderful day in the Loire Valley. Our guide, Aymeric was all that we could have asked for. He was friendly, polite, knowledgable and, above all, particularly accommodating of the fact that I arrived with a recent knee injury which slowed down my pace of movement.
Written August 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
minnego6
Palmetto, FL93 contributions
Jun 2011 • Couples
Everyone should see Versailles when in Paris. The question is what is the best way. We have booked several tours in France & Italy and have been relatively pleased with the resutls. Advanced booking is the best way to ensure you get to many of crowded or booked attractions. Private tours usually do half days from Paris to Versailles. The coach ride is very comfortable and you can enjoy the view outside of Paris. Finding the travel office was not easy as our tour did not offer hotel pickup. When you arrive at Versailles the lines were blocks long even with tickets to get inside the palace. You have probably less than 4 hours to get through the palace and see the grounds. The sheer size is intimidating when coming through the gate. But here is what I learned in one visit.
If you have the time, forget the tours. No one can see Versailles in 4 hours, the lines through the palace are so crowed, it's hard to pictures, it's hard to move, and you can't see everything even inside the palace. The bathrooms are on the lower level and once you start moving through the crowd, you can't turn around and stop if you need a bathroom, so make sure you won't need one for a couple hours.
Outside the palace, the grounds go beyond what eye can see. The Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, Queen's hamlet at the outer portion of the estate you either walk or pay for golf cart ride to see those attractions. There was not time enough allowed to leave the main part of the palace gardens on a tour. On the weekends and Tuesdays, the fountains are set to musical display which can be at times that may not accommodate your seeing on a tour schedule.
If I go back, I would purchase my tickets in advance and either take the train in from Paris in order to arrive around 8 am and make sure I was in line when the palace opens at 9 am, except on Mondays when they are closed. You can also stay in some of the nearby hotels for a night and walk to palace in the morning. It takes at least 6 hours to tour Versailles, if not an entire day. But being first in line, you would be ahead of all the tours coming in and hopefully you can actual get some nice pictures without being shoulder to shoulder through the crowds. Getting away from the main part of Palace gardens and being able to walk the Grand Canal and Marie's estate can give you a sense of what it would have been like living there. Also many of the various fountains are hidden by view from the main Palace.
It is hard to take in all the beauty of the wall coverings, draperies, chandeliers, furniture, and statues, just so much detail that you need to take your time, and a tour will not allow that in a half day.
If you only get to Paris once, allow yourself the time to really appreciate how spectacular Versailles is and how Paris has kept the estate in such beautiful condition.
If you have the time, forget the tours. No one can see Versailles in 4 hours, the lines through the palace are so crowed, it's hard to pictures, it's hard to move, and you can't see everything even inside the palace. The bathrooms are on the lower level and once you start moving through the crowd, you can't turn around and stop if you need a bathroom, so make sure you won't need one for a couple hours.
Outside the palace, the grounds go beyond what eye can see. The Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, Queen's hamlet at the outer portion of the estate you either walk or pay for golf cart ride to see those attractions. There was not time enough allowed to leave the main part of the palace gardens on a tour. On the weekends and Tuesdays, the fountains are set to musical display which can be at times that may not accommodate your seeing on a tour schedule.
If I go back, I would purchase my tickets in advance and either take the train in from Paris in order to arrive around 8 am and make sure I was in line when the palace opens at 9 am, except on Mondays when they are closed. You can also stay in some of the nearby hotels for a night and walk to palace in the morning. It takes at least 6 hours to tour Versailles, if not an entire day. But being first in line, you would be ahead of all the tours coming in and hopefully you can actual get some nice pictures without being shoulder to shoulder through the crowds. Getting away from the main part of Palace gardens and being able to walk the Grand Canal and Marie's estate can give you a sense of what it would have been like living there. Also many of the various fountains are hidden by view from the main Palace.
It is hard to take in all the beauty of the wall coverings, draperies, chandeliers, furniture, and statues, just so much detail that you need to take your time, and a tour will not allow that in a half day.
If you only get to Paris once, allow yourself the time to really appreciate how spectacular Versailles is and how Paris has kept the estate in such beautiful condition.
Written October 17, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
LOL305
Miami226 contributions
Jul 2011 • Couples
This service is not worth it. We paid $800 USD for an eight hour trip. The driver picked us up at our hotel and drove to Versailles. On the way he spoke about the history of France. When we got there we waited half an hour to get in. You do need a tour for this location or advance purchase of the ticket. Other wise the lines are hours long. Just choose another tour not this one. He gave very little information during the visit. It seemed as though he couldn't wait to get out. He said we would have to pay extra to see the gardens and discouraged us from doing so. He said we could see them from this other area he knew about. You could see a few trees but not the fountains and gardens. We were very disappointed since we heard they are beautiful.
Next on to Giverny. He gave no commentary at all. He did not even go with us.
He stated that he did not know the names of the plants or anything there so we could just walk around on our own. We had to find him afterwards. I believe he had been drinking.
This driver/guide was unpleasant and seemed to be annoyed to be working. For this amount of money pick another tour.
Next on to Giverny. He gave no commentary at all. He did not even go with us.
He stated that he did not know the names of the plants or anything there so we could just walk around on our own. We had to find him afterwards. I believe he had been drinking.
This driver/guide was unpleasant and seemed to be annoyed to be working. For this amount of money pick another tour.
Written August 4, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
You like or you do not like your guide but,
In Versailles, you have to be in time and there is no queuing
as we have precise appointments there and tickets are bought
days in advance. Too long breakfast at the hotel that you also hated?
On Saturdays and Sundays, there is an extra fee for the Fountains
as indicated on our website pricelist (6,50€ per person)
If you did not want to invest in such an amount (9US$) it was your choice.
Concerning Giverny, there are thousands of plants varieties; our guides
are very qualified in art, history, culture and more; we will hire a botanist for your next visit.
Your guide is a non alcohol drinker like all of our team; we are sorry if you did not catch his sens of humour... and we are sure that nobody could believe such comments.
Written August 6, 2011
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
bonneylaketapps
seattle, wa152 contributions
When visiting Paris last August, we used a company called Private Tours Paris (www.private-tours-paris.com) for a day trip to Normandy D-day beaches and to tour Chateaux Versailles. We had two different guides, Pierre for the Normandy trip, and Claude for the Versailles tour.
Both guides were excellent, although Pierre was hands down our favorite both for his encyclopedic knowledge of the Overlord operation, and for his upbeat spirits and enormous enthusiasm for history. I was amazed at Pierre's ability to hold attention of both adults and teenagers alike. His story of the Allied Forces landing operation came alive with lots of details about rank and file people who sacrificed their lives to ensure victory over nazism. Pierre made our trip very memorable. Thank you very much, Pierre! We'll be back and hope to have you again as our tour guide. We enjoyed your tour immensely.
I would highly recommend Private tours Paris for anybody who would like to make the most of their trip to Paris and France. The company offers both Paris tours and day trips to many famous regions of France.
As far as Versailles goes, one little change would make a huge difference, i.e. to provide tour groups with headphones to be able to hear the guide better. With so many people in each room of the Chateaux, it was sometimes very difficult to hear what the guide was saying. Our group was small (8 people), and some people still missed out on some information because of other guides talking outloud to their groups around us.
On the whole, Private Tours Paris is an excellent company. The staff members I talked to on the phone, were very cordial, courteous and helpful. We also used this company for transfers from airport and to train station. These offers are priced very reasonably and are very good value, especially if it's for a group of 3-4 people and more. Comfortable minivans, air conditioned, excellent drivers and guides who know the city very well and jumb to help visitors with heavy luggage. They were always on time and easy to stay in touch with. They also know all the ins and outs of busy touristy places and take you to the least crowded entrances at the least crowded times which saves a lot of time and energy to the visitors. In my preparation for the trip I was helped by Angelo Ruggeri. He is a highly trained professional in charge of an excellent group of guides and drivers. Great job, Angelo, and thank you very much for your great services. We'll be back!
Both guides were excellent, although Pierre was hands down our favorite both for his encyclopedic knowledge of the Overlord operation, and for his upbeat spirits and enormous enthusiasm for history. I was amazed at Pierre's ability to hold attention of both adults and teenagers alike. His story of the Allied Forces landing operation came alive with lots of details about rank and file people who sacrificed their lives to ensure victory over nazism. Pierre made our trip very memorable. Thank you very much, Pierre! We'll be back and hope to have you again as our tour guide. We enjoyed your tour immensely.
I would highly recommend Private tours Paris for anybody who would like to make the most of their trip to Paris and France. The company offers both Paris tours and day trips to many famous regions of France.
As far as Versailles goes, one little change would make a huge difference, i.e. to provide tour groups with headphones to be able to hear the guide better. With so many people in each room of the Chateaux, it was sometimes very difficult to hear what the guide was saying. Our group was small (8 people), and some people still missed out on some information because of other guides talking outloud to their groups around us.
On the whole, Private Tours Paris is an excellent company. The staff members I talked to on the phone, were very cordial, courteous and helpful. We also used this company for transfers from airport and to train station. These offers are priced very reasonably and are very good value, especially if it's for a group of 3-4 people and more. Comfortable minivans, air conditioned, excellent drivers and guides who know the city very well and jumb to help visitors with heavy luggage. They were always on time and easy to stay in touch with. They also know all the ins and outs of busy touristy places and take you to the least crowded entrances at the least crowded times which saves a lot of time and energy to the visitors. In my preparation for the trip I was helped by Angelo Ruggeri. He is a highly trained professional in charge of an excellent group of guides and drivers. Great job, Angelo, and thank you very much for your great services. We'll be back!
Written September 3, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
morton l
Atlanta, GA4 contributions
Jul 2014 • Friends
stay away from a compant called PRIVATE TOURS PARIS...... They left us standing in front of our hotel ready to go on a trip with them to Normanmdy and the beaches. There was 6 of us and a major decision to go to Paris was to visit the beaches in Normandy. Well they were a NO SHOW.. We were supposed to be picked up at 7 a.m. and we were all standing at the door at 7 only to find out they made a mistake.. We had written reservations confirmed by PRIVATE TOURS PARIS and an acknowledgement from them that they had our deposit and confirmed our reservation I have epmails from them... They said they were "sorry"...... I suggest you use someone other than private tours paris so they don't make a midstake om you witten and confirmed reservation only to be "stood up" like they did with us... They did not have a driver so thry say and could not find one in the entire ciry of Paris.
Written July 29, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dear Morton,
We are extremely sorry for what has happened, on the day of your booked tour to Normandy, a human error happened ( we do about 2500 tours a year, and this kind of mistake happens only once or twice a year)
Our booking staff, registered your tour on the 12th of August instead of the 12th of July, so on the day of your tour all of our guides and minivans were already in use, since July is our busiest month of the year.
We desperately tried to find a solution for your problem so we offered you a tour to Normandy for free on the next day but we didn't get a reply on your behalf. We apologize again for the bad memories you have kept of our company, and hope that you understand this negative experience will make us even more vigilent in the future, in order for this kind of situation not to happen again,
Kindest Regards,
Private Tours Paris.
Written August 6, 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ChicagoFamil
Chicago, IL21 contributions
Aug 2011
We did 3 tours with Private Tours Paris. An evening tour (including the Eiffel tower), Paris and the Louvre, and Versailles and Giverny. First, it was great that they took a credit card without an additional fee. This was the only group we used that did that (ie all others either only took cash or would charge a steep fee for a credit card). That was a plus. They were helpful in explaining what we needed pre-purchase (Eiffel Tower tickets) and what was included but make sure you ask. We read about another person having an issue with the start time for the evening tour so we pushed it back without any issue. We weren’t able to fit in the cruise with our evening tour because of the long lines at the Eiffel tower. That’s not their fault as I think it is unpredictable and the lines form on the towers different levels so you can’t tell how long they are. That actually worked out well for us since we were able to use the cruise tickets on the last day of our Paris visit. Seeing Paris in the evening is a must. I’d suggest people see Paris during the day and the night. Very enlightening. Our guide was Simone (not sure if the spelling is correct) but it’s close. I think in another review the company says they don’t employ a “Simon” but they do employ Simone. And as he explained it’s pronounced “Semen”. I think he is a very knowledgeable and fun guide but I have to agree that he is an “Adults Only” guide.
The next two days we spent with Marlene (again, not sure of spelling). My family can’t say enough great things about Marlene, nor can I and that's why the 5 star rating. She was amazing with our kids. She made great use of our time and got us to see the key things at places like the Louvre where you could spend many many hours just wandering. It was really like she was part of the family. And she knew how to draw out each of our children. We have numerous pictures where Marlene was walking with one of our kids just talking to them, keeping them interested. She is a gem. Wonderful person and great guide!!!!!!
As for the lines at Versailles, you need to get there early (Marlene did that for us) and even then you will wait. It’s not the guide or the guide company’s fault, the people that control which tour group goes in act like bouncers at a popular club. There is very little logic to the order they let people in. Just be patient and when you leave you’ll see the HUGE lines for the people who came later and are not with a tour group. Then you’ll realize it was worth coming early.
Please look below for background of our trip.
For a little background, our family consists of 4, Husband and wife in late 40’s/early 50’s, and 2 children, girl 16, boy 12. Neither of our children has been to Europe. My wife was in Austria when she was a teenager but not since then. I’ve been in all the countries/cities we visited except for Paris. I’ve been to London numerous times for work and the others when I was young. We spent almost 3 weeks in Europe from late July to early August. We visited London, Paris, Venice, Austria (small town with family friends), Rome, and Berlin (in that order) staying 3 nights in each city except for Venice where we only stayed 1 night. We made all the plans ourselves (air, train, car, hotel, guide, etc). We used private tour guides in EVERY city. Some were independent some were part of a small company. We never used a large tour company. We were always by ourselves with the tour guide, no “group” tours. Given our timetable and children’s age we didn’t think group tours would be a good idea. Now that we are back from the trip we feel even stronger that we made the right decision by going with Private tours. They are well worth the money.
We had 8 different tour guides on our vacation but we stayed with the same company (if they were part of a company vs. being independent) in each city. With that as a backdrop I think we have a very good perspective on Private Tour Guides. We picked our guides by coming through Trip Advisor, Fodor, and other review web sites but Trip Advisor was usually our starting point but not always our final deciding factor. Our time was limited so we needed to be efficient with our tours and our tours, and tour guides needed to be able to make 2 educated adults happy as well as 2 teenagers. That’s not an easy task. So whether it was by luck or hard work I will say we never had a bad experience with any of our guides. However they all were different and as we do our reviews we’ll try to point out what worked well and what personalities/backgrounds/etc. might fit the best.
The next two days we spent with Marlene (again, not sure of spelling). My family can’t say enough great things about Marlene, nor can I and that's why the 5 star rating. She was amazing with our kids. She made great use of our time and got us to see the key things at places like the Louvre where you could spend many many hours just wandering. It was really like she was part of the family. And she knew how to draw out each of our children. We have numerous pictures where Marlene was walking with one of our kids just talking to them, keeping them interested. She is a gem. Wonderful person and great guide!!!!!!
As for the lines at Versailles, you need to get there early (Marlene did that for us) and even then you will wait. It’s not the guide or the guide company’s fault, the people that control which tour group goes in act like bouncers at a popular club. There is very little logic to the order they let people in. Just be patient and when you leave you’ll see the HUGE lines for the people who came later and are not with a tour group. Then you’ll realize it was worth coming early.
Please look below for background of our trip.
For a little background, our family consists of 4, Husband and wife in late 40’s/early 50’s, and 2 children, girl 16, boy 12. Neither of our children has been to Europe. My wife was in Austria when she was a teenager but not since then. I’ve been in all the countries/cities we visited except for Paris. I’ve been to London numerous times for work and the others when I was young. We spent almost 3 weeks in Europe from late July to early August. We visited London, Paris, Venice, Austria (small town with family friends), Rome, and Berlin (in that order) staying 3 nights in each city except for Venice where we only stayed 1 night. We made all the plans ourselves (air, train, car, hotel, guide, etc). We used private tour guides in EVERY city. Some were independent some were part of a small company. We never used a large tour company. We were always by ourselves with the tour guide, no “group” tours. Given our timetable and children’s age we didn’t think group tours would be a good idea. Now that we are back from the trip we feel even stronger that we made the right decision by going with Private tours. They are well worth the money.
We had 8 different tour guides on our vacation but we stayed with the same company (if they were part of a company vs. being independent) in each city. With that as a backdrop I think we have a very good perspective on Private Tour Guides. We picked our guides by coming through Trip Advisor, Fodor, and other review web sites but Trip Advisor was usually our starting point but not always our final deciding factor. Our time was limited so we needed to be efficient with our tours and our tours, and tour guides needed to be able to make 2 educated adults happy as well as 2 teenagers. That’s not an easy task. So whether it was by luck or hard work I will say we never had a bad experience with any of our guides. However they all were different and as we do our reviews we’ll try to point out what worked well and what personalities/backgrounds/etc. might fit the best.
Written September 4, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Beatlesbike
Potomac, MD15 contributions
Jul 2014 • Couples
We returned last week from a trip to Paris and Zurich and had a great time. I've left very good reviews for various tours and the two hotels we stayed at. However, we scheduled 2 tours with this company and neither of them was very good and certainly not worth the money.
I would not recommend using this company based on our two experiences with them.
I would not recommend using this company based on our two experiences with them.
Written July 29, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
lachilenapame
Santiago, Chile125 contributions
Hola tienes tour a brujas por 1 día en español , saliendo desde paris ?y el valor para 2 personas
alunni45
Pordenone, Italy
Ciao, alunni45. Cosa desideri sapere su questa attrazione? Come prenotare una visita GUIDATA CON TAXI di 4 ore a PARIGI
John L
Brooklyn, NY2 contributions
I will be in Paris July 26 and would like a private tour of the city for 1 day (maybe 2).
An air conditioned car would be best.
What options do I have?
John
Jeanne T
Gig Harbor, WA232 contributions
Get in touch with them they have air conditioned Mercedes vans. A great company.
Kari B
Sacramento, CA
My family in I will be in Paris on June 17, we would like to book a tour of Versailles. We are 6 people. Please let me know how to book a tour, I can’t seem to find your website. Thank you!
Angelo R
Versailles, France5 contributions
Hi
We would be pleased to book a Versailles tour for you. Please contact us on our website private-tours-paris
sanchez559
Reno, NV46 contributions
Hello, We will be arriving in Paris on June 10 and looking possibly for a private tour with you all on Monday, June 11. We are already booked to see eiffel tower and the love and seine river cruise, but would love to see if you have availability and what other sites of interest you could take us to. Traveling in our group are 11 - 5 adults; 3 seniors (can walk); 2 teenage boys and one 10 year old girl. Please let me know and thank you.
Betty M
Cherry Hill, NJ10 contributions
Would like information from Private tours about a quick trip to Paris say for 2 or 3 days.. Touring the sights with an English speaking guide and a possible side trip to Versailles? We will be in London and possibly would like to extend our trip to do this.
High speed train from London to Paris and then on to you and the sights? We are headed out around 10/24 or so.
Betty M
Cherry Hill, NJ10 contributions
I appreciate the outreach for our trip... this site won't let me post my email... so If you provide the name of your tour company I can reach out to you from my email.
Houtex2077
1 contribution
We arrive June 4th would like to have a tour start around noon till 5. Leaving everything in your hands to do whatever.
Angelo R
Versailles, France5 contributions
Hello,
Thank you for contacting us.
We would be pleased to be your guide during your stay in our country.
Could you please let us know which of our tours you are interested in?
How many people will take tours?
Kind regards,
Augustin