Self-guided walk so easy to use, by VPBY
Self-guided walk of our site Visiting Paris by Yourself (VPBY) are the most complete, economical and fun way to get to know Paris:
1. Visiting with a guide is the supposedly best way for sightseeing tours. But it comes at a cost, and must fit into a set schedule: your guide’s availability.
2. Walking or biking (or riding a scooter) through the streets of Paris is the ideal way to see and appreciate many more interesting things than by car, bus or metro.
3. Combining the two is the very economical solution we offer you in this section of Visiting Paris by Yourself: meticulously prepared walks, commented with precision and amusing as that of a “human” guide.. But this one is recorded in your cell-phone, available 24 hours a day.
Visiting Paris By Yourself (VPBY) self-guided walk, not a simple list of things to see
Walks of Self Guided Tours are not a simple “walks” that mentions known places or addresses in passing. Our walks are detailed like a “human” guide would do, with an itinerary drawn on a specific map, with 2 or 3 levels of information available at each point of interest to your choice,
- the basic information;
- historical or anecdotal complements;
- and finally an access to a “professional” database for those who are curious about details and eager for knowledge.
What you get on your cell phone: first an overview of the walk
First a summary of the walk, then a map with the “bicycle” itinerary and below the drop-down list of the points of interest of the walk
One click to open each point of interest on the self-guided tour
For each point of interest, you get its address and GPS coordinates, how to get there (metro, etc.), a “short” description and by clicking on “More details”, a complete historical and/or anecdotal description in English or French.
Then we show you the way to the next point of interest – in English and French
Self-guided walk: short to prevent fatigue
Each Self Guided walk is between 1.5 and 2.5 km (1 to 11/2 miles), takes about 2 hours, and usually starts at the exit of a monument, a museum or a church, or at least near a major point of interest. This choice is intentional in order to relax from the density of attention that indoor visits such as museums require.
A walk includes 12 to 25 detailed, identified and located “points of interest”. You can start or end a walk at any point along the itinerary because you get its location and the way to return to your hotel. And you can continue it the next day, if you wish. You will also be informed about the possibilities (opening hours) and conditions (Prices) for visiting monuments, museums or churches that you may encounter along the chosen route. Where to rest (Gardens and parks), or find stores for shopping and specialties (Patisseries, wines to take away, gifts and other typical French products) are also part of the information available.
Needless to say, these walks can be done at any time of the day or night!
High density of promenades to cover the whole of Paris worth visiting
The starting points of the proposed walks are distributed “at the gates” of monuments, museums or well-known buildings, that is to say almost everywhere in Paris: the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Bastille, the Sainte Chapelle, Notre Dame, the Butte de Montmartre, the Marais, etc. A starting point can be common to several walks. But it could be your hotel on request !
A huge work in progress …
All this is under construction and therefore changes regularly.
We have so far organized and tested 4 walks.