french whim
Good day to all! We went with Accord to "French Caprice" on June 17-24.2012. We are very satisfied with everything - the head of the group Anatoly Shitev is smart, everything was perfectly organized, it was not at all boring on the way, long journeys were quite easily transferred, he provided all the necessary information and answered all of our many questions, and his sense of humor also helped keep the whole group in a good mood. Our drivers are also great, virtuosos, for their work - a special thank you! ! !
The only remark to Accord is that the procedure for opening visas is too long! ! ! Documents for a visa were submitted on time, 1.5 months in advance, it was necessary to leave for Lviv on Saturday morning (tickets, of course, were also bought a month in advance) and only on Friday evening, on the eve of departure, we find out that the visa is still open! I had to freak out!! ! !
And now, briefly about the trip itself: the border was passed quite quickly, without problems.
I really liked Poland from the bus window - everything is clean, tidy, bike paths ...
The hotels were all excellent - especially Poland and Germany, Paris let us down a bit - against the background of previous hotels, poor breakfasts and located far from the center - an hour to go by metro.
Germany - elective Dresden - Saxon Switzerland is worth taking! In Dresden, the Zwinger impressed, and Saxon Switzerland is just a fairy tale! ! ! An ideal German village against the backdrop of beautiful mountain landscapes! ! ! Again, a note to Accord - it’s more rational to take tourists immediately to Saxon Switzerland, and then to Dresden + free time there, otherwise our group was brought to Dresden for a survey, then to Switzerland, and then again to Dresden - to take a walk free time .
Germany, Erfurt - a doll town, pretty neat multi-colored houses with flowers on the windows, bright, like in a children's fairy tale.
I really wanted to walk around this town longer, see the cathedral inside (it, unfortunately, was closed due to the construction of the stage in front of it), walk to the castle, but we had only 1 hour of free time in Erfurt! ! ! Very little! ! !
And now - the main goal of the trip! ! ! Paris! ! ! Dream! We were in Paris already at 14.00, stopping at Concorde Square - a view of the Champs Elysees and the Eiffel Tower! Emotions overwhelm - dreams come true! On a sightseeing tour, our guide Ivan Ivanovich is a real artist, very emotionally, with poems and quotes, introduces us to Paris. The tour is mainly by bus, stopping only at the Trocadero - to be photographed against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower and the Les Invalides. After we are dropped off on the Seine embankment, where part of the group goes to an optional boat ride, then to the Louvre. We did not take electives in Paris, we attended everything we wanted on our own - this is quite real, the savings are significant.
For example, an elective from Accord to the Louvre costs 38 euros, a ticket to visit on your own costs 10 euros. In the Louvre, under the glass pyramid, there is a tourist information center where you can take a map of the Louvre in Russian free of charge, indicating its main attractions. In the evening (around 22.30) check-in at the hotel. The advice of tourists from the Internet was very useful - before France, stock up on groceries in Germany, with grocery stores in Paris...
The next day is a completely free day in Paris, and also my birthday : -) In the morning we go to Versailles, on the PEP ourselves (ticket 3.5 euros), on the 2nd floor. There are 2 queues in Versailles - at the entrance and for buying tickets, I recommend splitting up, it will be faster, it takes about 20 minutes to queue. We buy a Passport ticket (18 euros) - it gives the right to visit, in addition to the palace (which is the limit of the optional tour), also the park ( and it is huge) and also the Grand and Petit Trianon and the village of Marie Antoinette.
By the way, in the palace you can take a free audio guide in Russian. You can wander around Versailles all day, but a hurricane begins and the gardens are closed, tourists are escorted out. But we managed to see everything, on the PEP we return to Paris again and go to the Les Invalides - there is a museum of the army, weapons and the tomb of Napoleon. Very interesting exposition of medieval knights. After - we climb the Eiffel Tower, the hurricane has already passed, again the sun. We take a ticket to the 2nd floor on foot, and then take the elevator (it’s cheaper and there is absolutely no queue, and there is a queue for 2 hours to take the elevator). Impressions cannot be expressed in words, it must be felt - Paris is at your feet! By the way, there is a champagne bar on the 3rd floor - a glass costs 10 euros, but not every birthday is on the Eiffel Tower! !
: -))) And also on June 21 - the day of music in Paris - in the evening all kinds of musicians play everywhere - on the synthesizer, guitar, harp, blacks knock on drums, even in the gateway near the Champs-Elysé es we saw a symphony orchestra with a conductor and notes on music stands! ! ! The air is filled with music!
Even in the evening we managed to walk along the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe, stock up on pretty good French wine for 5-6 euros in the Monaprix store as a gift to relatives and see the joy of Portuguese fans from the victory of their team in the 1/4 finals of Euro 2012.
The next day, almost the entire group takes an elective to Disneyland, those who went were all very satisfied. But we still have time until 15.00 - we are staying in Paris. In the morning we go to Montmartre, visit the Sacré -Coeur Basilica. A very beautiful building, from the platform in front of it a wonderful view of Paris.
Then we go down to the metro and go to the fully automated metro line number 14 - a unique opportunity to steer in the Paris metro. Next - we go to the island of Cité , visit the Norte Dame de Paris, admire the castles of the Conciergerie and Sainte Chapelle. We also walk around Paris, past the Grand Opera, the fountain of St. Michel, everyone is running...3 days for Paris is still very little. We meet with our group leader and go to PEP to Disneyland, where a bus is already waiting for us and a night transfer to Prague. The move, by the way, was very well tolerated - in Paris, the whole group was tired and just wanted to relax ...
Prague met us very warmly and somehow at home. Very interesting walking tour of the city. I recommend an elective on a boat on the Vltava with lunch. After Paris, hearty Czech food was very welcome (the knee is super! ), plus the most beautiful views from the ship.
It was great just to wander freely along the Charles Bridge and the streets of Prague - a city with positive energy, I want to return there again and again.
In general, the impressions of the tour are wonderful, many thanks to Accord for organizing it, and I wish all the tourists planning a trip great trips, and do not forget that the most important thing in your trip is a positive attitude! ! ! !
