Guided Tour to Paris from London by Train

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We forgot our passport and could not go. It would be nice if we had gotten some type of refund back.

Paris without a tour guide that gives great history is just meh

Love the beauty of the buildings, the architecture and the cruise down the Seine. However the next few months will be a mess due to the Olympics coming to town in July. Traffic was ridiculous and caused delays like crazy for us to see the city and closed lots of roads

Nice trip, but too quick!

A great way to see Paris for a day if you’re coming from London however keep in mind that there’s little time to do too much more than see a few highlights. We left London at 7:00am and didn’t get to the first stop in Paris until noon. Given that you have to be back for the return train to London at 7:00pm in Paris there’s no time to spare. The tour guide David was fabulous however and was one of the highlights of the day. Expect this to be what it is which is a micro sampling of Paris over a handful of available hours.

A very structured tour but needs to set expectations better

My mother and I attended this tour because we wanted some structure in visiting Paris because we didn’t speak the language. We went with Viator because they are a Trip Advisor owned company so we assumed we would be in good hands. We were, but there are some things you should know before booking this tour. It all boils down to expectations and I think Viator could have done a better job of setting them. First, Anna was a fantastic tour guide and she made the experience easy. I really enjoyed her and she was very organized. She made it a point to memorize everyone’s names, which was really impressive, and she had a wonderful sense of humor. She has clearly been doing this a while. Nothing negative in this review is a reflection on her. Here's what you can expect on this trip. First, Viator will send you an email with where you need to meet in St. Pancras International Station, and at what time. However, what they don’t tell you is WHO to look for. We kept looking for Viator or Trip Advisor signs; what we found instead were signs for “Premium Tours.” This made us question if we were in the right place. However, Premium Tours is indeed the operator of this trip. Viator should do a better job of explaining this. Second, we got our tickets and proceeded to the train. The Premium Tour folks did not tell us that we had to go through airport-like security, and the entire experience was haphazard. They should have warned people to be prepared to remove their belts and large devices from their bags before being scanned. There are no trash cans between the entrance line and security as well so be aware of that because a lot of people grab a quick breakfast before getting on the train. Security at St. Pancras could best be described as organized chaos, and not being warned about this certainly didn’t help. Also, bear in mind that once you board the Eurostar, you should act like you are already in France. All the staff were French. Little things like saying “Bonjour/Bonsoir”, “Merci”, and “sil vou plais” go a LONG way and you should start using these phrases immediately. I went to the dining car and had a good experience with the waiter (who was very nice), and immediately after, another person on the tour came back upset because the waiter was rude to them. I asked if they said Bonjour. They did not. That was probably why. Again, remember that you are in France. Once we were seated on the train, our tour guide eventually came and found us. At that point, we were in good hands. Another thing they don't tell you: whatever you do, make sure that you use the bathrooms on the Eurostar before you arrive in Paris. You won't have another opportunity to find a restroom for a while. Restrooms in Paris are hard to find, and you often have to pay for them. You will only drive by key Parisian sites. You won’t be able to get out for pictures. You'll pass them at a distance. Traffic in Paris is bad, especially because you will arrive around lunchtime. You’ll then arrive at the Eiffel Tower where you CAN take pictures. If you purchased lunch at the tower, you’ll go do that. If you didn’t, you have about 2.5 hours to yourself. What they don’t tell you is that this 2.5 hours INCLUDES lunch, which takes at least 90 minutes, which means you really only have 1.5 hour of free time, which is not enough to do anything, really. What they also don't tell you is that if you're an American, French waiters are a little slower as they prefer to let you enjoy your meal. You shouldn't expect a short lunch. What we did: we didn’t care for the area around the Eiffel Tower so we called an Uber and went to the park behind the Louvre which was about 10 minutes away. We sightsaw and ate lunch at a café in the middle of the park. We called an Uber and got back to the meeting point with about 20 minutes to spare. Just know that you won’t have any free time to sightsee on this tour. Once your free time is over, you go on a Seine River Cruise, which would have been better if proper expectations had been set. Viator doesn’t tell you that you’ll need to download the river cruise app, and that you’ll need earbuds to listen to the commentary, as the boat operators don’t talk. If you don’t bring headphones (because why would you--you're in Paris), you'll just stare out the window. I would much rather have skipped the cruise and gotten more free time to go to a museum or do something else. After the river cruise, you head back to Gare du Nord, where you board the Eurostar for London. Another really, really important tip: there are public restrooms on the Eiffel Tower grounds that are free. However, the public toilets are a little unusual if you've never been to Europe before because they're self-cleaning. Go to YouTube and look up "Paris public toilets" so you understand what they look like and how they work. We didn't understand this and we irritated some locals because we fumbled around with the controls. Overall, I still think this tour was worth it given that my mother needed the structure. It provided a structured, safe way to see Paris and it minimized the stress of not knowing the language. It was a little expensive for what we got, but I'm still glad we did it. I'd like to see Viator set better expectations and prepare travelers for the cultural differences of traveling to France. France is unique, and anything Viator could do to help people with these differences would be beneficial to both travelers and Parisians. If you book this tour, enjoy Paris. It's truly a one-of-a-kind city with great people and culture. And of course, you'll get a great tour guide!

Disappointed in Paris

Tour guide Carol was a nice lady; however the tour was chaotic, unorganized and did not deliver as written (false advertisement). I spent $$$$, for my granddaughter to see Paris. Keep your money don’t waste it on this tour. I have used Viator for 5 years, called customer service, received text back from Harold Jay, customer service, who refused any type of compensation for another trip or credit. I will never again refer anyone to Viator.

Great value, great guide, good fun!

Great trip definitely worth it if you are time-poor but still want to see the sites of Paris! And relatively well priced when you take into consideration how much the Eurostar tickets would normally cost you as well! Anna our guide was amazing and very knowledgeable and made the trip seamless for everyone! 10/10

Perfect day in Paris!!

Anna was the perfect tour guide. Personable and knowledgeable. We had a very long wait into the Eiffel Tower that was out of her control and she handled it perfectly. If you want a day trip to Paris then Anna is your go to!!!

Paris day trip from London

Anna was a great guide. The information she provided was mixed with her sense of humor. A great bus ride led to an amazing river cruise. Lots of pic opportunities in the cruise. We were not interested in the tower lunch so we explored a little more of Paris and found our own lunch spot. Then to the Louvre- amazing. Thanks again to Anna for a great trip.

Anna personalized our adventure.

Anna was great at accommodating our needs and personalizing our experience by upgrading our trip. She used our given names throughout the trip and made sure she connected with everyone. She took us to meeting spots showing us where to meet up instead of just telling us. Very knowledgeable regarding historical facts.

Day trip London to Paris.

Our TOUR GUIDE, Anna was phenomenal and full if so much info about Paris. Incredibly fun and kept us safe and on point. 1 day was just enough if you want to dip toes in Paris. Bus tour and river cruise were excellent. So glad we went. Highly advise...ask for Anna as your guide.

Rainy Paris

I was really excited to have this day from our London trip to Paris. I felt this day was rushed and a little blah. If I had to do it over again I would have stayed in London. That being said, it was no fault of our tour guide Anna who made the best of the situation! It was very rainy, traffic was heavy and there was a lot of construction so the route from the train station to the Eiffel Tower was a little haphazard. We booked really early without the option to have lunch because we thought there would be a lot more to do around. With all the rain it was hard to find a cafe. We eventually did and sat until it was time to meet for the river cruise portion of the tour. That also seemed a little rushed. Over all a lot of the scenarios couldn’t be helped but I would skip this next time. Also very hard to find bathrooms and you must pay, so have your coins ready.

Day in Paris

Great day but would liked to have driven passed some iconic sites instead of what seemed like aimless drive through paris to get to the eiffel tower. Only shown arc de triomph from far away. Maybe even gone passed notre dame despite in being closed. Anna was our tour guide and she was amazing. There were about 50 in the group and she knew all of us by name in about half an hr. Very knowledgeable and helpful

David! Is a great guy!...

David! Is a great guy! Very professional. Friendly and toke care of us. Tour is light and nice! Walking like crazy is something not everyone is looking for. I LOVE it

The guide was lovely. ...

The guide was lovely. However the bus did not have a microphone, the seats were stained and cramped. We were sitting in the back of the bus, on the engine, and did not clearly hear instructions and the tour.

Interesting short trip across the channel.

Excellent tour. Enjoyable train ride from London to Paris. Interesting boat trip along the Seine. Important landmarks highlighted.

PARIS ON WHEELS

I booked myself just a half a day prior the tour … to get that last minute deal of last ticket “made for me !( Feeling) “ becomes most memorable aspect for me. I wanted to go to Paris & in solo mode ,this cut-crisp catch befitted best.🤗. Every pillar of Paris emitted spirit of it’s intricate art culture & history . The paintings in Louvre Museum so artistically peels open the pages of previous centuries , and preserved so passionately by Paris is commendable. Our tourist guide, Anna , was supportive, & pleasing……connecting the cords of Paris to us she also added a flavour of warmth & humour to this trip .

Awesome guided tour

Ana, the tour guide was great! She was very friendly and knowledgeable. We enjoyed the train and tower.

ROBBERY

This was falsely advertised. Apparently because I didn't book lunch with you, we were left on our own and told to go on the cruise. We didn't get to go on the grounds of the Eiffel Tower, we were left outside away from it. On the river cruise there was no commentary so we were just sailing blindly. After the river cruise I couldn't locate the bus and had to take the metro back to the Eurostar station. This was not worth the money and it wasn't what it was advertised to be. I am so disappointed

We went to the Effiel Tower, Notre Dame, river cruise, and had time to shop near Notre Dame.

David was an excellent guide! His organization skills are immaculate. We got to every place on time.

Save your money…

We spent over an hour in traffic getting from train to Eiffel Tower, we’re told to do the seine river cruise by 4 pm to be back at bud by 5:00, we followed directions to v just sit on bus waiting for the last group to get on river cruise at 5, and not board the bus till 6:15. We then went to Notre Dame and had 25 min take pics and shop… in which we didn’t get to do earlier cause we had to hurry up and wait and just sit on bus! Time was not well planned out…. And traffic odds traffic like that everyday, so that V should be in the expected plan !

Couldn’t ask for more

I couldn’t ask for more for a day trip to Paris. Anna, our guide, was amazing, patient and funny. We saw most key sites at some point. The Eiffel Tower workers were on strike, so we made an extra stop to the Louvre gardens and surrounding shopping areas, which was nice. I did find that our cruise had much less narration than another cruise that kept going by us, and I think a change in river cruise companies should be considered. But overall, this was an excellent experience to get some exposure to Paris!

Very Enjoyable

The overall experience was good. Anna kept the trip organized, informative and entertaining. Just wish the Eiffel Tower was open to visit and that we had more time. Everything under the provider's control was great.

Paris day trip

Anna was our tour guide we had an amazing day in Paris! She was the best!!! She was knowledgeable about all the sites. Took time to answer any questions we had. Simply a beautiful woman.

Wonderf

Anna was an excellent tour guide filled with information. She delivered with cheery voice and upbeat personality.

Paris is Paris

I enjoyed the fact that I was able to take a day trip to Paris and navigate the EuroStar. The trip was listed as a half day tour and half day on your own. This is not the case. We arrived in Pari about 10:30 or 11:00 in effect, the tour was like a cab ride to the Eiffel Tower where those who were having lunch there had to immediately go in for lunch and those who had the 1/2 day on their own actually did have the other 1/2 day but there really wasn't a 1/2 day tour. The sights that were pointed out on the way to the Eiffel Tower really wasn't a tour. We were given the chance to rejoin the group at 4:30 but it you are out on your own it's hard with the Paris traffic to get back to the group. The Seine Tour was too much packed into that day especially since the tour was so loud that you couldn't hear the guide. Anna was pleasant and knowledgeable and did reach out to see if we were going to rejoin the group. We opted not to do so because of traffic. It was unnerving to me that once we were back on the train, she addressed the people in front of us (we were facing each other) and the people across the aisle and never communicated with us or confirmed that we made the train.

France

Very good experience. Some problems getting on the river tour because it was crowded. Shopping was a little hectic.

Not as described

The guide was great however the trip is not what expected. You see the Louve but only the food area. No time to see any of the museums. If you are late at all the bus will leave you. It happened to 3 people on our bus. They were left at the Effiel Tower Would not recommend

Great way to see Paris in one day from London

Anna was a super helpful and friendly tour guide. She accommodated us even though we missed the train. She gave us instructions on how to meet up with the tour group at the Seine. This was a great way to see the main sites of Paris in one day. Would definitely recommend.

Onne day London to Paris tour

Ana, the tour guide was good, but did something wrong in last stage, due to which a mother and daughter duo missed the bus to Eurostar station for return journey. It was a tensed moment for others. In a new place it's difficult to find local transport in a short time to reach your destination. They managed to board the train 2/3 mins before the departure. What if they would have missed the train? It was last train to London and I heard there was no train on next day (Sunday)... would have been a terrible tour for them. Avoiding a details sequence of events. Besides above incidence, overall it was a good trip. Of course, one day apx. 6 hrs is too short to cover a place like Paris.

Bucket List!

It was my first time taking the Eurostar speed train from London to Paris and it was so convenient and fast. I love the river cruise experience in Paris and also it took my breath away when i get to see Paris even i was only at the 2nd floor of Eiffel Tower. Thanks to Ana, our lovely tour guide. Highly recommend!

Boat riders be on the lookout

Our guide Anna was great! Unfortunately on the boat ride down the Sienne River some unkind individuals standing on a bridge decided the throw bbq sauce on a number of us on the boat. So disappointing

Anna is the best host

I truly enjoyed my experience with host Anna. She is very knowledgeable and funny. I love the city of Paris and can’t wait to come back to do it again.

Paris in a day

Great for going to see the most popular sites in Paris in one day. You have some free time to explore on your own too.

Paris

Me and my husband had a great time in Paris with lots of things to see and good food. We got to see the Eiffel Tower, The Louve and walked around the city some and the river cruise. It was a taste of Paris that we hope to decide in the future if we wanted to visit. Anna, our tour guide from Premium Tours was great. She is very informative, funny and made sure everyone was having a great time. We just want to make sure she was recognized for her great customer service. Thumbs up.

Great way to see Paris in a day

Our tour guide, Anna, was amazing. She was fun and knowledgeable about Paris. She was also very caring and made sure no one got left behind at any of the stops. She is the reason we gave this 5 stars. We felt it was worth the money to have the tickets for each part of the trip arranged. We avoided the long lines at the Eiffel Tower and at the cruise. Lunch at the tower was tasty, but not good if you have picky eaters. The return trip was chaotic, but not the fault of the tour group. Eurostar had many issues and the lines at the station in Paris were crazy. However, Anna reassured us and helped us navigate the madness. If we’d encountered this on our own, it would have been much more stressful. Can’t say enough about how great she was.

What a fantastic day

Our tour was through Premier Tours and our tour guide that greeted us at St Pancreas station was very helpful, knowledgeable and very friendly the entire trip. We had lunch at the Eiffel tour, which I would highly recommend adding onto the trip

Wonderful Day trip to Paris

My family and I had a wonderful tour from London to Paris. Anna was our guide. She did a great job at explaining all the sites and making it fun. We met some friends on the tour. They happen to live in my area and we have remained friends. So if you get a chance please take this tour.

Paris!

We had a fantastic time on this trip-Anna our guide was wonderful,and Frederick the driver drove us safely around the busy streets of Paris! 3 course meal on the boat trip along the Seine was lovely,and saw all the sights in Paris on a sunny day! Would highly recommend this trip

astonishing

We’ve been trough the most known places of Paris. Beyond that, Anna as a guide is absolutely committed with the wellbeing of every single person in the group. remarkable journey.

Absolutely amazing!

From the start I was nervous as I was traveling alone. After I told the guide Anna, she kept an eye on me and made me feel apart of the group. Her knowledge of Paris was awesome. Lunch cruise was mesmerizing, the views. The louvre was amazing! The traffic was crazy, we walked to train station, but Anna made sure we were all safe and ready for the train. True professional and when I come back, I would hope to get her. Thanks, Anna, I had a blast.

Anna and Mohamad

Mohamad is a rock star for guiding us in and around Paris with the excessive traffic. Anna was very knowledgeable and funny! I would recommend this trip if your time in Paris is very limited but you want to see and learn

London to Paris

Our day guided day tour to Paris in the end was exhausting but fun and enjoyable. We had a bit of an issue the morning of our trip due to unclear directions. Make sure you understand exactly were your rendezvou point is, departure time, and have all of your documents with you. The Eurostar runs on schedule. We rode first class for comfort, meals, and refreshments included. But there are other less expensive accommodations. The ride through the chunnel from London and back was really not that big a deal because its dark! no scenery. Two hours later we were in Paris and boarded our coach (bus). Anna our tour guide was great and our bus driver whose name I can't remember was an amazing chauffeur. The streets are narrow and the traffic is heavy in the city. While you are given a map of the city, you have to pay close attention to your guide because you will get lost so be on time to your meeting points. Our first stop was the Louvre museum snd it was amazing. Our second stop was the Eiffel Tower which was closed to the public which was disappointing but still beautiful. Afterwards they had a wonderful four course lunch for us. We cruised the Seine for a couple of hours while we looked at the scenery met nice people, listened to live entertainment and even got in a dance with my wife. We seeing bridges, beautiful architecture and the fire ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral which was under repair. After that it was back to London. We were exhausted but had a great experience. Anna our guide was just full of information about the city and its history. Don't forget to tip your guide and driver, true professionals.

Amazing day trip in paris!!

We are a couple from London and didn't know what to expect from this trip as it was our first time to Paris. At first it seemed that it was going to be just another guided tour, however Anna our tour guide was just amazing and the way she managed our trip was nothing less than spectacular. With her joking nature of explaining the history of Paris and the well handled situation of making us feel like we were in a beautiful adventure was the best part of the day. It was my birthday, so my wife and myself wanted to experience a nice special day. I think it was an amazing day spent in Paris and all thanks to Anna for making this so memorable. She is an asset to premium tours.

Great

Tour guide was very knowledgeable and accommodating . Good choice for my one day solo trip to Paris. The bus driver doubled back so passengers could all get a great photo opportunity at landmarks.

Amazing Day Trip!

From beginning to end, this day tour can be simply defined as amazing! Out of all of the tours we took on this trip, Anna was the absolute best tour guide we could have asked for. She was so caring, accommodating, informative, super friendly, extremely knowledgeable, and very engaging. My mom needed special accommodations and Anna ensured that her every need was met. She even led the tour group to sing happy Birthday to her! The bus ride was very smooth, the river cruise was great, and my family enjoyed every moment of it! We were able to see all of the major attractions Paris has to offer on this day tour. Very pleased. Worth every penny!

One day Trip to Paris via Eurostar with Anna

We had a wonderful day trip to Paris with premium tours. We stopped at the Eiffel Tower for photos and enjoyed a lunch cruise while viewing several sites along the way. Anna our guide was especially kind and nice. Thank you!

Paris Trip

I love the trip very much.. i would recommend this to my friends and family. I would do it again. Thank you Charlotte the tour guide.

Guided Paris Day Trip from London

We had an awesome day in Paris! Anna was a great guide and we appreciated her help! The traffic in Paris was unreal! We loved seeing the sites.

Hectic but great tour

Anna was a superb guide. She made my handicapped spouse a priority. We really enjoyed the entire day. (Yikes! Traffic is an adventure by itself)

Paris in one day

The trip was one I have longed to make and for the time we had, it was okay. Paris needs more time than one day. The guide was very nice and made sure everyone was accounted for and was very explicit in her instructions as well as her commentary on each of the sites we saw. I liked her very much.