France Shore Excursions
One of the common questions asked by those planning a European cruise vacation is whether or not a shore excursion is worth the money. Naturally the answer will vary depending on the cost, the activity planned, and, most importantly, the port of call where the shore excursion is to take place. In the case of France there are few people who would argue that the time and additional expense of experiencing the many wonders this historic city has to offer is absolutely worth it.
When booking your excursion you can either do so through your cruise line, or through a private company that will arrange to meet you, take you on a guided tour and return you to your ship prior to sailing. Better deals can often be found through private companies if you are willing to do a little internet research, but if there are complications along the way you run the risk of potentially missing your ship’s departure. The risks are minimal, but if you are someone who wants as little stress as possible on your vacation it might be worth the extra cost to book through your cruise line so you run no risk of being left behind.
If you do book with a private company make sure the scheduled tour coincides with the arrival and departure of your ship. You don’t want to have to cut out part way through and miss many of the highlights that you’ve paid for.
Make sure that most of the highlights of your chosen France shore excursion are of interest to you. You may not be able to find a tour that contains every single sight you want to see, but you don’t want to pay a premium only to find out that most of the places you are visiting are of little interest to you.
Do some research into the guides themselves. The best part of your tour will be all the things you learn along the way. An multilingual guide who is fluent in both French and English will make communication easy, and allow you to follow along without any confusion about the historic sites you are visiting. The guides should not only be knowledgeable about the specific areas they are taking you to, but should possess good knowledge of the general region as well in order to answer any questions that go off on another tangent.
With such a rich history, and so much art and culture to experience in France there is naturally a wide selection of things to see and do on a shore excursion. If you are visiting Paris then the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Arc de Triomphe would all be venues that would be high on everyone’s list. However, this is just a small sample of what is available to see in Paris, let alone the rest of France.
The French Riviera is another venue that is much in demand, and a tour here will take a day or more to see the highlights. The Moyenne Corniche is a must, and spectacular, breathtaking vistas can be seen all along this death-defying cliff-hanging highway that winds it way from Nice. From the top of the mountain you get a fabulous panorama of the coastline. Further on down the road is the famous medieval village of Eze. Antique dealers and artisans abound in this quaint little town and traversing the maze of narrow passageways and stairways is an experience quite unlike any other. At the summit you can visit the Jardin Exotique, a cactus garden that grows over the site of the former castle here. More beauty and historical wonders await you at La Turbie, a 1st century Roman village known as the “Terrace” of Monaco. You can see the Trophy of the Alps, a Roman monument built in 7 BC by Octave Auguste, visit the city of Monaco itself, or tour through Cannes, home of the world famous film festival.
As you can see there are nearly boundless wonders that await you on a France shore excursion, and Paris and the French Riviera are far from being the only options to choose from. If you are planning a European cruise make sure you do your research and decide exactly what you want to do and see. Yes, it may be expensive, but you can’t put a price tag on great memories, and the sights you see on your tour will live in your mind’s eye for the remainder of your life.
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- Italy Shore Excursions - What To See and Do
- Norwegian Shore Excursions
- Cruise Shore Excursions - Are They Worth The Money?
- A Seine River Cruise - What Are The Highlights?
- Europe Excursions - Take a Cruise
Filed under: European Cruises, European River Cruises, Planning a Cruise, Shore Excursions