"doing" travel?

It's almost a cliché...

We want to do Paris. We want to climb the Eiffel Tower, shop the Champs-Elysées, see the Arc du Triomphe, swing by the Mona Lisa, then take the kids to Euro Disney so they don't get bored.

I read comments like this all the time, and they could make me scream. Some tourists seem to approach travel by googling "top ten attractions" in a given city, then checking as many of those "top ten" off their list before they're off to their next destination. People talk about "doing" Paris, London, or Rome.

No client has ever said... The quotation at the top of this article is from Kristi Marcelle, a gifted Virtuoso colleague of mine. Her statement is so on target. I think of travel as the greatest human adventure, an opportunity to expand our horizons by immersing ourselves in different cultures, experiencing countless different ways of being in this world.

The most lasting memories of a trip are invariably those unscripted moments when we depart the beaten path, when we move deliberately away from where the crowds are gathered (e.g., the Eiffel Tower). Simply explore! Dare to wander off in whatever direction your curiosity leads you. Explore neighborhoods where non-tourists live, work, eat, and shop. Sure, you might get lost ... but what you discover while getting lost will provide the lasting memory from your trip. Then, when you've walked as far as you want, just book an Uber to take you back to your hotel.

40 square Montsouris (c) 2020 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

You might discover a hidden residential street and find charming houses like the one above at 40 Square Montsouris in Paris. Did you even know that streets like this exist in Paris?

copyright (c) 2020 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

holiday ideas for Paris

If your holiday plans include Paris, here are some favorite Christmas season ideas shared by the concierges of Le Meurice and the Plaza Athenée Paris, just two of the fabulous palace hotels that tempt visitors to the city of light.

Visit Vaux-le-Vicomte. To quote the words of the chateau's own website, "visitors will be transported to a sugarplum world of confectionary in a château decked with thousands of holiday decorations." The You Tube video above will give you an idea what visitors will experience: crackling fires, thousands of strings of light, decorated trees, rides in a horse-drawn carriage, and mountains of sweet treats. Tickets and shuttle from the train station can be reserved online. The 34 minute train from Paris Gare de l'Est to Verneuil l'Etang runs hourly, and you can reserve a shuttle to/from the Chateau (about a 17 minute drive).

Champs de Mars Christmas Market. Enjoy a skating rink at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, as well as a Christmas village where wooden chalets sell crafts, Christmas decorations, and regional gourmet products.

Both Le Meurice and the Plaza Athenée are part of the Dorchester Collection. When you book through a Diamond Club agency, you'll benefit from:

• guaranteed upgrade at booking (up to the Junior Suite category)
• 100€ credit towards your hotel bill
• full daily breakfasts for two that includes literally anything on the menu except caviar and alcohol
• complimentary Premium internet for unlimited devices

You can't get these amenities online. Get in touch, and we'll help you plan your next trip to Paris while saving you hundreds of dollars.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

three underground experiences in Paris

the Louvre (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Sometimes the most exclusive travel experience is the one you didn't even know existed. Here are three "underground" touring possibilities in Paris.

(1) The sewers of Paris. I've done this. Wasn't planning to, but when I came across the entrance years ago, I decided to go underground and have the experience. Worth it? NOT! Unless you have a fascination with all things having to do with civil engineering, it's not much to write home about. I suppose Parisian sewers smell the same as any city's sewers...

(2) The Eiffel Tower. Did you know there's an underground exhibit at the Eiffel Tower? You'll enter through a secret military bunker ... but most interesting are hydraulic lifts designed by Gustave Eiffel. Elevators that go straight up and down are commonplace, but Eiffel faced an engineering challenge: how do you operate an elevator that ascends at a slant? The exhibit will show you exactly how, and when you exit, you'll be at the front of the lines to take the elevator up!

(3) The Louvre. I never knew this was even possible. Like all museums, the Louvre has countless artistic treasure that are not on exhibit, and these reside in secret underground vaults. Our travel partner NoteWorthy can obtain exclusive access into these vaults. Along with your NoteWorthy guide and a curator from the Louvre, you'll be able to tour these vaults, far from the throng of tourists crowding in front of the Mona Lisa.

How many of these underground experiences did you know about?

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

one hotel, three days, five stars

entrance of the Four Seasons George V, Paris

If you collect Michelin stars, do we have a culinary experience for you!

Four Seasons George V, one of the most elegant hotels in Paris (and indeed the world!), can boast three renowned restaurants with five total Michelin stars.

Le Cinq — Michelin three-star French haute cuisine
l'Orangerie — Michelin one-star
Le George — Michelin one-star Mediterranean-style

Imagine the gastronomic experience you'll enjoy with the George V's Preferred Partner Culinary Discovery package.

• Daily American breakfast for two served at La Galerie, Le Cinq, or through in-room dining
• The "Epicurean Escape Menu" for two, available for lunch or dinner at Le Cinq
• The "Tasting Menu" for two, available for lunch or dinner at l'Orangerie
• The "Flavor Menu" for two, available for lunch or dinner at Le George
• Private tour of the wine cellar

As a Four Seasons guest, you'll find yourself in the heart of the Golden Triangle and all its possibilities for ultra-luxurious retail therapy ... and just steps away from the Eiffel Tower, the Musée du quai Branly, the arc du Triomphe, and the Champs Elysees.

And as the client of a Preferred Partner agency, you'll enjoy an exclusive set of amenities at the George V or any other Four Seasons in the world. While we are not permitted to publish them on a public website, just drop us a line and we'll send you our worldwide guide.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

make a date with Paris in 2016

Watch this video, and you'll want to go back to Paris. Featuring scenes from my favorite city on the planet, you'll see shots of some classic Parisian scenes including the Arc du Triomphe, the Sacre Coeur, the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, and the grand rotunda of the Galleries Lafayette.

Also featured are two of Paris's best hotels, the Plaza Athenee Paris and the Shangri-La Paris. Both hotels feature killer views of the Eiffel Tower from some of their guestrooms.

So now that you're going back to Paris, here's how to get the best deal when you stay at either or these hotels. By booking through a Virtuoso and Diamond Club travel advisor, you'll receive the following added-value amenities for free.

Shangri-La Paris

• Complimentary full daily breakfast for two
• $100 hotel credit towards incidental expenses
• Upgrade if available on arrival

Plaza Athenee Paris

• Complimentary full daily breakfast for two (anything on the menu except alcohol and caviar)
• 100€ credit that you can use toward the room bill
• (daily 100€ credit if you book a full suite)
• Guaranteed upgrade at time of booking (up to the Junior Suite category)

I can get you this kind of value at more than 1,100 luxury hotels around the world.

P.S. — I have a date with Paris this September... 

copyright (c) 2016 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Paris at dawn | Shangri La Paris

Eiffel Tower at Dawn, (c) 2014 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

I spent two evenings at the Shangri La Paris at the beginning of my recent trip to France. There's been a lot of interest in this new Virtuoso property, so I wanted to get a chance to experience the hotel first-hand. My impression is quite positive. The Shangri La is a boutique hotel with just 101 rooms and suites. Decorated in a classical Parisian style that light, airy, tasteful, and updated, I enjoyed my stay very much.

If you want to see the Eiffel Tower from your room, Shangri La Paris is an ideal choice (it's the closest hotel to the Eiffel Tower). Half of the rooms have a direct view, and my ground floor Garden Suite had a good view from my patio as well as from the bathtub. Click here to see a video I took in the evening.

But better than sitting in your room, take advantage of the location to take a short walk. I left the hotel before dawn and captured the photograph above with the lights from the Pont d'Iéna reflected in the water. Then I continued walking over the bridge and spent some time at the base of the Eiffel Tower with not another tourist in sight (usually, there are hundreds of people waiting in line). On the way back to the hotel, I captured the shot below of a solitary car traveling on the cobblestoned rue Fresnel.

Rue Fresnel at Dawn, (c) 2014 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Eiffel Tower | how to skip the line in Paris

One of the most popular attractions in Paris, the Eiffel Tower draws big crowds and l-o-n-g lines to purchase tickets. But don't spend hours of your previous time in Paris queuing up to go up the Eiffel Tower. Visitors to Paris can now purchase your tickets online. Just go to this website to make your purchase.

And don't wait in line to get museum tickets to visit the Louvre or the Musee d'Orsay, two of the most popular museums in the world. Buy a Paris Museum Pass - prepaid admission for 60 attractions - for either 2, 4, or 6 days. You won't necessarily save money unless you really rush through museums and try to see as much as humanly possible. However, you'll save time as you won't have to queue up in long lines to purchase tickets everywhere you go.

See more, wait less! Hope these tips help on your next visit to Paris.

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

tickets for the Eiffel Tower

Did you know it's possible to pre-book tickets for the Eiffel Tower? Good idea, if you can do it, because the lines are humongous. The Eiffel Tower is one of the top tourist attractions in Paris.

Tip from one of our Virtuoso on-sites in France:

Reminder: tickets to the very top can be purchased on the second floor. In my opinion and it's only mine, unless someone wants to say I was at the very top of the Eiffel tower, there is no point of going to the very top. The view up there is not better at all than on the second floor. And the line to get on the elevator can be very long.

He was able to collect 4 pre-booked Eiffel Tower tickets for 8SEP at 12:30 p.m. and 4 tickets for 9SEP at 5:30 p.m. They're on a first-come, first-served basis, but if one of those dates works for you, give me a shout and I'll see if I can get them for you.

Eiffel Tower tickets (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

a great new way to see Paris

The blog French Journal passed along a very interesting bit of news for tourists visiting Paris starting July 15, 2007 (the day after Bastille Day). According to an article in The Washington Post, over 20,000 bikes will become available for rent at nearly 1,500 bike stations all over the city. And the best part? The first half-hour is free!

This should diminish the number of cars on the road, make the metro less crowded, and generally make life more pleasant for everyone. The side benefits are unambiguously good: less pollution, less emissions of greenhouse gases, and less demand for petroleum products.

Imagine pedaling from the Eiffel Tower along the Seine, across the river, through the Louvre, back to the Seine, across to the Ile de la Cite, and finishing at Notre-Dame. A long walk becomes a great bike ride. C'est la vie!


If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.