My DS and I were part of a group of about 40 who elected to spend four days in Paris, France before our cruise on the AmaDagio to Provence. We took advantage of some of the pre-arranged tours and transfers AmaWaterways (“AMA”) offered. Our trip began the evening of Saturday, May 10, when we flew from JFK airport to Paris. We arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport Sunday morning, retrieved our luggage and met the Ama rep who led us to our coach bound for the city. Another rep at the Ama desk at the Pullman Paris Montparnasse hotel gave us all our room keycards. Our luggage was taken to our rooms if it bore the Ama tag that was previously provided. After settling in at the Pullman, my DS and I walked around the neighborhood. Gare Montparnasse and the local metro are conveniently located at the end of the street, and there are several restaurants, banks, clothing, grocery and other stores nearby. We grabbed a crepe with cheese and located a BNP Paribas bank to withdraw euros.

Sunday evening, the group’s first tour in Paris consisted of a cabaret dinner show at the Moulin Rouge; needless to say the men were mesmerized (lol). The following morning, our guide took us on a city tour by coach to see the major sites in Paris; we traveled by metro to spend some time at Notre Dame Cathedral. The tour continued with lunch at Le 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant, and in the evening we had dinner on a Seine River cruise. Since we were free most of the third day, a couple joined my DS and I on an excursion by local bus to Musee D'Orsay. To skip the long lines, we paid a couple more euros and obtained passes from the concierge at the hotel. Metro tickets were sold out so we bought day passes at the station. I was particularly interested in viewing The Disciples, by Eugene Burnand, but was disappointed to learn it was in storage. Nevertheless, Musee D'Orsay was delightful as were the exhibits. We used the nearby footbridge with “love locks” to cross the Seine and continued through Tuileries Garden and Place de La Concorde to get to Rue du Faubourg St. Honore where we browsed high-end shops. We then walked along Champs Elysees and enjoyed a late lunch. We rode the metro back to the hotel to prepare for the Montmartre and Illuminations evening tour which gave us an opportunity to explore the hilltop district and Sacre-Coeur Basilica, and to observe the lights of Paris at night. The stop at the Eiffel Tower was a treat with its sparkling lighting effects. Day four consisted of a tour that focused on various ethnic groups in Paris and the night ended with a Brazilian cabaret dinner show.

The second day in Paris, the group met Sebastien Leroy who was to be our cruise director on the AmaDagio. He welcomed and assisted us, made us feel comfortable and at ease and ensured we got off to a good start on our tours. I believe getting to know Sebastien in Paris, and the foundation that Ama laid from the point of greeting us at the airport, set the tone and helped us to settle in early and better enjoy the cruise that was to follow. The transfers were also particularly helpful as we did not have to find our way from point A-B or traipse our luggage around as Ama handled these details. Read more