Online Self Guided Paris Walking Tours

[MaisonMetz]

There are many companies and individuals that offer Paris walking tours for nominal - and sometimes not so nominal charges. Many are excellent. There are also a myriad of books that provide Paris walking tour routes. However, this thread focuses specificially on walking tours that are outlined on the internet. With so many of us traveling to Paris in the near term, I thought we might share online sources we've discovered.

Here are sites I've come across, some in English, some in French, and some in both. A few of these may have been mentioned in other, separate Our Paris threads, but I thought it might be useful to start an omnibus thread on the subject.

Marcel Proust Themed Walking Tours: www.nysoclib.org/travels/proust.html

Marie Curie Walking Tour:
hypatiamaze.org/m_curie/curie_walk.html

Walks in Unknown Paris, aka Promenades dans le Paris Inconnu: www.parisinconnu.com/promenades/index_us.htm

Paris Walking Tours (self-guided section): www.paris-walking-tours.com/walkingtours.html

Paris Balades: www.parisbalades.com/

Passages et Galeries [/i](See Les Itinéraires): www.passagesetgaleries.org/

Balades parisiennes by Michel Ostertag: www.ecrits-vains.com/ballades/sommaire.html

A few arrondissement websites include walking tours. Use the following internet address, change the number to correspond to the arrondissement you want, and search in likely pull-down menus: For example - www.mairie3.paris.fr (See “Mon Arrondissement” and then “Balades dans le 3e”)

When I find more, I'll add them to this thread. Are there others you've come across?

Jo

[MaisonMetz]

Oops! I forgot to add several series of terrific walks that are outlined on the French portion of the Mairie de Paris website. For those who read French, there are some great ones here:

Balades du patrimoine:
www.paris.fr/portail/Culture/Portal.lut?page_id=7174&document_type_id=4&document_id=22132&portlet_id=16597

Parcours d'architecture:
www.paris.fr/portail/Urbanisme/Portal.lut?page_id=101&document_type_id=4&document_id=13164&portlet_id=14633

Balades dans les quartiers:
www.paris.fr/portail/tourisme/Portal.lut?page_id=6929

Balades dans les jardins:
www.paris.fr/portail/Parcs/Portal.lut?page_id=7067

Jo

[Sandy M]

Thanks, Jo - I have some of these sites saved but not all - it's nice to have them all one thread.

[Laidback]

More pure gold from MaisonMetz ;D
Thanks Jo, another exaltable post.

[denise]

:)Fantastic Jo!, an exalt from me.

Next time I go to Paris, I really MUST try the free walking tour that meets very day at the fountain in Place St Michel.

Has anyone experience of this?

www.newparistours.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=27


Denise.

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Wow, yet another of your posts that has to be bookmarked! Thanks very much for compiling these.

[Darcy]

Another bull's eye for MaisonMetz! Merci!

[Shoesy]

Yippee !!! Next to eating of course ;D, walking seems to be our favorite Paris activity. An exalt coming from the Middle East too.

[MaisonMetz]

Here are a few more. I remembered that I'd saved a few articles about Paris walks in another file. The first two of these are from online newspapers and so may disappear over time.

Paris under the jackboot by Bob Carr: www.smh.com.au/news/france/paris-under-the-jackboot/2007/07/19/1184559941270.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2

Paris à la Hemingway by Bob Ford: www.philly.com/inquirer/travel/20080817_Poke_around_the_city_as_Hemingway_did_in_the_early_French_chapter_of_his_career_.html

Six walks from the Art Lovers' Paris website: www.stargonaut.com/promenad.html

There are also several on the Paris Eiffel Tower News website by Arthur Gillette:
"Guimard-land:" paris-eiffel-tower-news.com/members/walk-in-paris-guimard-land.html
"Saint-Germain des Près:" paris-eiffel-tower-news.com/walking-in-paris-stgermain.html
"The Arsenal Basin and Canal St Martin:" www.paris-eiffel-tower-news.com/paris-stories/paris-story-arsenal-basin-and-canal-st-martin.htm
"A stroll to St. Sulpice:" paris-eiffel-tower-news.com/walking-in-paris-stsulpice.html

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Somewhere I have a very old set of walking directions (in French) for walking between Bois de Vincennes and Bois du Boulogne. There are (or at least were) markers on corners of buildings, etc., similar to the walking trails that criss-cross rural France. If I can find it (who knows, after the packing and moving) I will post here and anyone who would like it can send me a PM for an e-mail of it. Or, if anyone else knows what I'm talking about and has a more readily available source (particularly translated into English) I would love to hear about it!

[Katharine]

For those interested in self-guided walks, I recommend the book Walking Paris by Gilles Desmons. The walks are wonderful and the book is a fabulously inciteful guide to the sites along the way. It includes thirty walks, enought to suit even the most ambitious among us (ahmm....Gitte!). You really do need to invest in this book....we have loved having it.

Katharine

[Ellen]

I haven't used these yet, but I've heard they come highly reccomended. I'm going to go on one of their walks on the 21st, in Montmartre, so will let you know how it goes.

www.paris-walks.com

Ellen

[mossie]

I have done several Paris Walks and thoroughly recommend them, although not Montmartre, too hilly for my ancient legs.
I first learnt of them by doing London Walks, with whom they are associated. These are also good value and if any of you visit London, they are well worth a go.

[MaisonMetz]

Ellen, Peter and Oriel Caine's Paris Walks company is one of our favorites for reasonable and consistently good guided walks. We've taken many, through not all of the recurring walks offered by the company, as well as a number of the added special walks. They are also the authors of the newest Frommer's walking tour book, "24 great walks in Paris." Enjoy your Montmartre walk on the 21st.

Am glad you mentioned them. Will start another thread soon that is focused on guided rather than self-guided, do-it-yourself walks.

Jo

[denise]

:)I just remembered this which i had hidden away.

Heather Stimmler-Hall has a walk around each area and its free.

www.secretsofparis.com/neighborhoods/

www.secretsofparis.com/saint-germain-luxembourg/

denise
Love from England

[Ellen]

Denise, thanks for this link. I must mark off all the streets in my map of Montmartre and try to find them myself. Good website, she's very honest isn't she?