Having had a great trip, I thought I'd summarise it for anyone else thinking about doing it.
Caution: There is a lot of detail here, so don't read if you dislike spoilers!
Day 1: I turned up at St Pancras an hour before the departure of the Eurostar as instructed and immediately met Freddy, who was to be our guide for the trip, just inside the queuing area to get your ticket scanned. He sent me through the ticket booth and the security check to the waiting area, where there was tea, coffee and snacks on offer.
At this point, we hadn't formed up into a group but had all passed through individually. However, once they started boarding the train it was quite easy to spot the other people on the tour - all of us with the branded luggage tags quite visible. I ended up at a table with Freddy and two others of the group and we all started chatting.
The Eurostar journey itself was quick and unremarkable - there are food and drinks if you want to buy them. From the sound of it, most people were sitting with someone else from the group and everyone started chatting. I think one person may have been in First Class, as I know Freddy checked up on everyone once the train was fully boarded.
On arrival in Paris, Freddy escorted us a short distance to the coach. There were a few kerbs to lift suitcases up and down but everyone managed without difficulty.
We drove off straight to the hotel and by now people were starting to talk and get to know each other - everyone was out to have a good time and it showed. I think there was some nervousness to start but everyone quickly relaxed. The group varied in age from mid-30s to at least 80 so quite diverse, and a mix of men and women too.
We arrived at the hotel after about an hours drive and had some free time of about 3-4 hours. The hotel was a Holiday Inn and, although not anything special, was perfectly adequate for the small amount of time we spent there.
We all met up for a drink and toast before heading in to a buffet evening meal which was quite pleasant. There was a mix of table sizes so you could go with a larger crowd or stay with the 2 or 3 people you'd been chatting with over the drink. People generally changed into something slightly smarter, but it wasn't what you would call formal attire.
Day 2:
Breakfast is included and in buffet style in the hotel restaurant. I don't think many people arranged times to go don but we all seemed to more or less synch up by chance. There was plenty of choice - fruits, pastries, yoghurts, full english - although it was a bit hit and miss as to whether your hot food would be hot. Do try the croissants, which were excellent.
We started quite early (8.15) and took the coach on a driving tour of Paris. You drive pas the Arc de triumph, the Champs Elysee, Palace of Invalides (where you stop for your first pictures), and then another stop at the Eiffel Tower for pictures - but no time to go up it at that point. We then carried on driving through the Louvre, past Notre Dame and a whole range of other landmarks, as well as typical French streets. Freddy was giving a narration of everything we passed, which was informative and amusing.
As a group, we decided we would like Freddy to offer us a tour of the backstreets of the city - mainly through the Jewish quarter - rather than use all our free time. This was hugely informative, and included a stop for tea/coffee (or hot chocolate for those of us feeling decadent) and then later lunch at a cafe that serves the best croque monsieur in Paris (or so they said; it was certainly very good). [This did mean that there wasn't time to visit the Eiffel Tower or Louvre independently, but of course you could go your own way if you wanted].
We then drove back to Notre Dame where there was genuine free time to explore. We split into mostly two or threes, with most of us going into Notre Dame. The queue looked long but took less then two minutes to pass inside - there was no charge!
Tip:Sit on the left-hand side (driver's side) of the coach. You'll find it easier to get pictures of the major attractions as the driver circles them.
Evening Excursion Day 2 (Optional):
This took us out to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur - and everyone went on the excursion. Most had pre-booked but a few signed up on the day. We first went to a french restaurant that Just You have used for 10 years - www.restaurantlapoutre.fr (although I think they have a number of options, so no guarantee it will be this one) and which was as good as you'd expect. Most people had dressed up a bit for this, but you have to weigh up the fact that you'll wander round Montmartre in the dark and it may not be so warm. Although I don't think anyone had any problems. Sacre Coeur was fantastic and you need to experience it for yourself, so I won't try and describe it. There's also a chance to browse the many local art galleries and pick something up.
Day 3:
A slightly later start this morning for the Gardens of Versailles, departing 8.45. The gardens are enormous and, although we had 4 hours to look round, most people didn't see everything and picked some key things to see. I only saw everything by jogging the last few parts, so do prioritise. I really recommend the Ballroom Grove, the Colonnade, and the Mirror Garden. Lunch isn't included, but there are kiosks and restaurants just outside the far end of the gardens, by the boating lake, and you can pass in and out if you show your ticket. I'd say they were a better option than the kiosks actually in the grounds, which were a) selling only basic foods, and b) had extensive queues. Similarly, the queues for toilets were much much smaller by the boating lake. We were lucky enough to have great weather.
While we had stuck together mostly as a group on day 2, we split up more for the gardens and I chose to wander around on my own. You would occasionally spot someone else from the tour, which meant you didn't feel isolated, but you could do your own thing at your own pace.
At 2pm we returned to the hotel for a few hours of free time. I'll admit that I fell asleep after all that walking.
Tip:Check out the times for the fountain displays and plan your route around the gardens accordingly. Do get to the ballroom grove just before the fountain starts, as the beginning is really fun to watch.
Evening Excursion Day 3 (Optional):
I think all of us bar one signed up for this. We started off with a very typical French restaurant. I would suggest that this is the evening you dress up a bit for, as there is less outside exposure and the restaurant was just that little bit more formal. There was an accordionist and guitarist playing songs by request throughout the evening to add atmosphere - I loved it, although some others on the tour were less keen because it was a trifle loud. There was lots of choice on the menu - including snails, which I had been dying to try and turned out to be delicious; once I'd figured out how to get them out of their shells. But you certainly didn't have to eat molluscs if you didn't want to!
We then got back on the coach and drove to montparnasse, which is absolutely huge. There is an express lift up to the enclosed viewing gallery, but there is also an open air gallery at the very top. One person had vertigo, but felt comfortable with the enclosed gallery, if anyone is concerned about that. Our arrival was deliberately timed so that we were there for the hourly light-up of the Tower - it goes all sparkly for around 10 minutes. The City also looks very different in the night from above, so it was a great thing to experience.
We got back to the hotel around 10pm, and some of us stayed in the bar for a few more hours. Others went straight to bed, and there was no pressure to do either.
Day 4:
The last day. A later buffet breakfast than before and then leaving the hotel at 9.30 because the traffic is always very heavy on weekdays. The driver took a different route to the station so we got to see still more sights of the City. We mostly stuck together as a group in the waiting room, where this a small coffee shop if you want any form of refreshment.
We got back to London around 1.49.
Overall, a fantastic trip and I would recommend it to anyone. Either as a holiday in it's own right or just as a taster to get to know Just You and find out if it's the sort of thing that you are comfortable with.
Freddy was fantastic and his local knowledge, and friendship with most of the cafe owners in Paris, really benefited the group. There was no-one who was left out, so many thanks to him.
Suggestions for Just You:
On day 1, I think most of us felt there was time that could have been spent walking down the Champs Elysee or similar, before heading to the hotel, as we all felt fairly energetic at that point, despite the early start for many people. Although the overall tour was great, people did feel a little disappointed that they didn't have a chance to wander a typical french street and browse the shops.
Happy to answer any questions people might have!
Ian
