Q. Do I have to pay a single supplement?

No. As single women travelers, we’ve always hated paying a single supplement. This trip is priced based on each person having his or her own room.

Q. But I’m coming with my spouse/partner and we want to share a room. Do we both have to pay the full rate?

For people who share a room, we offer a discount of $400 each. We’ve priced the trip primarily for people to have their own rooms, because French hotel rooms just aren’t as large as those in the U.S. But of course you can share a room if you prefer.

Q. Can my husband come?

Absolutely. We’d love to include anyone with a spirit of adventure and an interest in Paris. Although we imagine that there will be more women than men on the trip, everyone’s welcome.

Q. Tell me about the trip leaders.

Donna Morris has lived in Paris for the last five years. Her company, Best Friend in Paris, designs personal itineraries for people coming to the city. Donna acts as a personal concierge, as well as spending days taking them around Paris. She speaks fluent French and knows Paris and its environs intimately.

Sheila Campbell of Wild Blue Yonder has been organizing informal groups of travelers for years – often on hiking trips in France, England, Italy and Spain. In her day-to-day work, she’s a group retreat leader who understands how to insure everyone is involved and having a memorable experience. She lives in Washington, DC but spends many weeks a year in Paris; Sheila knows the city so well that for a time she wrote a newsletter about Paris for a French company.

Sheila and Donna worked together years ago and have collaborated on joint projects and travels ever since. Donna’s your expert on how Parisians live, where to eat, drink and shop, what’s going on right now in Paris, as well as secrets of Paris that tourists rarely hear about. Sheila, who was a docent at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC for many years, loves art and history.

Q. What is the Hotel Relais Monceau like?

• Most Americans, when they come to Paris, stay on the Left Bank. We love that area…except that it’s full of Americans. So we’ve chosen instead a typically French 3-star hotel in the 8th arrondissement, on the Right Bank. It’s in a beautiful neighborhood where there are few other hotels – but within a block or two are a street market, artisanal bakery, delightful cafés, the Parc Monceau, Jacquemart André and Nissim de Camondo mansions.
• When you walk in the front doors of the hotel, there are quiet salons for you to relax in on either side, plus a small bar (where they’ll open a bottle of wine for you and put your name on it for the next day if you like).
• The bedrooms are simply furnished, but of a nice size by European standards. Windows open to the air, with classic French shutters to close at night for privacy and quiet. The bathrooms have double basins, plus a tub and shower – and surprising wooden floors. There’s a small dressing room area that can be closed off from both the bedroom and the hall, and also a hair dryer and mini-fridge in most rooms.
• What the hotel doesn’t have are bellmen (though the front desk staff will help with your luggage), gym, swimming pool, spa or restaurants other than the breakfast rooms. (Their elevator is, however, larger than the usual French “phone booth.”) There are only 51 rooms, so it feels quite special to be there. We usually see few Americans at the hotel; most of their clientele are French or European. But the people at the front desk speak English and are terrifically friendly and helpful.

Q. What’s included in the breakfast?

Like many French hotels, the Relais Monceau offers a wide selection of croissants, rolls and other breads, cheeses, cold cuts, hard-boiled eggs, fruit, cereal, French yogurt and so on. But – unlike a lot of continental hotels — they also have scrambled eggs and bacon or sausage and fresh-squeezed orange juice every day, so you can have a hot breakfast. And, of course, coffee, tea, other juices, still or sparkling water and milk.

Q. Is there internet access at the hotel?

There’s free wifi in the lobby. If you’d like to have wifi in your room, you can sign up for an internet package with the hotel when you arrive.

Q. Do I need a Paris Museum Pass?

We don’t recommend a museum pass. Although we have several museums on our list to visit, the Museum Pass makes most sense if you plan to visit a lot of museums over a very short period of time. (The passes are good only for 2, 4 or 6 consecutive days.) The great advantage of the pass, especially in the summer, is that you don’t have to stand in ticket lines. Most of the museums we’re visiting – with the exception of the Musée D’Orsay and the Rodin Museum – rarely have lines anyway, because they’re more off the usual tourist circuit. And we usually find visiting one museum a day is more pleasant than trying to cram them all in – and then missing the parks, sidewalk cafés, shopping, walking in new neighborhoods and people-watching.

All that said, if you intend to visit lots of museums while you’re here, you might want to look at the website for the Museum Pass: http://en.parismuseumpass.com.

Q. What do you mean by advance ticket-buying for museums and trains?

Because you’ll choose every day what you want to do on the trip, you’ll pay for your own admissions (and train tickets if you take a day’s excursion). But for those places where you might have to stand in line, we’ll get the tickets in advance for you, and you’ll pay us directly rather than paying at the museum.

Q. What will the weather be like?

It’s hard to tell. Usually July in Paris is much like July in the U.S., hot and sunny. But last year people were bundled up in fleece jackets for a couple of weeks in July. Our advice is to come prepared for just about anything. Bring an umbrella, a light jacket and – most important of all – very comfortable walking shoes.

Q. What to wear?

Like most cities these days, people wear just about anything during the day in Paris. Jeans are fine, and even long shorts. What Parisians don’t generally wear on the street is white sneakers; that footwear screams, “American tourist.” At night, if you’re eating in neighborhood restaurants, you don’t need to dress up – jeans or casual slacks or skirts are fine. Of course, for anyplace where you need a reservation, you’ll want to dress appropriately. One nice black dress or a pretty sweater should get you in anywhere.

If you really want to look French, of course, you won’t leave the hotel without a scarf draped artfully around your neck. And Paris is a great place to buy inexpensive street scarves.

Q. Why do you call this a “trip” and not a “tour”?

We’ve taken the things we like best about group travel, including the convenience of having someone plan daily itineraries. But there are lots of things we hate about tours, so here’s how this trip is different from a tour:

• You’ll never board a tour bus (a city bus on your own, yes, but never a tour bus)
• You won’t follow a tour guide, trying to keep up through crowded museums
• You won’t be seated at long tables for big group meals at “We accept bus tours” restaurants
• You won’t have early morning calls to leave the hotel (although it is a good idea to leave early for Giverny).
• There’s a choice of two itineraries daily – and you choose what you want to do and when.
• You’ll pay for museum admissions and such, but only for those you actually visit. You won’t be dragged to places you don’t care about because that’s what’s on the list for today.
• You only unpack and pack once – we’re not touring, but staying in Paris to really get to know it well.
• Although you might choose to go somewhere with a small group, the only time the entire group will be together is having a glass of French wine with us every night before you leave for dinner.

Q. Why aren’t lunches and dinners included in the price?

Restaurants that accept tour groups are usually the last places we want to eat. And there are just so many delicious choices for meals in Paris that we want everyone to be free to eat where and when they want. One day you might eat a sandwich sitting out on the Champ de Mars, looking at the Eiffel Tower, for lunch; or you might choose to browse the food stalls at one of the many street markets.

Alternatively, we often make lunch the biggest meal of the day, maybe even eating at a restaurant that would be way too pricey at night. You’ll choose where you’ll eat, and with whom and how much you want to spend.

Q. Why aren’t there guided tours on this trip?

Frankly, we sometimes get very tired of listening to tour guides talk. Often we’d rather just experience a place than hear someone rattle off a lot of dates and concepts. Plus, these days, many places offer audioguides where we can choose which information and how much we want to listen to. We encourage you to pick up the audioguides in museums if you’d like some deeper information. And, of course, there’s plenty of information in printed guidebooks and on the web.

But if you really enjoy guided tours, you might want to check out the offerings at http://www.paris-walks.com. They’ve got a great selection of very informative guided walks for little money, and you don’t need to reserve in advance. We can give you directions you to the starting point of any of their tours.

Q. Is it safe to walk around by myself at night?

As in any city, it makes sense to be aware of your surroundings after dark. But in Paris it’s usually quite safe to be out on your own or with a friend in the evenings. One reason we chose the Relais Monceau is that we love the neighborhood – and neighborhood it is. Within a block or two are artisanal bakeries, little bistros and cafés, a street market, and a Metro stop – plus the jewel of Paris parks, the Parc Monceau.

Q. I’d love to come on this trip, but I already have a favorite hotel in Paris. Can I stay there?

Because we’ll be doing so much coordination from the Relais Monceau, and all our walking and transportation directions start there, we don’t think it’s practical to stay in another hotel. Plus, staying elsewhere would make getting to the evening wine and planning meetings difficult. Of course you can stay somewhere else, but the price of the trip wouldn’t change, so it wouldn’t be a good value.

Q. When do I need to sign up by?

The sooner you put down your deposit, the better, for several reasons. Once we have a deposit, we can reserve your room. The Relais Monceau is a small hotel, and the best rooms look out onto the street. The sooner you book your trip, the more likely you are to have a room on the top floor or on the front of the hotel. We’re limiting the size of the group, so it’s best to reserve as soon as you think you’d like to come. Your deposit is fully refundable up to 90 days before the start of the trip, so you’ve got nothing to lose and lots to gain.

Q. What’s the best way to fly to Paris?

Depending on where you live, there may have direct flights to CDG. Many airlines fly to Paris, so check out flights from your area.

If you’re planning to use your frequent flier miles, book them as soon as you get your reservation confirmation from us. The sooner you book, especially in summer, the more likely you are to find a seat.

Q. How do I get from the airport to the hotel?

There are a several ways we recommend – taking the Air France or Roissy bus into town, or the SuperShuttle or a direct taxi. What we don’t recommend is coming into the city by RER train. While it’s easy to catch the train from the airport, remember that in Paris there are few escalators, so you’ll end up dragging your luggage up long flights of stairs.

Once you pay your deposit with us, we’ll send you detailed information about the buses and taxis from Charles de Gaulle.

Q. You mention that Donna and Sheila will always be available by phone, but what if I don’t have an international cell phone?

You can rent international phones at many major airports, and you might want to check in with your cell provider to see if you can buy an international calling package for the time you’re here.

The least expensive option might be buying an international phone that doesn’t require a service package. At www.mobal.com, you can buy an international phone for under $50. They don’t change a monthly fee, but simply put the cost of any calls you make on your credit card. If you limit your calls to those you really need to make, a Mobal phone (which works in many countries, but not the U.S.) is a very good option.

Of course, you’re not required to have a phone while in Paris; that’s up to you.

For calling home, if you bring a laptop, smartphone or iPad, you can always use Skype over wifi; that’s one of the least expensive ways to reach people in the States.

Q. Do you require us to buy travel insurance?

No, but we encourage it. Please read our Terms and Conditions carefully to see our cancellation policy. Of course, you should be aware that trip insurance companies are very strict about what they will and won’t reimburse you for, so read their policies closely too.

Q. This trip sounds great, but the dates don’t work for me. Are there any other dates?

We’ll offer the trip again, but we don’t have the other dates set. However, if you have a group of at least six people, we can plan a similar trip just for you.

Or, if you come to Paris on your own, we suggest you contact Donna in advance to help you plan your stay and spend time with you while you’re there. You’ll have the trip of a lifetime when you spend time with your “Best Friend in Paris.”

Q. If I want to stay longer than seven days, can you arrange that?

Yes. There’s so much to do in Paris that you could easily stay another three or four days – plus there are many wonderful day trips, like going to Versailles or spending a day in Reims at the great champagne houses. If you’d like to stay on with us, you can do so for an additional $215 per night. You’ll still have us available to help you plan your days or excursions outside of Paris, but we won’t be serving wine every evening or taking you on morning outings.

Because we’ll be so busy getting things ready for your arrival on July 22, we ask that you not arrive before then – but feel free to stay as long as you like afterwards.