Escorted & Package Tours

Packages for the Independent Traveler

Package tours are simply a way to buy the airfare, accommodations, and other elements of your trip (such as car rentals, airport transfers, and sometimes even activities) at the same time and often at discounted prices.

One good source of package deals is the airlines themselves. Most major airlines offer air/land packages, including American Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/321-2121; www.aavacations.com), Delta Vacations (tel. 800/654-6559; www.deltavacations.com), Continental Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/301-3800; www.covacations.com), and United Vacations (tel. 888/854-3899; www.unitedvacations.com). Several big online travel agencies -- Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Site59, and Lastminute.com -- also do a brisk business in packages.

Franceway (www.franceway.com) puts together French packages, including airfares and government-rated three-star hotels from Paris to the Riviera. Travel in France (www.travel-in-france.com) is not a travel agency but helps you organize your own French package trip, featuring the best airfares on Air France. It also provides information on hotels in a range of prices. FirstforFrance.com can also help you put together a package vacation in France. The site maintains a Travel Centre in Paris where you can make bookings at hotels in a wide range of prices. All your arrangements can be made on the Web.

Travel packages are also listed in the travel section of your local Sunday newspaper. Or check ads in national travel magazines such as Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine, Travel + Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, and Condé Nast Traveler.

Escorted General-Interest Tours

Escorted tours are structured group tours, with a group leader. The price usually includes everything from airfare to hotels, meals, tours, admission costs, and local transportation.

The two largest operators conducting escorted tours of both Paris and scenic parts of France and Europe are Globus + Cosmos Tours (tel. 866/755-8581; www.globusandcosmos.com) and Trafalgar (tel. 800/854-0103; www.trafalgartours.com). Both have first-class tours that run about $300 (£150) a day and budget tours for about $100 (£50) a day. The differences are mainly in hotel location and the number of activities. There's little difference in the companies' services, so choose your tour based on the itinerary and date of departure. Brochures are available at travel agencies, and all tours must be booked through travel agents.

Tauck World Discovery, 10 Norden Pl., Norwalk, CT 06855 (tel. 800/788-7885; www.tauck.com), provides first-class, escorted coach grand tours of both Paris and the countryside of France, as well as 1-week general tours of regions in France. Its 13-day tour covering the Normandy landing beaches, the Bayeux tapestry, and Mont-St-Michel begins at $4,990 (£2,495) per person, double occupancy (land only); an 8-day trip beginning in Nice and ending in Paris starts at $2,990 (£1,495) per person.

Despite the fact that escorted tours require big deposits and predetermine hotels, restaurants, and itineraries, many people derive security and peace of mind from the structure they offer. Escorted tours -- whether they're navigated by bus, motorcoach, train, or boat -- let travelers sit back and enjoy the trip without having to drive or worry about details. They take you to the maximum number of sights in the minimum amount of time with the least amount of hassle. They're particularly convenient for people with limited mobility, and they can be a great way to make new friends.

On the downside, you'll have little opportunity for serendipitous interactions with locals. The tours can be jam-packed with activities, leaving little room for individual sightseeing, whim, or adventure -- plus they often focus on the heavily touristed sites, so you miss out on many a lesser-known gem.

Special-Interest Trips

In a country as diverse and popular as France, there are numerous options.

Cooking Schools -- The famous/infamous Georges-Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935) taught the Edwardians how to eat. Today the Hôtel Ritz maintains the Ritz-Escoffier Ecole de Gastronomie Française, 38 rue Cambon, 75001 Paris (tel. 01-43-16-30-50; www.ritzparis.com), which offers demonstration classes of the master's techniques on Saturdays. These cost 135€ to 225€ ($196-$326) each. Courses, taught in French and English, start at 1,000€ ($1,450) for 1 week, up to 11,400€ ($16,530) for 6 weeks.

Le Cordon Bleu, 8 rue Léon-Delhomme, 75015 Paris (tel. 800/457-2433 in the U.S. or 01-53-68-22-50; www.cordonbleu.edu), was established in 1895 and is the most famous French cooking school -- where Julia Child learned to perfect her pâté brisée and mousse au chocolat. The best-known courses last 10 weeks, after which you are awarded a certificate. Many enthusiasts prefer a less intense immersion and opt for a 4-day workshop or a 2-hour demonstration class. Enrollment in either is first-come, first-served; costs start at 47€ ($68) for a demonstration and start at 920€ ($1,334) for the 4-day workshop. Classes are in English.

Language Schools -- The Alliance Française, 101 bd. Raspail, Paris 75270 (tel. 01-42-84-90-00; fax 01-42-84-91-01; www.alliancefr.org), a nonprofit organization with a network of 1,100 establishments in 138 countries, offers French-language courses to some 350,000 students. The school in Paris is open all year; month-long courses range from 400€ to 900€ ($580-$1,305), depending on the number of hours per day. Request information and an application at least 1 month before your departure. In North America, the largest branch is the Alliance Française, 1 N. LaSalle St., Suite 1350, Chicago, IL 60602 (tel. 800/6-FRANCE; fax 800/491-6980; www.afusa.org).

A clearinghouse for information on French-language schools is Lingua Service Worldwide, 42 Artillery Dr., Woodbury, CT 06798 (tel. 800/394-LEARN or 203/263-6294; www.linguaserviceworldwide.com). Its programs are available in many cities throughout France. They cost $1,043 to $2,940 for 2 weeks, depending on the city, the school, and the accommodations.

Music Tours -- One outfit that coordinates hotel stays in Paris with major musical events, usually in at least one (and often both) of the city's opera houses, is Dailey-Thorp Travel, P.O. Box 670, Big Horn, WY 82833 (tel. 800/998-4677 or 307/673-1555; fax 307/674-7474; www.daileythorp.com). Sojourns tend to last 3 to 7 days and, in many cases, tie in with performances in other cities (usually London, Berlin, or Milan). Expect accommodations in deluxe hotels such as the Hôtel du Louvre or the Hôtel Scribe, and a staff that has made arrangements for all the nuts and bolts of your arrival in, and artistic exposure to, Paris.

Tennis Tours -- Die-hard fans around the world set their calendars by the French Open, held at Paris's Roland-Garros stadium. You can book your hotel and tickets to the event on your own, but if you're unsure about scheduling, consider a California-based company, Advantage Tennis Tours, 33 White Sail Dr., Suite 100, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 (tel. 800/341-8687 or 949/661-7331; fax 949/489-2837; www.advantagetennistours.com). They typically book packages including 5 or 6 nights of hotel accommodations in Paris, 2 or 3 days on Center Court, and the skills of a bilingual hostess; rates per person, without airfare, begin at $3,445 (£1,723), double occupancy, depending on your choice of hotel and the duration of your visit.