We used Michael Osman as referred by Slow Travelers and we did not read "the fine print" that states "your mileage may vary"! I would not recommend Michael to anyone who has been to Paris more than once. He is a very nice young man, very pleasant and amusing. However, generally I knew more about Paris than he did. He was not able to answer a number of questions about sites that he took us to (e.g., what do the figures in front of the opera represent; etc.). He took us past his apartment and showed us the park in which he walked his dog (frankly, I don't care) and could not answer what the statue in front of his apartment building represented. As an aside, the twice we went for coffee and once for lunch, at no time did he make any motion to pay for either item. While we had already agreed between ourselves to buy him lunch, his assumption was a bit off-putting. He might be great in the Louvre (which he brags he can do in 20 minutes) but if you want something other than the usual, we would reccomend that you find a more knowledgeable guide. Again, he is a nice guy and is amusing (my husband was bored stiff though) but if you have been before and know anything about Paris, use someone else
Thanks Lin! Sorry that your experience was not great. Can I add some of your comments to our review page? Maybe he is great for a first time visitor - but not for more experienced Paris travelers.
Thanks Pauline for letting me know that - something I was not aware of. I guess that we are a little out of touch with tour guide costs as we usually spend much time and organize our own. We have had some really positive experiences in both New York and New Orleans hiring an art/architecture student to show us the lesser known sites. However, I'd rather spend 400 on really good info than 80 on not much info at all! Will keep the "400" amount in mind tho!
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