Audioguides for General Walking Tours of Paris

Ahh, Paree. I love Paris. It has to be my favourite city. I've been three times, and hope to return soon. The way the history and art just blends with everyday live gives the city a flow and vibrancy like no where else. Regardless of what the guides say, make sure you walk. A lot. There is just no other way to absorb the city. I don't even find the snobbishness that supposedly exists; just a well-justified sense of pride.

Here's a review of some general walking tours of Paris. While more blogs will hopefully come soon about the neighbourhoods (arondissements) and specific sites, these guides are just to get you 'oot-and-aboot', and oriented in the city.

Links to the guides are at the bottom of the page.

If you are looking for a step-by-step walking guide, this is the best free guide I've found. Rick Steve provides a nice blend of history and entertainment. It's an easy style, with a modicum of wit thrown in (if nothing else, you can laugh at his French pronunction - it's ok, he admits he's still learning). Rick is American, and has a French-speaking lady co-host. There is content in here you won't find in every guide, which is ideal either as a first time or return visitor. The routes and content give you a feel for the city, both as it was, and as it is now.

The tour starts at Notre Dame (pictured above), the centre of Paris, and covers the war memorial, Ile St. Louis, Left Bank, the Latin quarter, the Sorbonne, Place St. Michel, Sainte Chapelle, Conciergerie, and Pont Neuf.

The recommendation is to allow 4 hours walking time for the tour, the audio file length is 50 min. There are also downloadable maps to go with the tour.

This free guide provides short vignettes about seven monuments of Paris. Presented in a mix of fact and dialogues, it is easy and interesting to listen to the content. The hosts have English and French accents, and the pronunciation sometimes suffers as a result (either the Englishman trying to pronounce French names or phrases, or vice versa. I'm great with accents, but it took me a second to figure out that sock-o-FIG-is was 'sarcophagus').

While not a step-by-step guide, the content interesting enough I would recommend it a supplement to whichever guide(s) you are using. Each vignette is 5 to 8 minutes long.

The monuments included are Aubervilliers, St. Denis Basilica, Stade de France, Sacre Coeur, Pompidou Centre, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, St. Germain, and Notre Dame de Paris.

Comprised of nine parts, this isn't a step-by-step guide, but more of a general information guide. The sections are Intro, Government, Religion, Attractions, Night Life, Key Phrases, Currency, Lodging & Conclusion. The host is a French woman; while there is a definite accent, I didn't find the pronunciation issues that were prevalent in the ZeVisit guide. This is a free guide, the link is at the bottom of the page.

Most sections are less than two minutes; with the exceptions of 'Attractions' at 8:39, and 'Night Life' at 3:54. There is no outstanding content in this guide; I would say that most information would be available in your standard Frommer's or Lonely Planet-style guide. If you have no French at all, you may find the Key Phrases section useful; hearing the pronunciation is better than reading from a guide, and it is presented by a Parisian.

Not worth your time to download, even if it is free. Ten parts, the longest of which is 2min 12sec. Is there anything in Paris that can be covered in 2 min? There is nothing in here that is not covered in the briefest of written guides. "The Louvre is a museum." - who knew?