Many tourists who write about their travel experiences, trying to brighten up the numerous plates that have occurred through the fault of travel agencies, and (probably to compensate their own tainted relaxation and mood) describe the natural beauty and attractions of European cities. I decided to confine dry story about how, how the tour Rhine castles and Paris, which was held from March 31 to April 8, 2003: First, make yourself an impression of how beautiful Paris, you will many other Internet -resources and books, and secondly, in this tour you will still not only fail to enjoy the beauty of the mentioned, but even a little bit to find themselves in this fantastic location, you may have wanted to get a lifetime. Therefore, to not gloss over the reality, I just list the facts.
Tour “The Rhine castles and Paris” sold by several companies – “Wind Rose”, “Golden Travel”, etc. (Links to their sites do not give, since it is not going to advertise). The Host, which was supposed to take care of us outside the CIS and from which to work our guide Tatyana Smoktunovich (she was riding with us from Moscow) was a Polish company Lekier (however that this will be a Polish company, rather than Russia, most tourists have not been made aware of when buying a round).
Our group consisted of several Muscovites, a large group of students and teachers from Ryazan, as well as residents of Arkhangelsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Bryansk, Volgograd, and others 90 per cent of tourists were women. All purchased a tour through travel agencies in their cities, and already in train Moscow-Brest revealed that information about the tour from some tourists are not the same as the one that was available to the other: first, do some tour was called “Hello, Paris”, in other – “Rhine castles and Paris”, a list of cities, however, coincide, but the order of visits (in Germany) is somewhat different. Nevertheless, we are all together and plunged into second-class compartment car train from Moscow to Brest, to make a trip to Paris, via Poland and Germany.
Day 2 (April 1)
We disembarked from a train at 5:30 am in Brest and the area near the station, boarded the bus (it was DAF, is not so comfortable as a Mercedes or Neoplan, which were promised when buying a round). Behind the wheel was the driver named Mirek, who said he takes us only to Warsaw, and there it will be replaced by other drivers.
Border in Terespol passed for half an hour, while border guards have lost the passport of one person (and then, however, have found).
Guide told us that the toilet should not be used because it is only for emergencies, but will be sanitary stop. She also said that the cooker (it was not coffee, as stated in the prospectus for travel companies, from whom I acquired the tour, and only a boiler) can be used only at bus stops, and in any case is not alone; water, they say, will distribute drivers. Get up from their seats during the movement was also banned. Guide also said that details about the hotels and excursions in Paris, she tells us, only when we come to Warsaw.
On the road to Warsaw guide talked about Poland, and with a geological slant (I’ll tell you that on a geological bias was maintained and even deepened: we have learned a lot about how, when and where was the glacier, as well as the slate mountains and minerals and much less – on the history of the countries on whose territory we passed, with local customs, etc.).
In Warsaw, about noon reached the parking tour buses under a bridge on the banks of the Vistula, where tour guide took us to the Castle Square, showed a monument to St. John and had a walking sightseeing tour of Old Town. Discovered that we have not specified in the tour free time in Warsaw – approximately until 13:30, but since the old town, we just saw, but in order to buy something from a gift or a meal, it was necessary to change the Euro Zloty , it all came to the bus before the specified time.
We left Warsaw with the new drivers – and Marek Jurek, who had to bus in shifts.
Guide proposed program of visits to tourist sites in Paris (the order was changed completely compared to what it was in a tourist brochure): a visit to Disneyland, which is in the prospectus was scheduled on the last day, she suffered on the first day, immediately after an overnight crossing (thus of an optional event at Disneyland for those who first got to Paris, becomes stimulated, as it is located 40 minutes from Paris, and people who have not yet accommodated, not a sightseeing tour and thus are not familiar with the city, chose “ keep the group “not to be trapped in an unfamiliar place). In addition, from cultural activities were offered: the Moulin Rouge and even some cabaret (in the prospectus of travel agencies do not mean), wine tasting (on the road from Disneyland to Paris, thus, too, almost obligatory, in the prospectus of travel agencies did not appear), walk on the boat on the Seine and climb the Eiffel Tower (or have been listed in the prospectus), lunch for 10 euros (salad, meat or fish by choice, plus dessert). Visiting museums guide suffered on the last day, arguing it is the fact that on Sunday, admission to all museums will be free (but forget to mention that we are not alone so smart, and all the tourists who are in Paris, in this day line up in such a queue at the Louvre , Museum d’Orsay, etc., that never dreamed of Kremlin mausoleum, even in the days of prosperity of socialist tourism business). Sufficient interest in visiting the Moulin Rouge was not found, but a comprehensive lunch on the first day, all backed with the fever, but the second was found a little wanting (perhaps many of us hoped that the evening of the second day in Paris we will have time to walk and eat in any cafe, which we like, those dreams never came true, but more on that later).