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Ellen L.
Available Areas
Paris (Living)
Languages
English (Native), French (Native)
Response Time
2 hours on average
Availability Updated
3 days ago
About Tour Guide Ellen L.
I am an experienced tour guide and a friendly Franco-American who has lived in Paris for 33 years. Travelers feel comfortable with me due to my fluency in both English & French. I am a trained historian and my tours are well researched, well documented and well presented on high tech material (tablet), a multi-media experience using archival photos, video footage (and when appropriate sound). My tours are not for the first time traveler - I could never compete with the big bucket tours that go to the Eiffel Tower. Instead, I market tours for those who have already seen the sights and want to see Paris beyond the monuments, the real Paris with its private courtyards, quiet cobblestoned streets & hidden monuments that only locals know.
Important
I work around my current schedule and am happy to accept bookings for any day or time. I even offer evening tours for those who come here for work & want to see the city at night.
Tours
The Lost Generation in Paris 1920s
Hemingway once said : “Everyone has 2 countries, their own & France”. This was especially true for numerous artists, writers & jazz musicians who flocked to Paris in the 1920s, not only for artistic inspiration but also to find themselves. Known as the Lost Generation, these were men & women who had suffered through WW1, and would live to see the Roaring 20s. Eager to share ideas they gathered in the numerous cafés of the Left Bank. We will visit the places where they lived, worked & partied.
Harlem in Paris - the Birth of Jazz in France
Jazz was born in New Orleans…but the Jazz Age flourished in NY & Paris. After WW1, numerous African-American entertainers emigrated from Harlem to Paris, and they brought a new style of music born in the US: jazz. By the late 1920s, there were over 300 jazz joints in Paris, mostly in Pigalle. This is the fascinating story of the men & women who made Paris a mecca for Jazz, creating the Jazz Age in France.
Paris : Shop for Unique Gifts
This tour focuses on offbeat, unique shops that offer hand-crafted French products, in the trendy Marais shopping district with its distinctly Parisian ambiance. This is a great opportunity to find the BEST gifts for friends & family - unique gifts that you won't find anywhere else! I will take you to insider addresses, shops that have been selected for their craftsmanship, each one selling designer-made or hand-crafted products.
Paris : Hemingway's Haunts
Hemingway spent his formative years in Paris, transitioning from struggling journalist to seasoned novelist. This tour will take you to the places that Hemingway frequented, where he lived, worked & partied. Along the way I share documented research on his life & exploits, his experiences in Paris, his life, his loves, his work. We will visit his favorite bars and perhaps share a drink.
Paris : Visit a Castle - Family Fun
Have you ever imagined life in a castle? How did people live back in the Middle Ages? Come on my tour to learn about the medieval castle - its construction, its features, its defenses. This is a kid-friendly tour that will please the whole family ! We will visit a real castle, located only 30mins from the city centre, built from 1340 to 1410. See how the king & his family lived - see the rooms where they slept, worked & ate. And see their stunning private chapel, a jewel of Gothic architecture.
Private Tour of the Gothic Marais
This is a private tour of the remnants of "old Paris" - the city that existed in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the city of hidden castles, imposing renaissance palaces & baroque mansions, medieval timbered houses, leafy courtyards hidden behind carriage doors, charming squares & public fountains. What makes this tour unique: you will learn about the city's history, its rich architectural & cultural background, through researched commentary developed by a historian.
Ellen L. France Tour Reviews
Cerith M.
“ Terrific tales of the Jazz Age! ”
We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Ellen is an excellent guide - the tour is incredibly well researched and the addition of slides, video and audio recordings really made the tour special. Standing outside the original site of Shakespeare and Co while hearing Sylvia Beech speak is quite an experience. Ellen is an attentive and incredibly considerate guide - we had a fantastic time - thoroughly recommended!
Ellen L.
It was my pleasure ! I hope you will return soon & take another tour with me !!
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Chintan S.
“ Amazing host!! ”
Ellen has gone out of her ways to make sure our Paris visit is most memorable. We did not just see things but at a same time learnt a lot. We went through many places you may not have seen if you do not have your own personal guide like Ellen. Who knows history in and out. If you are someone who loves history and want to see the real Paris and inside streets, at a same time learn about it in depth, look no further. Ellen is your guide.
Ellen L.
Thank you Chintan ! It was a pleasure to be your tour guide & spend 2 days with your lovely family. I enjoyed it as much as you !!
David C.
“ Excellent Tour for Lit/Art Lovers! ”
Ellen is a terrific, knowledgeable guide! My partner and I met up with her at a Parisian cafe where she gave us the lay of the land and an idea of the major players of 1920s Paris art/literature society. Her PPT slides of photos, texts, and videos was CRITICAL to the tour. We were very lucky to have gotten her time on that busy summer Saturday. Her love of arts and literature is only matched by her love of Paris! I can't wait to go back and take another of her tours. Thanks, Ellen!
Ellen L.
It was my pleasure !! Many thanks for the lovely review.