This is a
custom
designed trip for baseball players.
It's the only one of it's
kind so far to provide a baseball vacation in Paris.
In addition, you'll have many opportunities to interact with French
Nationals.
Baseball is a common medium between our cultures, even if you don't
speak
French you'll be able to interact with the locals because they will
speak baseball. We'll eat at
some
great and famous restaurants, be entertained by a full time agenda, see
some great
sights and Play Baseball, French style. Be ready to experience a
stylish agenda, eat delicious food and bask in this ancient culture.
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Trip is open
to any adult person who plays baseball.
The average age of
our
teams is usually in the mid 40's. The trip will be scheduled for
mid to late July of 2006. We may also participate in a local
tournament. Players, family members and tourists
are all welcome. We'll be limiting ourselves to a maximum of 14
players.
We will need 3-4 good pitchers, a couple of catchers and some good
position
players. Come as a team or come as a pool player and join the
team.
This trip is for amateur baseball players.
Wives, girl friends, family members or other tourists may also
attend. You will
need a valid passport, a visa is not required.
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The trip is far
more economical
than any travel agent could or would do. No travel agency could put together a trip like this. First of
all,
they have set tour plans and rarely deviate, custom tours in France are
unheard of. Second, they don't have the baseball contacts.
Third, they would charge at least $2,000-$4,000 and lead you to places they
want
you to see and spend money.
France is a relatively expensive country
to visit and with the devaluation of the dollar to the Euro, it's not
getting any better. Since we are traveling as a group, we'll be
able to cut costs down somewhat. Considering the hotels, tours,
restaurants and places we'll visit, we'll be going at a reasonable cost
that includes first
class
treatment in every step of the way. The trip will include
all
lodging, ground transportation, all baseball, all tours, lots of
sightseeing,
shopping sprees, guide, translator and several meals. Our trip is customized with us in mind
at a reasonable price of less than $2,000 not including airfare.
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Most
every day
we'll tour a different area, see the local attractions and play a local
baseball team. Some evenings will have group outings or
dinners.
Occasionally there may be joint meals with the local teams that
will
allow the French and USA players to get together, exchange ideas and
make
new friends. You'll find baseball enthusiasts of a variety of age
groups and levels as many of their players are French American
players.
They are eager to meet and play ball with you.
Don't
be just
a tourist, be an International Baseball Ambassador, get to know
the people not just the postcards.
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Baseball
Baseball
dates back beyond WWII in France. Over the decades, it has
expanded to be participants in the European national leagues and has
developed local and national baseball leagues for youths and adults.
Though there are no professional stadiums, there are a number of
quality fields in France, much like we are used to playing in at our
local leagues, parks and schools. The French Federation of
Baseball will be our hosts and provide the teams, fields, umpires etc.
Our
team
will
be made up of US players from various leagues and organizations.
The average age of our teams is usually in the mid-40's. We
generally
have players in their 20's through the 60's. We'll be playing at
least 5 games against local French teams.
The French are sticklers about uniforms
so we will want to have matching uniforms as much as possible. It
will be your
responsibility to obtain at least 1 matching uniform. Most of the
people on
this trip are from Dodgertown
West league that already have Dodger
uniforms so that will be the official uniform for our team.
Transportation
You'll need to
make
your own airline reservations to and from Paris, Charles de Gaul Airport. Once there,
you'll be met at the airport and transported to our hotel for check
in.
We will be making arrangements for a team bus
that will transport us
from
the different venues and tours while in Paris. Upon departure,
you'll
be transported to the airport and assisted by our tour guides.
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Food
Breakfasts
will
be included with the rooms at the hotel. Lunches and dinners will
be at your own expense or included in various events. At least 1 welcoming dinner and 1 final
dinner banquet
is included.
There may also be some dinner get together with the local teams.
Restaurants are in our hotels or within easy walking
distance.
French Cousine
is famous the world round for it's excellent foods. Each region
has its own distinctive specialties. In Paris and surrounding
areas they ae famous for lots of sauces using butter and cream.
Wine and cheese are an integral part of French cousine. For
French people, cooking is a part of culture and they consider it a way
of life.
There are four kinds of restaurants in
Paris: gastronomic temples, brasseries, bistros and cafes de the....
Gastronomic
temples are the starred restaurants, those rated by the Michelin Guides as being
superior. These usually offer classic French cuisine, are very elegant and quite
costly. A few examples are Taillevent, Guy Savoy, Joel Robuchon, Ledoyen and Tour
d'Argent. We may want to try some of these on our own.
Brasseries are much more casual, usually open until
late at night for the after theater crowd, serve numerous kinds of seafood, especially
fresh oysters, and beer.
Bistros are neighborhood places that serve hearty food. They are unpretentious
and tend to be "in" right now. Some three star chefs are opening bistros
and although they are not cheap, they are less expensive than these chefs more
formal establishments.
Cafes de offer another popular form of dining. These
casual spots are good for sandwiches and salads at lunchtime or dessert and afternoon
tea.
Other
places that sell chocolates, teas, coffees, breads, wines, pastries and all forms of upscale
food items are everywhere.
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Entertainment
Paris
is a vibrant city full of neighborhoods and a whole variety of night
life to satisfy any need. Before we depart, we'll
plan some evening activities or cultural events to attend while
there. There are plenty
of restaurants, bars,
discos, night
clubs and other activities to keep
you busy each day, Paris rocks!. Moulin Rouge
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Sightseeing
We'll start the trip the first day you arrive. After being transported to our hotel for check in, you'll have the afternoon
to decompress or see some of the local sites on your own. That
evening we'll have a "get aquatinted" dinner at a local restaurant
where you'll have a chance to meet the other players.
At typical day will
consist of day time tours and afternoon or evening games. Each
day will consist of tours to different places so you'll have lot's of
opportunities to see Paris and the surrounding areas.
There will be one full day off
for touring where we'll take a day trip to some places outside of the
Paris area. This may include Normandy, the wine country or other
areas within a few hours drive. This will give us a break from
the big city and get a chance to rest before our final games.
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Accommodations
When
you
travel a long distance to a foreign land, you want a comfortable place
to stay. Hotels are expensive in the downtown area of Paris so
we'll be staying away from the downtown. This will get us the
best rooms for a reasonable rate. We'll be
staying
in 3-4 star hotels. All rooms
will have private baths, TV, direct dial
phone etc. Restaurants, bars, laundry facilities will be available at the hotels or very near by.
Requirements
This trip is for
amateur baseball players. Most our players are members of local
amateur baseball leagues. Ages ranging in the 30's through the
60's. Average age of the teams is generally in the
mid-40's. Wives, family
members, kids or
other tourists
may also attend as this is a family friendly trip. You will need a valid passport and visa.
We'll
get into more detail on this as we get closer. Non players do not
need to bring baseballs.
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Schedule
and Agenda
The 1st day, you'll depart the US. You'll loose a day on the way.
The 2nd day will be arrival, hotel check-in and a welcoming dinner party.
On the 3rd day, we'll take a boat cruise along the Sine to see the sights of Paris. We'll end up the morning at the Eiffel Tower
where we'll have lunch at the top. In the afternoon we'll visit
the Arc de Triomphe and various other local famous sights before we
return to the hotel to get ready for Game #1 against local
French teams.
On the 4th day, we'll take a short trip to see the Castle at Versailles.
We'll have lunch and continue to tour the area until time to return to
get ready for Game #2 against local French teams.
On the 5th day and other days, we'll see more of Paris including famous sites and some of the various districts of Paris. These will include such places as Champs-Elysees, Notre-Dame de Paris, Conciergerie Prison, Pantheon of Paris, Montmartre Historic District, Roue De Paris, Rue de Rivoli, Place de la Concorde, Place de La Bastille, and Catacombs of Paris and
maybe even a ride on a ferris wheel. We'll have lunch around town
and return to the hotel to get ready for Game #3 against local
French teams.
On the 6th day we'll take a break from baseball
and take a day tour away from Paris. We'll visit the French
country side on the way to either the Normandy area to see the famous
WWII invasion sites or to the west to visit some famous castles.
We will of course stop at some wineries to sample the local
products. We'll return that evening to Paris for dinner and
evening out on the town.
Day 7 we'll visit the Louvre Museum.
We'll have lunch and see more of Paris including the famous fashionable districts such as Les Halles Shopping Precinct or La Samaritaine before we return to the hotel to
prepare for Game #4 game against local French teams.
Day 8 will be playing early. We'll leave in the morning for a late morning Game #5 with the local French teams. We'll return to the hotel where you can have lunch and the afternoon on your own. That evening, we'll
have a farewell banquet at a local restaurant.
Day 9 will be get away day. We'll have breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport and off the the USA, a new and enlightened person.
All in all, between the baseball
and the tours,
this will be a very
busy schedule that will give you a great experience and a chance to see
lots of Paris and France. You'll have lots of opportunities for
evenings out after the games. There may be some nights where
we'll go out as a group or you are welcome to go on your own.
Outline
of Schedule for 8-day tour, 7 nights
Day
1
Saturday
|
Depart
US
Lose a day |
Day
2
Sunday
|
Transfer
to Hotel for decompression
Afternoon on
your
own
Evening
Welcome Dinner with team members
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Day
3
Monday
|
Breakfast
at the Hotel
Morning tour of Paris
Boat ride on the Sine to the Eiffel Tower
Lunch at Eiffel Tower
Afternoon
tours of Paris
Return to Hotel
Transfer to
ballpark
for Game #1
Dinner on your
own
Evening out on the town
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Day
4
Tuesday
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Breakfast
at the Hotel
Day tour to Versailles
Lunch at local
restaurant
on your own
Afternoon
tour in French Countryside
Return to Hotel
Transfer to
ballpark
for Game #2
Dinner on your
own or with local baseball federation
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Day
5
Wednesday
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Breakfast
at the Hotel
Morning tours of Paris
Lunch at local
restaurant
on your own
Afternoon
tour of Paris
Return to Hotel
Transfer to
ballpark
for Game #3
Dinner and Evening on the town on your own
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Day
6
Thrusday
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Breakfast
at the Hotel
Day trip to either Normandy or other Notable location
Lunch at local
restaurant
Afternoon tours outside of Paris
Return to Hotel
Dinner and Evening on the town on your own
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Day
7
Friday
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Breakfast
at the Hotel
Visit to the Louve
Lunch at local
restaurant
on your own
Afternoon shopping
Return to Hotel
Transfer to
ballpark
for Game #4
Dinner and Evening on the town on your ow
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Day
8
Saturday
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Breakfast
at the Hotel
Paris shopping spree
Lunch at local restaurant on your own
Return to Hotel or Afternoon shopping on your own
Transfer to
ballpark
for Game #5
Dinner banquet with team at local restaurant
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Day
9
Sunday
|
Breakfast
at the Hotel
Transfer to
airport
Return back to US same day
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Dates
Mid June,
2009, note these are preliminary dates.
Mid to late July will be the dates for going to Paris. We'll start the
trip when you arrive on a Sunday or Monday. You'll be met at the
airport by one of the travel agents who will help you get to the hotel
for check in. Most
flights
will
arrive morning or early afternoon. You will have the afternoon
off for
decompression as Paris is 6-9 hours ahead of the US. In the
evening, we'll have a welcoming dinner at
the hotel or close by restaurant. Departure will also be on the
following Sunday. You are, of course, welcome to come earlier or
stay later on your own. I usually come a few days early or stay
an extra day or so. If you do, you'll be responsible for your
own transportation and accommodations during those times.
Cost
We need at least 10
people for this trip to happen, plus any additional non players. Costs are
currently being worked out. Look for something in the $1800-$2500
range. These
costs will be based on staying at 3-4 star hotels in double
occupancy. If you want a room to yourself, add around $400-$500.
Airfare
to and from Paris is not included. Current prices from San
Francisco are
about
$1400-$1700. From New York about $1200-$1400. There are always deals around for those who look.
Universal
Currency #1
Currency
Converter #2
Current Exchange Rates
If you would like
more information on playing in Paris send an email to Dennis@DennisMc.com
Included is: Transfer to and from Airport
Hotel accommodation for 7
nights.
All local transport to scheduled activities via tour bus.
Admission to scheduled tourist
attractions.
All Breakfasts at hotel
2 Dinners
All baseball costs (umpires, fields, etc.)
Translator/Guide at all scheduled tours
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Not
included is: Air fare or
other transport costs to
and from Paris
Non-scheduled trips (taxis, buses,
trains
etc.).
Lunches and most dinners
Each player to bring their own
playing
gear and uniform. Visa, international travel, import or other similar costs
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Contact
Dennis McCroskey, Baseball Adventures
P.O. Box 707
Mendocino, CA 95460
707-937-4478
707-937-2349 fax
Email: Dennis@DennisMc.com
Sign
Up
To sign up for this
trip you need to fill
out the application form and send a $500 deposit. The balance
of funds will be due by June 1,
2006. If for some
reason, the trip does not happen, all deposits will be returned in full.
This trip is for amateur baseball players.
Wives, girl friends, family members or other tourists may also
attend. You will
need a valid passport, a visa is not required.
Roster
We needed a minimum of 10 players with a maximum of
14. Friends, relatives, girlfriends, kid and others may also attend.
Roster of Interested
Participants
| Player |
Status |
Positions
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Dennis
McCroskey
Mike Bradley
Jose Gueits
Sid Rosenblatt
Jon Davis
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Yes
Maybe
Maybe
Maybe
Maybe
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P,IF
P,C,IF,OF
C,2B
2B,OF
1B,P,OF
|
Non Players
|
Status
|
Positions
|
|
|
|
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Notre Dame Cathedral
This is not our hotel
Local Parks have modern fields
l
Many of the park we'll play are new ball fields
Moulin Rouge
Notre Dame Cathedral at Night
Versaille
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