In Search of 'Authentic' City Tour Guides

When Fletcher and Hailey Johnson from Canada arrived in Paris, they didn't know exactly where they wanted to go or what they wanted to see, but they did know that they wanted to avoid the Paris a Lonely Planet guidebook would show them.

Katie, a Paris local, showed up at their hotel to tour them around the city. Their indecision wasn't the slightest problem for her; she knew exactly where to take them—the Galeries Lafayette down the road. Katie led them up one escalator and then another. When they got out at the rooftop, they were able to survey the city’s historical sights, such as the Eiffel Tower, the gold dome of Les Invalides, the Paris Opera House, and La Madeleine, all through Katie's eyes.