Fees and functioning

It's the experience that matters, not its cost. But you will find our fees exceptionally competitive

: "We stretch your budget!"

As a non-profit organization,

our fees are at least 40% lower than those of agencies.

For example, if you are a couple wishing a half-day tour, our fee will be 250€ + 40€ dues, which apply to whatever else you do on your trip (or in the course of a year). An agency will charge at least 360€.

FEES

REMUNERATIONS TO GUIDES AND DRIVERS

Set fee for up to 5 participants, in Paris or suburbs

For larger groups the amount is a little higher,

but remains reasonable: please ask us.

• Guide

• Half-day, 250€, full day, 360€.

• Outside the Paris region : full (long) day, 420€

Plus dues, 20€ per adult (over 18) for private travelers, 1-5 people. If you are a larger group or a company, please scroll down).

•Included: guide's fee, PEF's commission, accident insurance, public transportation within Paris

Note: the guide's fee includes French "social charges" and follows professional organizations' guidelines.

•Not included: entry fees and incidentals, including guide's

• Driver (optional)

• Within Paris: 30 - 90€ per hour. Outside Paris : Please ask us.

• Cars seat 3-8 passengers.

• Most of our activities take place on foot. Exception: "Introduction to Paris"

‘ PEF takes a commission (20%) on the remuneration of guides, whom it has trained.

It does not take commissions on services that are commercially available (such as cars and drivers).

A choice of suggestions:
"Examples with their costs"

PEF's REMUNERATION

FOR TAILOR-MAKING TOURS OR EVENTS:

A SET FEE

Fee examples, if you are:

•Visitors who come on their own: usually nothing

•A charitable, cultural or student organization: 385€ per program day

•A company: 490€ per program day

•An event organizer: we discuss the fee.

To reduce this cost

•Propose your budget at the start, so that our suggestions fit it.

•Remunerate service providers directly.

II.

FUNCTIONING

As a non-profit organization,

PEF works differently from businesses

DUES

PEF is a non-profit organization, considered to be in the public interest. Income is used to pay expenses, not to benefit shareholders (or its Board).

This status reduces our overhead (professional organization membership, insurance): we pass the savings on to you. As well, we do not have to tack the VAT tax (19,65% of our fee) onto your bill.

By law an association's advantages (here, an exceptional price-quality ratio) are open to members alone. So we must ask you to pay dues (which last for a year).

Annual dues for :

° Private visitors (over age 18): 20€

° Groups of 6-10 participants: 80€ (one person joins and invites the others)

° Groups of more than 10; tours for cultural or charitable or for students; small companies: 80€

° Companies with more than 10 employees: 250€

• Legal responsability rests with the Board alone.

• Perk: We don't have to charge the VAT service charge (19,25%).

_{If that tax is unfamiliar to you, "VAT" means "Value Added Tax", and is included in almost all commercial transactions. The percentage varies: on services it is 19,65%: all travel companies must charge it and pay it. French companies recoup this tax by deducting the VAT from whatever purchases or services they use}_{. Foreign companies have no choice but to pay it,}_{as do individuals, French or other.}

"Origins" explains this choice.

_{Since an association works with members only, and without commercial aims, it does not tack this nearly 20% fee onto its bills. (It can't deduct it from its own payments either, but that's another matter).}

To sum up: working with us means a 20% head start.

SERVICES

"We are a non-profit organization, not an agency"

explains the legalities.

Here's what is relevant to you:

We can

• Engage performers, hosts and other resource people whom we have discovered and who work with us only, as well as guides whom we have trained.

• Collaborate with a concierge agency. Among Paris's most respected, it deals with the technicalities that large groups require, while we create the program.

We can't

• Buy tickets. But we can tell you how to do that (which saves you the commission) and, often, how to avoid waiting in line.

• Hire chauffeurs, security guards, caterers etc. But we can recommend such resources and make the informal arrangements, which you confirm and pay for directly (again avoiding commissions).

III.

RESERVATION, PAYMENT METHOD, CANCELLATION

• Reservation: Pay the dues and 20% of the remuneration when you approve the program. You will have received an itemized budget and, of course, a bill.

We determine together the date until which the reservation can be cancelled without cost.

• Payment method: by check on a French bank or bank transfer.

The balance (80% of the costs) is paid to the service providers directly, on presentation of their bills. We determine the payment date.

• Cancellation: If it comes from us, we return the full sum (but we have never cancelled).

If it comes from you, we return the full sum minus dues and banking fees, on condition that you inform us within the time period that has been agreed.

Should we have to cancel a particular event for reasons beyond our control, we substitute an activity of comparable interest.

Drawings by Harald Wolff