11 November in Paris: 8 Years of Wild Side Tour on a Paris Sidecar Tour

On 11 November, Paris takes a moment to remember its past. The city has a long memory — and, judging by the number of people currently searching for the date, so do the people who live in and visit France. It seems a fitting moment to talk about another kind of Paris story: the eight years we have spent introducing visitors to the capital from the seat of a vintage sidecar.

I’m Raphael, and Wild Side Tour is our way of sharing Paris beyond the usual postcard angles. We have been offering sidecar tours in the city for eight years. That is eight years of meeting curious travellers, setting off into the streets and discovering, again and again, that Paris never runs out of details to point at. It also never runs out of traffic, but let’s keep the romance.

Eight years, one city, countless ways to see it

Eight years is long enough to understand that visitors do not all come to Paris for the same reason. Some arrive with a list of landmarks. Others want neighbourhood atmosphere, architecture, stories, photographs or simply a memorable way to spend time together. Some have visited before and are ready to look beyond the familiar. The common thread is curiosity.

A sidecar changes the scale of a city visit. Instead of treating the streets as the space between one attraction and the next, you experience the journey itself. Paris moves around you: façades, bridges, avenues, small streets and the everyday scenes that make a city feel alive. It is sightseeing with a little more theatre and, thankfully, considerably less interpretive dance with a folded paper map.

A private sidecar tour, not a sightseeing conveyor belt

At Wild Side Tour, the sidecar experience is private. You share the ride with your own party and a driver-guide, rather than joining a large group following a flag through the crowd. The vintage sidecar offers an open-air view of the city and a relaxed way to take in the streets while the guide handles the driving.

That makes a difference. You can look up at the architecture, notice how one neighbourhood changes into another and enjoy the atmosphere without having to concentrate on directions. A private visit also feels more personal: the city is not delivered as a checklist, but discovered along the way. We do not need to promise that every corner will change your life. A particularly handsome Parisian balcony is quite capable of doing the job.

The sidecar is at the heart of our story, but it is not the only way to explore with us. Wild Side Tour also offers guided self-drive Vespa experiences. Guests ride the Vespa themselves and follow their guide through Paris. It is a different kind of involvement: more hands-on, while still sharing the pleasure of exploring with a guide.

A little help from some familiar names

Over the years, travellers have been able to discover Wild Side Tour through several well-known travel platforms. We work with Airbnb, GetYourGuide, Viator, Tripadvisor and Headout. These partnerships help visitors find our experiences while researching what to do in Paris, comparing activities or looking for something a little different from the standard sightseeing routine.

Each platform serves travellers in its own way. Some people begin with Airbnb, others browse GetYourGuide or Viator, check Tripadvisor, or come across experiences on Headout. Wherever the first discovery happens, we are grateful to be part of the options they consider when planning their time in Paris.

Being present on these platforms is not the story on its own. The real story is the guests who choose to come along, the reviews they take the time to write, the recommendations they share and the conversations that begin before the engine starts. A booking platform can make an introduction; it is the experience itself that has to make the day memorable.

And yes, we still love showing people Paris

Eight years in, the reason for doing this remains wonderfully simple. Paris is endlessly varied. A grand avenue can give way to a quiet street; a familiar monument can look completely different from another angle; a short stretch of road can reveal a façade, a square or a little scene you would never have noticed while staring at a navigation app.

On a sidecar tour, you can settle into the passenger seat and let the city come to you. On a guided Vespa experience, you take the handlebars and follow your guide through the capital. Both are ways to make the journey part of the visit, rather than just the means of getting somewhere. The right choice depends on how you want to experience the ride.

Thank you for eight years — and for the next ride

To every guest who has joined us over these eight years: thank you. To everyone who has recommended Wild Side Tour, shared a photograph, left a review or helped another traveller find us through Airbnb, GetYourGuide, Viator, Tripadvisor or Headout: thank you as well. Your trust is what gives this little Paris adventure its momentum.

The date 11 November reminds us that streets are more than routes on a map. They carry memories, daily life and stories that keep unfolding. That is one reason I still enjoy exploring Paris with visitors: there is always something more to notice, and no two guests look at the city in quite the same way.

Discover our private vintage sidecar experience: https://www.wildsidetour.com/d-highlights

If you are planning a visit to Paris, come and see the city with us. Choose your experience and book your ride with Wild Side Tour: https://www.wildsidetour.com/book-online