Paris: What to Do and Where to Stay

It is important to plan your vacation before packing your bags and driving to the airport especially when your destination is a place like Paris. Paris offers an amazing range of activities and you don’t want to waste your time in the City of Lights. There is so much to see and experience in Paris you won’t want to waste a minute. Of course you would want a worthwhile stay in the very famous city. Use the Internet to book an hotel before leaving home. There are many options and cover all price ranges – whether you need a 5-star luxury or a just a clean and comfortable Parisian bed

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Creative Commons License photo credit: [phil h]

For a cheaper accommodation, you may want to consider a low-cost chain hotel. It has a lesser cost compared to a luxurious hotel suite but you can surely have a home away from home ambiance. The next thing to plan is what to visit after billeting in your Paris apartment.

There are lots of places to visit when you are in Paris; from the most historic to most contemporary. Your vacation in Paris will be memorable when you carefully considered and plan what part of the city you will visit. Historical structures and buildings are sprinkled inside the city that you should not miss. There are also a lot of museums that display historical art pieces up to the most modern creations. You can’t say you have been to Paris until you have tried at least a few fine dining restarunts. Shopping completes the list of activities that will make your stay in Paris meaningful.

The Eifflel tower is many visitors first stop in Paris. This 320-meter tower is well recognized in the whole world as a symbol of the city of Lights and as well as the whole country of France. The Eiffel tower was built for the 1889 Word Fair. It is a very fulfilling experience to climb the top of the tower for you will be able to see the whole of Paris during the day or at night. That’s a fair few stairs and at least you will sleep well that night in your central Paris apartment.

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

Paris a Wonderful City

Arriving in Paris you will probably want to check into your Paris 5-star hotel first, but the city will draw you out into the streets in short order. Choosing a central hotel may be more expensive than somewhere at the end of the metro line, but being right in the midst of the famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre has a lot going for it. Whatever your budget think carefully about your Paris hotel’s location, it will make a big different to your holiday – especially if you are on a limited budget

four seasons george v, paris
Creative Commons License photo credit: Sacred Destinations

Another must-see sight is the Champs Elysees or the Elysian Fields. It is considered as the most beautiful avenue in the whole world which started as a plain field but later on converted into a pathway lined with trees. It runs from the Concorde Square up to the equally famous Arc de Triomphe and became one of the attractions and features of Paris. It is one of the most famous streets in the whole world.

Who can leave Paris with out visiting the Arc de Triomphe. It is a large arc which serves as a roundabout a meeting point of more than twelve avenues in the whole city of Paris. It was built to commemorate Napolean’s victories. The viewing platform at the top of the Arc has a great view: the 284 steps will make you work for lunch. Probably the most important attraction of Paris.

The selection of building, museums art galleries and fantastic shopping make Paris one of the best tourist cities in the world. The catacombes, Saint Chapelle and Tuleries Gardens should all be on your must-see list. Still, there are other landmarks that you can visit when you plan a vacation in Paris. These places will make your stay in Paris memorable and will make your sleep in your Paris apartment as peaceful and as dreamy as ever.

Sunday, October 12th, 2008

Paris So Much to See!

Paris is the spiritual heart of France and one of the world’s top tourist destinations. Paris is certainly included in the list of places that tourists must visit. There are a lot of activities that can be done in this very famous city. You can already start the French experience in a comfortable central Paris hotel. Whether you are solo or with a large group you will find plenty of interesting sites to see outside your Paris luxury hotel?

Christmas on the Champs-Élysées
Creative Commons License photo credit: Stuck in Customs

Top of your to-do list will be a visit to the famous tourist spots in the city. Every corner in Paris, reveals another must-see historic monument. Of course there is the cathedral of Notre Dame, which is famous for its pipe organ and the north tower that has 387 steps. A visit to the Eiffel Tower the symbol of Paris, is not to be missed. Another structure that you must visit is the Arc de Triomphe , a commemoration of Napoleon’s victories. Be sure to include in the list Sainte Chapelle, Zoo de Vincennes, Tuileries Garden, Place de Vosges, Champs Elysees, Catacombes des Paris and Ile de France.

Paris is also a city of art. The sheer number of museums and art galleries in Paris is remarkable, even by European standards. Topping the list of museums that a tourist in Paris should visit is the Louvre where the famous paintings of Da Vinci are displayed including the Mona Lisa. After a visit to the most famous Paris museum, continue your art tour in other museums and galleries such as the Fotainebleau, The Musee de la Poupee, the Orsay, and the Carnavalet.

Another activity that will surely complete your Paris vacation is shopping. Paris is one of the shopping capitals in Europe and the whole world. From haute couture to flea markets, Paris is surely a one stop shop. If you want to visit top boutiques and emporiums such as Cartier, Chanel, Christian Dior and Lacroix, you should stop at the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honré and Avenue Montaigne in the 8th arrondissement. There are also department stores that boast a wide choice for shopping including the Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette which are the largest department stores in Paris. Of course, the city is also famous for its flea markets that started hundred years ago for those who opt for bargains.

With so much to see and do in Paris you won’t run out of options even after you’ve seen all of the sights mentioned here. There is still dining which France is also famous of, sports activities and events such as the French Open, parties at night, and a lot more. Maximize your time and enjoy the city before you retire and relax in your Paris luxury hotel.

Friday, October 10th, 2008

Think You Can’t Afford a Vacation in Paris, France?

You can’t afford a luxury trip to Paris? A 5 star holiday can be had for a three star price but you need to be a little clever.

Champ de Mars
Creative Commons License photo credit: cuellar

The single most important thing for a cost-effective vacation is pick you time. Times to avoid in Paris: Christmas, September/October when there are large trade shows. Want a luxury hotel? Rates may well be cheaper at the end of the week an particularly during the summer months.

Try to time your departure so that you leave late at night having had a full day in Paris: your hotel will hold your luggage even if you have to check out in the morning. Another day in Paris without an etra day’s hotel bill! Sleep on the plane its the best thing to do on them.

Don’t go alone: preferably take a couple of friends and share a room: you will normally pay the same for two adults as one and the third person is much less than half the tarrif for two.

Don’t hire a car . Paris was not designed for cars. You won’t be happy if you hire a car and fight the crazy traffic: instead walk or catch the metro. If you want a vehicle for the resot of your European vacation, organise the hire period to start at the end of your time in Paris.

Use an on-line travel search site to find the best hotel prices. Don’t just book with the first site you find though. Try five or six especially if you are looking for smaller, boutique hotels. Not all hotel websites list every hotel in Paris.

Beware that a lot of museums and art galleries are shut one day a week: normally Monday or Tuesday. If you are in town for those two days then double check which days your “must see” sites are open to avoid disappointment.

Don’t use taxis to hop around town: use the Metro for longer trips or walk: Paris is one of the most walkable cities in the world and most of the major sights and shopping areas are within easy walking distance.

A new development in inner city transport is the Vélib program (“vélo Liberté” or Freedom Bikes) by which it is possible to rent a bike for a very modest price. The first 30 minutes is free (plus a Euro1 daily fee payable by credit card) and prices rise raipidly for longer rental: designed to encourage you to drop off the bike and pick up a new one as you require: what a great reason to stop at cafe or two…

Paris is a wonderful city and who doesn’t want to see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Musse d’Orsay, Notre Dame Church. Make sure you make the effort to make it to top stared restaraunt at least once on your visit.

Choose a Paris Luxury Hotel for your next European vacation and really see a different side of that wonderful city. A central Paris hotel will help you spend most of your time in the city of romance not commuting from a remote suburb. Selecting the best Parisian hotel can make or break your vacation.

Wednesday, October 8th, 2008

I Love Paris in the Spring, and Summer and Fall…

Paris in Spring – is a cliche, but most times of the year, even in winter, she is never entirely deserted by tourists and for good reason: Paris is a tourist’s dream city

Whether your ideal lodgings in Paris are a funky Paris hotel choose something memorable for your stay.

Choose the neighbourhood that works best for your trip. Arty Montmatre, the laid-back left bank or something further out on the Metro line they all have their advantages. A boutique Paris hotel all offer something – decide what is important to you before making a booking.

Here are some suggested starting places for a first time visitor to Paris. The extensive, reliable and cheap metro makes it easy to get around Paris regardless of where you are staying
Remember to hold onto your wallet tight, especially when the hoards descend on you trying to sell the usual tourist junk at popular locations such as the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre|Notre Dame Cathedral.

River Seine
The River Seine is an excellent place to start your Paris break. From the Seine you can take in the heart of the ancient city of Paris and provides easy access to many of Paris’s most famous attractions.

Champs-Elysees
Although an attraction in itself, the long and wide Champs-Elysees boulevard is often a pleasant departure from the more built up areas of the city. Tourists are unlikely to find a cheap Paris hostel along here, however. However the Hotel George V Paris’s premier 5-star establishment

At one end of the Champs-Elysees is the Arc de Triomphe: one of the city’s must-sees, honoring the soldiers that fought in France’s wars. It can also be an amusing place to watch cars carefully navigating the bizarre Charles de Gaulle roundabout (nicknamed L’Etoile, or star), famed for its confusing lack of road markings. As a predestrian avoid death and take the underpass.

Monday, September 29th, 2008