France

The city of light.

More about Paris.

Arrive

I LOVE the Eurostar. No hassle of getting out airports 2 hours early, no checking in baggage, no flights delayed due to bad weather. All you have to do is get the tube to Waterloo, hope on the train and in a couple of hours you are in the centre of Paris. I would never consider travelling from London to Paris any other way. The food you can buy in economy class is not up to much so better to buy a snack before you go.

Explore

Louvre- Probably the most famous art museum in the world. The Louvre amazing palace given a modern twist absolutely crammed with masterpieces. You can't go to Paris without visiting the Louvre - especially if you're read the Da Vinci Code.



Musee D'Orsay- The Musee d'Orsay's art collection dates from 1848 to the beginning of the 20th century (the time period between those covered by the Louvre and the Centre Pompidou) and mainly houses impressionist and neo-impressionist works. The museum itself is an old railway station and is a beautiful building. The sculptures of animals out the front are pretty impressive too.

Notre Dame- It is amazing to think that Notre Dame was built in the 12th century. Peasants from outlying areas making their first trips into Paris must have been absolutely gobsmacked by its size, grandeur and the beauty of its stainedglass windows.

Cars Rouges- The cars rouges are a hop-on, hop-off bus service that provides comentary about the major sights in the centre of Paris. Tickets cost �22 and are valid for 48 hours. A good way to orientate yourself in Paris on your first trip.

Montmartre and Sacre Coeur- Towards the end of the 19th century the hill suburb of Montmartre was the centre of artistic life in Paris - artists such as Picasso and Toulouse-Lautre lived and worked in the area. Parts of the area still retain their artistic charm. The bottom of the hill, near the Moulin Rouge, is a little bit seedy but the streets uphill from Rue des Abbesses are quite quaint. Domed Sacre Coeur basilica sits at the top of the hill. There is a small square down from the basilica where ameteur artists sell their works in the weekends.

Marais- Marais is a beautifully preserved neighbourhood to the east of the centre of Paris. Along the narrow streets there are a multitude of specialty tea shops and small boutiques. Galleries and cafes line the edges of Place des Vosges.

Rest

I have stayed at two different hotels in Paris. As its name suggests Hotel Paris du Nord is a couple of blocks from the Gare du Nord. It is a nice, clean, budget hotel very handy to the Eurostar terminal and other transport connections. On the downside, the area around the Gare du Nord is a bit rough and doesn't have any atmosphere.

Hotel Bastille de Launay is in a much nicer area near Marais and is a bit more expensive. It is a block away from the Chemin Vert metro stop and a 15 minute walk from the Seine.