Guide to France
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Paris, capital city of France
Paris is a city of many names. It has been nickname the City of Romance, the City of Lights and also the Tourist City. And of course, Paris is the capital city of France. It is not only the commercial, cultural and diplomatic center of France, it is also the commercial, cultural and diplomatic center of Europe. 36 of the Fortune Global 500 companies has its headquarter the Paris Region, mostly in La Défense. International organizations that have headquarters in Paris include UNESCO, the OECD, the ICC and the informal Paris Club.
Paris is located somewhere in northern France with the scenic river, Seine, running down its middle. The population of metropolitan Paris is 12 million.
It's most famous icon is the Eiffel Tower, the most recognizable icon in the whole world, and it grace the left sidebar of this blog. It is easily the most popular tourist attraction. Other notable tourist attractions in Paris includes the Louvre with the Pyramid designed by world famous architect I.M. Pei, sitting smack in its middle. Famous paintings including Mona Lisa are housed in the Louvre. The Notre Dame Cathedral (Cathedrale de Notre Dame de Paris) with its distinctive Gothic architecture is also a popular tourist draw. Not too far from the Eiffel Tower is the Arc de Triomphe. If you are keen to see high-kicking cabaret dancing and musical shows, go to Moulin Rouge.
Paris is located somewhere in northern France with the scenic river, Seine, running down its middle. The population of metropolitan Paris is 12 million.
It's most famous icon is the Eiffel Tower, the most recognizable icon in the whole world, and it grace the left sidebar of this blog. It is easily the most popular tourist attraction. Other notable tourist attractions in Paris includes the Louvre with the Pyramid designed by world famous architect I.M. Pei, sitting smack in its middle. Famous paintings including Mona Lisa are housed in the Louvre. The Notre Dame Cathedral (Cathedrale de Notre Dame de Paris) with its distinctive Gothic architecture is also a popular tourist draw. Not too far from the Eiffel Tower is the Arc de Triomphe. If you are keen to see high-kicking cabaret dancing and musical shows, go to Moulin Rouge.
Labels: Paris
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Discover the Paris-Beauvais Airport
Discover the Paris-Beauvais Airport
by: Jeff Steiner
Over the last few years there has been an explosion of cheap flights to a number of high profile tourist destinations in France. Budget airlines like RyanAir and easyJet are now offering daily flights to such well-known French tourist destinations, as Paris, the French Alps, Toulouse and the south of France.
These cheap flights often arrive at out of the way unknown airports. Airports, that before the low cost flights arrived where little used. Take for example, Ryan Air’s flights to Paris. They arrive at the Beauvais-Tille Airport, a little known regional airport north of Paris.
Beauvais Airport is a small local airport typical of those used by no thrills airlines like RyanAir. You get what you pay for, space is limited. Never the less the Beauvais Airport has everything that any airport needs. There is friendly staff, restaurant and bar, overnight parking and of course because it is small you don’t have to walk far to get to your flight. There is also car hire on the airport grounds and local hotels nearby.
The best way to get to Beauvais Airport is with the regular shuttle service. This coach service runs between the Beauvais Airport and Paris and is timed to the RyanAir flight schedule. Buses leave from Paris three hours before each departure and from Beauvais Airport 20 minutes after each arrival. The coach leaves Paris at Porte Maillot (Metro and RER stop Porte Maillot) on Boulevard Pershing, near the Concorde Hotel. Coach tickets can be bought online (They need to be obtained more than 24 hours in advance. There is a 2-euro processing fee when you buy on the Internet) or at the coach station in Paris or of course at the Beauvais Airport. Seating for the coach is reserved for those passengers with a airline ticket.
The travel time to Beauvais from Paris is about an hour and a half. Don’t let this throw you, yes that sounds long but getting to Paris’ main airports - Orly and Charles de Gaulle can at times take over an hour, if not longer depending on how you travel. All the cost of getting to the Beauvais Airport is not that much more than travelling to either Charles de Gaulle or Orly.
There are a number of other budget airlines other than RyanAir that serve the Beauvais Airport, including BlueAir, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Sterling European Airlines and WizzAir. These airlines fly to many major European destinations: Barcelona, Dublin, Copenhagen, Rome and Venice, just to name a few.
So if you are traveling on a budget should you use the Beauvais Airport? Is it really worth it? That depends; the flights offered can be a great value at times. Just know what you are getting into, you need to add 15 euros and about an hour and a half to each way (the cost and travel time of the coach). Also make sure there are not any other cheap flights going to another Paris airport, like Orly.
For more information about the Beauvais Airport see - http://www.beauvais-airport.com/.
About The Author
Jeff Steiner - Jeff Steiner is an American living in the French Alps. Over the last eleven years he has learned a lot about living and traveling in France. Which is why he created Americans in France.
by: Jeff Steiner
Over the last few years there has been an explosion of cheap flights to a number of high profile tourist destinations in France. Budget airlines like RyanAir and easyJet are now offering daily flights to such well-known French tourist destinations, as Paris, the French Alps, Toulouse and the south of France.
These cheap flights often arrive at out of the way unknown airports. Airports, that before the low cost flights arrived where little used. Take for example, Ryan Air’s flights to Paris. They arrive at the Beauvais-Tille Airport, a little known regional airport north of Paris.
Beauvais Airport is a small local airport typical of those used by no thrills airlines like RyanAir. You get what you pay for, space is limited. Never the less the Beauvais Airport has everything that any airport needs. There is friendly staff, restaurant and bar, overnight parking and of course because it is small you don’t have to walk far to get to your flight. There is also car hire on the airport grounds and local hotels nearby.
The best way to get to Beauvais Airport is with the regular shuttle service. This coach service runs between the Beauvais Airport and Paris and is timed to the RyanAir flight schedule. Buses leave from Paris three hours before each departure and from Beauvais Airport 20 minutes after each arrival. The coach leaves Paris at Porte Maillot (Metro and RER stop Porte Maillot) on Boulevard Pershing, near the Concorde Hotel. Coach tickets can be bought online (They need to be obtained more than 24 hours in advance. There is a 2-euro processing fee when you buy on the Internet) or at the coach station in Paris or of course at the Beauvais Airport. Seating for the coach is reserved for those passengers with a airline ticket.
The travel time to Beauvais from Paris is about an hour and a half. Don’t let this throw you, yes that sounds long but getting to Paris’ main airports - Orly and Charles de Gaulle can at times take over an hour, if not longer depending on how you travel. All the cost of getting to the Beauvais Airport is not that much more than travelling to either Charles de Gaulle or Orly.
There are a number of other budget airlines other than RyanAir that serve the Beauvais Airport, including BlueAir, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Sterling European Airlines and WizzAir. These airlines fly to many major European destinations: Barcelona, Dublin, Copenhagen, Rome and Venice, just to name a few.
So if you are traveling on a budget should you use the Beauvais Airport? Is it really worth it? That depends; the flights offered can be a great value at times. Just know what you are getting into, you need to add 15 euros and about an hour and a half to each way (the cost and travel time of the coach). Also make sure there are not any other cheap flights going to another Paris airport, like Orly.
For more information about the Beauvais Airport see - http://www.beauvais-airport.com/.
About The Author
Jeff Steiner - Jeff Steiner is an American living in the French Alps. Over the last eleven years he has learned a lot about living and traveling in France. Which is why he created Americans in France.
Labels: Paris
Thursday, July 5, 2007
The Champs Elysées
The Champs Elysées
by: Jakob Jelling
The Champs Elysées is one of the most famous areas of not only France but Europe and the entire world as well. This area can be visited through the Champs Elysées Avenue, which goes from the Arc of Triumph to the Place de la Concorde. This is one of the main spots which tourists who visit Paris could not miss, due not only to its beauty but also to its historic past.
The Champs Elysées Avenue contains several theaters, shops, cafes, restaurants and cinemas at its sides towards the western area, and the Jardins des Champs Elysées towards the area of the Place de la Concorde. This way, there is a wide range of different activities available to those visitors who might walk from one end of this Avenue to the other, so many that they might need more than one day to fully explore them.
The Jardins des Champs Elysées is a very beautiful place to visit, especially for those visitors who enjoy nature. This place contains amazing gardens, highly cared and carefully arranged combined with fountains, and providing an overall image of a healthy and cared open space.
The Champs Elysées Avenue is the first choice for any important celebration in Paris. During celebrations such as New Year's Eve, this area receives an amazing amount of people who congregate at it. Also, national events such as the commemoration of historical events are held on the Champs Elysées Avenue and the surrounding area.
The Champs Elysées Avenue became such in the 1600's after the Medicis decided to create a path surrounded by trees in the area. Before that, this area consisted on fields and gardens, and it was not until much later that it did take the form of Avenue which nowadays has.
In 1994, the Champs Elysées Avenue area was redesigned and had a few changes which made it have a slightly different appearance. Among the main changes visitors could observe, there is the addition of more trees and the creation of pedestrian zones at the side lanes, very convenient for tourists who wish to observe the area while walking.
About The Author
Jakob Jelling is the founder of Eurotomic.com. Please visit France if you're planning a trip to France.
by: Jakob Jelling
The Champs Elysées is one of the most famous areas of not only France but Europe and the entire world as well. This area can be visited through the Champs Elysées Avenue, which goes from the Arc of Triumph to the Place de la Concorde. This is one of the main spots which tourists who visit Paris could not miss, due not only to its beauty but also to its historic past.
The Champs Elysées Avenue contains several theaters, shops, cafes, restaurants and cinemas at its sides towards the western area, and the Jardins des Champs Elysées towards the area of the Place de la Concorde. This way, there is a wide range of different activities available to those visitors who might walk from one end of this Avenue to the other, so many that they might need more than one day to fully explore them.
The Jardins des Champs Elysées is a very beautiful place to visit, especially for those visitors who enjoy nature. This place contains amazing gardens, highly cared and carefully arranged combined with fountains, and providing an overall image of a healthy and cared open space.
The Champs Elysées Avenue is the first choice for any important celebration in Paris. During celebrations such as New Year's Eve, this area receives an amazing amount of people who congregate at it. Also, national events such as the commemoration of historical events are held on the Champs Elysées Avenue and the surrounding area.
The Champs Elysées Avenue became such in the 1600's after the Medicis decided to create a path surrounded by trees in the area. Before that, this area consisted on fields and gardens, and it was not until much later that it did take the form of Avenue which nowadays has.
In 1994, the Champs Elysées Avenue area was redesigned and had a few changes which made it have a slightly different appearance. Among the main changes visitors could observe, there is the addition of more trees and the creation of pedestrian zones at the side lanes, very convenient for tourists who wish to observe the area while walking.
About The Author
Jakob Jelling is the founder of Eurotomic.com. Please visit France if you're planning a trip to France.
Labels: Paris
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Eating (Way too Well) in Paris: Third Stop at Le Gourmet
Eating (Way too Well) in Paris: Third Stop at Le Gourmet
by: Phil Chavanne
Yet another interesting stop in our culinary adventures in Paris, the Le Gourmet restaurant offers great French cuisine for prices I hadn't seen in Paris in 15 years.
Lunch time, where to go?
This is the third installment of the series of articles which I set about to write a couple of weeks ago on eating out well in Paris. I love food, I love good cuisine, and I want fellow travelers to enjoy Paris to the hilt. That's enough reasons to guide them to those places I am certain they will enjoy.
Lunch time in Paris is restaurant time. People who work in the city do not carry their lunch bags with them. They rarely enjoy the benefit of a corporate catering service, but even if they do, such catering is hardly a feat for anyone's eyes and taste buds.
Small restaurants perform a vital service: they feed the locals rather satisfactorily, inexpensively, and in record time.
What applies to locals applies to travelers, and your next culinary stop happens in just such circumstances. After a long morning walk in the quaint streets on the slopes of the Montmartre hill, you feel nicely hungry. Your steps lead you to Place de Clichy, a busy crossroads between the 17th, the 9th and the 18th districts (metro station: 'Place de Clichy').
Time for a gourmet experience!
Le Gourmet
You may be hungry, but you are no fool. You want to eat well, and spend your heard-earned cash on food worth this name.
In my considerate opinion none of the eateries positioned around Place de Clichy are worth the money they ask for. I find their cuisine either overpriced, or downright vulgar. I never had a satisfactory lunch at any of these places.
So where to go? Not far away.
When you are on Place de Clichy, turn yourself so as to face the downward slope, with the metro station in your back. Aim at Rue de Clichy, left of Rue d'Amsterdam. Walk down the street for about 200 yards, and turn left in Rue de Bruxelles. Walk another 200 yards. There you are on the right sidewalk.
Your next favorite food stop is located at No. 19 rue de Bruxelles.
Name: Le Gourmet.
Identifiable sign: its French bistro-style facade. And a crowd.
Entering the bistro
If you happen to walk in at around noon thirty, you may have to wait just a tad. The place is packed. I have been to this restaurant numerous times, and I still have to be there the day it is not packed at lunch time.
My advice: come at around 12:00 am, and grab a spot before everybody else does.
The place exudes old charm, with dark wood panels, old posters, menu slates marked with chalk on the walls, a traditional bar, a mosaic floor, bistro-style chairs and tables. It smells good, though cigarette smoke can become an issue at times when the facade door isn't left open.
The owner and chef bought the restaurant about 2 years ago from its first and long-time owners, an elderly couple who retired after having steered the ship for longer than any local can remember. The new owner liked the decor, and decided to preserve it as-is, except for the facade which was changed early in 2006.
In this very Parisian setting, patrons feel immediately welcomed and are quickly seated either by the boss or a smiling waitress. This is lunch time, and they know patrons are in a hurry. No unnecessary delay.
Seated, and menu in hands
The menu is in fact chalked on the slates that hang on the front and back walls. A remarkable feat for such small a restaurant, the menu changes every day.
Anyone who lived in Paris for some time knows that restaurant menus do not change beyond the 'plat du jour' - the main fare for the day. Even the 'plat du jour' does not change that much: from one week to another, the same courses tend to get back on the menu.
Not so at 'Le Gourmet': the menu changes everyday and no two weeks are alike. True diversity. Even if you were to eat there every day for 20 days, you could try 20 different courses.
Gourmet cuisine is a mission
The boss comes from the province of Touraine, in Western France. He likes to work on French traditional dishes, and his cuisine draws its main inspiration from the famous Burgundy and Lyons regions.
Among the 'terroir' dishes served at Le Gourmet, you can taste veal knuckle (souris de veau), prime cuts of veal (onglet de veau), roasted gilthead bream (daurade royale rôtie), stewed duck (pot-au-feu de canard), pike dumpling (quenelle de brochet). And the list goes on.
To get fresh products from his favorite suppliers, he wakes up at 3:30 am every day to go to the wholesale market (the Rungis market, situated south of Paris). He buys only what he needs for the day, loads up his truck, and heads back to his restaurant where he's spend the rest of the morning to cook for lunch.
The chef's motto is "fresh products, traditional preparation". He uses butter, not margarine. He doesn't buy frozen products, and no off-the-shelf sauces as he prepares his sauces himself. He is light-handed on spices which he thinks 'are all too often used to hide something'.
Appetizer, main course, dessert, wines
Le Gourmet's menu typically offers a choice of 4 appetizers (such as a warmed up goat cheese served on a loaf of country bread), 3 or 4 main courses (meat, fish, poultry), and 4 desserts.
The choice of desserts is also 'old-school': depending on the day, your selection may include chocolate whipped cream, baba au rhum (a spongy cake saturated with dealcoholized rum), biscuits with ganache (a mix of chocolate, cream and butter), orange cake, fondant cake, floating island (beaten egg whites floating on a French custard), red fruit pies, and so forth.
Light wines get the lion's share of the wine list. The chef's hometown is Valencay (in the heart of the Touraine region), and he purchases his bottles directly from local producers. The list comprises a variety of well-thought-of vines: Gamay, Cabernet, Valençay, Bourgueil, and Saumur-Champigny.
All this for how much?
Beyond the quality of the food you are served at Le Gourmet, the check is another pleasant surprise. For a meager 13 Euros (about $16), you have a full meal served in record time in a most pleasant atmosphere. For just a few more bucks, you have the wine to complete your experience.
To be honest, there are very few Parisian restaurants which will give you that much for such a low price. Le Gourmet wins my vote any time, any day. I recommend it to you wholeheartedly.
Where?
Le Gourmet
19 rue de Bruxelles
75009 Paris
Tel: 33 (0)1 48 74 53 42
Subway station: Place de Clichy
Lunch and dinner
About The Author
Phil Chavanne shares lots of useful advices and travel information on Paris with the help of his Paris experts team. Click here: Paris Restaurants to find now about French food and Paris hotels.
by: Phil Chavanne
Yet another interesting stop in our culinary adventures in Paris, the Le Gourmet restaurant offers great French cuisine for prices I hadn't seen in Paris in 15 years.
Lunch time, where to go?
This is the third installment of the series of articles which I set about to write a couple of weeks ago on eating out well in Paris. I love food, I love good cuisine, and I want fellow travelers to enjoy Paris to the hilt. That's enough reasons to guide them to those places I am certain they will enjoy.
Lunch time in Paris is restaurant time. People who work in the city do not carry their lunch bags with them. They rarely enjoy the benefit of a corporate catering service, but even if they do, such catering is hardly a feat for anyone's eyes and taste buds.
Small restaurants perform a vital service: they feed the locals rather satisfactorily, inexpensively, and in record time.
What applies to locals applies to travelers, and your next culinary stop happens in just such circumstances. After a long morning walk in the quaint streets on the slopes of the Montmartre hill, you feel nicely hungry. Your steps lead you to Place de Clichy, a busy crossroads between the 17th, the 9th and the 18th districts (metro station: 'Place de Clichy').
Time for a gourmet experience!
Le Gourmet
You may be hungry, but you are no fool. You want to eat well, and spend your heard-earned cash on food worth this name.
In my considerate opinion none of the eateries positioned around Place de Clichy are worth the money they ask for. I find their cuisine either overpriced, or downright vulgar. I never had a satisfactory lunch at any of these places.
So where to go? Not far away.
When you are on Place de Clichy, turn yourself so as to face the downward slope, with the metro station in your back. Aim at Rue de Clichy, left of Rue d'Amsterdam. Walk down the street for about 200 yards, and turn left in Rue de Bruxelles. Walk another 200 yards. There you are on the right sidewalk.
Your next favorite food stop is located at No. 19 rue de Bruxelles.
Name: Le Gourmet.
Identifiable sign: its French bistro-style facade. And a crowd.
Entering the bistro
If you happen to walk in at around noon thirty, you may have to wait just a tad. The place is packed. I have been to this restaurant numerous times, and I still have to be there the day it is not packed at lunch time.
My advice: come at around 12:00 am, and grab a spot before everybody else does.
The place exudes old charm, with dark wood panels, old posters, menu slates marked with chalk on the walls, a traditional bar, a mosaic floor, bistro-style chairs and tables. It smells good, though cigarette smoke can become an issue at times when the facade door isn't left open.
The owner and chef bought the restaurant about 2 years ago from its first and long-time owners, an elderly couple who retired after having steered the ship for longer than any local can remember. The new owner liked the decor, and decided to preserve it as-is, except for the facade which was changed early in 2006.
In this very Parisian setting, patrons feel immediately welcomed and are quickly seated either by the boss or a smiling waitress. This is lunch time, and they know patrons are in a hurry. No unnecessary delay.
Seated, and menu in hands
The menu is in fact chalked on the slates that hang on the front and back walls. A remarkable feat for such small a restaurant, the menu changes every day.
Anyone who lived in Paris for some time knows that restaurant menus do not change beyond the 'plat du jour' - the main fare for the day. Even the 'plat du jour' does not change that much: from one week to another, the same courses tend to get back on the menu.
Not so at 'Le Gourmet': the menu changes everyday and no two weeks are alike. True diversity. Even if you were to eat there every day for 20 days, you could try 20 different courses.
Gourmet cuisine is a mission
The boss comes from the province of Touraine, in Western France. He likes to work on French traditional dishes, and his cuisine draws its main inspiration from the famous Burgundy and Lyons regions.
Among the 'terroir' dishes served at Le Gourmet, you can taste veal knuckle (souris de veau), prime cuts of veal (onglet de veau), roasted gilthead bream (daurade royale rôtie), stewed duck (pot-au-feu de canard), pike dumpling (quenelle de brochet). And the list goes on.
To get fresh products from his favorite suppliers, he wakes up at 3:30 am every day to go to the wholesale market (the Rungis market, situated south of Paris). He buys only what he needs for the day, loads up his truck, and heads back to his restaurant where he's spend the rest of the morning to cook for lunch.
The chef's motto is "fresh products, traditional preparation". He uses butter, not margarine. He doesn't buy frozen products, and no off-the-shelf sauces as he prepares his sauces himself. He is light-handed on spices which he thinks 'are all too often used to hide something'.
Appetizer, main course, dessert, wines
Le Gourmet's menu typically offers a choice of 4 appetizers (such as a warmed up goat cheese served on a loaf of country bread), 3 or 4 main courses (meat, fish, poultry), and 4 desserts.
The choice of desserts is also 'old-school': depending on the day, your selection may include chocolate whipped cream, baba au rhum (a spongy cake saturated with dealcoholized rum), biscuits with ganache (a mix of chocolate, cream and butter), orange cake, fondant cake, floating island (beaten egg whites floating on a French custard), red fruit pies, and so forth.
Light wines get the lion's share of the wine list. The chef's hometown is Valencay (in the heart of the Touraine region), and he purchases his bottles directly from local producers. The list comprises a variety of well-thought-of vines: Gamay, Cabernet, Valençay, Bourgueil, and Saumur-Champigny.
All this for how much?
Beyond the quality of the food you are served at Le Gourmet, the check is another pleasant surprise. For a meager 13 Euros (about $16), you have a full meal served in record time in a most pleasant atmosphere. For just a few more bucks, you have the wine to complete your experience.
To be honest, there are very few Parisian restaurants which will give you that much for such a low price. Le Gourmet wins my vote any time, any day. I recommend it to you wholeheartedly.
Where?
Le Gourmet
19 rue de Bruxelles
75009 Paris
Tel: 33 (0)1 48 74 53 42
Subway station: Place de Clichy
Lunch and dinner
About The Author
Phil Chavanne shares lots of useful advices and travel information on Paris with the help of his Paris experts team. Click here: Paris Restaurants to find now about French food and Paris hotels.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Budget travel to Beautiful Paris
Budget travel to Beautiful Paris:
by: Charles Brown
My first draft of this article began something like, “here are the top ten things to do and see when you travel to Paris.” My plan was to show how to plan a cheap travel excursion to Europe in general and France in particular. But three drafts later, I finally realized that the entire City of Paris is a stunning and unforgettable attraction.
Sure, there are a few places you have to see when you go there, or else one of your coworkers will make you feel like a dope because you traveled to Paris and didn’t see the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower.
But the point is, the entire City of Paris is one of the most beautiful travel destinations on the planet. You can travel to Paris on a budget without sacrificing any of its romance and excitement. Even if you wander off of the well-worn tourist paths, the charm and elegance of the city just seems to seep into your very pores. (Think of it as something like the anti-Detroit.)
Parisians, of course, have a reputation for being just a teensy bit boastful about their city, (“how dare you even speak of [insert your hometown here] in the same breath as Paris, you swine! I will spit on your toes.”) But it is hard to argue that their pride is not justified.
But if you insist on knowing my list of top things to do or see in Paris (particularly for travel on a budget), here it is:
· --The Louvre was first opened to the public in 1793 after the French Revolution and now houses the most enormous art collection in the world. If you are dead set upon seeing every exhibit, be sure to set aside the most convenient decade of your trip in order to do so.
· --The Palace of Versailles, is a fine example of what one man (King Louis XIV) can do with a Home Depot credit and the ability to impose crushing taxes on the French peasants.
· --The Eiffel Tower was originally built as an attraction for the 1889 Universal Exhibition. The tower was considered by many Parisians to be an eyesore, but they have since come to terms with it and merely hang sheets over it when visitors come to town. It was the tallest structure in the world until the Empire State Building was completed in 1931. But at least it can claim it has never had a giant ape climb to its top.
· --The Seine River. Here is where you can see and do it all without spending a bundle. Spend as much time as you can either walking along its banks or taking boat tours up and down the waterway itself. It is probably the most beguiling river in the world, and you will find almost every building of interest in Paris is on or near the Seine.
· --The Parisian cafes. Here again you can take in the sights and experience the essence of romantic Paris without great expense. Particularly visit the cafes in the St. Germain-des-pres district, so you can follow in the steps of Ernest Hemingway, Victor Hugo, Ezra Pound and F. Scott Fitzgerald. You may or may not develop the ability to write as well as these artists, but you be able to brag to your friends when you return home. Assuming of course that your kind of friends know that Hemmingway, Hugo, Pound and Fitgerald were writers and not a law firm.
OK I failed. I have touched only a very few of the highlights of travel to Paris. But when you go, be sure to take your time and stroll through the streets with the eye of a wanderer. Be sure to taste the foods and sample the wines. This is one city that organized walking tours are often worth your time, but you can also take your own walking tour with a guidebook in hand and a heart to behold its beauty.
COPYRIGHT © 2005-06, Charles Brown. All rights reserved.
About The Author
Charles Brown is a former attorney who now spends his time indulging his passion for travel and shares the unique travel destinations and adventure travel bargains he uncovers on his blog, Guerrilla Traveler - Adventure on a Budget, Guerrilla Traveler.
Think budget travel equals boring travel? Think again! Learn the Guerrilla Traveler’s insider secrets to budget adventure travel to the world's most exciting places and experience the coolest travel adventures without spending a bundle.
by: Charles Brown
My first draft of this article began something like, “here are the top ten things to do and see when you travel to Paris.” My plan was to show how to plan a cheap travel excursion to Europe in general and France in particular. But three drafts later, I finally realized that the entire City of Paris is a stunning and unforgettable attraction.
Sure, there are a few places you have to see when you go there, or else one of your coworkers will make you feel like a dope because you traveled to Paris and didn’t see the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower.
But the point is, the entire City of Paris is one of the most beautiful travel destinations on the planet. You can travel to Paris on a budget without sacrificing any of its romance and excitement. Even if you wander off of the well-worn tourist paths, the charm and elegance of the city just seems to seep into your very pores. (Think of it as something like the anti-Detroit.)
Parisians, of course, have a reputation for being just a teensy bit boastful about their city, (“how dare you even speak of [insert your hometown here] in the same breath as Paris, you swine! I will spit on your toes.”) But it is hard to argue that their pride is not justified.
But if you insist on knowing my list of top things to do or see in Paris (particularly for travel on a budget), here it is:
· --The Louvre was first opened to the public in 1793 after the French Revolution and now houses the most enormous art collection in the world. If you are dead set upon seeing every exhibit, be sure to set aside the most convenient decade of your trip in order to do so.
· --The Palace of Versailles, is a fine example of what one man (King Louis XIV) can do with a Home Depot credit and the ability to impose crushing taxes on the French peasants.
· --The Eiffel Tower was originally built as an attraction for the 1889 Universal Exhibition. The tower was considered by many Parisians to be an eyesore, but they have since come to terms with it and merely hang sheets over it when visitors come to town. It was the tallest structure in the world until the Empire State Building was completed in 1931. But at least it can claim it has never had a giant ape climb to its top.
· --The Seine River. Here is where you can see and do it all without spending a bundle. Spend as much time as you can either walking along its banks or taking boat tours up and down the waterway itself. It is probably the most beguiling river in the world, and you will find almost every building of interest in Paris is on or near the Seine.
· --The Parisian cafes. Here again you can take in the sights and experience the essence of romantic Paris without great expense. Particularly visit the cafes in the St. Germain-des-pres district, so you can follow in the steps of Ernest Hemingway, Victor Hugo, Ezra Pound and F. Scott Fitzgerald. You may or may not develop the ability to write as well as these artists, but you be able to brag to your friends when you return home. Assuming of course that your kind of friends know that Hemmingway, Hugo, Pound and Fitgerald were writers and not a law firm.
OK I failed. I have touched only a very few of the highlights of travel to Paris. But when you go, be sure to take your time and stroll through the streets with the eye of a wanderer. Be sure to taste the foods and sample the wines. This is one city that organized walking tours are often worth your time, but you can also take your own walking tour with a guidebook in hand and a heart to behold its beauty.
COPYRIGHT © 2005-06, Charles Brown. All rights reserved.
About The Author
Charles Brown is a former attorney who now spends his time indulging his passion for travel and shares the unique travel destinations and adventure travel bargains he uncovers on his blog, Guerrilla Traveler - Adventure on a Budget, Guerrilla Traveler.
Think budget travel equals boring travel? Think again! Learn the Guerrilla Traveler’s insider secrets to budget adventure travel to the world's most exciting places and experience the coolest travel adventures without spending a bundle.
Labels: Paris
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Top Tourist Attractions In Paris
Top Tourist Attractions In Paris
by: Claire Quaty
If you are visiting Paris for the first time, you might be overwhelmed when planning your itinerary and deciding which attractions to visit and in what order. Let’s take a look at the top attractions in Paris that are a must see when planning your visit.
First you’ll want to visit the Eiffel Tower. This icon of Paris is located at Eiffel Tower Champs de Mars. Admission to the tower is 10,70 Î . The phone number is 33 (0) 1 44 11 23 23. The Eiffel Tower was built in 1899 and was originally supposed to be a temporary symbol for the 1899 World’s Fair. If you really want to be “wowed” by this structure, visit it in the evening, as the lights of Paris are a breath taking view from the top floor. The tower includes restaurants and shopping. Tickets to the second floor and the top floor can be purchased at the information office at the base of the tower. Expect to wait for the elevator and expect to be a little confused by its configuration. Even with these slight inconveniences, a trip to Paris wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the magnificent Paris icon – the Eiffel Tower.
After visiting the Eiffel Tower, your next stop in Paris should be the Muse du Louvre. Admission is 8,50 euros. The phone number is +33 1 40 20 53 17. You may want to plan to visit the Louvre more than once during your trip, as it is impossible to see the entire 30,000 piece collection in the world’s largest museum. The Louvre was built in 1200 and in the 1500s became the royal family’s palace. The Louvre was opened as a museum in 1793. In the 1980s, glass pyramids were built to serve as the entrance and are a fantastic sight. Once inside the museum, be sure to stop at the information desk first to pick up a free map and to get the schedule of the 90 minute guided tours being offered that day. The museum can be confusing even with the map and a guided tour is recommended. The Louvre is broken up into three wings: Richelieu, Sully and Denon. Within these three wings, the museum is then divided into nine collections: the History of the Louvre and Medieval Louvre, Oriental Antiquities, Arts os Islam, Egyptian Antiquities, Sculptures, Objects d’art, Paintings, Prints and Drawings, and Arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Photography is allowed at the museum so don’t forget your camera.
The next stop on your tour of Paris, France should be the Notre Dame Cathedrale located at 6 place du Parvis Notre-Dame. The Cathedrale Notre-Dame was built in 1163 but was not completed until the 14 th century. This is a very historical sight in Paris. Napoleon crowned himself emperor here and General de Gaulle gave thanks here when the Germans freed Paris. One thing to be wary of is that the Cathedrale is under restoration construction and part of it may be unobservable.
Next on the tour is Basilique du Sacre-Coeur located at 35, rue du Chevalier-de-la-Barre. The phone number is +33 1 53 41 89 00. The main reason for visiting this church that sits atop a large hill just past Montmarte’s main square is to take in the amazing view of Paris that this location offers. While in the area be sure to walk around the streets of Montmartre’s Place du Tertre. It is almost as if this area has been frozen in time and remains very similar to the time when Van Gogh resided here.
About The Author
Claire Quaty was born in France and writes ebooks, articles and for magazines. Some of your work is located at: Paris Listing.
by: Claire Quaty
If you are visiting Paris for the first time, you might be overwhelmed when planning your itinerary and deciding which attractions to visit and in what order. Let’s take a look at the top attractions in Paris that are a must see when planning your visit.
First you’ll want to visit the Eiffel Tower. This icon of Paris is located at Eiffel Tower Champs de Mars. Admission to the tower is 10,70 Î . The phone number is 33 (0) 1 44 11 23 23. The Eiffel Tower was built in 1899 and was originally supposed to be a temporary symbol for the 1899 World’s Fair. If you really want to be “wowed” by this structure, visit it in the evening, as the lights of Paris are a breath taking view from the top floor. The tower includes restaurants and shopping. Tickets to the second floor and the top floor can be purchased at the information office at the base of the tower. Expect to wait for the elevator and expect to be a little confused by its configuration. Even with these slight inconveniences, a trip to Paris wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the magnificent Paris icon – the Eiffel Tower.
After visiting the Eiffel Tower, your next stop in Paris should be the Muse du Louvre. Admission is 8,50 euros. The phone number is +33 1 40 20 53 17. You may want to plan to visit the Louvre more than once during your trip, as it is impossible to see the entire 30,000 piece collection in the world’s largest museum. The Louvre was built in 1200 and in the 1500s became the royal family’s palace. The Louvre was opened as a museum in 1793. In the 1980s, glass pyramids were built to serve as the entrance and are a fantastic sight. Once inside the museum, be sure to stop at the information desk first to pick up a free map and to get the schedule of the 90 minute guided tours being offered that day. The museum can be confusing even with the map and a guided tour is recommended. The Louvre is broken up into three wings: Richelieu, Sully and Denon. Within these three wings, the museum is then divided into nine collections: the History of the Louvre and Medieval Louvre, Oriental Antiquities, Arts os Islam, Egyptian Antiquities, Sculptures, Objects d’art, Paintings, Prints and Drawings, and Arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Photography is allowed at the museum so don’t forget your camera.
The next stop on your tour of Paris, France should be the Notre Dame Cathedrale located at 6 place du Parvis Notre-Dame. The Cathedrale Notre-Dame was built in 1163 but was not completed until the 14 th century. This is a very historical sight in Paris. Napoleon crowned himself emperor here and General de Gaulle gave thanks here when the Germans freed Paris. One thing to be wary of is that the Cathedrale is under restoration construction and part of it may be unobservable.
Next on the tour is Basilique du Sacre-Coeur located at 35, rue du Chevalier-de-la-Barre. The phone number is +33 1 53 41 89 00. The main reason for visiting this church that sits atop a large hill just past Montmarte’s main square is to take in the amazing view of Paris that this location offers. While in the area be sure to walk around the streets of Montmartre’s Place du Tertre. It is almost as if this area has been frozen in time and remains very similar to the time when Van Gogh resided here.
About The Author
Claire Quaty was born in France and writes ebooks, articles and for magazines. Some of your work is located at: Paris Listing.
Labels: Paris
