Saturday, October 18, 2008

Paris has so much to offer

Although it isn't a well publicized fact, Paris is the second largest European city; also known as affectionately as the City of Lights. Paris short stays are very popular and for good reason as it makes a superb location for a romantic weekend; for most visitors, this is just enough time to see what it has to offer.

This city is also equally well known for its gothic architecture and markets; plus sights like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and many other places that are havens for tourists, both home grown and international. Traveling around Paris is relatively easy for visitors as well as locals; there is an excellent underground system called the Metro which runs regular trains into the city center and is very easy to understand.

No visit would be complete without a trip to the top of the almost 1,000 feet tall Eiffel tower; it's visible throughout most of the city but the views from the top of this huge steel structure are even more impressive. At night, it comes alive with lights that have to be seen to be believed; if you are really enthusiastic you can take a tour where the guide will tell you how this beautiful tower was built.

If you plan on spending some of your traveler's checks in Paris, then a trip down the Champs Elysees is an essential part of a trip; it's where you will find all the top class hotels, shops and restaurants. This is an ‘up-market' area that attracts thousands of tourists each day; most of the five star hotels are located here but more affordable hotels can be found further out.

This city is also the home to the renowned Louvre Museum; it houses over three hundred thousand exhibits but not all of them are ever on display at the same time. The problem is a Paris short stay will only ever provide a glimpse of what can be seen here; with the likes of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa to view in addition to some of the finest collections of art in the world. Over the years, Paris has been home to many of the world's famous artists; these include Monet and Picasso who very fortunately left some of their work here for all to enjoy.

Of course, Napoleon commissioned the construction of the Arc de Triomphe, another Paris landmark; the names of his generals engraved upon it to honor them and his troops. Although not generally well known, the Arc had an observatory installed after it was constructed to provide views of neighboring areas; in particular those obtained along the lanes that lead from it.

This city has a huge variety of places to visit, many of these have not even mentioned here; although no trip would be complete without seeing these, they are probably best viewed as part of a guided tour, some of which are actually free. It is fair to say that you won't see everything on a Paris short stay of two or even three day break; that would require a longer visit as you probably won't have time to visit the gothic churches and castles in only a few days.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

"Paris" the second largest city in Western Europe

As the second largest city in Western Europe, Paris is a great place to visit; also known as affectionately as the City of Lights. Many couples decide to take short stay in Paris as it is probably the most romantic city in the world; most people quickly discover that a few days is not really enough.

A city famous for its fabulous architecture, good food, wine, street markets and galleries; it is the home of the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and many other famous tourist attractions. Traveling around Paris is relatively easy for visitors as well as locals; there is an excellent underground system called the Metro which runs regular trains into the city center and is very easy to understand.

You can't miss the Eiffel Tower, mainly because it's over three hundred meters high; it's visible throughout most of the city but the views from the top of this huge steel structure are even more impressive. At night, it comes alive with lights that have to be seen to be believed; taking a tour at the same time will teach you much more about this remarkable structure.

On your Paris trip ensure you add the famous Champs Elysees to your list of places to visit; with shops, cafes, and restaurants littered along the wide pavements, it is a ‘must see' for every visitor. This is considered a more exclusive and busy area of the city; top class hotels are found here, although if you want to stay at a more reasonably priced hotel, they are available outside of the city center.

If you are an art lover you will enjoy the Louvre, a truly amazing museum; it contains almost a third of a million exhibits and is in fact one of the biggest art museums in the world. On a Paris short stay vacation it would be easy to spend entire weekend here; some of the most important art collections in the world are here including Leonardo da Vinci's world famous Mona Lisa. Paris has attracted world famous artists for hundreds of years; many of whom left large collections of their paintings here like Monet and Picasso.

The Arc de Triomphe another famous landmark was built by Napoleon in 1806; the names of his generals are engraved on its surface and another of those ‘must have' photo land marks. A little known fact is that there's a viewing observatory built into the building allowing the whole area to be viewed; it is located in Place Charles de Gaulle where twelve of the city's main avenues start, including Avenue de Champs Elysees.

Obviously, these are not the only places to visit; there are plenty of others to keep you occupied but to make the most of your time, use one of the guided tours. Paris short stay vacations should only ever be considered as tasters for what is a truly magnificent city; anything else on your ‘to see' list can wait for your next trip.

Paris is the most romantic city in the world

Paris is an old city full of intrigue with a long history; it sits on the banks of the river Seine and is also known as the City of Lights. Many couples decide to take short stay in Paris as it is probably the most romantic city in the world; there is so much to see and do that often only the main tourist attractions can be fitted in.

Visitors flock to see its many wonderful buildings; the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre must not go unmentioned. Traveling around Paris is relatively easy for visitors as well as locals; there is a superb underground rail system called the Metro which is efficient and easy to understand.

It wouldn't be possible to visit this city without a trip to the top of the famous steel structure known as the Eiffel Tower; there are only a few places in the city where it isn't visible. Illuminated in the evening, it is one of the most beautiful sights in the entire city; it is possible to take organized tours which tell the story of the Tower and the history of France.

On your Paris trip ensure you add the famous Champs Elysees to your list of places to visit; you can see beautiful shops, sit and drink coffee from the many cafes or have a meal in a first class restaurant. When you visit this region of the city you will see it is a much more select area; most of the five star hotels are located here but more affordable hotels can be found further out.

If you are an art lover you will enjoy the Louvre, a truly amazing museum; it holds in excess of 300,000 pieces of art, which cannot possibly be seen in a single visit. Visitors on short stays in Paris could easily be overwhelmed; the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo statue just two of many appreciated works of art. Over the years, Paris has been home to many of the world's famous artists; the likes of Monet, Picasso and many others lived in the city for years and some of their work can still be seen today.

Of course, Napoleon commissioned the construction of the Arc de Triomphe, another Paris landmark; it provides visitors with a wonderful photo experience because it contains the names of every one of his generals. Many people do not know that an observatory was included in the design which affords great views of the surrounding area; it stands in the place where the city's main avenues begin including the Champs Elysees.

Of course this article can only give a small sample places to visit; there are plenty of others to keep you occupied but to make the most of your time, use one of the guided tours. A short stay in Paris will definitely be a busy one even if only a few sights are visited; the likes of medieval churches, buildings and castles, which it has in abundance, will have to wait until another time.