Paris snapshot

Travel guide to Paris - city of romance and culture

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Paris city break holidays
  • France
  • Ile de France
  • Pop: 12m
  • Lang: French
  • Time: GMT/BST+1
  • Cur: € euro
  • 220v 2pin round
  • Phone: +33

Paris

Arguably the greatest tourist destination in Europe, Paris never fails to amaze, a beautifully laid-out city with its museums; the Eiffel tower (you must enjoy a meal at an Eiffel Tower restaurant) and Champs-Elysées; Montmartre; Notre-Dame Cathedral - the list of 'must see' sights is endless.

Despite its huge size and population, almost everything worth seeing in Paris is found inside the ring road, the Boulevard Périphérique.

For the ardent city break fan, cheap flights to Paris are of great benefit as they provide easy and regular access to one of the most famous and popular city break destinations.

Iconic landmarks

Paris is known by many characteristics, its wonderful architecture, its romanticism, its mysticism, its artisan culture, the food and of course, the shopping. It is this wonderful array of things to see and do that encourages so many people to seek out cheap flights to Paris from airlines such as Jet2.com

There is just as much enjoyment in following the well-trodden tourist paths to iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, Notre Dame and the Louvre as there is in discovering the character-rich side streets or the secrets along the River Seine.

Sometimes though, with so much to do after you arrive on cheap flights to Paris, you might be tempted to stay longer than just a few days and Cheapflights offer some great travel deals.

Great museums

The compact centre is easily navigable on foot, or with the efficient and comprehensive metro and bus system. The River Seine splits the city neatly in two and the arrondissements system divides the city into manageable chunks.

Many attractions can be reached on foot from the Île de la Cité and Notre-Dame Cathedral. It’s a short stroll to the Louvre, one of the great museums of the world, and the Tuileries gardens with magnificent views up the Champs-Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe.

Paris is said in Europe-wide polls to have the best cuisine and best dressed locals. Unfortunately, the same polls say it's the the least friendly city in Europe!

Galleries galore

On the south bank of the Seine is the Musée d’Orsay, specialising in art of the 19th century, including many Impressionist works. From there, it’s a short walk to Invalides, and the tomb of Napoleon.

The Eiffel Tower, the highest structure in the world when built in 1899, never fails to excite, particularly riding to the third storey.

Other sights to the south of the Seine include the Latin Quarter, packed with small restaurants, and the Luxembourg Gardens, hugely popular with children and students from the Sorbonne.

The Grand Boulevards cover the area to the north of the river around the Opéra Garnier and the nearby Place Vendôme. This is where many fine stores can now be found, including the Galeries Layfayette with its dome and balustrades.

To the east is the Le Marais area, with the oldest square in Paris, the Place des Vosges. Here are many fashion designers, jewellers and goldsmiths.

Cheap travel

Inexpensive travel by bus or metro is an alternative to walking to historical Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur Basilica to the north while suburban train services whisk you out to Versailles, the palace of Louis XIV.

The bus system is easy to use. Routes are numbered and stops display the buses that stop there, while a map shows all the routes and times.

The integrated bus, metro and train network is both cheap and efficient when not hit by strike action, which can be frequent. Driving in central Paris is not advisable. Few hotels have car parks while parking is difficult and traffic jams are common.

Paris is the hub of France's excellent rail network including Eurostar services from London. Charles de Gaulle Airport is 24km north east of the city with international flights all over the world. Paris is also served by Orly Airport, 14km to the south on the A6 motorway with one terminal for international flights and another for domestic services.

Make sure you include Booked.net if searching for Paris hotels. They list a good number of quality hotels, available at competitive prices. Also, you don't have to pay any extra fees for booking, administration or cancellation.

 
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Europe travel guide to holidays in Paris