There are more than 177 miles of man-made tunnels and disused quarries under the streets of Paris. These cavernous spaces have become a focal point for urban culture and creativity, resulting in a private treasure-house of art, music and writing. For over 300 years anonymous and illicit visitors have sought to memorialize and comment on events above ground. Hidden in the darkness, and working in uncomfortable conditions, they have created paintings, drawings, graffiti, and sculpture on the walls on the walls of the tunnels as well as ephemeral paper works that are concealed in the stone.
Some visitors have been fugitives, many have simply sought a place to create undisturbed. Their subject matter is varied and often subversive, it ranges from current events and politics to the poetic and downright strange; but whatever the subject, the underground art records history with originality, creativity and style. New material is continually being added, it is rare anything is removed, and after 300 years a riot of imagery and objects have amassed, making a startling and unique environment.
Paris has huge subterranean cavities, built in 2000 years of history for many purposes like quarries, religious hideout, beer cellars, subways and bunkers. Most of the excavations are located at the base of the three “mountains” – Montparnasse, Montrouge and Montsouris. There are approximately 300km of galleries all together, not all of them are connected.
Cataphiles have been illicitly producing art in the underground since the early 1980s and their paintings are found over a large area of the quarry network. It is an atmosphere that has encouraged many artists to look inwards rather than outwards to produce meditative, contemplative and decidedly personal impressions of subjects that are always extraordinary and frequently bizarre – monsters and beasts, phantoms and ghouls are favorites; futuristic topics recur; and politics, religion and sex inevitably find wall space. The dimensions of the kata-art ranges from small mosaics that is no more than ten centimeters in diameter, to large ceramics of two meters high, or huge paintings that are in excess of twenty meters wide.
The Catacombs has many dates on the walls to indicate work done to consolidate the existing quarries, an enormous project to catalogue the location of the many unknown parts of the quarries and shore up their ceilings to allow Paris to grow. It was these efforts that were responsible for linking the entire tunnel system together.
The name catacombs are derived from the usage as graves. This name is sometimes used for all the underground caverns of Paris, but the tourist spot, open to the public, are the graves. They do not really promote them to tourists, but they are open to the public. At the end of the 18th century, the government began converting several subterranean rooms into mass graves. This was necessary to meet desperate overcrowding in the medieval cemeteries in the center of Paris, which also became a hygienic problem. From 1785 to 1786, in 15 months, millions of bones and rotting corpses were transported from the unsanitary city cemetery in Les Halles to this place. It was a colossal project to transport the bones in huge carts at night across the city.
And here they are, in huge piles, arranged as crosses, as faces and in other different configurations. Above the door outside are the words – in French – Stop! This is the empire of death.
Anil Gupta recommends that you visit http://www.bookings.fr/city/fr/paris.html?aid=305255 for more information on Paris hotels.
For a holiday you will always treasure, be sure to visit France. With so much to offer within one country, France hosts the most tourists than any other country in the world. From romantic, cultural Paris to the heights of the snowcapped French Alps to the southern sizzling beaches. France hotels can add to the splendor of your trip with an amazing selection that can be found with ease on the internet.
Paris: fashion capital of Europe
Surrounded by style and romance you just cant help fall in love with Paris. Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, street café’s and fashion boulevards, a boat trip on the River Seine there is so much to see and experience.
Transport: how to get there and around:
The main airport which greets most visitors to Paris is Charles de Gaulle. Paris can also be reached with ease by train from surrounding countries and many destinations within France. If traveling from the UK the ferry is also an option.
Getting around Paris is best on foot, it’s a great place for walking and sightseeing. If your not feeling so energetic there is a metro system.
Accommodation: Luxury to budget stays
The internet can offer some of the best information on the cost, range and location of hotels in Paris.
Weather
Paris is fortunate to be situated in a basin so has little rain compared with the rest of the country. Generally the weather in the capital is temperate.
Attractions & Events
Parisians love to celebrate, here are just a few events you should look out for.
* The glamorous Paris Fashion Week showcases the latest designer spring collections in March.
*Bastille Day is a special day for the whole country. The French National Day is celebrated in Paris with style on the 14th July with parades, parties and fireworks.
*The International Photo Fair is also worth a visit and takes place in November.
Nice: treasure of the Côte d’Azur
Nice has a special ambiance and charm that attracts a great number of visitors to walk through its old cobblestone streets. Nice offers history, culture as well as the modern delights of shopping and night life. Add to this the long stretch of beach and you have a great holiday combination.
The temperature in Nice makes the pebble beach a great spot to relax. The waters are warm, clear and inviting and are just a pebbles throw away from neighboring St Tropez and Cannes.
Transport: how to get there and around:
Traveling around France is easy using the impressive, fast rail system. You can get to Nice by train and bus or if traveling from further a field, the International Airport is just 6 km’s from town. Ferries are also an option, they run to Corsica.
Getting around Nice is easy on foot, it is pleasant to walk around and explore the sights.
Accommodation: Luxury to budget stays
The internet can offer some of the best information on the cost, range and location of Nice hotels
Weather
Summertime in Nice can be scorching up to 40 C. Typical climate however can be described as Mild, averaging 15 C. Winter is also mild with lowest temperatures being around 5 C.
Attractions & Events
*Nice holds an annual carnival during the latter half of February. The lavish street parades end with a fabulous fireworks show.
*During June, the city hold religious processions and prayers for patron saints St John and St Peter.
*July is for music lovers as the worlds finest Jazz players meet in the city for the Nice Jazz Festival.
Alistair White has been in the travel industry for over 20 years and is the founder and CEO of Cheaper than Hotels. Cheaper Than Hotels offers Cheap France hotels.
When arriving in a foreign country, the last thing you want to do is trudge down to the public transportation hub, drag your suitcases onto subways amidst impatient daily commuters and navigate the station signs that may or may not be in English. Taking a taxi is one option, but flagging one down isn’t always easy, and traffic can really make the tab add up. With all the hassle of getting to the hotel, travelers waste valuable time, energy and peace of mind-who would be in the mood to sightsee after all that?
Travelers to France are increasingly turning to a new trend among both business and leisure travelers-transportation by chauffeured luxury cars! The foremost Paris limo rental company in the city is Paris Major Limousines, in business since 1987 and ready to provide you with a truly high-quality experience that is likely much more affordable than you would imagine.
Not only does this classy company track your flight for delays and early arrivals to ensure your driver is ready and waiting for you when you step out of the terminal-they provide you with helpful and friendly drivers who are fully bilingual and ready to accommodate everything from a spontaneous request to stop at a shopping center or help you order your lunch.
What’s more, Paris Major Limousines specializes in private chauffeured tours of Paris, its environs and all throughout France-their drivers are actually chosen based on personable and competent they are as guides in addition to their driving ability and certifications. PML’s drivers consider themselves unofficial hosts of their city to their customers and take pride in the quality of their tours. Keeping abreast of the latest hot spots in fine dining and shopping, as well as any seasonal exhibitions or festivals happening in and around Paris, they are equipped to accommodate customers’ recommendation requests and spur-of-the-moment changes of plan. All professionally attired and trained to be attentive and discreet, PML takes pains to ensure the customer experience is always a positive one.
Making a reservation for a Paris limo is simple and straightforward, and can be done with as little as 24 hours’ advance notice via their secure reservations web page. Once the customer arrives and is met by their driver, he or she has the freedom to choose where and when to go-PML’s drivers are trained to know how to get wherever needed and can find anything from a dry cleaner to a drug store upon request.
PML’s Paris limo service provides several nice perks for customers as well: customers have their choice of Mercedes-Benz S and E-class cars or minibuses to serve as their tour vehicle. Party size is also flexible, as several cars or minibuses can be hired together. Each car includes a free cellular phone rental, so that you truly are traveling with every comfort and convenience possible. Combined with a fully bilingual driver (the default second language is English, but PML also offers chauffeurs fluent in most European languages, Japanese or Arabic upon request), these private tours are the most comfortable and convenient way to view the city in a personal, unhurried and in-depth way.
Paris Major Limousines is one of the few companies of its kind that understands how important timely, well-informed and courteous Paris limo service is for a smooth and pleasant visit, and they work hard to ensure that their customers enjoy every spot they visit without having to worry about how to get there. For more information visit http://www.uk.limousine-international.com.
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Small Paris museums offer you an alternative to the large venues when you wish to avoid the crowds there. See which museums to visit here.
by Phil Chavanne
Fan of Klimt, Schiele & Co., I recently wanted to take a leisurely look at the Grand Palais blockbuster exhibition on Vienne 1900. I picked a weekday mid-afternoon, assuming I could whizz in and loiter through. Oops! I lined up before the entry (in freezing weather) for over an hour. And when I got a glimpse of the over-populated jostling going on inside, threw in the towel.
If body-contact sport isn’t your ideal for expo-visiting in Paris (or elsewhere), try small museums.
Here’s a sampling of Parisian fares in this vein, where – despite the displays’ intrinsic interest, and English documentation generally available – you’re not likely to have your feet trampled or be elbowed in the ribs. Some are so tiny they aren’t mentioned in Bordas’ authoritative Guide des Musées de France.
Let’s begin by wandering down rue Antoine Bourdelle, 15e arrondissement (district) near the Gare Montparnasse. At no. 18 you can’t not notice, through a grillwork fence, a garden hosting a bronze horse almost two storeys high.
This is the Musée Bourdelle, former home and studio of the sculptor (1861-1929) for whom the street is named, and whose work – fittingly for a small museum? – was grandiose in intent and result. The style is somewhere between rough-hewn Rodin (with whom he collaborated for a while) and Art Déco’s wind-swept streamlining.
On view are samples of his inclination for antiquity and exoticism that range from statues of Sappho and Archer Heracles to a monumental portrayal of Polish national poet Mickiewicz and bas-reliefs of music, drama, etc. for the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, inaugurated in 1913. It was inaugurated with a scandalous premiere of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, danced by a rather lightly clad Nijinsky. That year Bourdelle exhibited work at New York’s landmark Armory Show.
Address:
18 rue Antoine Bourdelle
Paris 15th district
Open except Mondays and holidays 10 a.m.>6 p.m.
Full entry: €4.50; youth: €2.20; under 14: free.
Metro stations: Montparnasse, Falguière.
Just around the corner is the diminutive Musée du Monparnasse recalling such Roaring-‘20s Montparnasse denizens as Hemingway, Picasso and Modigliani. It opened its doors in 1998 in a quaint paved street (Chemin du Montparnasse) which itself is worth the visit.
The museum offers its visitors a treasure trove of photographs taken by such luminaries as Robert Doisneau and Henri Cartier-Bresson, and many watercolours and prints by Montparnasse artists.
Address:
21 avenue du Maine
Paris 15th district
Open except Mondays and holidays 12:30 a.m.>7 p.m.
Full entry: €5; reduced: €4;
under 12: free;
Metro station: Montparnasse
Still closer to the Gare Montparnasse is the Musée de la Poste, an offshoot of the postal administration – and a good place to take the prettiest mail-woman in your neighborhood.
Opened in 1973, it’s a museographical surprise: you take an elevator to floor five then spiral down, room-to-room, to the ground floor.
Goodies along the way include: an articulated-arm Chappe semaphore (ca. 1800), part of a France-wide network enabling messages to come 10 km. station-to-station in clear weather from, say, Calais to Paris in just over an hour until France imported Samuel Morse’s system in 1856; a lovely 1900 ceramic post office counter; and an explanation of Paris pneumatique system that, 1866>1984, air-propelled correspondence via underground tubes at a speed of up to 700 meters a minute.
Address:
34 boulevard Vaugirard
Paris 15th district
Open except Mondays and holidays 10 a.m.>6 p.m.
Full entry: €5; reduced: €3.50;
under 18 and mailmen/women: free;
Metro station: Montparnasse.
And now, for gruesomely comic (?) relief : Paris’ Crime Museum a.k.a. Musée des Collections Historiques de la Préfecture de Police.
Can you imagine what early handcuffs looked – and felt – like ? Ouch ! They’re there. As are: a genuine guillotine blade, perhaps used on the murderer of a nearby victim’s punctured skull, and stark temporary exhibits.
A recent one of these documented oh-so-graphically the trials and tribulations of bagnards – forced-labor convicts transported to hellish camps in e.g. New Caledonia and French Guyana as late as 1953. Among them was the escapee-author of 1970s U.S. best-seller Papillon.
Address:
4 rue de la Montagne Sainte Geneviève
Paris 5th district
Open Monday through Friday 9 a.m.>5 p.m.
Free entry (except for executed criminals)
Metro station: Maubert-Mutualité
For wine buffs I can think of no place better than the Musée du Vin (Wine Museum). It opened its doors in 1984, and hunkers in 13th century quarries reconverted in the 16th-17th centuries by monks to store their wine (grapes grew abundantly on the Passy slopes, now facing the Eiffel Tower).
Ranging through time from Roman domination, and signposted by mini-Bacchus figures, displays include viticulturists’ tools, a barrel-maker’s workshop, and vessels for testing, storing, transporting and consuming the beverage.
The visit ends with… wine-tasting. You can also lunch there.
Thermal springs once flowed here, so the Wine Museum is on… rue des Eaux: Water Street!
Address:
Rue des Eaux – 5, square Charles Dickens –
Paris 16th district
Open Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m.>6 p.m.
Entry: €8 (includes that glass)
Metro station: Passy
(This article is a collaborative between Phil Chavanne, Senior Editor, and Arthur Gilette, a regular contributor to www.Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com. Both are more than happy to share their in-depth knowledge of Paris.)
If you are planning a holiday in Paris and looking for options to stay, the easiest way to go about it, is to type phrases like `Holiday Flat Rental Paris’ or `Vacation Flat For Rent Paris’ in the search engines and you will have hundreds and thousands of options come up for you to pick and choose from.
But don’t let the overflow of information confuse you. Just make sure you are clear about what you want and you will find it. Would you rather be in the middle of greens or hustle and bustle of the city? Are you okay to share the apartment or want one entirely for yourself? Is distance a big issue for you? The more you get to move in and around Paris the more you get to learn about the place but if that’s not your definition of a holiday, you can look for Flat Rental in Paris which is more exclusive and will suit your needs better.
While looking for Holiday Flat Rental accommodation in Paris or a vacation flat for rent in Paris, the main considerations for most of tourists will most likely include the facilities provided by these self-catering flat owners, the location of these flats or apartments, and security and safety.
Another important consideration will be what are the places you are going to concentrate on while you are in Paris? This will help you take the decision of which flat you ought to rent out in a big way. If you rent out a flat around these places, it will save you a lot of commuting time and transport costs. And you can spend more time doing what you came here to do. Enjoy your stay in Paris to the hilt!
It’s also a good idea to consult someone who has already taken a holiday in Paris and has stayed in flat rental accommodation, to get practical suggestions. She/he will be the best person to advice you on vacation flat for rent in Paris.
Check out the following before finalizing vacation flat on rent in Paris – Distance from airport, distance from main places in Paris, safety and security of these flat rental accommodations, availability of daily needs around the place, phone and Internet connectivity, medical emergencies, transport, ordering food etc. Also find out if the flats are fully furnished or semi furnished.
Also before finalizing a Holiday Flat Rental in Paris, get phone numbers and addresses of people who rented the flat before you. Make this little extra effort to get in touch with them over mail or phone and see what they have to say regarding flat owner’s attitude & standard of services, bills, hidden costs etc. Most of the time, the owner will provide you with details of former tenants willing to recommend the flat. These are the things that will help make a good decision. Don’t forget a wrong place of accommodation can spoil your holiday. So it’s always better to take an effort beforehand rather than regret later. Go ahead and type phrases like `Holiday Flat Rental Paris’ or `Vacation Flat For Rent Paris’ in the search engines but do your own research before booking yourself into one! There is nothing worse than a holiday gone sour. Steer clear of it! Plan better. Have a great holiday!
Paris is an amazing city. We have all heard the sayings “The city of love” “The most romantic city in the world” “The city of lights”, well after visiting this city and experiencing it first hand, I can tell you that it is all true.
The city is very beautiful. The architecture is stunning, the tourist attractions amazing and I found the people to be friendly.
Paris is a place you can’t describe in words to someone, it is a place you have to experience for yourself. The city is like a living museum, with architecture dating back to the 13th Century. That is when Notre Dame began to be built.
The grandeur of Paris really became evident in the 16th century, when Versailles became Louis XIV’s headquarters. In the 19th Century, Napoleon appointed Baron Haussmann to develop modern Paris, with its long boulevards and beautiful buildings, the wide avenues and parks that still make the city unique today.
Paris is internationally renowned for its architecture and its influence in fashion and the arts. Walking is the best way to see and get a feel for the city. You can explore the city’s districts, its old centres, cemeteries and great parks. When you first arrive in Paris, I highly recommend getting on the Hop on, Hop off buses. Stay on and do a circuit and get a feel for where everything is. It is very easy to walk around once you know where you are.
I remember one day, later in the afternoon, we walked from Notre Dame back to our hotel near the Place de la Concorde. It was very charming and it turned dark and the lights came on. We stopped to have a meal in a restaurant. It was just wonderful.
The Champs-Elysées is a fantastic place to experience people watching. Another one is the Place de la Concorde.
Those who fancy a trendier atmosphere, can visit districts such as Le Marais, Quartier Latin, or the quaint Canal St-Martin. If you like art galleries, museums, or famous cabarets such as Folies Bergères, Paris has everything to meet your dreams. Be aware, Moulin Rouge, does not look like much during the day but it comes alive at night when the lights go on.
The top attractions in Paris are certainly the Eiffel Tower, originally a “temporary” construction for the 1889 Universal Exposition, the Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte and the massive cathedral Notre Dame. A walk from Place de la Concorde towards Champs Elysée is also a must as well as the world famous Louvre museum. One place you must visit is the Montparnasse Tower. There are less crowds than the Eiffel Tower, it has an enclosed viewing area as well as being able to go onto the roof. The best part is that you get the Eiffel Tower in your photos! I highly recommend it.
There is obviously much more to explore!
Père Lachaise The largest cemetery in Paris, and said reputed to be the most visited in the world. A huge and peaceful park home of those who have experienced French life over the past 200 years.
Jardin du Luxembourg. The garden of the French Senate which is also a large public park. A recommended place to relax and savour the cosmopolitan atmosphere of a rich palace garden.
Musée d’Orsay. This is the place for art and artefacts from the Middle Ages and Impressionist eras with leading collections. Originally a railway station and the building itself is worth a visit.
Le Marais. Situated on the right bank (3rd and 4th Arr.), this trendy district has beautiful architecture of the 17th century. There are also many museums, art galleries and historic sites such as Paris’ oldest square, Place des Vosges where you can find Victor Hugo’s residence.
Montmartre. One of the most popular historic areas with the Sacré Coeur Basilica on the top of the hill, the highest point in Paris. It’s also famous for the cafés and studios of many great artists. I recommend taking the tram to the top, then walking down the steps followed by browsing the artists work in the narrow streets at the bottom. A fantastic experience. I bought a beautiful print and everytime I look at it, wonderful memories come flooding back.
Versailles. Near Paris, this is where King Louis XIV built his Palace in the 17th century. For those who love Renaissance architecture, don’t miss it! The Palace has been recently renovated and you’ll also enjoy lovely walks in the well kept gardens.
Bateaux Mouches. One of the most relaxing, and romantic ways to view some of the city’s oldest and most majestic historic monuments is to get a ride on the famous and unique long-boats that leisurely glide along the Seine. Despite the number of operators from which to choose, most of the boat lines offer similar itineraries and are equipped with an audio announcement system, providing commentary on the passing sights in several different languages.
In Paris, you must differentiate between restaurants, bistro or brassieres. A bistro is usually small, featuring simple food, sometimes with entertainment. A brassiere serves hearty meals along with beer and wine, usually cheap and with a liquor and coffee bar. Like New York or London, the choice is huge. Each place has its own particular atmosphere and style whether recipes are local or from all over the world. However Paris is internationally renowned as a food capital. It is the right place to test the high-quality French products and delights of traditional French cookery thanks to the talented and creative chefs. Parisian restaurants are real gourmets delight. There are good places for all budgets. Whether it’s a restaurant, a bistro or a brassiere, you’ll be able to enjoy a real culinary feast with gourmets from all over the world.
In Paris you will find lots of trendy and popular bars serving all kind of drinks with a good mix of music and sometimes with DJs. Take your time and sample a few, they are all open late! Paris has a very diverse nightlife. From high-tech dance clubs to mellow jazz haunts, there’s anything to fit your mood. Also try the famous cabaret venues for a great night of vibrant entertainment!
Paris is home to some of the most famous designers and luxurious brand names in the fashion industry like Louis Vitton or Dior. But you’ll also find more affordable brands matching your budget in the huge department stores or many popular neighbourhoods.
Paris is served by two major airports, Roissy Charles de Gaulle (CDG), 25 Km and Orly 15 Km from the city centre. A third airport, Paris Beauvais, is mainly served by low cost airlines. A paying shuttle service (€13) is organized to and from its terminals and Paris-Porte Maillot. From CDG terminals, the Roissybus leaves every 15 minutes from 6.00 and arrives to the city centre (at Opéra) after a journey of 45-60 minutes. (€8.40 one way). After midnight there are night busses going to Place du Châtelet, 90 rue de Rivoli every 30 minutes (€8 one way). The cheapest and fastest (30 minutes) is the underground RER B to Gare du Nord running from 4.56 in the morning to 23.56 at night (€8 one way).
From Gare du Nord you are connected to Paris’ metro network. Air France busses go to Porte Maillot. Taxis can be found near the terminals’ baggage collection area exits. Average day fares are €50. From Orly, the automatic metro Orlyval takes you to RER B Antony station from 6.00 to 23.00. Combined ticket price (Metro+RER+Orlyval)is about €9. Other options are the airport shuttle buses going to RER C Pont de Rungis station. Combined ticket price (Metro+RER+shuttle) is around €5.60. As for busses, the Orly bus takes you straight to RER B Denfert-Rochereau. Daytime taxi rates are approximately €35.
Public transport. The RATP runs the city’s local transport system. The bus, underground (metro), and commuter train system (RER) is divided into five zones, and is cheap and efficient. The underground runs from 5:30 in the morning to 0:30 in the night. Tickets are valid on both busses and trains, and can be purchased from the stations and in kiosks. Travel cards, ranging from one to five days, are also available at the airport, at underground stations, and from tourist information offices. 1 day travel card zone 1-3 costs approximately €8.30.
There is so much to see and do in Paris. If you are going to visit, make sure you allow enough time so that you can experience all that it has to offer.
I have 2 websites at the moment. http://www.world-travel-options.com and http://www.your-budget-travel-guide.com. If you love to save money when you travel, check out http://www.world-travel-options.com/travel-blog.html or http://www.your-budget-travel-guide.com/budget-travel.html
France is the world’s most popular tourist destination and with good reason. From the cultural splendour of Paris to the snowcapped ski resorts in the French Alps to the golden beaches of the south, France has treasures in every corner. And there are wonderful hotels, too. Check on the internet for the range, location and cost of hotels in France
Paris: city of light, fashion and romance
Think of Paris and see what images cascade through your mind – chic cafes, broad boulevards, Seine riverboats, the Eiffel tower, Notre Dame Cathedral….Paris is the quintessential capital of romance and style, the home of chic.
transport:getting there and getting around
Charles de Gaulle airport is the main gateway to the country. France also boasts an impressive rail network. It will whisk you anywhere in the country and also to London, Amsterdam and Brussels. There are also ferries to the UK and Ireland.
Paris is a great walkers’ city and there’s always the metro if you get footsore or too hot. However, Paris is not cyclist-friendly. The river boats are most of a sightseeing vehicle than a means of transport.
Accommodation: from cheap stays to luxury resorts
Check on the internet for the range, location and cost of Paris hotels
climate
The climate is temperate and Paris’s location in a basin gives it France’s lowest average rainfall. .
events
A love of celebration is part of the national character so there’s no shortage of events in Paris.
*Designers showcase their spring collection during Paris Fashion Week in early March.
*The grand event of the year is Bastille Day on 14 July. As the country’s national day, it’s a time for serious celebration with fireworks, parades and riotous street parties.
*November is the time of the Paris International Photo Fair.
Nice: jewel of the Côte d’Azur
An Italianate ambiance and cobblestoned old town gives Nice an irresistible charm. Add to this a vibrant social life, great shopping and a delightful five-mile seafront and you’ve got the recipe for a perfect vacation spot.
The beaches are mainly rocks and pebbles but the water is warm (20-25°C in summer)and clear and it’s just a short hop to nearby Cannes and St Tropez
transport:getting there and getting around
Nice International Airport is around six kilometres out of town. Nice is also served by fast, extensive rail and bus networks. And there are ferries to Corsica. You can best explore the city on foot and if you’re feeling indulgent you can hire a yacht.
accommodation:from cheap stays to luxury resorts
There are a wide range of accommodation in Nice. Check on the internet for the range, location and cost of Hotels in Nice
climate
Mild is the perfect word to describe the climate in Nice. Daily temperatures average around 15 C, surging up to 40 C in July-August. Winters are mild too with temperatures rarely getting lower than 5 C.
events
*Carnival in the second half of February features lavish parades of giant figures in papier-mache hats. Carnival ends on the evening of Mardi Gras with a spectacular fireworks display.
*There are also a number of religious events of interest. In June, the city celebrates the patron saints of St Peter and St John with processions and masses in the churches.
*The big event in summer is the Nice Jazz Festival held in July. The festival attracts top international artists.
Alistair White has been in the travel industry for over 20 years and is the founder and CEO of Cheaper than Hotels. Cheaper Than Hotels offers Cheap hotels in France.
Most cities in Europe have tours to see the main monuments, landmarks and points of interest and Paris is no exception, with different excursions and tour operators that are a great way of getting to see the main sights.
With most tours only lasting an average of one hour this can be a pleasant trip for all members of the family, no matter what their age, and with documentaries supplied in different languages, you can even find out some very interesting facts along the way.
Within Paris there are two bus firms that provide these tours and also a hop on and hop off service, so for the one payment you can utilise the buses as many times as you like during the day.
Les Car Rouges was the original tour bus firm in Paris, which are the red buses that provide one specific route with pick up and drop off points around the city, and although varying according to the time of year, arrive at these stops on an average of every 15 to 30 minutes.
The second tour operator has four different routes around Paris, which will get you to see a lot more of the different tourist attractions. Called l’Open Tour Buses they are very easy to spot in their yellow and green colour, yet are slightly more expensive for a pass. But because they have more varied destinations from one side of the city to another, you can hop on and off different buses to go on different routes, which will get you covering far more of the incredible monuments and landmarks that Paris has to offer.
You can purchase tickets in advance, via selected outlets or in some cases from the bus drivers themselves and both of these tour operators have an open deck at the top of the bus, which is a great place to view the sights on a pleasant day and audio guides in different languages for additional information on the famous sights.
The Batobus service is another great way of getting around Paris and runs along the River Seine, although you would have to be mobile in aspects of negotiating stairs and steep inclines at the banks of the River Seine. It has specific drop off and pick up points and by purchasing a ticket you can go right round the route or do as with the buses on a hop on and hop off aspect using the ticket throughout the day. Some places the Batobus takes you are the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, The Louvre and other famous places situated along the Seine.
However, if you are an energetic and an environmentally friendly type of person, then you may wish to consider using a bicycle to get around Paris, and if you do not have your own cycle with you, then the city has a great system in place called the Velib plus cycle lanes amounting to around 350 kilometres.
You can hire a bike with the Vélib’ Self-Service Bike Scheme, with pick up and drop off points all over the city of Paris only around 300 metres apart. There is an initial set up charge and only a small fee when you use your cycle, but the first 30 minutes of every ride are completely free and you can choose the duration of your ticket from one day, five day, even a yearly pass.
Unfortunately, you do have to be over fourteen years of age to take advantage of this service, but it is definitely a great way of keeping fit and a pleasant alternative from the metro, so you actually get to see the sights on route and you can obtain these passes online or at any of the Velib Service Points.
Even when you have children with you, travelling around Paris can be fun, and although the rush hour times are always going to be hectic, taking the more touristy type options can be a lot more fun for everyone and you get to see a lot more of Paris from above ground!
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Martyn Davis European Traveller, Author, Photographer and Business Development Manager, For all your French holiday needs and travel guide to France, with tourist information, landmarks and attractions – http://www.placesinfrance.com/transport_and_tours_in_paris.html
