As the second largest city in Western Europe, Paris is a great place to visit; it sits on the banks of the river Seine and is also known as the City of Lights. No visit to Europe would be complete without a short stay in Paris; most people promise to return as so much they wanted to see will have been missed.

Visitors flock to see its many wonderful buildings; it is the home of the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and many other famous tourist attractions. Visitors to Paris as well as its citizens can travel around Paris easily; there is a superb underground rail system called the Metro which is efficient and easy to understand.

The Eiffel Tower at over 300 meters tall is a magnificent steel structure; it's visible throughout most of the city but the views from the top of this huge steel structure are even more impressive. Illuminated in the evening, it is one of the most beautiful sights in the entire city; 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 avenue is well worth a visit to see how the wealthy live; 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.

The world famous Louvre museum is in this city; with almost a third of a million exhibits, you will not be able to see everything in one trip. There are so many exhibits here they cannot all be viewed during a short stay in Paris; many of the world's art collections are housed here, which includes the renowned ‘Mona Lisa'. What makes Paris special is the number of artists that have been attracted to this great capital; painters like Monet and Picasso spent many years here and a large number of their art works can be seen in Paris today.

Paris is also the home of the equally famous Arc de Triomphe which Napoleon had constructed in the early part of the 19th century; to honor his generals (and his troops) he had their names inscribed upon it. The Arc is the focal point of the city and contains an observatory to view the local area; it can be found in Charles de Gaulle Place at the intersection of twelve avenues including the 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. A Paris Short stay vacation should only ever be considered a sample of what the city can offer; the churches, cathedrals and other museums will just have to wait for another time.