Paris Travel Tips

Paris is said to be the most romantic city in the world ... it’s certainly one of the most beautiful.

It stimulates the senses, demanding to be seen, heard, touched, tasted and smelled. It’s a city of contrasts – a place of wide boulevards and narrow back streets, expensive fashion houses and shabby flea markets, gourmet restaurants and street-corner pizza stands.

It has spectacular art and architecture and a rich history dating back to 55BC when a small, flood-prone fishing village inhabited by the Parisii tribe was conquered by the Romans. The beguiling River Seine winds through its heart and the Eiffel Tower, once derided and unloved, is now its iconic centrepiece. First-time visitors will be surprised at how many other images of the city they have absorbed already – the Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and the Sacré Cœur.

Paris is a living, breathing city waiting to be explored.

Paris is a major hub of European air, road and rail travel. Direct flights from around the world serve the French capital’s international airports. It’s also the centre of Europe’s fast-growing high-speed rail network with arrivals throughout the day of services from many other parts of Europe. Autoroutes (freeways) converge on Paris from all directions.

Air

Charles de Gaulle is Paris’s main airport, lying 19 miles north of the city. Buses, trains and taxis all run regularly into the centre of the city – a journey that will take between 40 minutes and an hour. Disneyland Paris is about 15 minutes away. The other main airport, Orly, is 9 miles south of the capital. Transport services take travellers to the southern part of the city in about 30 minutes.

Train - Eurostar

Eurostar trains travel directly from central London (Waterloo) to central Paris (Gare du Nord) in three hours. There are up to 24 departures daily. Other high-speed rail services into Paris include Thalys from Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne and TGVs from throughout France. Travel on all these services must be pre-booked.

Road

Paris is an oval-shaped city. It’s surrounded by an outer ring road called the Boulevard Périphérique. All freeways leading to the capital connect with the Périphérique, which separates the city from the suburbs. Each former city gate, called a porte, now corresponds to an exit from (or entrance to) the Peripherique. Arriving motorists should check their destination address and consult a map to find the closest corresponding porte. Driving in Paris is an experience - you’ll need nerves of steel!

Language

Well, not surprisingly it’s French, although Paris is now a cosmopolitan melting pot where many other tongues will be heard. The Parisians would love you to try out their language. Start with Comment allez-vous? How are You?

Currency And Tipping

The French use the Euro, made up of 100 cents. All French restaurants are obliged by law to display their menus outside. The posted rates include service, but a tip for particularly good service will always be appreciated – anything from one Euro to 5 per cent of the total. Tips in hotels are unnecessary other than for exceptional service – if the concierge books you a show or if the maid does some washing for you, for instance.

Dress Code

Paris can be unbearably hot in the summer and it’s a city that calls for a lot of walking, so bring light clothes. Many say Paris in Springtime is the ideal. Some three-star restaurants demand formal dress at dinner, but for the rest, dress up or down – within reason.

Safety

For a city of 2.2 million people, Paris is surprisingly safe, but as in any other city, do try to avoid poorly lit or isolated places and beware of pickpockets, especially on the Metro during the rush hour.

Travel

Getting around Paris is fun if you enjoy subways. The Metro is old, sweaty and smelly but generally efficient. The key to not getting lost is to focus on the end station on the line you’re travelling. That’s what you’ll see on the board and that’ll tell you you’re going in the right direction.

The Eiffel Tower

Built for the International Exhibition of 1889, it’s the most famous landmark in Paris and can be climbed (by stairs or elevator) to give spectacular views of the city. http://www.tour-eiffel.fr

The Arc de Triomphe

Napoleon’s victory arch, completed in 1836, containing the tomb of the unknown soldier and the eternal flame. http://www.paris.org/Monuments/Arc

Notre Dame Cathedral

A masterpiece of Gothic architecture built between the 12th and 14th centuries. There’s a 387-step climb to the top of the towers for an amazing city view. http://www.paris.org/Monuments/NDame

The Champs Elysees

The famous wide boulevard that’s central to most French celebrations. Stop for an expensive coffee and pastry in one of the chic cafes.

The Sacre Coeur

Another famous Parisian landmark. The beautiful 19th century Basilica in Montmartre is at the heart of a bustling area of street artists. http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com

The Latin Quarter

The hip, young, vibrant area full of cafes, bookshops, small boutiques, nightclubs and street-traders.

The Louvre

One of the most beautiful museums in the world, housing work from every major artist throughout history. See the Mona Lisa … but arrive early to avoid the queues! http://www.paris.org/Musees/Louvre

The Pompidou Centre

One of the most spectacular and controversial modern buildings in the city. Top modern art inside and street theatre outside. http://www.centrepompidou.fr

Disneyland, Paris

Mickey and Dumbo and the rest on a 140-acre site 20 miles east of the centre. Disney with a French touch. http://www.disneylandparis.com

The Père Lachaise Cemetery

OK, not your average tourist attraction, but here can be found the graves of Chopin, Rossini, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison among others. http://www.fortunecity.com

Eating and Drinking

The French passion for good cuisine means that eating out is one of the greatest pleasures of a visit to Paris. You can eat well in almost any part of the city, with a range of food from traditional French to Lebanese and Indian. The Left Bank probably has the greatest concentration of restaurants, especially in tourist areas such as St- Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter. Some great cafes of the 1920s are in the Montparnasse area. Book before you go … and find the most stylish places to eat at http://www.toptable.co.uk.

Shopping

Paris is a shopper’s dream with world-famous fashion houses, food halls and flea markets. Many of the couture houses are on or near the Rue du Faubourg-St-Honore and the Avenue Montaigne, while the Bastille area has many trendy boutiques.

If time is short and you want to get all your purchases under one roof, try the grands magasins (department stores). Le Bon Marche was the first and is the most chic with a great food hall; Au Printemps is known for its exciting and innovative household goods and Galeries Lafayette has a wide range of clothes at all price levels. For markets, try the Marche de la Porte de Vanves (weekends only) which sells old books, linen, postcards, china and musical instruments.

There’s also the vast Marche aux Puces de St-Ouen on the northern outskirts of the city – a short walk from Clignancourt Metro station. Perhaps the cheapest and liveliest market in Paris is Marche d’Aligre, which is reminiscent of a Moroccan bazaar. And the market at Rue Mouffetard offers a range of cheeses and other quality foods.

Night Life

The music in Paris clubs tends to follow the trends set in Britain and the United States.

Only a few clubs, however, are genuinely up-to-the-minute. Balajo (www.balajo.fr) has gone upmarket but is still one of the best clubs for dancing, while an ultra-hip young crowd flock to the small and cosy Folie’s Pigalle (www.folies-pigalle.com), one-time strip joint and present day venue for live music.

And jazz-crazy Paris has innumerable packed clubs where the best talent can be heard every evening.

The Lido (www.lido.fr) is the most Las Vegas-like of the cabarets and stars the legendary Bluebell Girls. The Folies-Bergere (www.foliesbergere.com) is the oldest music-hall in Paris and probably the most famous in the world.

Undoubtedly the top destination for a day trip out of town is the spectacular Palace of Versailles – “Chateau de Versailles” (www.chateauversailles.fr) with its rich interior and vast gardens – the glory of the reign of the Sun King, Louis XIV. It’s reachable by train or bus from the centre of Paris.