Friday’s city of the day is Paris. I spent a fantastic year there when I was a student – had no money, but some good friends and a great place to live made it an unforgettable experience. It’s still one of my favourite cities in the world. I always feel at home there, no matter when I go back.
So I’d like to share some Paris thoughts with you today. The first time I went toParis was when I was 15 and I travelled there by coach fromVictoria, then on the hovercraft, arriving a little tired and dishevelled! Not only was it my first time inParis, it was my first time abroad and even more startlingly, I travelled alone!!
Anyway, there are lots of ways to arrive in Paris– you can arrive like Marianne Faithfull’s Lucy Jordan in a sports car (having travelled across the Channel by ferry or Eurotunnel). You could arrive on the Eurostar – there are some great deals in First Class from time to time. Arriving by Eurostar has various advantages – you arrive directly in the centre of the city at the Gare du Nord, check in time is much less and your luggage is guaranteed to arrive with you!! My tip is to buy your Metro tickets in advance – avoids the long queues at tickets machines plus you can also avoid some of the less desirable elements on the Metro! We can supply a carnet of tickets along with your Eurostar tickets. The other way to arrive in Paris is by plane – Paris has two airports – the big Charles de Gaulle Airport at Roissy – transfer to the city centre by rail, by coach or by taxi. The other airport is the older airport at Orly– Flybe operate flights to here from Southampton, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgowand Newcastle. Transfer to Parisby shuttle and RER, by coach or taxi. See here for public transport maps – www.ratp.fr
Once there, my favourite way to get around the city is by bus – the yellow Metro tickets also work on the buses. The centre of the city is relatively small and easy to walk around (with the aid of a decent map). Another good way to explore is by boat – there are plenty of boats gliding along the Seineboth day and night, starting from either the EiffelToweror from Ile de la Cité. Even before Boris had the bikes in London, Parishad a bike hire scheme – http://en.velib.paris.fr/ – 1800 bike stations supply over 20,000 bikes. Just a warning – try not to cycle round the Arc de Triomphe in rush hour!
So where to stay? Parishas hotels for every budget – from 1 star hotels (not recommended to be honest) to 5 star luxury! How about a boutique hotel, like Le Six on theLeft Banknear the Jardins de Luxembourg? Gets great reviews on Tripadvisor.
Wherever you want to stay and however you want to arrive –Diamond Travelcan put together the perfect holiday for you inParis.
You can be assured that you are dealing with a very experienced, professional travel organisation. Anyone who contactsDiamond Travelwill get excellent personal service. My clients are very important to me – many clients have been with me for years.
PS – did you know we can book all kinds of travel – by rail and sea as well as by air!
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