Paris vacation
May 2, 2008 - Posted in Travel
Very few cities in Europe can compete with Paris as a romantic destination; it’s location straddling the banks of the river Seine make it a beautiful city to visit. Many couples decide to take short stay in Paris as it is probably the most romantic city in the world; there is so much to see and do that often only the main tourist attractions can be fitted in.
Visitors flock to see its many wonderful buildings; it has much to offer visitors who adore culture, even if it is only for a long weekend. Fortunately for tourists, Paris has a first rate transportation system; the Metro underground system is easy to understand, efficient and reaches everywhere even the most enthusiastic tourist would want to visit.
No visit would be complete without a trip to the top of the almost 1,000 feet tall Eiffel tower; it can be seen from any point within the city and the superb views just can’t be matched by those looking at it from the ground. In the evening the illumination means it can be seen for many miles; guided tours add to the thrill as you get to peek into history on how it was constructed.
A walk along the Champs Elysees is essential when you visit Paris; you can see beautiful shops, sit and drink coffee from the many cafes or have a meal in a first class restaurant. When you visit this region of the city you will see it is a much more select area; the exclusive five star hotels situated in this more select part of the city might be out of most visitors’ price range.
If you are an art lover you will enjoy the Louvre, a truly amazing museum; it houses over three hundred thousand exhibits but not all of them are ever on display at the same time. The problem is a Paris short stay will only ever provide a glimpse of what can be seen here; some of the most important art collections in the world are here including Leonardo da Vinci’s world famous Mona Lisa. Over the years, Paris has been home to many of the world’s famous artists; painters like Monet and Picasso spent many years here and a large number of their art works can be seen in Paris today.
The famous 19th century edifice built on Napoleons instructions, the Arc de Triomphe, is also in Paris; the names of his generals engraved upon it to honor them and his troops. A little known fact is that there’s a viewing observatory built into the building allowing the whole area to be viewed; it is located in Place Charles de Gaulle where twelve of the city’s main avenues start, including Avenue de Champs Elysees.
Obviously, these are not the only places to visit; these are however, the most popular with regular tours arranged, many of which are either free or at a subsidized cost. On your short say in Paris you will only see a small sample of what is available for a visitor; anything that’s missed will have to take a rain check.
