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Guide to Paris, France
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ParisUndoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Paris is the epicenter for all things French; French life, French culture, and French extravagance. Romance is the citys underlying theme, and throughout the expansive boulevards, and at the sites of numerous architectural achievements youll get to see what makes Paris tick. Yes, it has countless monuments, cultural centers that are among the top in the world, and people who seem to wholeheartedly embrace the practice of the complaint, but the magic of the city is deep inside. Paris is a city of eye-candy, but visit some of its less-traveled districts, and interact with ethnically diverse locals and you'll see why it is such an attraction. Youll see why Parisis Paris.
When to go:
The weather in France is fairly consistent with that of the rest of the country. Summertime can see hot and humid weather, while winter sees quite a bit of snow (interestingly enough, winter is the period when Paris holds a number of cultural events). Spring and autumn are wonderful, and while years ago the citys inhabitants would escape the citys borders in late summer for vacations, leaving restaurants and storefront to close up for a bit, today the city stays open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The commotion that buzzes during the day might be gone, but visit a few nightclubs and bars and youll see that the citys candle is still lit even when its buildings go dark.
Getting there and around:
The main air-hub for international flights to Paris is Aeroport Roissy Charles de Gaulle. Its quite far from the city - 27km (17mi) but its wide range of transport options will likely please. Public buses, private shuttles, taxis, and shuttle trains are the most frequently-used, and while buses are cheap, trains dont run into much traffic along the rails. From the main train station in Paris you can take a cab or a bus to your hotel.
Pariss center is where much of the action is, along with many of its most-visited sites. The grid-system is easily traversed on foot, but remember to yield to motorists, because they rarely yield to pedestrians. You can ride the citys clean and speedy Metro to many destinations, but dont try riding at night because there will be no underground trains running to serve you; nighthawks usually take buses and/or cabs to get around the city.
Attractions:
While traveling the streets of Paris, itd be very difficult to avoid coming upon the Arc de Triomphe, the center (and landmark) where 12 of the citys major avenues come to meet. Lots of traffic surrounds the c.1836 monument, and while the drone of engines never ceases, a walk up the Arcs 284 steps to the viewing platform on top will certain get your mind off of it. You wont see as much of the cityscape as you can atop the Eiffel Tower, but its still quite an extraordinary vantage point.
The Eiffel Tower is what everyone in the world uses to pinpoint Paris. Once the worlds tallest structure (320m), today it is mostly a tourist attraction with a lot of age and wear, used by the city for radio transmission (gotta put the tons of metal to good use!). There are three levels that are open to the public, and while we highly recommend going up, dont try using the elevator. Lines are monstrously long, and if youve got a good pair of shoes and are reasonably fit, you can easily walk up the stairs at the south pillar.
Pariss Cathedrale Notre Dame is one of the greatest in the world. Its size is so massive, youll be hard pressed to see every nook and cranny of the building. The Interior is large enough to accommodate 6000+ parishioners, and the views from the roof are magnificent.
The Pompidou Centre is where contemporary art aficionados get whisked away to other worlds. It is not only a center for contemporary art, though. Among the 40,000 works of art youll find a cinema, restaurant, cybercaf, and dance/theatre facilities.
The Louvre is, hands down, the worlds most famous museum. New Yorks MoMA and MET may rival the museum in the number of priceless pieces they hold, but the Lourve is something of a trademark for the art world. Its size is so grand, that, many who come to Paris, turn away at the thought of getting lost in its myriad of hallways. Have no fear; even if you do get lost, at least you are lost among da Vinci, Raphael, and Botticelli.
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