Paris Hotels

Fortunately, its residents bring you down to earth. Parisians are arrogant. Sure, the people most tourists come in contact with in Paris – hotel staff, shopkeepers, taxi drivers, even the touts flogging overpriced, cheaply made tat outside the likes of the Palace of Versailles – are friendly enough. But the other 8 million or so Paris residents will openly look down their noses at you, honk their horns as you try to navigate your hire car around the world’s scariest roundabout (aka Place d’Etoile, where the Arc de Triomphe stands) and generally dismiss you with a magnificently Gallic ‘pah!’

And there has to be something good about a city whose residents are so contemptuous of the people who visit it. So instead of being put out by it, see it as a sign that you are in a city so great its people don’t even feel the need to entice you to take a boat ride along the Seine (for the ghoulish, the Bateaux Mouchesleave from Pont d’Alma, at the entrance to the tunnel where Princess Diana died). Or wander with the students around the stalls and wonderful old bookshops in Paris’ Latin Quarter. Or climb the hill to the still-bohemian Montmartre and the neighbouring red-light district of the Pigalle, where bars that double as brothels mingle with iconic establishment like Moulin Rouge.

Paris is so wonderful its inhabitants don’t want you to know. That’s some recommendation.

Paris: Best Public Square

Splendid and refined. Lively and sedate. Paris’ Place Des Vosges is the leading European prototype of a royal residential square. Built in 1606 by Henri IV and housing the likes of writer Victor Hugo and post impressionist painter Georges Dufrénoy, it sits across the border of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements, right in the Marais district. Part 17th century royal throwback, part meeting spot for Parisian fey, cashed-up youth, Place Des Vosges is wonderfully egalitarian while cunningly managing to keep the hoi polloi away.

Urban and symmetrical planning at its best, Place Des Vosges features a mélange of private residences, boutique hotels, cafes, restaurants, galleries and a posh tea providore. The square, oddly enough, is divided into grassy quadrants bordered by gravel paths and peppered with a fountain and strategically placed topiary. Summer days here are buzzing – but not groaning – with picnicking families, spontaneous croquet games and the odd busker of relative repute.

Paris History

• Eiffel Tower – The world-famous landmark and the most noted symbol of Paris was completed in 1889.
• Avenue des Champs-Elysees – Considered one of the most prestigious shopping boulevards in Paris.
• Place de la Concorde – The Place de la Concorde sits as the largest square in Paris and is surrounded by beautiful vistas.
• Assemblee Nationale – Since 1827, the venue has been home to the National Assembly, the French Parliament’s lower house.
• Hotel des Invalides – The golden-domed structure is an infirmary and home to the Musee de Armee.

Paris Art & Culture

• Musee d’Orsay – Art from great impressionists such as Manet, Renoir, Monet and Van Gogh are displayed.
• Muse du quai Branly – Displays a fantastic collection of tribal art.
• Musee Rodin – Musee Rodin holds an extensive collection of the works of a great sculptor.
• Notre Dame de Paris –Showcases superior examples of French Gothic architecture.
• Musee du Louvre – This notable museum is famed for da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and many other French masterpieces.

Paris Shopping

• Galeries Lafayette – Top fashions can be found at the Galeries Lafayette.
• The Marais – The Marais offers unique merchandise for the eclectic shopper.
• Avenue Montaigne and Avenue des Champs-Elysees – Famous for legendary designers and luxury names.
• Shakespeare & Company – Paris’ renowned English-language bookstore.
• Saint-Ouen Flea Market – The city’s largest flea market.

Paris Gay & Lesbian

• Gay Pride Parade – June 26th marks the Gay Pride Parade.
• Moulin Rouge – Paris’ most celebrated cabaret.
• Open Café – A well-known venue located in Le Marais.
• Banana Café – A fun gay bar not far from Le Marais.
• Queen Dance Club – This colourful club is located on Champs Elysees Boulevard.

Paris Outdoor

• Jardin des Tuileries – The Jardin des Tuileries is a 70-acre garden.
• Rendezvous au Jar din – Meet Parisian gardeners at the Rendezvous au Jardin open house.
• Fete de la Musique – A city-wide free musical takes place June 21st in celebration of the summer solstice.
• Bastille Day – Bastille Day celebrates the storming of the infamous Bastille during the French Revolution.
• Cinema en Plein Air – France’s annual outdoor cinema event.

Paris Sport

• Le Tour de France – The famous le Tour de France cycling race takes place in July.
• French Tennis Open – Starting the last week in May, top tennis players battle it out on a clay court for two weeks in the French Tennis Open.
• Palais de Sports – Built in 1960, Palais de Sports is an indoor sports arena where you can watch football and rugby, as well as concerts and other events.
• Stade de France in Saint-Denis – A world-class stadium hosting football, rugby games, concerts and more.
• Paris Marathon – Every May in Paris, runners pound the pavement in the Paris Marathon.

Paris Local

Paris is divided into 20 districts called arrondissements that are numbered from 1 to 20 and spiral around from the centre of the city. You can start at the 1^st district and then work your way out from there. The 1^st district is home to the Louvre, Palais Royal, and the Tuileries Gardens, where you can chill out in the cafes or scoff down some ice cream.

These two districts are the oldest in Paris. Centred on the two islands in the Seine, the Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis and linked to the rest of the city by the 500-year-old Pont Neuf, it’s home to some of Paris’ most iconic buildings (and, in the case of the Bastille, former buildings), including Notre Dame Cathedral and the Pompidou Centre. Check out the stalls along both banks of the river (and the city beach created in the summer), the flea markets and the wonderful bars, shops and restaurants.

Like a small village, the Latin Quarter houses numerous schools and universities, the Jardin des Plantes (the botanical gardens), Arenes de Lutece (an ancient Roman theatre which held 15,000 spectators), and the Grande Mosquee de Paris (Grand Mosque of Paris). With so many students around, it’s no surprise that this is the place to go for some of the best times in Paris. After dark, the bars come to life, the food is cheap but tasty, the absinthe runs freely…

The grand heart of Paris with Place de la Concorde at its centre. It was there King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette had their heads cut off. On the south of square is the magnificent Hotel des Invalides, once a military hospital, now Napolean Bonaparte’s resting place; to the north is the church of the Madeleine; and running away to the west is the Champs-Elysees,where fashion tragics the world over come to worship and normal people come to vomit.

Stop press: French people eat snails and frog legs. It’s true – and you can try them in Paris – but French cuisine is about so much more than clichés.

Paris Events

Paris has a large Chinese population, so Le Nouvel An Chinois (Chinese New Year) is celebrated around February. Join in the celebrations and watch the parades around the 3^rd and 4^th arrondissements and Chinatown.

In March, Spring Fashion Week offers designers the opportunity to showcase women’s prêt-a-porter collections for winter. Avoid at all costs if you can’t stand pretentious, self-important showoffs.

The French Tennis Open, the world’s premiere clay-court event, starts at the end of May.

In June, the Fete de la Musique takes music to new levels.

No-one quite knows why, but the French love bike racing. Could be something to do with the tight bike shorts. Could be because it’s fun sitting out in the sun with a bottle of red in one hand, a baguette in the other and some seriously smelly cheese balanced on your knees. Regardless, the Tour de France ends under the Arc de Triomphe in July after 3500 grueling kilometers (that’s 2175 equally grueling miles). Be among the thousands lining the streets to see who is the ultimate winner of the yellow jersey, then wonder which drugs he’s on.

Bastille Day on 14 July celebrates the beginning of the French Revolution. Party the day and night away on France’s most important holiday. Fireworks are everywhere, so you may as well join in the fun as you won’t get much sleep.

In mid-September, hip (and hop) youngsters take to the streets for the Techno Parade.

Fashion Week returns in October, to flaunt collections for the following summer.

The third Thursday in November is Le Beaujolais Nouveau, marking the beginning of the Christmas season. Christmas lights illuminate the Champs-Elysees, and even the French President turns out to party.

Fireworks light up the Eiffel Tower on New Year’s Eve. Hundreds of thousands pack the streets. Can be fun, can be cramped and a little crazy.

When To Go

• Paris is best visited in the summer, when the weather is at its best and the Seine sparkles like a diamond necklace.
• In Spring (March to June), Paris starts to thaw from its dreary winter conditions, with daytime temperatures averaging a pleasant 20°C (68°F)
• Summer is between June and September. Expect temperatures of about 24°C (75°F) in the day.
• Autumn (September to December) is still pleasant. Daytime temperatures hover around 21°C (70°F)
• Winter (December to March) is bleak and occasionally snowy. Daytime temps are a decidedly chilly 7°C (45°F)

Getting There & Around

It’s safe to say that all international flights will somehow lead to Paris (even if it’s with a stopover in Frankfurt or some obscure city in Asia or Europe), especially since Paris has three international airports. Of course, if you’re already in Europe you can take the train (the Gare du Nord is the station for the Eurostar train to London via the Channel Tunnel, with a convenient stop at Disneyland Paris on the way!) or even drive. But, Paris traffic is notoriously bad. The peripherique(the motorway that circles the city) is more like a car park and in the city drivers don’t make allowances for out-of-towners (or road rules, for that matter).

Getting around Paris is confusing, but only because there are so many means of transportation available. Take a taxi (but only hail one at an official taxi station), dabble in the complex bus network, rent a bicycle or a pair of skates, take a river shuttle, or the underground train (Metro) with tickets from €1.70, rent a car, or walk!

What To Miss

Illegal cabs. Make sure you’re taking the official taxis at taxi stations.

Watch out for pickpockets in crowded tourist-ridden areas.

The bars around Moulin Rouge – you could potentially pay up to €300 for a single drink at an adult show, so always check drink prices first.

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