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General Info

Paris is not just the political, economic and cultural center of France, Paris stimulates the senses, demanding to be seen, heard, tasted and smelt. Gaze rapturously at its breezy boulevards, impressive monuments, great works of art and magic lights: the city on the Seine will not fail to thrill you with its wonders, its great museums, more than 30.000 shops, parks, countless restaurants, hundred of events, performances and the most lively nightlife imaginable.

Transports

Paris has three airports, two main ones Roissy-Charle de Gaulle and Orly, as well as the Paris-Beauvais airport (located 70 km north of Paris), for charter and low cost flights. Paris has a well-organized public transportation system which makes it easy to get around inside and outside the city. The Subway (Metropolitain) is the most convenient way to get around the city with 300 stations and 16 lines. In addition to the metro Paris has 5 RER lines, an underground urban train system which covers all of the Ile de France region. 58 bus lines operate from 7:00 a.m. and can be used to discover the city from its streets. Noctambus is the nighttime bus service between 1:00 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. The "bateaux mouches" are part of the collective image of Paris, but there are different types. Batobus are run by the city, they sail on the Seine making 8 stops at the "hot" spots of the city including the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Notre Dame. Other private companies offer excursions which combine the trip with meals and guides: NAVICITE and PARIS ETAPES.

Main Sights

Many of Paris' significant sights are strung along its river, and its quartiers each have their own distinct personalities, so you can experience a lot without covering much ground. The museums, monuments and the two islands are a magnet for visitors but it can be just as rewarding to wander. A not exhaustive list of what cannot be missed, include: the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Pantheon, the Grand Palais, the Conciergerie, the Opera Garnier, the Luxembourg Palace, Place des Vosges, Pére Lachaise Cemetery...

Museums

Louvre Museum: the most famous museum in the world the Louvre houses the great collections of the French royal family and many works stolen by Napoleon during his campaigns to conquer new lands. It is impossible to visit the Louvre's collection in one visit - it contains 30,000 pieces. Hours: Mon., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Wed., Fri. 9:00 a.m.-9:45 p.m. Closed Tuesday. Metro: L1/L7 Palais-Royal-Musée du Louvre. Batobus: Louvre, Quai François Mitterrand Musée D'Orsay: this extraordinary museum is dedicated to art from 1848 to 1914 when Paris was the center of the art, culture and fashion world. The museum is located in the former Left Bank train station built in Art Nouveau style in 1900. It was converted to a museum in the 1980's after just missing being destroyed, and is currently one of the most famous and most visited museums in the world. The collections are mainly paintings and sculptures, and range from the Romantic and pre-Impressionist period, while the upper floor contains the famous Impressionist collection with the great names from the period: Monet, Manet, Renoir, Gaugain, Cezanne, Pissarro, Degas and even Van Gogh. Hours: Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat. and Sun. 9:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Thurs. 9:30 a.m.-9:45 p.m. Closed Monday. Metro: L12 Solferino. RER: Line C, Musée d'Orsay Picasso Museum: the largest collection of Picasso's works in the world, with 200 paintings, 160 sculptures and 88 ceramics and collages, as well as many many drawings and prints. Where: Hotel de Salé, Rue de Thorigny. Hours: April-September 9.30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; October-March 9.30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Metro: L8 St Sebastien. National Museum of Modern Art: the national modern art museum is housed in the futuristic Centre Pompidou, in the Beaubourg Quarter. The collection is truly enormous, the museum possess more than 30,000 pieces which are rotated in expositions which do not contain any more than 900. The works cover the entire period from the early 1900's to the present, one of the biggest collections of contemporary art in the world: cubism, dadism, surrealism, expressionism and pop art, minimal art and contemporary avant-garde movements, with the greatest names of the 20th century: Miró, Giacometti, Dubuffet, Picasso, Matisse, Léger, Chagall, Kandinsky, without forgetting great Americans like Pollock and Andy Warhol. Hours: 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m, closed Tuesday. Where: Centre Georges Pompidou. Metro: L11 Rambuteau. RER: Les Halles

Where to eat

French cuisine is one of the most famous in the world due to its variety and the imagination used to prepare its dishes. Paris is a place where you can try haute cuisine prepared by the great chefs at top restaurants, explore the regional cuisine of all of France or even venture into French avant-garde cuisine. A traditional French menu has three courses: hors d'oeuvres, the plat (entree) and cheeses to finish. The most common hors d'oeuvres are salad with goat cheese or cubes of bacon, omelettes with herbs or various soups, like soupe a l'oignon (French onion soup) and potage parisien (soup with potatoes and leeks). The entree is meat or fish, always served with vegetables or rice, and the ubiquitous sauces which French cuisine is famous for. Paris offers some excellent dishes like chateaubriand, andouilettes (grilled tripe sausages), and confit de canard. The cheeses are a true delight, France has more than a hundred, but the best known are camembert, brie, roquefort and strong flavored herb cheeses, without forgetting the excellent goat cheeses. Desserts are a joy for the palate and some are famous throughout the world: chocolate St Honoré, crème caramel, crepes flambées and many more. The amount of restaurants is unlimited: you can choose from a traditional or trendy restaurant or be tempted by the ambiance of an old-fashioned bistro. Brasseries are valid alternatives. They are traditional taverns which offer the more common dishes of French cuisine served with beer or wine. Since Paris is an international city, it offers a wide range of foreign restaurants, primarily Asian and Middle Eastern. Don't leave without trying one of the traditional cafes which have greatly contributed to making Paris famous throughout the world and are excellent for breakfast or a snack.

Shopping

Avenue Montaigne and Rue Faubourg St Honore are simply a dream for any woman: all of the best designers are concentrated in this area. Prestigious boutiques and high class ateliers, it is worth a visit just for window shopping to look at the high fashion garments, jewelry and fabrics displayed as if they were in a museum. Dior, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, among others, have their maisons here. Champs Elysée is one long (almost 2 km) showcase for top international brands: Citroen, Peugeot, Walt Disney, Virgin, Louis Vuitton and Club Med, all the best brands compete for exposure in this exclusive location. The Grand Boulevards on the right bank of the Seine, is the biggest shopping area of Paris, where the main international chains and department stores are found. Absolutely not to be missed: Gallerie Lafayette, a real joy for the eyes and Printemps, the fashion and cosmetics temple, both on Boulevard Haussmann. La Samaritaine, one of the oldest department stores in Paris, is located on Rue de Rivoli. One of the most interesting things in this area are the Passages: shopping centers which since 1800 have represented the heart of Parisian life. Les Halles and Rue de Turbigo are teeming with all types of shops, especially fashion for the younger set, try the Forum Des Halles department store, very popular with Parisians. The area around the Pompidou is excellent for crafts and souvenirs. Ile St Louis and the Marais (around Place des Vosges) are excellent areas for art galleries, antique shops and boutiques of emerging designers. Don't miss the Viaduc des Arts a little further on, behind the Opera de Paris Bastille: under the restored arches of a former railway viaduct scores of shops and workshops have been created which produce and sell all types of crafts. If you are searching for books or art objects which may or may not be rare, you'll have to visit the Left Bank, in the area between Blvd Saint Germain and Jardin du Luxembourg. Once the haunt of intellectuals, it is now an area filled with book stores and antique shops. Street Markets: Paris has countless street markets of all types, Parisians love to shop at them, you'll find plenty to choose from: flower markets, art and antique markets, covered food markets and much more. Here is a small selection: Porte de Vanves flea market: in the heart of Paris 350 booths selling furniture, paintings, fabric, glass items, vintage jewelry, military mementos, photos, music and bric-a-brac. Every weekend. Av. Georges Lafenestre and Av. Marc Sangnier. Metro: L13 Porte de Vanves Paris Saint Ouen flea market: the largest flea market in Paris, it is a real shopping city which extends over a huge area and contains various specialized markets. Excellent deals are guaranteed. Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Metro: L4 Porte de Clignancourt

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