PARIS

My sister is going to Paris next June.  She has never been in Paris and she is excited about the experience, and me too.  I know that though she likes art, she does not want to spend hours in a museum, she has no problem in walking for hours, discovering special places and shops, and she  is fond of nice restaurants and bars.  So I will try to do my best and hope she enjoys my recommendations, and no doubt I will love yours.

by Julie70

USEFUL INFORMATION

You should always have a map on hand, the Michelin Green Guide is great.  I wrote the itinerary by arrondisement (neighbourhoods),  I believe it is the best way not to get lost and you avoid wandering about and wasting time.  Check the web pages for useful phone numbers for restaurant reservations and visiting hours for museums.  Most of the museums close on Mondays and Sundays are free.

CARS ROUGES  Sightseeing buses hop on hop off tours

PARIS MUSEUM PASS  Free entry to museums and monuments

BATEAUX MOUCHES  See Paris from the Seine River

PARISCOPE  Guide to week’s events, shows, free concerts

PARIS PASS  Discount metro ticket, unlimited travel on Paris metro and buses

ARRIVAL

By plane.  Paris has two international airports, Roissy-Charles de Gaulle to the northof the city and Orly to the south.  For airport information, check this website.  From the airport you may reach the city by

• Paris Shuttle.  Truck shared or private transpsortation, which provides door to door service at reasonable prices.
• Taxi, probably the most expensive option because the rate depends on the traffic and charge extra for each bag.
• Special buses, Roissy and Paris  City Bus
• Air France  Shuttle
• The RER express train is the cheapest way and connects with the Metro system.  The TGV is a high-speed train from Roissy Charles de Gaulle to cities all over France.  The website is  French National Railway 

If arriving by train. Paris has six international train stations, covered by the national railway system, SNCF, all served by metro stations. For more information visit the website of the SNCF.  Each city is connected either by the TGV (high speed train) or TER (Train Express Regioinal).

If arriving by road, better to have an updated map at hand and an experienced co-driver at his side, or GPS. Paris is surrounded by the Boulevard Peripherique, a nightmare. The traffic is very dense and is best not to drive in the metropolitan area, parking is difficult. The highways that link Paris with the rest of France are A1 and A3 to the north, A5 and A6 to the south, A4 and A13 to the east and A10 to the west.

ITINERARY BY ARRONDISEMENTS

Paris grew from an island in the middle of the river Seine, the Ile de la Cite. The first inhabitants off the island established in the Left Bank, and then began to move towards the Right Bank of the Seine. The Rive Gauche (Left Bank) is on the southern side of the river and is also known as the Latin Quarter, it was the city of artists, writers and philosophers. The Rive Droite (Right Bank) on the northern side of the river was the place where the wealthy citizens lived, and is commonly associated with elegance and sophistication. París is set up in a system of arrondissemnets (districts) that snail out clockwise from the center of the city, beginning with the 1er. Arrondisement. As soon as you arrive be sure to get a Metro map and buy the Guide des Arrondissemnts, (Paris district guide) which you will find at any newstand, hotel or Tourist Office. Paris is a great city to walk, and at the same time it has also one of the best subway systems of the world, calle the Metro. It may be a bit difficult to understand at first, but after the first day you will love it.

1er. ARRONDISEMENT

The Heart of Paris for Art Lovers.  Musee du Louvre

The 1st arrondissement is situated on the right bank of the river Seine, and also includes the west tip of the Ile de la Cite. Is very small, full of tourist attractions and one of the oldest of Paris.

by Grufnik

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