Owing to its location, Paris has a temperate, oceanic climate; it’s location straddling the banks of the river Seine make it a beautiful city to visit. Owing to the amount of places to visit a short stay in Paris will be a busy one; for most visitors, this is just enough time to see what it has to offer.
It is famous for many famous buildings and locations; the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre must not go unmentioned. Traveling around Paris is relatively easy for visitors as well as locals; there is an excellent underground system called the Metro which runs regular trains into the city center and is very easy to understand.
The Eiffel Tower at over 300 meters tall is a magnificent steel structure; it can be seen throughout most locations around the city. You can be assured of an even more beautiful sight if you visit in the evening when it is illuminated; guided tours add to the thrill as you get to peek into history on how it was constructed.
If you plan on spending some of your traveler’s checks in Paris, then a trip down the Champs Elysees is an essential part of a trip; you can see beautiful shops, sit and drink coffee from the many cafes or have a meal in a first class restaurant. This avenue may be select but it attracts large numbers of visitors daily; 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; with almost a third of a million exhibits, you will not be able to see everything in one trip. Even on a short stay in Paris, this is a an art lovers paradise; approximately 8 million visitors a year come to see the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa, both of which are on display. Over the years, Paris has been home to many of the world’s famous artists; the likes of Monet, Picasso and many others lived in the city for years and some of their work can still be seen today.
The famous 19th century edifice built on Napoleons instructions, the Arc de Triomphe, is also in Paris; it provides visitors with a wonderful photo experience because it contains the names of every one of his generals. A little known fact is that there’s a viewing observatory built into the building allowing the whole area to be viewed; in particular those obtained along the lanes that lead from it.
Certainly it is not fair to believe that these are the only places in the city worth visiting; these are however, the most popular with regular tours arranged, many of which are either free or at a subsidized cost. You should only ever consider a short stay in Paris as a sample of what is on offer; anything else on your ‘to see’ list can wait for your next trip.