UK to Paris
March 1, 2009 by Tom Martens
Filed under Flights
The first step to an enjoyable Paris vacation is booking your flight. It’s important to know that most flights to Paris land at Charles de Gaulle International Airport, not the closer, but lesser traveled, Orly Airport. There are also flights to Beauvais, but Beauvais lies some 65 miles outside the city, compared to Orly’s nine. No matter which airport you use, however, you will find it easy to get to the city, because there are many shuttles and trams from the airports to the city and even between the airports for catching connecting flights.
Paris is the capital of France and one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world with about 45 million tourists visiting the City of Light each year. It doesn?t matter what your tastes are or how you enjoy spending your time because there is truly something for everyone in Paris.
The city is located on the Seine River in northern France and has a population of approximately 2.2 million people. That?s just the city. The metropolitan area of Paris has about 12 million people, making it one of the largest metropolitan areas in Europe. Public transportation is a must in a city this size, and the famed Metro light rail system is very popular with tourists. Busses and taxi cabs are also available, and many tourists enjoy walking along the beautiful streets of Paris. The city?s climate is relatively mild year round, and extreme weather conditions are rare in Paris. It does rain often in Paris, but snow is rare.
Paris is divided into districts. The best known are the Champs Elysees and the Place de la Bastille. The quintessential tourist attraction of Paris is the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower was built one hundred twenty years ago as part of an international exhibition and was planned to be temporary. However, the Eiffel Tower is still standing, and millions of visitors enjoy the view from the top each year. Other popular sightseeing locations include the famed Notre Dame cathedral, the Louvre, the Sorbonne, the Pantheon Church, and Invalides Museum, famous as the final resting place of Napoleon. At the Louvre, provided you arrive on a day it is open, you can see famous works of art such as the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. The City of Lights is also well known for its beautiful gardens, including the Tuileries Garden and the Luxembourg Garden on the Left Bank of the Seine.
Paris is famous around the world as providing the standard for French cuisine. Parisian chefs insist on using fresh, local ingredients to create some of the most delicious food in the entire world. There is a restaurant for every budget, from McDonald’s to restaurants with four Michelin stars, and everything you can imagine in between. Diners are not disappointed in Paris.
In addition to the art, museums and history, you can also get a taste of popular culture with a visit to the Disneyland Resort.
Paris has it all: fine dining, beautiful museums, great shopping, wonderful architecture and more. Book a trip today. You won?t be disappointed.
