There is nothing quite like a vacation in Paris, the City of Lights. The capital of France has probably more familiar landmarks than any other city. A trip to Paris, the most captivating city, has always been a dream for us that became a reality in summer 2009.
Getting there
If you are coming by train, you would be getting down in one of these stations based on which part of Europe you come from.
- Gare de Lyon: Trains from Swiss, Italy
- Gare du Nord: Trains from UK, Northern Europe
- Gare de l’Est: Trains from Germany, central Eastern Europe
- Gare d’Austerlitz: Trains from Spain
Most visited paid monument in the world! – Eiffel Tower
What would Paris be without the Eiffel Tower? Taking a ride on an elevator to one of the viewing platforms at the top of the tower is a must do for anyone visiting Paris. This iron icon was built in 1889 for a World’s Fair that marked the 100 year celebration of the French Revolution. It was named after its builder, Gustave Eiffel.
Louvre Museum
The Louvre needs no introduction, being the most visited museum in the world. The visit to the museum could be daunting, by the sheer size of the palace, spanning eight thematic departments and over 35000 peices of artwork.
Even if you are on a hurry, dont miss to visit the highlights such as the Winged Victory, Venus de Milo, the wedding at Cana and ofcourse the MonaLisa by Leonardo da Vinci.
Tuileries & Concorde
The Tuileries garden is at the back of Louvre. Its a great place to relax, after an exhaustive day of sightseeing. Just strolling along the garden, we reached the other end – Place de la Concorde.
Then we took the metro for the first time, M12 from Concorde to our hotel. We also bought RER tickets to Versailles, our destination for day two. (If you have 6 zoneParis Visite pass, its valid for travel to Versailles too. But we had a 3 zone pass)
Sunset River Cruise on the Seine
Figure out what time the sun sets when you are visiting Paris. During my last visit, I was there in May and the sun was setting around 9:25. We took the 9 PM cruise so we could see the sunset and as an added bonus, the hour long cruise returned to the Eiffel Tower departure point around 10 PM so we could see the sparkling light display (10 minutes long) which happens on the hour. Timing is everything when it comes to the sunset cruise so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get from the hotel to the departure point to buy tickets before they sell out. The other advantage of early arrival is that you can get seats at the back of the boat which is open (not enclosed by glass). It is the best spot for taking great photos of the illuminated buildings and the sunset.
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