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 Paris is
synonymous with romanticism, mystery, the Da Vinci Code and a
lot more. This was my first trip to Paris after almost a decade
and the city was as exciting and inviting as has always been
during several of my previous trips to the city which is
frequented by more tourists than any other city across the globe
that too year round.
I remember visiting the city en route to Normandy where I
studied French for a few weeks in the early 90s and on the way
back I remember visiting the famous icons of Paris - the Eiffel
Tower, the Louvre, taking the Bateaux Mouche across the Seine
and I do remember having a spectacular view of the city from the
Montparnasse Tower.
Then later around the mid-90s I remember visiting Paris and
walking across the Champs Elysees, enjoying some strawberries
with cream and having a croque-monsieur in one of the street
side cafés. Although not much
has changed except for the crowd and the traffic, the city still
is worth visiting umpteen times as it has its beauty and charm
that it is renowned for. This time though, I was visiting the city
of lights as an extended trip from U.K. and traversed the English
Channel by Eurostar- the most convenient way to get from Waterloo
and the heart of London to the centre of Paris at Gare du Nord in
under 3 hours. With luggage and
family in tow, I preferred taking a taxi to the Montparnasse area
where I would be spending the next couple of days at Le Méridien
Montparnasse a great property to stay especially when you travel
with family as they have large family rooms with two double beds
easy to accommodate 2 children in the same room.
Situated in the heart of the left bank, this Starwood property is
equipped with amenities for conferences as well as it is an ideal
place to visit and stay even for the leisure traveller. You can
walk down to Saint-Germain des Près where you can find boutique
shops as well as several cafés or go across to the Luxembourg
Gardens which isin't too far away from the property. In close
proximity you can visit the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Orsay Museum
or the Rodin Museum or even get a spectacular view from the
Montparnasse Tower which is less than 5 minutes from the hotel. |
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The major
attraction for the kids besides Eurodisney which is 60 minutes
away from the city is to get a view from the top of the Eiffel
Tower and although we arrived in Paris on 30th April, we decided
to take the open bus tour of Paris an ideal way to get the flavour
of the city. We had a two day pass of Paris L'OpenTour operated by
CITYRAMA and costs 29 Euros per adult and 13 Euros per child and
is one of the best ways to explore the city of Paris on your own.
The ticket can be purchased here in India from your travel agent
or even at the Cityrama office in Paris or even on the bus when
you are boarding the bus for the first time. The passes are
available for 1 or 2 days and cover 4 different travel routes and
you get complimentary earphones which you can plug in next to your
seat and get an ongoing commentary of the places you visit.
This
hop-on hop-off bus gives you the opportunity to get in and get out
at any place of interest and on a sunny day it would be a good
idea to sit on the open deck or alternatively you could sit down
below if it gets a bit cold or it is raining. There are as many as
80 stops covering the key areas of tourist interests divided into
4 routes and with a frequency of 20 minutes, it is the ideal way
to explore the city on your own. Besides boarding the bus, you can
also by paying 9 Euros more for the two day pass board the Batobus
on the river Seine and you have 9 stops on the river boat shuttle
service. With the limited
time that we had in hand, we got a good overview of the city on
our day of arrival by taking the Openbus Tour. |
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 The following
morning we went to the Bir Hakeiim Metro station and walked
towards Eiffel Tower and unfortunately it was May 1, Labour Day
and it took us almost 2 hours 30 minutes to eventually get into
the escalator to go to the top level of the tower from where you
get a spectacular view of the city. Being a holiday, there were
hoards of tourists across Europe who had come do get a view of the
city from the Eiffel Tower. By the time we got off the tower, it
was noon and after grabbing a sandwich we boarded the Bateau
Parisiens cruise boat which leaves from the foot of the Eiffel
Tower.
The 60 minute cruise takes you across the Seine and you get
the opportunity to discover Paris and get an overview of its
history aboard this glass top vessel with commentary in various
languages (earphones available on board). The cruise costs 10
Euros per adult and 5 Euros per child and is a must do tour
especially for first time visitors to Paris or those who wish to
get an overview of this wonderful city from the river Seine which
offers all together a different perspective. Later that evening
we visited the Lido - a legend in the Champs Elysees area and
hosts the finest live shows for an unforgettable evening. After
dinner which was at 7.30 pm, the spectacular show commenced around
9.30 - a 90 minute extravaganza. The highlight of the show were
the incredible sets, a wide array of costumes and the spectacular
special effects which is a not-to-miss experience not only for
adults but children as well.
Unlike some of the shows that run in
Paris, Lido is popular amongst all age groups and for the Indian
visitors, they serve Indian food as well in case you do not wish
to try out the international cuisine on offer. The show was the
icing on the cake as far as our very short visit to Paris was
concerned and the following day we left for Eurodisney to spend
the next couple of days before heading back to London. |
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Paris has a lot more to offer and the good thing about this
amazing city is that you can enjoy your stay here to your fullest
whether it is spending 3 to 4 days or even for shorter stays like
the one we had as we conveniently packed in an open bus tour, a
visit to the Eiffel Tower, a Seine cruise and a Lido show all in a
span of a day and a half in Paris. |
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