Paris

Paris, the cosmopolitan capital of France, is - with 2.2 million people living in zone 1 (Central Paris) and another 9.9 million people in the suburbs (la banlieue) - one of the largest cities in Europe. Located in the north of the country on the river Seine, Paris has the reputation of being the most beautiful and romantic of all cities, brimming with historic associations and remaining vastly influential in the realms of culture, art, fashion, food and design. Dubbed the City of Light (la Ville Lumière), it is the most popular tourist destination in the world.

Climate

Average Temperatures in Paris

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High/low °F	43/34	45/34	51/38	57/42	64/49	70/54	75/58	75/57	69/52	59/46	49/39	45/36
High/low °C	6/1	7/1	10/3	13/5	17/9	21/12	23/14	23/13	20/11	15/7	9/3	7/2

By plane

Paris is served by three international airports - for more information, including arrival/departure times, check the official sites.

Charles de Gaulle International Airport (Roissy ICAO: LFPG, IATA: CDG) [1] in Roissy, just to the north-east of Paris, is one of the major hub airports of Europe. It's notoriously confusing, so allow plenty of time for transfers. There are three terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2 (which is huge and subdivided into 2A through 2G), and Terminal 3 (formerly T9). Terminal 1 and 3 are next to each other, whereas mass Terminal 2 is in another building. The free CDGVAL shuttle train connects the terminals together. Food is reasonably priced, especially for an international airport, with sandwiches and the like starting around €4. Benches may be limited but there are power outlets to charge electronic devices such as a laptop or cell phone.

When you arrive at CDG, you should note what terminal you arrived at (2A, 2D, etc.), because when you come back to the airport to depart at the end of your trip, the RER subway train makes two stops at CDG to cover the three terminals, but there are few indications of which airlines are at which terminals. Have a close look at your air ticket to figure out which terminal you are departing from. Air France and associates leave from Terminal 2.

For getting to or from Paris, the RER commuter train, line B, has stations in T3 (from where you can take the free CDGVAL shuttle train to T1) and T2; trains to Paris (the stops are Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les Halles, Saint-Michel Notre-Dame, Luxembourg, Port-Royal, Denfert-Rochereau and Cité Universitaire) leave every 7-8 minutes (alternatively 1 direct to Paris Gare du Nord and 1 stopping train). Tickets cost €8.40 (or €5.90 for a child's fare) each and take around 35 minutes to Gare du Nord, 45 minutes to Denfert-Rochereau, making this the fastest and cheapest way to connect. Tickets can be purchased with smart-chip credit cards or by using the blue automated Euro coin-only ticket vending machines ("Billetterie Ile-de-France") or through the ticket office serviced by transport authority personnel. Trains for Paris are leaving usually from platforms 11 and 12. Look for signs saying "RER B" or "All trains go to Paris". When using the ticket from and to the airport (as with tickets for the RER commuter trains in general) you have to use it to enter and to exit the train stations. Always keep the ticket handy as the SNCF officials sometimes check for tickets, and if you are without one you may be fined €40.

Alternatively, the Roissybus service connects all terminals directly to Opéra Garnier in central Paris, but it's subject to traffic jams and rush hour, so it averages 60-90 minutes even on a good day. Air France buses [2] are offering two stops in Paris (Porte Maillot, Montparnasse) from CDG with a 50-minute ride. To reach a specific address into the city, this shared shuttle service [3] costs €19 per person and is available from CDG and ORY. There is also a TGV station in T2 for high-speed connections, mostly towards Lille and Brussels, but there are also some trains that head south to eg. Rennes and Nantes, bypassing Paris.

Landmarks

Notre Dame de Paris

• Arc de Triomphe (8th)— The Arc de Triomphe still exudes a certain grandeur despite the crowds of tourists and the tacky souvenir shops. Tunnels allow visitors to cross the road safely. Tickets can be purchased to go inside the arcs and view the city but staying on ground level is free. Beneath is the tomb of the Unknown Soldier from WWI, where an eternal flame commemorates those who lost their lives in the war as well as a small memorial, including a playing of the French national anthem, at 6PM daily.

• Arènes de Lutece (5th)— Built during the 1st and 2nd centuries, this amphitheater could seat up to 17,000 people, hosting gladiator fights as well as less bloody entertainment. Now a popular spot for playing boules, it is one of the only remaining ruins from the Gallo-Roman era in Paris, along with the Thermes (public baths) at Cluny.

• Assemblée Nationale (7th)— Seats the French Parliament, and was designed by Giardini and Gabriel in 1728.

• Catacombs (14th)— Used to store the exhumed bones from the overflowing Paris cemetery.

• Chateau de Versailles (Versailles)— Perhaps Europe's most exquisite chateau, on the outskirts of the city. Was once the home to King Louis XIV and also where the Treaty of Versailles was signed to help end WWI. Tours are available to view the insides while the massive gardens, fountains, etc. can be viewed for free. Carriage rides are also available to view the grounds.

• The Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) (7th)— No other monument that better symbolizes Paris. Elevators can used to access various levels of the tower. A very pricey restaurant also sits about halfway up to enjoy premium food and a world-class view.

• Grand Arche de la Défense (La Défense)— A modern office-building variant of the Arc de Triomphe. Has a viewing platform.

• Notre Dame Cathedral (4th)— Impressive Gothic cathedral that was the inspiration for Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Saved in the 19th century by the best-known French architect Viollet-le-Duc. Admission is free but a donation can be made shortly before exiting. Audio tour materials can be rented for €5 and available in 8 languages including French, English, German, Italian, Japanese, and Mandarin. Tour guides are also available a few times during the day and their services are free.

• Opera Garnier (9th)— Masterpiece of theatre architecture of the 19th century built by Charles Garnier and inaugurated in 1875 housing the Paris Opera since it was founded by Louis XIV.

• Pantheon (5th)— Underneath, the final resting place for the great heroes of the French Republic including Voltaire, Victor Hugo, and Marie Currie; above, a marvellous view of the city.

• Père-Lachaise Cemetery (20th)— See the grave of Jim Morrison amongst many others.

Sacré Coeur

• Sacré Coeur (18th)— A church perched on top of the highest point in Paris. Behind the church is the artists' area, in front are spectacular views of the whole city.

• Sainte Chapelle (1st)— Far more beautiful than the famous, but gloomy, Notre Dame. Make sure you go on a sunny day, as the highlight of this small chapel in Rayonnante Gothic style are the large stained-glass windows which soar up to near the vaulted ceiling. Also of interest is the extremely ornate lower level. If it happens to be rainy or cloudy, give Sainte Chappelle a miss, as the play of colored lights on the floor are well worth the wait for a sunnier day.

Generally one should be aware that Paris hotels, almost without regard to category or price, observe high and low seasons. These differ slightly from one hotel to another, but usually the high season roughly corresponds to late spring and summer, and possibly a couple of weeks around the Christmas season.

Be aware that when a hotel is listed in any guide or website this will eventually make it a bit harder to get a room at that hotel. That means that you will probably need to book ahead, especially in the high season. However, if they don't have a room they sometimes know another place close by that does have a room available.

When with two it can be a much better deal to find a hotel room than to get 2 hostel beds. More privacy for less money.

Get out

• Chartres - The 12th century cathedral of Notre Dame at Chartres is one of the highlights of Gothic architecture.(60 mn trainride from Gare Montparnasse)
• Versailles - On the SW edge of Paris, the site of the Sun King Louis XIV's magnificent palace. (20 mn trainride by RER)
• Saint Denis - On the northern edge of the metropolis, site of the Stade de France and St Denis Abbey, burial place of French royalty.
• Chantilly - Wonderful 17th century palace and gardens (and the birthplace of whipped cream). (25 mn trainride from Gare du Nord)
• Giverny - The inspirational house and gardens of the Impressionist painter Claude Monet are but a day-trip away. The gardens and its flowers are the most interesting part of the visit, so avoid rainy days.
• Disneyland Resort Paris - In the suburb of Marne-la-Vallée, to the east of Paris, from where it can be reached by car, train, or bus (the train is probably your best bet).
• Parc Astérix - North of Paris, may be reached via a shuttle bus from CDG Airport.