What to see in France

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Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 21-08-2009

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Visiting France is always a challenge, because there are so many things you can visit you don’t even know where to start, but Paris is always a good begging, as it offers attractions like The Eiffel Tower and Napoleon’s Grave.The Eiffel tower has been opened in 1899 at the universal exposition and it quickly became a symbol of the French capital.

The entire France offers classical attractions, and Paris is not the only city to visit. Traditional country regions offer different kinds of hotel accommodations, witch depend on specific, tradition and location. If you wish to visit the French country-side, you might want to orientate yourself towards inns and motels, that do offer the luxury of clean and nice designed rooms, large and comfy beds and can also satisfy your culinary curiosities. As we all can tell, Frenchmen do cook in a special and refined way. To fully experience the benefits of French cooking, you will need to leave a few days from you journey aside, and take a room in the country, where you will satisfy your culinary curiosity.

When you try to find a location for your tour, try choosing a famous hotel accommodation in usual tourist regions. One of these tourist regions is the Cote d’Azur, or the French Mediterranean seaside. Famous festivals are held on the Cote D’Azur, and if you decided to find a hotel here, you may as well go to one. Such a resort is the one where an annual film festival is held, called Cannes, I’m sure you’ve heard of it. Negresco hotel in Nice is a place where special treatments can be experienced, but it is very expensive. For music fans there are big news: the famous jazz festival held in July is a perfect reason to booking into a hotel near it.

If you want to visit Paris, here you can find hotel accommodations near most historical points, like museums and palaces, sites for Black Diamond tents , famous squares and mansions but also in modern regions, that can truly explain Paris’s nickname: City of Lights.

Visiting a famous museum or cathedral has it’d downside: you have to stay in a big city where hotels are more expensive.If you want to have a nice vacation but at low costs, then going on a tour of the country side is the best choice. You can even rent tents and spent time bonding with nature near legendary French woods. There’s an additional alternative to country side if you want an inexpensive vacation: less famous cities.

Sightseeing Holidays : Where To Stay In Paris

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Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 21-08-2009

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Where to stay in Paris is a difficult question to solve, as there is such a variety of excellent places.

One of the best ways to start deciding is choosing which district you’d like to be in. Paris is divided into twenty districts, so to stop it from becoming daunting it’s best to divide up your choices into either the right or left bank, which are the most popular areas. Then whittle it down to districts based on the hotel or inn that best suits you in a specific district.

By “left or right bank,” we mean the two sides of the Seine river, which divides the city in two halves. The Seine runs in a westward direction, indicating that the left bank is generally the southern portion of Paris and the right half is the northern end of the city.

This makes finding your chosen hotel a great deal easier. While the two banks make up a essential whole, they differ from each other in significant ways.

The left bank exemplifies the Bohemian lifestyle, art, and fashion. It is the epitome of Parisian popular culture and offers many varied and interesting shops, buildings, historical sites, and funky architecture and people. There are plenty of interesting hotels, inns, and bed and breakfasts, there at some of the more reasonable prices in Paris.

The right bank is home to the refinement and sophistication many people imagine when they think of Paris. It also contains the business district, the place where L’Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees are located. It is thought to be highly metropolitan, as the neighborhoods are incredibly wealthy and beautiful constructed, ranging from the very classical to modern architectural structures.

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Travel To France : Visitors Guide

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Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 18-08-2009

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France receives 82 million foreign tourists annually, making it the world’s top destination. By itself, the Eiffel Tower brings in 6.2 million visitors per year. However, aside from the cultural value and historic past of Paris, the nation also provides beaches, beautiful landscapes and skiing.

France is world famous for it cuisine, so it’s no problem to find someplace to eat, no matter if you want Michelin starred restaurants, small bistros with good food at reasonable prices, or larger brasseries. When you get your restaurant bill, the service charges and taxes are incorporated into the total.

France is also world-renown for its wines and is a veritable paradise for wine lovers. The quality of the various wines you can discover is astounding, but try not to indulge in too much wine as French authorities are fairly strict when it comes to drivers who are over the limit. Beer is also quite popular, especially in Northern France.

French hotels are categorized between 1 and 4 stars, as the Ministry of Tourism designates. This rating is exhibited on a blue shield by the entrance to all hotels. By law, all hotels must display their rates outside the establishment, or make them visible from outside, but don’t be afraid to enter and ask for their best price.

A beneficial choice would be to book a city center hotel, as they are generally very small and quiet. Make sure you check on the parking arrangements, especially in big cities.

The Chambres d’hotes, otherwise called Bed and Breakfasts, are common rural establishments which can be found in rural areas. These work on a nocturnal basis, as do the motels that are located adjacent to the roads.

If you go to France for an extended stay, you can also rent an apartment, villa or house from a good website. This is a good option if several of you are planning to travel together.

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Overseas Holidays : Travel To France

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Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 18-08-2009

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France receives 82 million foreign tourists annually, making it the world’s top destination. Just the Eiffel Tower attracts over 6 million people a year. Aside from the most popular historical and cultural landmarks of Paris the beautiful French countryside also offers skiing and beach activities.

France is world famous for it cuisine, so it’s no problem to find someplace to eat, no matter if you want Michelin starred restaurants, small bistros with good food at reasonable prices, or larger brasseries. When you receive your restaurant bill, taxes and service charges will be included.

France is also world-renown for its wines and is a veritable paradise for wine lovers. Only the finest in quality and variety are offered, but it is important to be cautious with drinking prior to driving, as the French authorities are strict when it comes to drunk drivers. Beer is also a popular drink, especially to the north.

French hotels are categorized between 1 and 4 stars, as the Ministry of Tourism designates. This rating is exhibited on a blue shield by the entrance to all hotels. By law, all hotels must display their rates outside the establishment, or make them visible from outside, but don’t be afraid to enter and ask for their best price.

A beneficial choice would be to book a city center hotel, as they are generally very small and quiet. Be sure to verify your parking procedures, particulary in the larger urban areas.

Bed and Breakfasts are mostly located in rural areas, and are called Chambres d’htes. These operate on a nightly basis, as do the motel style hotels that lie along the roadside.

If you travel to France for a longer stay, you may also rent a house, apartment or villa from a reputable website. If a few of you are traveling together, this may be a good option.

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About Paris Tourism

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Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 16-08-2009

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The City

Paris is the largest city in France and the country’s capital city as well. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France. The estimated population of the city in January 2006 was 2 167 994 and the Paris metropolitan area has over 11 million people.

Today Paris is one of the world’s leading business and cultural centers because of contributors such as its politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science and the arts. The city is home to a varied population, a genuine cultural wealth with a high proportion of students, young workers and elderly people, many tourists and a large number of foreign residents.

Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, with 45 million tourists every year in the Paris Region, 60% of whom are foreign visitors. The city’s many attractions include numerous iconic landmarks, world-famous institutions and popular parks.

The Climate

Paris sees extremely high or low temperatures due to its oceanic climate, affected by the North Atlantic Current. Although Paris is not a very rainy city, rain falls throughout the year and it is known for its sudden showers. Average annual precipitation is 642 mm with light rainfall fairly distributed throughout the year. Snowfall is rare, but the city sometimes sees light snow or flurries without accumulation. The highest temperature ever recorded was 40.4°C in 1948 and the lowest was -23.9°C in 1879.

Summers
Paris has warm and pleasant summers with average high temperatures of 25 °C and low of 15 °C. 

Winters
Paris has chilly winters but temperatures rarely falls below freezing point with average temperatures of around 3°C  to 8 °C. 

Spring and Autumn
Spring and autumn have mild to occasionally warm days and cool evenings.

Landmarks and Monuments

Three of the most famous Parisian landmarks are the twelfth-century cathedral Notre Dame de Paris, the Napoleonic Arc de Triomphe and the nineteenth-century Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower is now an enduring symbol of Paris, but was originally a “temporary” construction by Gustave Eiffel for the Universal Ezposition in 1889 and was never dismantled. Buildings, monuments and thoroughfares run in a roughly straight line from the city-center, called the Historical axis. Beginning with the Louvre and continues through the Tuileries Gardens, the Champs-Élysées, and the Arc de Triomphe, centered in the Place de l’Étoile circus.From the 1960s, the line was prolonged even further west to the La Défense business district dominated by square-shaped triumphal Grande Arche of its own; this district hosts most of the tallest skyscrapers in the Paris urban area.

Getting to Paris

Visitors from South Africa can click here to book a flight to Paris

Tourism in Paris

Paris was a popular destination since the 11th century for traders, students and religious pilgrimages. Paris’ many monuments, especially the Eiffel Tower from 1889, is among the first mass attractions drawing international interest. Paris welcomed some 27 million visitors in 2006.

Music

Several yearly festivals take place in Paris, such as Rock en Seine.
The Opera Garnier (historical Paris Opéra) and the modern Opéra Bastille are two of the largest opera houses in Paris. Some of Paris’ major theaters include Bobino, Théâtre Mogador, and the Théâtre de la Gaîté-Montparnasse.

Museums

The highest-esteemed attractions of Paris are its museums and monuments. The Louvre is the city’s most prized museum and welcomes more than 8 million visitors annually, making it the world’s most-visited  museum by far.The city’s cathedrals are another main attraction. The Notre Dame de Paris received 12 million visitors and the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur received 8 million visitors. Paris’ most famous monument, the Eiffel Tower averages over 6 million annual visitors and more than 200 million visitors since it has been constructed. Another major tourist attraction of Paris is the Disneyland Resort Paris that attracts visitors from all over Europe and attracted 14.5 million visitors in 2007 alone.

Transportation
Paris has been building its transportation system throughout history and keeps on renovating it today.

Rails
The Métro is Paris’ most important transportation system.The Metro is connected by 214km of rails and has 300 stations. Paris is served by a light rail network of four lines, called the tramway. With another 6 light rail lines currently in different stages of development.

Bikes
Paris also offers a bike sharing system called Vélib’ with more than 20,000 public bicycles distributed at 1,450 parking stations, which can be rented for short and medium distances including one way trips.

Ferry (Voguéo)
The new ferry service Voguéo has been inaugurated in June 2008, on the rivers Seine and Marne.

Airports
Paris has two major airports. The Orly Airport is south of Paris, and the Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport is one of the busiest in the world. The Beauvais Tillé Airport is only used by charter and low-cost ailines. The Le Bourget airport only hosts business jets, air trade shows and the aerospace museum.

Motorway Network
Paris is also known as France’s motorway networks’ most important hub and is surrounded by 3 orbital freeways. The city has an extensive road network, consisting of over more than 2000km of motorways and highways.Brussels can be reached in 3 hours by road, Frankfurt in 6 hours and Barcelona in 12 hours.

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Top French Vacation Attractions

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Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 23-06-2009

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Great food. Great wine. Great scenery. These are just a few reasons to visit France, which is considered one of the most beautiful countries and the top tourist destination in the world. Indeed, you should visit France at least once in a lifetime. While there, make the most of your trip by stopping by these must-see France attractions.

Chateau de Versailles

Versailles is one of the most popular France attractions for its historical significance and outstanding beauty. Located just a few miles outside of Paris, the palace still exudes the grandeur of a royal residence – which it was from 1682 to 1789. It has 700 rooms, the most popular of which are the royal bedchambers, the Hall of Mirrors and the Salon of Hercules, all decorated with ornate furniture and beautiful artworks. Its subsidiary buildings, the Trianon and the Lanterne Pavilion, are also magnificent, and its gardens are among the most stunning in the world.

Grand Louvre

Some of the best France attractions are excellent museums such as the famous Louvre. The Louvre Museum houses more than 400,000 pieces distributed into three wings, including over 6,000 masterpieces from French, Spanish, Italian and other European painters. It is particularly known as the home of the ‘Mona Lisa’ by Leonardo da Vinci, which is one of the most controversial works of art ever produced. Aside from being a world-renowned museum, the Louvre is also one of the central landmarks in Paris, with its distinct pyramid situated on the right bank of the River Seine. The equally interesting Georges Pompidou Centre and the Musee d’Orsay are only a short drive away.

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower has many distinctions. It is the tallest building in Paris at a height of 324 metres, and was the tallest in the world from 1889 to 1930. It is the most visited paid monument in the world, as well, receiving nearly 7 million visitors annually. It is also the most recognizable structure in the world. Indeed, the Eiffel Tower easily symbolizes the romantic City of Lights and all of France, which is why you should take some time to visit it instead of merely bringing home one of its miniatures. The lines may be long, especially in the peak season, but the views from the top are sure to be worth the wait.

Notre Dame de Paris

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has a rich history. First constructed in 1163, it is the site of many historical events, including the coronation of King Henry VI, the wedding of Mary, Queen of Scotland, the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte and the canonization of Joan of Arc. What draws millions of visitors year after year, though, is its remarkable Gothic architecture and its collection of artistic religious pieces. Its rose windows are stunning to behold on sunny days, while the gargoyles and chimera perched around its tower are fascinating. You can also catch a glimpse of its bells, particularly the 13-ton Emmanuel Bell, which is sure to transport you into the pages of Victor Hugo’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’.

Chambord Castle

France is overflowing with romantic attractions, including fairy tale castles such as the Chateau de Chambord. This castle, which was built under the reign of King Francois I, is one of the most popular in France and all over the world, distinct for its impressive French renaissance architecture. Its unsymmetrical yet elaborate roofscape is particularly astonishing, with eleven kinds of towers and three different types of chimneys. Its most famous architectural feature, though, is its double staircase which ascends three floors, reportedly the work of Leonardo da Vinci.

Loire Valley

Do you want to take a break from the hustle and bustle in Paris? If so, take a drive through the Loire Valley to get a taste of the relaxing and romantic French countryside. The Loire Valley is not just the site of many historic and cultural France attractions, but is, in fact, a captivating attraction in itself due to its incredible natural scenery, making it worthy of being called the Garden of France.

These are just some of the best historic, cultural and modern France attractions. There are endless others which are all worth visiting, including Disneyland Paris and the beaches on the French Riviera. No matter where you go, though, you surely won’t be disappointed, but rather, have some great memories to bring home with you along with your beautiful souvenirs.

Isabella Olsen is a travel writer who has toured major destinations worldwide, including France, by car. Zencarhire.com offer car hire from many locations throughout France, including, car hire Geneva. To book a car rental France, or learn more about car hire deals worldwide, visit www.zencarhire.com