Paris Around

Posts Tagged ‘Europe’

Grand Paris! Think of a romantic trip to Europe, and the City of Lights springs immediately to mind! And why not? It\’s a beautiful city. Easy to navigate. And the sights! Well, there is no shortage of sights. And because of the combination of tourist attractions, food, and romance, it is one of the most popular destinations in the world.

So what do you want to do in this grand city? The museums? The Monuments? The markets? The bookstalls along the Seine? Is it the food that attracts you at world class restaurants, or do you just want to sit in a sidewalk cafe and watch the world go by?

There are so many \”must sees\” that you really will have to choose what is most important to you. Monuments? How about the Eiffel Tower. The Place de la Concorde with it\’s Egyptian obelisk. Think of the line up of the Arc du Triomphe du Carrousel through the Tuileries to the Arc de Triomphe, and the grand Grande Arche in La Defense district. Or how about Invalides where Napoleon is buried.

Landmark churches? Start with Notre Dame de Paris. The Basilique du Sacre-Coeur… dramatic and white on the hill in Montmartre. The churches of La Madeleine, Sainte-Chapelle, and the Pantheon. Or just landmark buildings like the Palais Garnier.  Read more...

When you think of going on your holidays, what springs to mind when it comes to travelling to your destination?

If you’re travelling by air, complications such as crowded airplanes – usually with plenty of screaming children – long waits for shuttle buses to your respective hotels and other general annoyances that come with travelling abroad.

But have you ever thought about rail travel? With prices from as little as £30 return for a journey from London to Paris, holidaying in Europe has never been easier. And with a wide variety of hotels in London available to the avid rail traveller, the potential for weekend breaks by rail travel has become more widely available.

With the recent refurbishment of London St Pancras station, passengers now have the opportunity to travel to Paris and Brussels via high-speed Eurostar services.

For those looking to experience rail travel in more than one country, there are a variety of different railcards available for across Europe. For a single fee you can purchase railcards that are valid for a certain amount of countries in a certain amount of time.

For example, you could start your journey in London, hop on the high-speed train to Paris before going on to a wide range of other destinations – from Munich to Madrid, the choice is endless.

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You can effectively extend a touring holiday of Europe by several days and perhaps save money. To do it you need a Eurail pass and a little forward planning. This is how it works. With a Eurail Pass you can go from city center to city center in Europe in great comfort at a reasonable price.

The key to this is the phrase ‘city center to city center’.

Consider Paris. The airport, Charles de Gaulle, is 23 km north-east of Paris. If you go by taxi in either direction it costs the national debt and takes 45 minutes. There are regular buses and trains but your journey is never going to be less than 45 minutes. Leaving, you have security to go through and the airlines would like you there well before take-off. At least an hour, sometimes two hours.

Thus on any flight you find that as much as six hours, never less than four, are spent getting to the airport, checking in, flying, getting there and collecting your luggage. Then getting to the center of your destination.

By train, in every capital in Europe (I have searched and found no exception) you arrive in the center of the city.

Yes, you need to be at the train station ten minutes before the train leaves — make it fifteen minutes to be on the safe side — and when you get to your destination it is instant arrival. Your baggage is with you and you are there, bang in the center of the city. To test this stay with Paris for the moment.
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SHERMAN, CT–(Marketwire – December 21, 2009) – Europe may still be experiencing the effects of the recession, but online travel continues its upward march across the continent’s diverse and complex markets, according to travel industry research authority, PhoCusWright Inc. Changes in the economy and the travel industry have driven significant shifts in how consumers shop for and purchase travel. PhoCusWright’s European Online Travel Overview Fifth Edition analyzes the dynamics of online and offline travel distribution across Europe’s major travel markets.

Here are five predictions for the European online travel market in 2010 from the new report:

1. Online travel will account for more than one-third of the total European travel market

While the total European travel market experiences a double-digit decline, online leisure and unmanaged business travel will in fact grow slightly in 2009. As effects of the recession linger into next year, consumers are increasingly shopping online for better deals. Online penetration will surge from 28% in 2008 to 34% by 2010.

2. Priceline could become the largest pan-European OTA

Long in last place among the big four global OTAs (Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity being the other three), Priceline has gained ground dramatically since the onset of the recession and especially through the success of its main European acquisition, Booking.com. Amid Orbitz’ stumbles and Expedia’s catch-up play with Venere, Priceline is poised to become the number two OTA globally and quite possibly the largest OTA in Europe (although Expedia may have something to say about that…).  Read more...

Thinking about going backpacking in Europe alone, with your sweetie, or a buddy? Instead of just grabbing your backpack and hopping on the first plane out to a random European country, it’s worth your while to plan a little bit ahead and figure out what you need in order to have a successful, hassle-free, and exciting European backpacking trip.

Pick a Destination
Some people choose to go into Europe blindly without a plan or destination in mind, but it’s best if you have an idea of where you’d like to go backpacking. Some stick to Western Europe, some to Eastern Europe, some traverse the entire continent on a rail pass, and others explore one or two countries more intimately. Your destination(s) will also determine your budget, gear, and other factors.

Budget
Make sure to plan an overall budget for your backpacking trip. Your budget will include your flight, your gear (all the stuff you need to buy before you go), and your “living expenses” by the day, which will include food, accommodations, and activities. Around $40 USD is fairly realistic, but this will vary from country to country and even city to city. Do some research to find out how much it will cost you in the countries/cities you wish to visit. Find out the exchange rate as well, and keep a journal of your expenses.  Read more...