Paris, the City of Lights
Paris, known as The City of Lights, absolutely deserves this name. Paris is however much more than this - it is one of the best travel destinations. If you have a need for cultural events, night life, luxury - Paris is for you! There are a lot of great hotels in Paris, restaurants and muzeums. Go there and you will always want to come back!
I have been to Paris several times when I was still a student. The first time I was attending a conference. I lived in a cheap hotel within walkng distance to anything we wanted (which had some benefits!). During the day Paris was just a big metropoly. But when the night started - it changed into a city full of life!
Paris certainly is and will be a place I want to come back to. It is worth it.
Where to find a hotel?
There is really a number of hotels in Paris, starting at prices 40euro per double. There is also a number of cheap hotels and
hostels as well as comfortable "multistar" hotels.
There are also several a few useful internet agencies that can find and book you a place online.
Please remember that during the summer and weekends it is VERY hard
to find a hotel when you are in Paris so it is much safer to book a place early.
If you can afford it you can also rent a flat in the center of Paris. It should cost $1000 - $1500 a week for a 2 bedroom flat. Vacation rentals have some positive sides - you are independent. But you have to wash your dishes ;-)
What to see?
A stay in Paris should at least include a visit to the Louvre, one of the best museums in the world, a climb of the Eiffel tower, a climb to the top of Notre Dame Cathedral,
You should certainly see the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, stroll around the Place du Tertre behind it, visit the Pigalle district (at night of course, in the daylight it is not much impressive...), take a walk around the Latin quarter - St. Germain, Boulevard St. Michel and have a glimpse at Centre Pompidou - one of my favourite buildings (and museums) in Paris.
See the photos - there I have put some more thoughts about places I have seen.
How to get to Paris?
It somehow depends where you live. If you live in France you can easily use railway transport, but from anywhere abroad (other European countries, US, Asia etc.) the best way is to flight to Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). The airport is located 23km from (14 miles, north-east) from Paris. To get to Paris you can use TGV ultra-fast railway which brings you to the city center within 45 minutes (or to DisneyWorld in 10 minutes). There are also buses to Paris, taxis and car rental agencies.
I personally discourage you from using a car in Paris. This of course depends on the purpose of the visit, but generally public transport is great. And if you really want to use a car - renting a car is no problem and rates are reasonable.
