Context offers walking tours in 19 cities around the world, including Paris, and their tours are very deliberately called “seminars.” The tour guides are called “docents,” which tells you about the high level of expertise each person brings to their subject matter. You will be smarter at the completion of a Context tour, there’s no doubt about that, and you’ll thoroughly enjoy the learning process to boot.

>> Browse Context Travel’s Paris walks

One of the things that makes it easy to enjoy and learn from a Context tour is that the groups are kept small – no more than six on a group tour – which means the docent can more easily tailor the tour to a specific group. You get to ask questions without fighting through a crowd, too, and since the docents are veritable encyclopedias of knowledge they’re often eager to discuss an aspect of the topic that’s not usually part of a given walk. It’s an intimate atmosphere, and it’s very easy to forget you’re on a guided tour at all – it feels very much like you’re just taking a walk with a highly educated friend.

The variety of Context walks in Paris alone is astounding, so there’s bound to be something suited to your interest and travel schedule. There are food walks, history walks, architecture walks, museum walks, and more. You can browse the Paris listings to see all of the walks available, or you can view the group walks calendar to see what’s either confirmed or tentative (meaning the minimum number of sign-ups hasn’t yet been crossed) during your Paris visit. Context’s private walks can be more tailored to specific requests, if that’s more your style, and there are even walks geared toward families.

Keep in mind that outside the high season, walks don’t occur with the regularity that they do during the summer. When you’re making a tour request on the Context site, they ask how long you’ll be in the city and a way to get in touch with you while you’re there – this is so that, if another walk opens up during your stay, they can offer you the chance to switch if the original walk you wanted isn’t likely to happen. During the high season, there are typically many more walks available on a regular basis.

photo courtesy of Context Travel

You’ll find books about Paris, movies set in Paris, Parisian music, and miscellaneous Paris trinkets – and hopefully there’s something here to suit the tastes of every Paris fan.

Paris Books

1. What do you mean you’ve never flown over Paris in a helicopter? Well, okay, neither have I. But you don’t have to hire your own plane to enjoy a look at the city from the skies – just flip through the pages of Paris From Above and you won’t even have to fasten your seatbelt.






2. Everyone knows about the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, but Paris is a big city – and some of the most romantic and memorable spots are well off the beaten path. You can explore them from your living room with the great Quiet Corners of Paris book – and then seek them out when you actually get to the city.






3. Even if you’ve visited the Louvre, you probably didn’t see everything. It’s a huge museum, after all. That’s why The Pocket Louvre Visitor’s Guide to 500 Works is such a great gift. You can reminisce about all the art you saw when you were there, and plan the path for your next visit at the same time.






4. Moleskine notebooks are ideal for jotting down your thoughts as you travel, but they’ve taken the concept a step further with their fabulous City Notebooks. If the Paris lover in your life is heading to Paris anytime soon, the Moleskine City Notebook for Paris is a great gift – it will let them make their own notes about unique and special finds, so they can easily revisit them next time.






5. Another great gift idea for any Paris fanatic who’s planning a trip there is a good guidebook – I prefer Rick Steves Paris and the Lonely Planet Paris Encounter books, but there are dozens of different guidebooks out there to choose from.






6. And for a more unconventional guide to Paris, the Paris Out of Hand book is a fun look at some of the city’s lesser known sights.






7. Anyone who’s planning a visit to Paris should plan to eat well, and that’s easy to do with one of these handy guides – The Hungry Traveler: France gives great menu tips and advice for regional cuisine, but it’s out of print (if you can find a used copy, grab it!) – so I’d suggest checking out the Marling Menu Master for France instead. Hungry for Paris is a guide to more than 100 of the city’s best and most interesting restaurants.






8. If there’s a young Paris fan on your list, then a copy of the classic Madeline is a great introduction to the city. This is a great gift idea if you’re going to be taking your kids to Paris and want to help them get excited about what they’ll see.

Paris Movies

9. The great film “Amelie” takes place mostly in and around Montmarte, and it’s a lovely look at some of the parts of Paris many visitors never see. Plus, the whole movie just makes you want to hop from Parisian cafe to cafe in search of the headstrong heroine.






10. In the sequel to the popular “Before Sunrise” film, “Before Sunset,” the two characters spend an unforgettable day in Paris. And what turns the story takes after the credits roll is entirely up to you.






11. There are several famous cities which serve as the backdrop for the controversial film “The Da Vinci Code,” and one of them is Paris – including some of the opening scenes, which take place in the Louvre museum.






12. There might be no better homage to the city of Paris than the famous “Gigi,” which won nine Academy Awards and will have you singing along in no time.






13. To see Paris through the eyes of a traveler, check out Globe Trekker Paris with Justine Shapiro as she visits a cabaret, learns to cook, does a bit of shopping, and checks out the city’s famous museums.

Paris Music

14. There is perhaps no more Parisian voice than that of the late Edith Piaf, and with the success of the recent film “La Vie En Rose” (which was largely filmed in Paris, and makes another great Paris gift!), there’s no better time to get re-acquainted with her singular style. This Best Of Edith Piaf CD is a great way to do that.






15. Create your own Parisian cafe atmosphere with the right background music from the world music experts at Putomayo. Their Putomayo Presents: Paris CD is the perfect soundtrack to your Paris dreams.

Paris Odds & Ends

16. Everyone needs a model of the Eiffel Tower, Paris’ most iconic landmark, in their home or garden, right? Of course they do. No Paris lover should be without one.






17. And if you’d prefer to enjoy a sense of accomplishment with your Eiffel Tower model, then get one of these kits to build your own – there’s a Lego Eiffel Tower, and a 3D Puzzle Eiffel Tower, too.






18. If you can’t be in Paris all year long, at least you can pretend you are with a Paris calendar that displays images from this endlessly photogenic city. And if you’re trying to learn French, this Living Language French Phrase a Day Calendar could help, too.






19. It was on one of my first trips to Paris that I was first introduced to La Vache Qui Rit – otherwise known as Laughing Cow Cheese. It’s widely available in the US now, but at the time it seemed like a delicious Parisian treat, especally when it was spread over a warm, fresh baguette and washed down with some Orangina. Ahh, the good old days, when that constituted a gourmet meal…






20. While you may have to actually go to Paris to get the best macarons (or at least find a bona fide Parisian bakery near you), you can whet your appetite – literally – by gazing at the sweet treats in this beautiful macarons print.






21. I think these tins are just gorgeous – even if you aren’t a big fan of the very French Abbaye de Flavigny drops themselves, often flavored with flower scents, you can re-use the tins for years.






22. Okay, so you may not see as many actual Parisians wearing berets anymore, but donning one of these traditional French hats might make you feel just a bit closer to Paris.






23. The Eiffel Tower graces just about everything you could imagine, but some of the most popular gift ideas are in the form of jewelry – like these Eiffel Tower earrings. Any Paris lover would love to get these (well, at least anyone with pierced ears, that is).






24. For the Paris fanatic who’s planning a trip to the city, a good map is a great gift. And there are no better city maps than the ones that don’t require any complicated folding. That’s why I love the Paris PopOut Map – it’s pocked-sized, and it folds itself. It’s genius.






25. Remember those big alphabet magnets that you used to play with to help you learn to spell? Well, you can apply that same principle to learning French with this set of French poetry magnets.






26. At bedtime, you can give your brain a hint that you’d like your dreams to be filled with Paris by hitting the hay on these Paris sheets – and wearing an Eiffel Tower bathrobe around before you go to sleep doesn’t hurt, either.

>> If you’re shopping for someone who loves Paris, chances are good they’d also love just about anything on this list of France gift ideas as well!

original photo at top by kahala

Paris’s winter sales are nearly upon us, so get ready for huge discounts on everything la belle France does best, from clothes to cookware. The six-week sale season runs from January 11th to February 14th, and with offers of up to 60-80% off your most lusted-after brands, it’s going to be a (very chic and classy) gunfight.

Here are five survival tips to ensure you bag the best of the bargains… and keep your sanity intact in the process.

1. Make a wishlist

Don’t rush from shop to shop like a headless chicken – visit your top stores a few days before the sales start and make a note of the items you really want. Take pictures on your camera phone so you know what you’ll be hunting for when the sales hit, and get to know the store layout so you can make a beeline for the racks you need.

2. Choose when to go

This is where the dilemma kicks in – do you hit the sales on the opening day, when the choicest offers are still in stock, or do you bide your time until the last week, when prices are slashed even further? For clothes and shoes, we’d say it’s best to dive in first so you can get the stuff you badly want while it’s still offered in your size. For everything else – accessories, furniture, homeware – wait. You’ll get better savings if you exercise a little patience.

3. Time it right

Avoid shopping on the first couple of weekends of the sales: such will be the frenzy of rack-rummaging and ringing tills, you’ll end up either leaving empty-handed and traumatised, or panic-buying things you don’t need. Instead, make the effort to go at odd hours – 9am on a Monday, 8pm on a Wednesday – when the shop floor will be clearer, freeing you up to really consider your options and spend wisely.

4. Pick your battleground

For really effective sales-shopping, target either a shopping district or one department store a day. Rushing all over town or wandering aimlessly between stores will drag out the process and end up frustrating you into decision-paralysis. Instead, set self-imposed limits on where you can bargain-hunt – you’ll be able to make better use of your time looking in every corner for those sweet price knock-downs. Big department stores to visit include Printemps, Le Bon Marche and Galeries Lafayette, while well-known shopping quarters include the bobo-chic Marais and designer-alley rue Saint-Honoré.

5. Dress comfortably

You usually reach the nadir of sales-annoyance on the sixth occasion you have to unbutton a coat, unlace your shoes or roll off jeans in a cramped changing room in one day. Avoid the awkwardness by wearing flat, slip-off shoes, a loose dress you can whip over your head in an instant and a light belted or zipped coat that eliminates the fiddly-button issue. Then all you’ve got to worry about is adding a few extra zeros to your credit card bill…

Travelling to the Paris sales? Check out AnyTrip.com for cheap Paris hotels.

photo by Marshall Segal

You may think of Paris as the City of Light, a destination for lovers or gourmands with an adult flavor that makes it less than ideal for a family trip. It’s true that Paris is romantic, but with its acres of green space, cafés serving crêpes and ice cream on every corner, and general joie de vivre, it is a great place to visit with kids. The following attractions are just a few of the many family-friendly places in Paris.

1. Jardin d’Acclimatation

I’m sure Disneyland Paris is very nice, but it can’t hold a candle to this charming, old-fashioned, and very French amusement park and playground in the Bois de Boulogne on the northwest edge of the city near the tiny suburb of Neuilly. The magic starts when you emerge from the Les Sablons metro stop and enter the park via a small-gauge railroad called Le Petit Train. Rides include a boat journey on the Rivière Enchantée through a lovely landscape full of hydrangeas and ornamental grasses, wooden horses that gallop along a racetrack, a small flume ride through a teepee where children actually get to paddle, and a uniquely decorated carousel.

If rides don’t appeal to your child, there are plenty of other activities here including a small zoo called La Petite Ferme Normande (the small Norman farm), pony rides, a puppet theatre, an apiary, a water park with sprinklers and a wading pool, a nature walk, and several different playgrounds with death-defying equipment of the type you are unlikely to find in North America.

The park contains mix of free attractions and rides requiring tickets, which you can buy at various booths scattered throughout. This being France, dining options range from churros and hot dogs to sit-down meals with champagne.

>> More information on the Jardin d’Acclimatation website

2. Promenade Plantée

On the other side of the city in the Place de la Bastille you’ll find the start of this 3-mile urban walking trail,  planted all along the way with lovely community gardens. Also called La Coulée Verte, this was once a railway line and it begins along the top of a viaduct well above the street. Children love having this giant’s eye view of the city below them.

About halfway along is the Jardin de Reuilly, a large green space with a playground. The path then continues at ground level through tunnels and artfully landscaped little grottoes before meandering through quiet neighborhoods and ending at the Bois de Vincennes, a huge park. Should you choose to continue wandering there, you’ll find numerous lakes and paths – the perfect spot for a picnic lunch (although there are also restaurants and food kiosks).

>> More information about the Promenade Plantée (in French) and a more brief version in English

3. Musée d’Orsay

If you’re going to take your children to just one art museum in Paris, I recommend skipping the lines at the Louvre and heading across and up the Seine to the Musée d’Orsay. Housed in a former railroad station, part of the fun of this museum lies in admiring the fanciful details, skylights, and enormous clocks that decorate this Belle Époque masterpiece.

The art it contains rages from the mid-19^th through the earlier 20^th century and much of it is kid-friendly and accessible. Highlights include a large sculpture hall, a huge collection of Impressionist paintings (many of which are likely to be familiar to you and your children), and a cool cutaway scale model of the Palais Garnier, the famous opera house that is the haunt of the Phantom. And should your child grow tired of looking at art, you can go out onto the roof for a great view of the boats passing on the Seine.

>> More information is on the Musée d’Orsay website, in English with a video overview of the collection and the building’s history

4. Jardin de Luxembourg

Arguably the heart of Paris, this large green space is a kind of communal outdoor living room for young and old alike. Among the attractions for kids at the Jardin de Luxembourg are one of the best playgrounds ever (for which there is an entrance fee – it’s worth it!), a puppet theatre, and an old-fashioned carousel where the phrase “catching the brass ring” becomes real as children are invited to use a stick to try and snare elusive rings as they circle on the beautifully-painted circus animals.

Wander through the formal gardens admiring the numerous sculptures. Enjoy an ice cream on one of the garden chairs or benches. Or rent a boat to sail on large pool that sits at the garden’s epicenter in front of the Luxembourg Palace, possibly the best situated government building in the world (it is the home of the French Senate).

5. Montmartre

The movie Amélie made the Montmartre quarter of Paris famous in a rather twee way but the fact is that children love the narrow winding streets and staircases of this hillside neighborhood. Start at the Place des Abbesses where the “je t’aime” wall has the words “I love you” written in over 300 languages. Wander up to the famous wedding-cake white Sacré-Coeur Cathedral, passing through the Place du Tertre with packed with tourists and street artists plying their trade. There is a funicular on the hill in front of the church that your children might like to ride either up or down; mine preferred instead to race down to and ride on the double-decker carousel that is perched at the bottom in the Place Saint-Pierre.

From there, walk one block east to the Halle Saint Pierre, a former market building that now houses a museum of primitive and “outsider” art created by artists without formal training (just the kind of thing kids really enjoy and identify with). There is a café there, or you can head a few blocks back west to the Pâtisserie Couderc for tea and pastries.

More Kid-Friendly Paris Options

On a final note, there are some attractions in Paris that I haven’t yet had a chance to visit with my children (I’m hoping to rectify that in the summer of 2012, when we’ll be there for a week) but which come highly recommend by other travel writers.

These include the Musée des Arts et Métiers, which displays numerous inventions from the bicycle to the VCR and shows how they evolved over time; the Butte de Chaumont, yet another large park, this one famous for its man-made waterfalls, grotto, and rock formations; and the Parc de la Vilette, which has a science museum for kids of all ages called the Cité des Enfants.

And don’t forget the Eiffel Tower – you may wait in line to get in, but trust me, it’s worth it.

About the Author:
Mara Gorman has been traveling with her two sons for nearly a decade to destinations ranging from California to Paris. She blogs about their adventures at The Mother of All Trips.

photo of the Promenade Planteee by La Citta Vita, all others by Mara Gorman (all rights reserved)

As if you’d need a reason! However, if you felt you were struggling or at least had to justify a trip over to this most amazing of cities either to yourself or another, then below are a selection of good reasons to go:

Food

Where else but in Paris can you find outstanding gourmet street food? It’s also the city of world-class restaurants, bistros and pavement cafes (both Montparnasse and Montmartre are particularly well-known for their café life and artistic bent) of course – all of which regard food’s presentation as important as its taste. You can choose from around 9000 eateries, quite a number of which are Michelin-starred.

Top billing is enjoyed by such ‘institutions’ as the Restaurant du Palais-Royal, opposite the Louvre, with its splendid summer terrace and squid-ink risotto.

Cheq Dumonet, meanwhile, is the classic Parisian bistro with its starchy white linen tablecloths and art deco light fittings. Its Grand Marnier soufflé is renowned throughout the city.

Those who fancy eating at home can purchase the most mouth-watering edibles from gourmet stores spread right across the capital, such as Ganachaud’s for bread, and snails from Maison de L’Escargot.

And of course the city is famous for its chocolatiers, pastries and coffee.

Accommodation

Paris boasts more than 1000 hotels, B&Bs and apartments.

You could live like a Parisian dandy at the small and informal Windsor Home in the 16th arrondissement near the Eiffel Tower, or enjoy the delights of a boutique hotel like Hotel Daniel just off the Champs-Elysees.

For the traveller on business looking for a meeting room in a Paris hotel or for those who like all mod cons, a budget hotel such the Holiday Inn is a good bet.

Cheaper pension-type hotels are in abundance. Most are good quality and the two-star rated abodes are equivalent to the UK’s three star rating at least.

Art

For a long time now Paris has often been grandly described as ‘the art capital of the world.’ Whether it’s been surpassed or not, this city certainly has plenty to boast about. The Musee du Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, the sculpture-filled Rodin Museum and the modern art lover’s Centre Pompidou are all highly-regarded throughout Europe and between them house creations by Picasso, Monet and Van Gogh amongst others.

Spend time in the bistros around the Sorbonne on the 5th and 6th arrondissements or at Montmartre on the 18th arrondissement where many an artist, writer and philosopher wiled away the hours over an espresso and pastiche. Today numerous artist studios can be found on the Montparnasse (14th arrondissement) on the city’s famous Left Bank.

Romance

Photographer Robert Doisneau was more aware than most of the potential for romance that Paris held when he took his iconic photograph of a couple kissing outside the Hotel de Veille Café on Rue de Rivoli. The image (published in Life magazine in 1950), more than any other, guaranteed Paris’ distinction as the City of Love.

The city’s Pont-Marie is known locally as the ‘bridge of lovers.’ Romantic couples believe a wish under this bridge for eternal happiness will bring them just that. It keeps the riverboats in business anyhow.

Another bridge in the city – the Pont des Arts – is believed to have one of the most incredible and romantic views in the world where it’s possible to sit and hold hands with your other half while gazing at such wonderous sights as Notre Dame and the Louvre – all to the backdrop of the River Seine.

There’s many a romantic hotel in Paris but one of our favourites is the Hotel Bourg Tibourg. Decked out in sumptuous baroque furnishings it’s not far from the historic City Hall and all rooms are small but perfectly formed.

Shopping

One of the world’s cities of couture, fashion is huge in Paris. Its women have a reputation for being chic and classy. But then they’re not exactly short of designer stores. Fashion luminaries such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Givenchy can all be found on the 8th arrondissement at Avenue Montaigne while Hermes and Christian Lacroix sit on the Faubourg Saint-Honore.

Business

When it comes to hosting a conference, Paris is the world’s number one destination. It’s also the city where wining and dining is all part of business transactions and socialising will be part of the event. As a matter of etiquette the person who booked the restaurant will expect to pay the bill so don’t offer.

Always address the hosts formally, especially if you’ve never met them before, with Monsieur or Madam and their surname. Only use the more informal ‘tu’ if they have.

Expect business decisions to be made by the management of the organisation as business hierarchy is strong is Paris.

photos by __o__, fakelvis, Spixey

>> Find out what the weather in Paris will be like during the month of December, and learn more about what to pack for your Paris trip

Christmas in Paris

Christmas in Paris may not be snowy white, but it’s hard to not be filled with holiday cheer if you’re in Paris in December. The City of Lights lives up to its name in a big way, as the trees that line the Champs-Elysées are among the many trees in Paris that get covered with strings of lights, and the Eiffel Tower often becomes the focal point of the nighttime skyline with its shimmering lights.

In fact, viewing the holiday lights in Paris is one of the top things to do when you’re visiting the city in December. The best places to go to check out the Paris holiday lights are along the aforementioned Champs-Elysées, along the Rue Montorgueil and Rue Mouffetard, in the Place Vendome, in the windows of the big department stores (including the well-known Galeries Lafayette), and at the Notre Dame Cathedral. It’s at Notre Dame that you’ll also get to check out Paris’ Christmas tree, and even if you’re not a religious person you could do worse than to attend a Christmas Eve service in the famous church.

Another Christmas in Paris tradition is the temporary ice skating rinks that get set up around the city. The locations each year may vary, but there are often rinks put up in the square near the Paris City Hall, also known as the Hotel de Ville, and near Montparnasse. They tend to go up in mid-December and stay open through March, so even if you’re visiting Paris after Christmas you can still take a spin. Generally speaking, to go ice skating in Paris on these temporary rinks won’t cost you anything, but if you need to rent the ice skates that’ll be a few euro.

Attending a service in one of Paris’ many churches can be a really wonderful way to spend Christmas Eve, even if you’re not a super-religious person at home. And you don’t even have to speak French to get the most out of a service – there are several English-language services around the city you can take part in. Unfortunately, the website for the Catholic churches of Paris appears to be entirely in French – so you may need some help from a French-speaking friend to translate it and find the English services, or you could just ask the Paris tourism office when you arrive in the city. In addition to attending Christmas mass in Paris’ churches, you may also want to make a tour of the churches during non-service times in order to see the many nativity scenes they’ve erected for the season.

Christmas in Paris, as well as the rest of France, tends to be a family holiday – which means that rather than dining out and partying with friends, Parisians are more likely to be eating big meals in cozy apartments with family and partying privately. Still, for a traveler, Paris at Christmastime can still be magical – there’s a sense of quiet that you may not find in Paris at any other time of year (though don’t assume the streets will be abandoned or anything), and there’s something about the way a city feels when it’s preparing for a family holiday that makes it feel warm… No matter what the temperature is outside.

Christmas Markets in Paris

One of the biggest attractions for any visitor to Europe at Christmas is the abundance of Christmas Markets that spring up. Paris has several Christmas Markets that are worth checking out, even if you’re not a big shopper. And if you are? Well, I hope you brought an extra suitcase.

Many of the things you’ll find for sale in Paris’ Christmas Markets are holiday-oriented, from Christmas decorations to special holiday foods, but these markets are also good for treats that are great year-round. Some of the more popular markets in Paris are near Saint-Sulpice church, on the Place Saint-Germain-des-Pres, under the Grand Arch in La Defense, and on the Champs-Elysées. Although the article was published in 2007, this list of Christmas Markets in Paris (and accompanying map) is a great start to your market-going travels. Generally speaking, you’ll find the Paris Christmas Markets open from mid-November through the end of the year, but these don’t tend to last through the rest of the winter – so get your market fix while you can.

And if you didn’t find what you were looking for at any of the Christmas Markets, then don’t be shy about heading into the many department stores and boutiques in Paris – shopping is one of the many favorite pastimes of a Parisian, and shopping in Paris at Christmas is a delightful experience no matter where you come from. Aside from the lights that decorate many department stores in Paris during the holidays, you’ll also find that shops tend to stay open longer hours in December to make shopping easier on you. Plus, be sure to check out the window displays of the bigger shops – they can be just as good as what’s inside.

Paris Christmas Foods

The main meal eaten during the holiday season in Paris – and throughout France – is called Reveillon, and it’s a long meal served either after Christmas Eve Mass or just after you ring in the New Year – or both! The word réveillon comes from the French word réveil, meaning to wake, because part of the tradition of this meal is that it doesn’t begin until midnight or soon after. These traditional Christmas dinners in Paris tend to be private affairs with family and friends, but if you have friends in Paris (or can make some quickly) you may just be able to experience this incredible meal firsthand.

Eating in Paris any time of the year can be an incredible experience, but at Christmastime there are certain treats you shouldn’t miss – even if you don’t get an invite to a reveillon dinner. Many of these foods seem to be just as focused on keeping you warm as they do tempting your tastebuds, but they accomplish both tasks handily.

• Vin Chaud – Vin Chaud, or hot wine, is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a mulled wine served warm, and meant to heat up your hands as well as your tummy.
• Roast Chestnuts – Whereas vin chaud is the beverage that’ll keep your hands warm as you’re sipping it in a chilly Parisian night, hot roasted chestnuts are the snack equivalent. You’ll find chestnut vendors throughout the city. If you need a lesson in eating them, ask the vendor or watch what others are doing.
• Buche de Noel – The name may not be familiar to you, but you might know this dessert. It’s the French version of the edible tradition of the Yule log, and is a thin pound cake that’s been covered with buttercream frosting and rolled up, then frosted and made to look like a piece of wood. The Buche de Noel has become a traditional Christmas dessert in most French households.
• Beaujolais Nouveau – Holiday revelers in Paris have more to choose from than just vin chaud when they’re thinking about beverages. Wine enthusiasts will know that it’s usually in late November when the new Beaujolais wines (called Beaujolais Nouveau) are released, and they’re traditionally meant to be consumed before the new year. So the holidays are the perfect time to drink these light, young wines.
• Oysters – Christmas dinner in many Parisian homes begins with oysters. That may not seem strange, but the fact that these fresh French oysters are served with little sausages might.

Important to Remember

• While you might be on vacation, the locals are having their own holiday celebrations. That means that many of the shops, restaurants, museums, and other attractions in Paris are bound to be closed on December 25 (or have severely curtailed their open hours). Be sure to check this before you plan your whole itinerary, so that you’re not left with “nothing to do” (if there’s such a thing in Paris) and nowhere to eat your holiday meal.
• Are the kids with you? If so, or if you’re just looking to entertain your inner child, then a trip to Disneyland Paris to check out the holiday decor at the amusement park is in order. While the park itself might be closed on Christmas day, in the days leading up to the holiday there’s sure to be lots of Christmas cheer to go around.
• To get a really well-rounded look at Paris during the holiday season, be sure to check out the latest Jewish calendar – you can then find out what’s going on for Hanukkah in Paris, too.

>> Find out more about visiting Paris at Christmas with kids in this post by our friends at Ciao Bambino.

>> WhyGo France has a great article about Christmas in France, including the author’s own recollections of her French Christmases growing up.

original photos, from top to bottom, by: nunocalvin, Stuck in Customs, sagarmin, adam5t, carabou, and Naixn

There are several ways you can get from Paris to Florence, and they’re outlined below – some are faster, and others are cheaper, and it’s up to you to figure out which is best for your travel style and budget.

Need to know how to plan your stop in Florence? Look no further than this Florence travel guide.

Note: This information is presented as if you’re starting in Paris and going to Florence. The same information will work if you’re starting in Florence and going to Paris. Travel times and ticket prices will be the same, you’ll just need to confirm departure times and stations.

Flying from Paris to Florence

There are actually two airports serving Florence, and the larger of the two isn’t actually in Florence – it’s in nearby Pisa. The two cities and airports are so close together, however, that you shouldn’t let the city name throw you off. Especially since Pisa’s airport is well-served by some of Europe’s budget airlines.

Flying from Paris directly into Florence’s Peretola Airport (FLR) often requires one stop, and the trip can take between 2-7 hours (or more, all depending on the layover – the direct flights are around 2 hours one-way). Tickets aren’t exactly cheap, either, starting at €170 round-trip even in the low season.

Flying to Pisa’s Airport (PSA), by contrast, is usually a direct flight of less than 2 hours one-way, and tickets can be found for less than €50 round-trip. It’s the budget carriers like Ryanair and easyJet that offer the best deals (no surprise there), but with budget airlines it’s extremely important that you read the fine print to find out what all the extra fees are that aren’t included in that ridiculously low base fare. Don’t forget to also look up the transportation cost of getting to the airport in Paris (Ryanair especially likes to base itself at airports that are quite a way from the city) and getting to Florence from Pisa‘s Airport. It’s not that it’ll be super expensive, just that you’re better off knowing than being surprised.

Quick search for flights from Paris (PAR – all airports) to Pisa (PSA):

Quick search for flights from Paris (PAR – all airports) to Florence (FLR):

Taking the Train from Paris to Florence

While taking the train from city to city in Europe has long been the best way to get around, it’s not always ideal for really long-distance trips when your vacation time is limited – especially when there are other options that don’t cost a fortune.

There is basically one option for taking the train from Paris to Florence, and it’s an overnight train. This is good news, on the surface, because it’s a 12+ hour trip – and no one needs to sit that long in a train during the day when you could be doing something more fun. The trouble with this particular overnight train is that it departs Paris before 7pm. It’s only six minutes before 7pm, but still – it’s before 7pm. And what’s so special about 7pm? It’s the point at which an overnight train trip only counts as one travel day on your Eurail Pass.

What this means is that while using your Eurail Pass for this long trip will still save you money, it could “cost” you two travel days (unless the conductor who stamps your pass is really nice and just forgets those six minutes). Without a pass, a 2nd class ticket ranges from €75-120 one-way (and that’s for a bunk in a 6-bed couchette). With a pass, all you’d pay for is the couchette reservation, so the cost would be closer to €25-70 (depending on the pass you get).

The trains bound for Florence leave Paris at 18:54, arriving in Florence at 07:13 the next day.

Driving from Paris to Florence

According to the ViaMichelin site, the drive from Paris to Florence is just under 1160km (that’s a little more than 720 miles), which – using mostly highways and not counting any traffic problems or stops – would take over 11 hours to complete. This isn’t to say you can’t rent a car and drive in order to get from Paris to Florence – it’s just to let you know what you’re getting into.

Even if you love road trips, perhaps the better option is to pick a point or two along the way that would be good for stopping points. You may not spend days in them, but that would help break up your trip a bit and give you another place to explore en route to Florence. And whatever you do, make sure you’ve got a good (detailed!) driving map in your car, even if you have a GPS unit.

Taking the Bus from Paris to Florence

Bus travel in Europe can be really easy on the wallet, but covering as much ground as there is between Paris and Florence is so hard on the schedule that it’s not usually worth the cost savings.

You can find one-way tickets on Eurolines buses for €50 or so, but the trip is just over 20 hours long. Even if you’re not on a really tight vacation schedule, the expense of losing an entire day to a bus trip is pretty hard to justify – especially when there are other transport methods available.

photos, top to bottom, by gareth1953, bigpresh, sludgegulper

Milan is about 400 miles from Paris as the crow flies, and flights are actually fairly short between the two cities. You do have a few options for getting from Paris to Milan (or from Milan to Paris, if you’re headed the other direction), and the fastest way may not be the best one for your travel style and budget. Check out the information below in order to make the best decision.

Need to know how to plan your stop in Milan? Look no further than this Milan travel guide.

Note: This information is presented as if you’re starting in Paris and going to Milan. The same information will work if you’re starting in Milan and going to Paris. Travel times and ticket prices will be the same, you’ll just need to confirm departure times and stations.

Flying from Paris to Milan

As mentioned, the Paris-Milan trip is quickest if you fly, and flying within Europe doesn’t have to cost a fortune thanks to the plethora of budget carriers serving major cities all over the continent. easyJet, for instance, connects Paris-Orly Airport with Milan-Linate as well as Charles de Gaulle Airport with Milan-Malpensa, and Ryanair connects Paris-Beauvais Airport with Milan-Orio al Serio. Alitalia‘s budget arm, Air One, connects Paris’ CDG Airport with Milan-Linate, and Air Berlin connects Paris-Orly with Milan-Malpensa.

Direct flights between Paris and Milan are about 1.5 hours one-way, and you can sometimes find those ridiculously cheap round-trip fares (such as €25 or less) on Ryanair or easyJet (just be aware of all the added fees they tack on!). On the larger carriers, round-trip ticket prices can be €200 or more, even in the low season.

Quick search for flights from Paris (PAR – all airports) to Milan (MIL – all airports):

Finding a super cheap flight to Milan from Paris is definitely appealing – less than €15 one-way?!? – and even with all the extra fees and whatnot that airlines like Ryanair add to their shockingly low base fares, the cost of an airline ticket may still be far cheaper than a train or bus ticket. Another thing to keep in mind, however, in addition to cost, is location of the airport. Ryanair in particular loves using airports that aren’t exactly central. Beauvais in Paris and Orio al Serio in Milan aren’t really “in” either of those cities, so look up the transportation situation (cost, distance, time, etc.) from each airport into the cities to see whether you’ll actually save money or time by flying.

Taking the Train from Paris to Milan

Ordinarily, the train is one of the more popular methods for getting from place to place in Europe – but when you don’t have unlimited time, longer train trips may not be the ideal way to go.

The fastest train journeys between Paris and Milan take about seven hours one-way. Overnight trains on Artesia can take more than 9 hours one-way, but at least then you’re not sitting on a train during a whole day when you’d rather be sightseeing. The night departures leave Paris at 20:33, arriving in Milan at 05:38. Otherwise, you can take day trains that leave Paris at either 07:24 (arriving in Milan at 14:50) or 15:24 (arriving in Milan at 22:25).

Ticket prices range a great deal, from €60-100 in 2nd class (and that’s without a bunk in a couchette) – this is absolutely a time when using a travel day on your Eurail Pass will save you money. If you’re doing an overnight trip, it will save you even more – departing after 7pm on a direct train means you’re only using one travel day instead of two. (Plus, you don’t have to pay for lodging that night, either.)

Driving from Paris to Milan

The trip from Paris to Milan is about 530 miles by car, which is a journey that will take more than eight hours (barring any traffic issues, stops, or wrong-turns). It can be a beautiful drive, and if you love road trips and don’t mind a long day in the car it can be a great way to go. It’s even better if you don’t absolutely have to be in Milan that day and can stop in a town along the way if you like. Remember that not only will gas be a cost to factor into driving, paying the tolls along the way will, too.

Whatever your route, and however long you take for the trip, it’s a very good idea to look up a suggested route on a map before you leave (the ViaMichelin.com site is good for a starting point) and then to have a GPS unit in your rental car and a good driving map with you. You can usually pick up better (more detailed) driving maps in-country than you can find at travel stores at home.

Taking the Bus from Paris to Milan

Although traveling by bus within France can be complicated to figure out, traveling by bus from France to another country is much simpler. Eurolines is a conglomerate of several European coach/bus companies, and it connects major cities throughout Europe – including Paris and Milan.

A one-way ticket on Eurolines from Paris to Milan is as little as €25-35 in the low season when booked in advance, but the trip is more than 15 hours long. The bus is budget-friendly, but it’s not very time-friendly at all.

photos, top to bottom, by Stefan Karpiniec, WexDub, sludgegulper

Should you need to travel from Paris to Switzerland, first you need to decide which city you want to get to (i.e. Zurich , if you want to spend time in the mountains). Otherwise, it’s a choice of how much time you have on your hands and what your budget is.

Quick summary

If you have a limited vacation time, then consider flying into either Zurich (from €40* per person, one way) or Geneva (from €33 per person, one way) and you’ll get from Paris to Switzerland is little over 1h.
Should you prefer the train, as you don’t need to worry about traveling to/from the airport and paying more money for the transfer, the choice is also between Zurich (€42, 4h 36 min) and Geneva (€39, 3h 25 min).
Contrary to what you might expect, taking the bus between Paris and Switzerland is not the cheapest solution. Not only the fares are more expensive than train fares but you’ll also be traveling for at least 8 h 15 min.

Read more about:
>>Getting from Paris to Geneva
>>Getting from Paris to Zurich

Flights from Paris to Switzerland

The major airports in Switzerland are located in Zurich, Geneva and Basel. Smaller airports can also be found in Lugano and Berne.

Zurich Airport (ZRH) is the largest international hub in Switzerland and hub for Edelweiss Air and Swiss International Air Lines. Direct flights from Paris are run by Air France (CDG), Swiss (CDG) and Vueling Airlines (ORY) and the flight time is 1h 15 min. The cheapest single fare (whether you fly in late fall or spring) is €40 and can be booked via Vueling Airlines.

Geneva International Airport (GVA) is located 4 km from the city center and is hub for Darwin Airline, EasyJet Switzerland and Swiss International Air Lines. Direct flights from Paris are run by: Air France (CDG) and easyJet Switzerland (Orly). The flight time is 1h 5 min and the fares are between €33 and €39 per person, one way if you travel in fall or spring on easyJet.

Euroairport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL) is the only bi-national airport in the world. It is built on French soil, just 4 km from the city of Basel, Switzerland. Direct flights from Paris are run by Air France (both CDG and Orly). While direct flights start at €300 per person, one way, connecting flights are cheaper (from €110 per person, one way) but you’ll spend 8 h traveling.

>>read more about Paris Airfare

Trains from Paris to Switzerland

There are direct trains from Paris to the following Swiss cities:

• Zurich: trains arrive at Hauptbahnhof, the main train station and the travel time is 4 h 36 min. Single tickets start at €42 (US$57). Trains depart from Paris Est daily at 6:24 a.m.
• Geneva: trains depart Paris Gare de Lyon daily at 7:10 a.m, and 11:10 a.m. There are also trains which only run during the weekedays. The travel time is 3h 25 min and the single fare starts at €39 (US$53).
• Basel: trains depart Paris Est daily at 6:24a.m., 9 :56 a.m., 11:56 a.m. , 1:52 p.m., 5:56 p.m. and 9:51 p.m. (except on Wed). The travel time is 3h 31 min and fares start at €85.40 (£74.50).

Buses from Paris to Switzerland

There are the following direct buses from Paris to Switzerland, run by Eurolines :

• Zurich : buses depart from Paris Gallieni Porte Bagnolet and arrive at the bus station located right by the main train station. The travel time is 10 h 45 min and single tickets start at €62. There are departures on Wed, Thu, Fri and Sun at 10 a.m.
• Geneva: buses depart from Paris Gallieni Porte Bagnolet on Sun, Tue, Thu, Sat and Sun at 10:45 p.m. The travel time is 8 h 15 min and the single fare starts at €47.
• Basel (Bale, Fr.): buses depart from Paris Gallieni Porte Bagnolet on Wed, Fri and Sun at 10 p.m. The travel time is 9 h 30 min and the single fare starts at €56.

Driving from Paris to Switzerland

You can also rent a car and drive from Paris to Switzerland. Here is a list of the shortest routes from Paris to some of the large Swiss cities:

• Zurich: 600 km , 6h 30 min driving time
• Geneva: 514 km, 6 h driving time
• Basel: 508 km, 5h 46 min driving time

Here is the map showing the shortest route between Paris and Switzerland: Paris to Basel.

View Larger Map

Note: *prices are valid at the time the article was written

Photo credits:Geneva Airport , Zurich Train Station

One of the keys to avoiding disappointment when we travel is to manage our expectations properly. Visitors to Paris may expect many of the differences they’ll face, whether that’s a different language or a different sense of fashion, but if you forget that even the hotel rooms are going to be different you may be surprised when you open the door to your room.

It makes sense, if you think about it, that hotels that are in historic buildings in Paris’ city center are going to be somewhat constrained by the architecture of the building. This isn’t Las Vegas, after all – they’re not going to blow up an old building just to make room for a brand-new Hilton across the street from the Eiffel Tower. Simply by knowing what to expect from Paris hotels, then, you can avoid some of the surprise factor and get back to enjoying your vacation.

Here are some of the main things to expect from your hotel in Paris.

Smaller Rooms

As mentioned, those historic buildings in the city center that have been turned into hotels are working with quite a few restrictions. If it’s a building that used to be a private home, it may have been cut up into bedroom-sized rooms already, but certainly not enough for a hotel. And in any case, those bedrooms didn’t have private en suite bathrooms built in.

When historic buildings are turned into hotels, the major change that has to happen (in most cases) is that a bathroom must be carved from the existing space of the bedroom. The bedrooms aren’t usually huge to begin with, and they only get smaller as a bathroom is built in. In other words, expect even starred hotels to have smaller bedrooms and bathrooms than you might be accustomed to. Hotels in the suburbs or out by airports where there’s room for new construction are more apt to have larger hotel rooms.

Smaller Beds

When you start with smaller hotel rooms, squeezing a king-sized bed in becomes even more challenging. As a result, the biggest bed you’re likely to find in most Paris hotels is a queen-sized bed. In many cases, the bed will look like a king but will in reality be two twins pushed together with a large bedspread covering both. This also helps the hotel owner, as they can switch the room around based on the guest’s needs.

If you find your bed is actually two beds pushed together, don’t worry too much – generally speaking, the beds are sturdy enough that they’re not going to go sliding apart in the middle of the night, letting you fall through the crack. At most, you may want to snuggle with your sweetie on one side of the bed or the other (rather than right in the middle), but you may not even notice that it’s two beds instead of just one.

Bathrooms

There are a few things in the bathrooms of hotels in Paris that may surprise the unsuspecting visitor:

• Bidet – Along with the toilet, there will often be a bidet in hotel bathrooms. For those who are unfamiliar, a bidet looks a bit like a toilet without a seat, and it’s meant to help people clean those parts that don’t always get clean when wiping after using the toilet. If you’re not a bidet user, you can just ignore this fixture – or you can use it for washing/soaking your feet or shaving your legs or any number of other things that tourists have used bidets for over the years.
• Handheld shower – Rather than a showerhead attached to the wall, many bathrooms in Paris hotels have only a handheld shower. In some cases, this is in a tub with no shower walls or curtain, and in some cases it’s a claustrophobic shower stall. If it’s the former, take care to leave anything you want to keep dry outside the bathroom in case the spray from the shower goes everywhere (which it often does). If it’s the latter, the inability to maneuver inside those shower stalls is one reason so many people use the bidet for leg-shaving purposes!
• Shower pull cord – You won’t see this everywhere, but if you happen to get in the shower and notice a string or cord coming out of the wall, don’t pull it. This is an emergency cord, meant to alert someone at the front desk of the hotel that you’ve fallen in the shower or need help in some way.

photos, top to bottom, by: garybernbridge, Meri Tosh, Joe Shlabotnik