Paris Short Breaks Guide

Articles:
A Eurostar Break to Paris, by Trevor Claringbold
48 Hours in Paris, by Matt Scott
A weekend in Paris, by Lynne Christen
Exploring the street markets of Paris, by George Medevoy

One of the World’s most global cities, Paris carries huge influence in many aspects like the arts, culture and fashion. It is also one of the greenest cities and the most visited city in the world with 42 million visitors, helped by its thousands of historical sites and iconic symbols like the Eiffel Tower and l’Arc de Triomphe. The Paris urban and commutable region is second only to London in terms of population (12million) and is the sixth largest economy in the world.

The name Paris comes from the Celtic Parisii who lived here before the Romans arrived in 52BC and called it Lutecia. The city was then passed from German Franks to the Merovingian dynasty to the empire of Charlemagne before it finally ended up in the hands of the Capetien Kings who used the Loire Valley as a power base. The city survived periods of Black Death, the Hundred Years war and the wars of religion through the middle ages but it was the French Revolution in 1789 which defined modern Paris and France with the storming of the Bastille, the rejection of the monarchy and the eventual killing of Louis XIV and his wife Marie Antoinette.

Napoleon had a brief period as Emperor, but after the restoration of the monarchy and their second rejection came Napoleon III who razed large parts of Paris to develop many of the boulevards and avenues that we all know and love today. At around the same time Paris benefitted from the huge development of the railways which brought its first influx of tourists. In 1889 the centrepiece of the Exposition Universelle was a steel-framed “temporary” structure designed to display the advance of French architecture designed by Gustave Eiffel.

In the early 1990’s the recession had brought Paris tourism to its knees, but the opening of the high speed Eurostar line suddenly changed its fortunes making access to and from London achievable in just three hours. Eurostar is now the most popular way to arrive in Paris and increasingly a means of reaching the French regions.

Reaching Paris
Travel to Paris by Eurostar from St. Pancras International in London, Ebbsfleet or Ashford. Travelling to Paris road takes a lot longer, expect a three hour drive from Calais to Paris. Flying to Paris from London is now becoming less popular, but you can fly direct from the regions in less than an hour. Check our cheap flights to France page.

Arriving in Paris
The Eurostar arrives right in to Gare du Nord, which is very central, from where you can simply reach other parts of Paris by Metro or on foot. The queue for the taxi rank outside Gare du Nord can be long, and the traffic to your hotel can be solid, so travel light and take the Metro. If you are transferring through Paris to get to Gare de Lyon or Gare Montparnasse, it’s a very good idea to get Metro tickets with your Eurostar ticket if you can. Otherwise you can buy a Carnet at the Eurostar departures in London. Waiting at the ticket booth in Paris can eat up valuable time if you have an onward train to catch.

From the Paris airports there are regular RER trains taking you right in to central Paris. The journey from Charles de Gaulle takes about 40 minutes or so.

Getting around Paris
Buy a Carnet of tickets before you leave if you can or buy them at Gare de Nord on arrival, it will save you loads of time. The Paris Metro is very easy to use, as is the RER train system. Even better is the Paris Pass which allows you unlimited travel on the Metro plus unlimited access to museums and attractions, plus a bus tour of Paris. Doing this will save you approximately €40 per person.

Where to stay
To get the most out of Paris why not live like a local. Stay in one of the many apartments to rent in Paris. This city of love, light and romance will be best enjoyed by those who are relaxed, care free and haven’t been cramped up in a hotel room. With the option of unwinding in a lounge, stocking up the fridge with foods which suit your tastes (think of all the cheese you could buy) and not having to worry about a ‘do not disturb sign’ if you want a lie-in, by renting an apartment you’ll be set up for an unforgettable holiday. Apartments are especially suited to large families or groups.