Short break in Paris

• Paris is relatively small as capitals go and is quite easy to get around on foot. Many of the most popular sights, such as l'Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, la Tour Eiffel and le Musée du Louvre, are quite close together. You can pick up a guide to museums, exhibitions and other events in Paris, such as Pariscope, at newspaper kiosks.



• Paris has earned a reputation as the museum capital of Europe - at the last count there were 1,200 vying for attention. If you're looking for something a little different, try le Musée du Tennis or 'Tenniseum'. It celebrates the history of the sport and is located at the Espace Roland-Garros, site of the French Open. Followers of fashion should look out for the Musée Yves Saint Laurent, due to open in early 2004, at the legendary haute couture designer's workshop in Avenue Marceau. There's also the newly-opened Musée de l'Érotisme, the Museum of Erotica, just round the corner from the Moulin Rouge in Montmartre.



• For cheap access to Paris' museums, you should invest in une carte musées et monuments, a 1, 3 or 5 day pass which gets you in to over 70 museums and monuments in Paris and the surrounding area. You can pick one up from most museums, the Paris Tourist Office or main métro stations with prices ranging from 15-45 euros. It's also a good idea to time your visit to coincide with the first Sunday of every month when many museums, such as the Louvre, offer free admission.



• For getting around quickly, Paris' underground system, le métro (short for métropolitain), is efficient and easy to use, and you'll find that you're never too far from an underground station. You can buy un billet, a ticket, at 1.30 euros, or un carnet, a book of 10 tickets for 10 euros, which is better value. You can save even more money by investing in un billet Paris-Visite which covers travel further out from the city centre, use of buses as well as discounts to certain attractions and restaurants. Prices start at about 10 euros, depending on the zones you want to travel in and the number of days. If you're staying for several days, then une carte orange, an orange card, provides you with a good-value métro, overground train and bus pass for a week all-in-one. Prices start at 14 euros, but you will need a photo for this.



• The métro snakes under the streets of Paris, connecting the city's various arrondissements, or neighbourhoods each with a distinctive ambience. Some of the more popular tourist haunts include the chic Marais, a magical quartier, or district, boasting narrow streets lined with elegant mansions, sumptuous hotels and original boutiques. The area around St Germain-des-Près was the former hangout for artists, poets and intellectuals, and nowadays offers upmarket boutiques, restaurants and art galleries. For a more bohemian atmosphere, head to the medieval streets of the lively Quartier Latin on the left bank of the Seine. It's known as the student quarter, and you can while away the hours in its numerous bookshops, inexpensive ethnic shops and quirky boutiques.



• Paris is usually buzzing with visitors throughout the springtime and summer, but with cheaper off-season deals and cultural events spread throughout the whole year there are many reasons to go outside the busier months. In September, for example, les Journées du Patrimoine, Heritage Days, take place throughout the city offering access to the part of Paris the public can't usually reach, such as le Palais de l'Élysée, the President's official residence. Every October, Paris also stages la Nuit Blanche - literally a 'white' or 'sleepless night'. The doors of museums and galleries are opened to the public from 8pm until 8am, and the main museums and galleries offer free entrance. You can also sample the delights of dance, theatre, cinema, music and art at the Festival d'Automne, Autumn Festival, from September to December, or get your skates on at one of the free, open-air ice-rinks that appear in the chilly winter months.



• For sightseeing off the beaten track, hold your nose and go underground to check out les Égouts de Paris, the legendary sewers of Paris. Made up of 1,305 miles of tunnels, the unique system is one of the most complex computerised systems in the world and well worth the two-hour tour. The sewers are open on Thursday and Friday throughout the year, but closed for annual cleaning in the 3 last weeks in January. Tickets start at 3.50 euros.



• If you need to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, why not spend a day at Paris-Plage - yes there is a beach in Paris! Every summer between the Pont des Arts and le Quai Henri IV, the seaside comes to the banks of the Seine, complete with deckchairs, parasols, palm trees and ice-cream sellers. Hôtel de Ville metro station will drop you right in the middle of the festivities, which continue through July and August.



• Credit cards are widely accepted in France, particularly Visa and Carte Bleu. You can withdraw euros from bank and post office cash machines (most ATMs have instructions in English). French banks generally open from 9am-5am Monday to Friday, although some may close for lunch and others are open on a Saturday. If you arrive early or late in Paris, you can change money at the Bureaux de Change at the airports and main train stations.



• You can shop 'til you drop in Paris, where along with unique boutiques and designer outlets, there is a wealth of grands magasins, department stores, such as Galeries Lafayette, with its beautiful stain-glassed dome, and the modern underground shopping of Forum des Halles. Budget shoppers can pick up a few bargains at the Marché aux Puces, the giant flea market at Porte de Clignancourt, that's over 100 years old. You can pick up goods ranging from antiques to vintage clothing. However if you're looking for something a little gentler on the wallet, then you can always take part in one of the city's main spectator sports, window shopping. It's affectionately known as faire du lèche-vitrines, literally 'licking the windows'.

Links

The Paris Pages - a comprehensive site giving tourist info, plus a great glossary on key Paris terms to help you make sense of your stay.

Paris Tourist Office - the official site of the tourist office, with events listings and images to get you in the mood, plus maps of walks around the city.

RATP - the official site from the main public transport operator for Paris and its suburbs, with a useful route planner and information on regional and Paris transport.