Very few cities in Europe can compete with Paris as a romantic destination; ideally situated along the banks of the river Seine. Paris short stays are very popular and for good reason as it makes a superb location for a romantic weekend; with a great deal to see and do that to really a week is needed.
It is renowned for its wonderful Gothic inspired buildings and street markets; these include the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, markets and a history only matched by a few other European cities. Traveling around Paris is relatively easy for visitors as well as locals; the Metro underground system is easy to understand, efficient and reaches everywhere even the most enthusiastic tourist would want to visit.
You can't miss the Eiffel Tower, mainly because it's over three hundred meters high; it's visible throughout most of the city but the views from the top of this huge steel structure are even more impressive. In the evening the illumination means it can be seen for many miles; if you are really enthusiastic you can take a tour where the guide will tell you how this beautiful tower was built.
On your Paris trip ensure you add the famous Champs Elysees to your list of places to visit; it will present you with many famous designer shops and good restaurants. This is an ‘up-market' area that attracts thousands of tourists each day; it is also where most of the five star hotels are situated but thankfully hotels tend to be cheaper once you move away from the city center.
If you are an art lover you will enjoy the Louvre, a truly amazing museum; it holds in excess of 300,000 pieces of art, which cannot possibly be seen in a single visit. Visitors on short stays in Paris could easily be overwhelmed; with so many visitors (around eight million), sometimes it can be difficult seeing some of the famous works. Paris has attracted world famous artists for hundreds of years; painters like Monet and Picasso spent many years here and a large number of their art works can be seen in Paris today.
The Arc de Triomphe another famous landmark was built by Napoleon in 1806; the names of his generals engraved upon it to honor them and his troops. The Arc is the focal point of the city and contains an observatory to view the local area; it is located in Place Charles de Gaulle where twelve of the city's main avenues start, including Avenue de Champs Elysees.
Certainly it is not fair to believe that these are the only places in the city worth visiting; there are plenty of others to keep you occupied but to make the most of your time, use one of the guided tours. Paris short stay vacations should only ever be considered as tasters for what is a truly magnificent city; that would require a longer visit as you probably won't have time to visit the gothic churches and castles in only a few days.
Aiden Zamora is a publisher of information on Paris holidays and Paris apartments at his website http://www.all-paris-apartments.com
