Paris, France

Paris is the capital city of France and every year millions of people come to Paris to marvel at its beauty, savour its exceptional cuisine and indulge in its world-famous shopping. Known as the 'City of Light', Paris benefitted from a huge re modelling program that started in 1852 which gave rise to its current layout, boulevardes, gardens and parks.

The most famous part of Paris is the Champs Elysees, a wide Boulevarde running from the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde.
Paris has some of the best know landmarks in the world, apart from the Arc de Triomphe it boasts Notre Dame, The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre and more. Its great gardens include the Tuileries and Luxembourg gardens.

Divided by the River Seine the City of Paris is relatively easy to enjoy on foot as many of the key landmarks are relatively close to each other. For the bolder tourist Paris now has the 'Velib' bike rental system which offers a very cheap and practical way to get around the city.

Things to See & Do

* Louvre
* Eiffel Tower
* Arc de Triomphe
* Notre Dame
* Champs-Elysees
* Left Bank

General information

Cruise Season - Feb to Dec
Currency - Euro (€)
Language - French
Land Area - 86,928 sq km's
Population - 2,144,700
Electricity - 2 round pins European style
Time -GMT/UTC plus one hour
International Country Telephone Code - +33

Port Location - The ships dock in Le Havre, France, a large commercial port that accommodates cruise ships. It is located at the mouth of the river Seine that eventually leads to Paris, France some 2 hours away.

Transport Links - France's Charles de Gaulle airport is a major international airport with flights to most countries. The train system offers services to most places in France. You can get to Britain and Ireland by ferry, but Eurostar is a luxurious way to get to Paris, and you can pop your car on board as well. Buses are available for travel between Paris and other countries.

The Métro is the most efficient and fastest means of transportation in Paris, although walking or cycling in Paris are perhaps the best ways to see the sights. Buses are slower than the metro, taxis are available but hard to get and driving in Paris is not recommended.