Paris
Paris - said to be the most romantic city in the world...and certainly one of the most beautiful. The Eiffel Tower may have been seen as an eyesore when it was first built but today it is an icon for the city.
Most first time visitors will be surprised at how many images of the city they have absorbed already - Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and of course the Sacré Coeur. One of the joys of the city is that the majority of these fabled sites are within walking distance of each other. Most travellers start from the stations, usually the Gare du Nord.
A good tip for day trippers is to head straight for Montmartre on the hill or butte. From the steps in front of the church, plans can be made on where to go.
A trip on the métro should be included, not least to admire the Art Nouveau details. A carnet of 10 tickets makes travel cheap. Plan your trip according to your time. A barge trip adds ambiance. The extravagant shops of Rue du Faubourg St Honoré and Boulevard Haussmann, the museums, the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay, are all a stone's throw away from each other.
Starting a walking tour at the Eiffel Tower means you can walk roughly west to east with some zig-zagging and end up around Notre Dame, passing most major sights on the way. Romantic Paris is best at night by the Seine. But historic buildings and monuments make walking at any time a culture blitz.
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