Train Routes

Paris simply has that je ne sais quoi. While you may want to avoid the city in high season due to the high density of tourists, Paris is beautiful the whole year round and anybody who’s been there will tell you how there’s always something new to discover. If you’re planning a trip there or just looking for some ideas for what to do when you’re there, look no further…

Getting around

Getting around Paris is simple. Locals recommend taxis for the speediest way across town, but they can be expensive. A cheaper option is the Metro, which is cheaper and very extensive, although it can be crowded. Otherwise, you can go by foot or rent a bike as part of the city’s Vélib’ system. Paris is an incredibly pedestrian-friendly city and one of the greatest pleasures is simply strolling through the streets and seeing what hidden gems you find.

Weather

During summer, the weather is often warm and can be humid. In autumn, winter and spring, it is cool, with wetter winters. Still, even if it rains, there is a wealth of museums and galleries to see, or you could simply while away your time in a trendy cafe.

Museums and Galleries

The Louvre is one of the largest and most famous museums, housing many works of art, including the Mona Lisa (La Joconde) and the Venus de Milo statue.

Le Musee d’Orsay is located on the banks of the Seine, housed in the former railway station the Gare d’Orsay, an impressive Beaux-Arts edifice. Houses works by greats such as Monet, Cezanne, Renoir and Degas.

Centre Georges Pompidouis a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais. It was designed in the style of high-tech architecture. It houses the Bibliothèque publique d’information, the Musée National d’Art Moderne, and IRCAM, a centre for music and acoustic research. It is named after Georges Pompidou, who was President of France from 1969 to 1974. The Centre Pompidou has had over 150 million visitors since 1977.

Palaces and Landmarks

The Eiffel Tower- a global icon, completed in 1889. Its first and second levels are accessible by lift and stairs, but you must take an elevator to the top, where you can look out over the entire city for a spectacular view.

The Palace of Versailles – known in French as the Chateau de Versailles. When it was first built, Versailles was a country village: today it is a suburb of Paris! The court of Versailles was the centre of political power from 1682 till 1789 and is a symbol of the Ancien Regime. Today it is one of the top tourist attractions in Paris.You can purchase a Passport for Versailles from one of the train stations that includes round-trip train ticket and admission to more than you’ll have time to see!

Notre Dame – is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in the world and boasts beautiful stained glass windows and a massive organ, which has an astonishing 7,800 pipes! The great bell, Emmanuel, is tolled to mark the hours of the day and special occasions. Astonishingly, the cathedral itself was never officially finished…

Arc de Triomphe – a famous moment that stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle at the western end of the Champs-Elysees. The triumphal arch honours those who fought for France, particularly in the Napoleonic Wars. On the inside and top of the arch, the names of generals are inscribed. The Arc is the linchpin of the historic axis (L’Axe historique) — a sequence of monuments and grand thoroughfares on a route which goes from the courtyard of the Louvre Palace to the outskirts of Paris.

Panthéon – was originally intended to be a church dedicated to St. Genevieve, but is now most famous as a burial place for such famous names as Voltaire, the Curies and Rousseau. Located in the 5th arrondissement on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, the Panthéon looks out over all of Paris. Head down to the catacombs for a particularly interesting experience. Its architect, Jacques-Germain Soufflot, died before his work was achieved, and his plans were not entirely followed. Nevertheless, it is one of the most important architectural achievements of its time and the first great neoclassical monument.

Cafes, Restaurants and Bars

Art Brut – fantastic setting and incredible decor (food isn’t bad either!)

Cafe Lacombe – perfect for brunch

Tribal Cafe – cheap pints and free couscous – need I say more?

Le Tambour – all night eating and drinking, for those who get a bit peckish around midnight…

Hotel du Nord – understatedly chic with a parisian heritage, fantastically romantic and peaceful

Point Éphémère – run by a non-profit organisation that converts wastelands into cultural centres for young artists, features a variety of interesting exhibitions and concerts.

Hotels

When booking a hotel, bear in mind that while most places in the centre of the city (1-6th districts), once you start getting into double-digits, you should take more care. Check out your hotel or hostel beforehand. Don’t just go for the cheapest one you find, or you might discover with a shock that it’s, for example, in the middle of the red light district! Hotel reviewing platforms and travel forums are a good place to check out whether your choice is a safe one.

For both students and people in work, the option for taking a gap year is proving to be a very popular life choice. Making the decision to take a gap year and following it through can be difficult to achieve. For a student taking a gap year before or after taking a university degree, a gap year can have a huge positive effect in terms of boosting confidence, increasing maturity, developing social skills, gaining experience and knowledge of different cultures, helping the environment and feeling independent by taking the opportunity of working in a different country.
For a student or individual with no financial or family commitments, a gap year can seem like the perfect way to experience life before joining or returning to the world of work. However, like many things in life, there are major hurdles to overcome. Firstly there is the question of financing the gap year. If a person is lucky enough to have funds available or will be working during their gap year, this poses very few problems. For many people who are hoping to travel during their gap year, it may mean taking a temporary job or asking parents to help out financially. With student debts at an all time high, gaining the necessary funds can prove to be very difficult and delays may be inevitable.
The second hurdle to overcome is the fear and excitement of travelling to the far corners of the world and surviving to tell the tale especially for those travelling solo for the first time. Parents, friends and family will also be very worried with stories of crime, natural disasters, unstable governments and disease ridden areas making the news on a daily basis. In the vast majority of cases, most countries are just as safe as your home country. With the wealth of information available on the internet and through travel guides, there is no excuse not to plan a trip beforehand in order to make the most of it and to avoid unnecessary risks and dangers. Many countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America have well laid out backpacker routes which are used by thousands of men and women travelling in groups or on their own. The vast majority have amazing experiences and return home safely. You will be hard pressed to find an individual who has taken a gap year and regretted the decision.
For some, travelling solo may pose a major problem if they have never tried it before. They may be worried about feeling lonely and unable to cope with situations by themselves in a strange country far from home. Fortunately there are thousands of people in exactly the same situation and travelling solo is the ideal way to meet people and build confidence. People often meet in hostels, bars, trains, airports and the list goes on. It is much easier to meet people while travelling than it is in your home country and in most cases, people will only be alone if they choose to be. Also the ability to cope with new situations will improve over a short period of time as you gain confidence through each experience. After a while, you will be booking accommodation on the internet, travelling long distances and communicating with people in a different language without a second thought.
The options for people taking a gap year are huge and include travel, volunteer work, contract work, seasonal jobs, adventure travel, teaching English and much more. Advice and information on all these aspects can be found at First Gap Year. A gap year can be a once in a life time experience and as long as you plan well and use your common sense, it can be year that will change your life for the better.

With the vast amount of different rivers and canals in France, and having such a varied landscape, you can be sure that you will be able to find just the right type of holiday for you and your family.

So, as you cruise along one of the rivers or canals at a leisurely pace you will get to see things that most people will never experience and each region also offers you the chance to experience their fantastic and sometimes unusual cuisine along with the incredible French wine that is as varied as the different regions.

Only a boating holiday in France will enable you to fully appreciate the idyllic countryside and architecture from Roman to Renaissance periods along with the beautiful chateaux that are dotted along the banks, with the added plus of the glorious weather to match, it is not like travelling along the Norfolk Broads in the United Kingdom most of the year, when you are guaranteed to get some rain or gloomy days!

There is such a wide choice available for your boating holiday and you can pick the area with the climate for you; the further down South you go, the warmer it gets, but don’t forget that whilst cruising along, you need to be on the right hand side of the river or canal, just as the roads are in France!

One point, a licence is required to be able to travel by boat on the French waterways, unless of course you only have something like a canoe! Basically, any boat that has a motor means that you have to have a licence, although temporary permits called La Carte Plaisance are available and are issued by the boat rental company or charter firm that you book with.

A la Carte Plaisance is valid only for a set period of time for any habitable boat, which is under 15 metres in length, but there is also permit available for your children to drive the boat if they are between the ages of 14 and 16, if you feel they have a good sense of direction! but this is a great way to get all the family involved in the fun, but you must ask for a La Carte Junior in order to be allowed to do this.

With many of the river guides today available in English, you can be sure that you will not miss any of the local attractions or delights on offer. You can find these guides along with extra information from the regional tourist offices, but these are also normally issued to you by the charter boat company before you set off on your holiday.

Choosing the part of France you wish to visit is so important to get the best out of your holiday and in the North West of France there is Brittany, which is an area known for cider and crepes, to the East of France were there are rivers and canals throughout the regions of Alsace and Lorraine and you will find this area great for experiencing a diverse landscape from rolling hills to forests, whilst trying some of the local French beer and crisp white wines that this region produces.

How about Burgundy within the centre of France which is a great place to experience local cuisine and fine wines and the quaint historical towns provide lovely afternoon walks taking a step back in time with the history.

Also, lets not forget the South of France, obviously with the more beautiful weather, you can experience travelling along the Canal du Midi, which is the oldest canal in Europe and runs from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, and at the same time you will be able to take in the amazing variety of wildlife such as flamingos whilst on your canal boating holiday.

Yet as with any country, there are always rules and regulations on how you travel the waterways, whether it be the rivers or canals and before you embark on your boat trip you will be given some basic tuition, so that you can be issued with your licence.

And did you realise that there are over 2000 locks in France, which are known as écluse? but don’t worry to much as Some locks are automatic and some are still operated by a lockkeeper, however others will need to be operated by yourselves, so the general ‘training’ is very important, otherwise you could find yourselves in a bit of pickle initially, although most people on the canals are so very helpful and will come to your aid if you get stuck.

Although the rivers and canals are used extensively by pleasure boats these days, they are also still used by commercial vessels as well and it is these merchant vessels that have the priority on the waterways, plus also the traffic going up stream has priority over those travelling down stream.

As with road systems, the waterways have speed limits and although you are not likely to wish to speed along, these do have to be obeyed, but, it is the left-hand side that is used for overtaking just as it is on the French roads, and the slower boat must also slow down more to let the faster vessel pass.

The condition of the French rivers and canals is excellent and you will find that they even have designated areas for swimming and water sports, because, for obvious reasons, swimming is not permitted wherever you feel like going for a quick dip, yet if you are into fishing, then you can even do a spot of this while you are meandering down the river – just don’t forget to get a licence for that as well!

Along your chosen route you will find lots of fantastic areas where you can stop for lunch and stock up on supplies for that ever so important alfresco dining whilst you are cruising leisurely along. You will find additional facilities alone the way which are necessary, things like emptying your waste, which has to be done at specific points, but these are also fantastic and are very easily accessible, as it is illegal to dump waste into the river or canal system.

So even if you have never done this sort of thing before, you will without a doubt have an incredible fun time and when your boating holiday in France is nearing its end, you know that no one will want to leave.

Ever since the motor vehicle became a necessity rather than a luxury, driving holidays have been popular with holidaymakers of all ages – from family breaks in the countryside to teenagers on a road trip. This year, the trend looks set to continue – especially as the current recession forces many people to downsize their holiday plans and lower oil prices mean that driving could be cheaper than flying or taking the train for larger groups of holidaymakers on their way to a local destination.

However, whether you’re planning to take your car from Manchester to Aberdeen or London to Paris (via Dover and Calais, of course), it’s crucial to check that your vehicle is in working order and fit for extensive driving trips before you embark on your holiday. This could involve a range of tasks, from getting your car serviced to checking the limits of your car insurance.

To make sure you’re well prepared for your driving holiday, write a check list so you don’t forget anything essential. For starters, it’s important to ensure that your car is in working order – it might sound obvious but there’s nothing worse than getting stuck on a quiet country road in the middle of the night, in an area you aren’t familiar with, and no help in sight. By getting your car serviced at a garage a few weeks before you leave, you’ll be able to establish whether anything is likely to go wrong and have plenty of time to get it fixed.

Next, check that your insurance is up to date and isn’t going to expire while you’re still on holiday. If you’re travelling within the UK, your car insurance is likely to be valid wherever you go. On the other hand, if you’re planning a driving holiday in Europe, it’s important to call up your insurer before leaving to check whether you will be covered.

The popularity of ferry routes like Dover to Calais in France, Harwich to Hook of Holland near Rotterdam and Holyhead to Dublin mean that driving holidays in Europe are becoming increasingly popular with British holidaymakers. Yet, research released in May 2009 revealed that 38 percent of drivers don’t know whether their car insurance policy covers them when driving abroad, and 18 percent wrongly think that their vehicle will be covered by their travel insurance while overseas. The specifics vary between insurers but most will only offer a few days free cover for driving in Europe – so make sure you know what options you have before leaving.

If you go on driving holidays in Europe regularly, it might be worth getting European cover included in your motor insurance policy as standard. It’s easiest to do this when it’s time to renew your policy – ask your current insurer what scope there is to increase the amount of European cover days on your insurance, or conduct a car insurance comparison online to find a cheaper rate.

Don’t forget breakdown cover either – most insurers do not offer UK breakdown assistance as part of a car insurance policy, so they’re unlikely to include European breakdown cover. With the right insurance in place – as well as a spare canister of petrol in your boot and a fully-charged mobile phone – you’ll be able to embark on your driving holiday with the peace of mind that, should anything go wrong on the road, you’re well protected.