Family Travel Guide to Paris France

Paris, though better known as the city of love and romance, can be an equally fun city, for children & teenagers. With its heritage and all sorts of attractions Paris-the City of light is an adorable destination for families. There are iconic landmarks of the city like amusement parks, gothic churches, magnificent museums, finest art galleries, spectacular historic buildings with fantastic architectural sense, monuments, opera halls, play & theatre venues, concert halls, enjoyable boat rides on Seine, street side cafes, tempting food in the renowned restaurants, bars, night clubs are some of the features of why it is highly recommended for a family trip. But planning this trip is very essential. One can surf the internet to get an idea of the major events, places to visit and things to do in Paris and France. A family travel guide can be of immense help in this case.

France too is a complete wonderland for families; especially children and teenagers.  Children will be highly interested in some of the great tourist spots of France like luxury chateaus in Burgundy with swimming pools and miles of bike trails, the castles and rustic towns of the Loire Valley (with wineries too), the warmth and beauty of Provence, and the sunny beaches of Nice. Kids generally become delighted to have the yummy delicious chocolate mousse, lemon cake, vanilla & strawberry flavored cookies, and crème brûlée available at Ecole de Cuisine Alain Ducasse in France.

The streets of Paris are very crowded and younger ones generally would not like walking for hours amidst the hustle and bustle. Rather they would prefer sightseeing from the glass enclosed boats on the river Seine. Some of them may also be eager to learn the history of these places. So they may enjoy visiting Versailles, and Les Invalides military museum and exploring the cannons, mortars, armor, swords, daggers, and other items from Napoleon’s time, including his hat and sword, and even the Egyptian section of the Louvre, to have a look of the mummified cats.

Family travel Guide for Paris and France offers an overview of hotels, restaurants, cafes and other places to visit.  In Paris there are several affordable hotels with spacious rooms, good service, incredible cuisine, swimming pool/spa, etc. Some of the well recognizable hotels include Hotel Le Regent Paris, Hotel d’Aubusson, Bristol, etc. The Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, Lido, Moulin Rouge and neo-classic Haussmannian boulevards are included amongst the most interesting places to visit in Paris. During the summer months families can go out for picnics in the beautiful parks and garden rambled all over the city with exclusive play areas for children.

Unusual Places in Paris Ile-de-France

Paris can either referred to as the City of love, fashion or simply the City of lights. It is not only a picturesque romantic gateway, but also a perfect wonderland for families including children and teenagers. Magnificent buildings, monuments, gothic churches, opera and concert halls, amusement parks, world class shopping facilities, the incredible experience of sitting in the most recognizable Parisian cafes and delightfully watching the world go by are some of the major reasons why it is one of the most popular tourist destinations.

The most recognizable landmark of the city’s skyline-the Eiffel Tower was built by Gaustave Eiffel in the year 1889 and weighs about 7000 tons. But its spectacular view has the power and the magic to mesmerize every visitor making them forget about these facts and figures. No other monument can symbolize Paris in a better way. One can get the brilliant view of the entire lit up city from Altitude 95 which is situated inside the Tower itself.

Louvre Museum; the place to exhibit the royal collection, antique sculpture, etc is one amongst the many places to explore in France. Situated at the right bank of the river Seine, Louvre museum or simply Louvre is a historic monument and the largest national museum of France. Though most of the tourists come here to see the famous Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa painting work, the walls in the entire museums are lined by equally beautiful masterpieces.
The best way to explore this city of endless surprises is to walk around the streets of Paris occasionally rest in the excellent street cafes, restaurants and bars scattered all over the city.  Paris tops the chart when it comes to art, culture, food and drinks. There are fabulous sidewalk cafes, bars and restaurants in the city where one can experience the pleasure of sipping the hot steaming creamy coffee and having chocolate muffins in the chilled weather.

Some of the other  most renowned Paris cafés include Café de la Paix, Les Deux Magots, Café de Flore, Le Fouquet’s, Le Deauville. Some of these famous cafes and bars are sightseeing destination places themselves. Located just inside the oldest entrance to the Jardin des Plantes on rue Geffroy St. Hilaire, “Fontaine Cuvier” is amongst the most unusual places to visit in Paris Ile de France. Here is an amazing sculpture of a lion created by Henri-Alfred Jacquemart in 1854. The most unusual thing to observe is that the realistic sculpture is of the lion ravening a human being who is left with nothing but just a foot!!!

After Tuileries and Villette, Parc des Buttes is the third biggest parks in Paris and definitely deserves a special mention. Once the site was quite a mess; filled up with gypsum, quarries, and garbage. But later it was converted to a fantastic park by Napoleon III and his city planners. Now the park tops the list of the unusual places to be visited in Paris with certain special features like man-made cliffs, man-made lake, grotto and lots of exotic plants all labeled with their name and place of origin, etc.

Must Visit Places in Paris

Referred to as the city of love, fashion, literary paradise–Paris, the cosmopolitan capital of France is the most visited destination on earth with about 45 million tourists visiting annually. Paris, better known as the City of light has countless numbers of iconic landmarks like museums, finest art galleries, spectacular historic buildings with fantastic architectural sense, monuments, operas, concert halls, etc. The Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, Lido, Moulin Rouge and neoclassic Haussmannian boulevards are included amongst the most interesting places to visit in Paris.

The most recognizable landmark of the city’s skyline-the Eiffel Tower was built by Gaustave Eiffel in the year 1889 and weighs about 7000 tons. But its spectacular view has the power and the magic to mesmerize every visitor making them forget about these facts and figures. No other monument can symbolize Paris in a better way.

Musse de Louvre is the world’s largest museum, overwhelming in its size. Consisting of paintings, drawings, sculptures, antiquities, coins, furniture; this museum represents the world’s greatest art collection as well. Though most visitors come to have a view of the famous Leanardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa & the statue of Venus de Milo, the inner walls of the entire museum are lined up by masterpieces. Musee d’ Orsay; the magnificent museum is definitely worth a visit and it is one of the greatest attraction of Paris. This beautiful museum has an impressive collection of both Impressionist and post Impressionist paintings by Pissaro, Sisley, Degas & Vincent Van Gogh.

Without  experiencing  and  exploring the gorgeous interior decorative patterns, marvelous stained glass panels separated by narrowest columns, dark spiral stairs one will keep on wandering why Saint Chapelle had been described as the ‘gateway to heaven’ in the middle ages.

The other places to visit in Paris includes Musse Picasso, representing the largest collection of works by Picasso in the world, Musse Rodin, an eighteen century mansion surrounded by a beautiful garden, etc. One can enjoy immensely by walking through the streets of Rue Mouffetard, listening to the hum of the venders or by having delicious chocolate flavoured ice-creams. Especially on Saturdays this place turns into a huge market filled with artisan bakers and gourmet sweet shops. Theatre du Lucernaire is a hub of French culture with a number of cost free attractions, café hangouts and photography exhibitions. Paris trip would be incomplete without visiting Jardin des Tuileries; the historic park between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. La Promanade  Plantee is also a place to visit in Paris. It is a charming 4.5km pathway; rather a railway track with a floral makeover that runs through most of the 12th arrondissement and can join it from Avenue Daumesnil near the Bastille metro stop. It offers superb views of the lush green archways high above the city crowds.

Parisian Cafés- What You Wanted to Know

Parisian cafes are the social, culinary and political pulse of the city. These cafes are not only places to have fun, relax, and rejuvenate but also serves as a neighborhood hub, rendezvous or a social networking spot. Bistro chairs, glowing ambience, waiters in classic black and white suit, tempting menus, old style bar with place to perch are the major ingredients of a Parisian Café.
The warm smell of creamy coffee, delicious taste of the freshly served croissants, smile of the customers is the common specialty of Parisian cafes. But they are not just typical coffee shops. They are more like restaurants offering wide range of exotic food items at any time of the day. One of the unique features of Paris life is to sit in these cafes for several hours and watch merrily the world go by.
Paris tops the chart when it comes to art, culture, food and drinks. There are fabulous sidewalk cafes, bars and restaurants in the city where one can experience the pleasure of sipping the hot steaming coffee in the chilled weather. “Café Procope” still in operation is the oldest Parisian café established  at 13 Rue Ancienne Comédie, in 1686 .Some of the other  most renowned Paris cafés include Café de la Paix, Les Deux Magots, Café de Flore, Le Fouquet’s, Le Deauville. Some of these famous cafes and bars are sightseeing destination places themselves.

Café Charlot is an excellent Parisian café with a nice terrace in the street, extraordinary service, charming atmosphere and of course the worth mentioning yummy food menus. Be it tomato mozzarella salads, good sized delicious beef patty topped with melted cheese, tomato, lettuce and onions, crispy fries, glass of cold beer or rose wine, all are incredible. The prices of some of these cafes are quite expensive but it is worth splashing out once in a while.
The City of lights has several bars that claim to have hosted most scholarly, literary and artistic clientele. Paris holds a special place for café culture with Les Deux Magots being featured in several films. Whatever the time maybe, day or night, there is always a buzz sitting out on the crowded pavement terrace of Aux Folies. It offers brilliant multi-cultural slice of Parisian life. There are pavement cafes rambling all around the impressive Place de la Bastille. But Pause Café is amongst them which attracts the crowd to chill out with a lazy breakfast of melt-in the mouth croissants and mixed fruit juices.

Jardin Saint Aignan

Paris is undoubtedly the leading tourist destination. The city has maintained this status for several years and has done everything to welcome tourists from all over the world. Paris is wonderfully connected with its public transport system with the rest of Europe. Paris is famous for its numerous landmarks which were created by different eminent personalities defining their ages and the culture. On the other hand the lesser known Paris is also remarkable with its offerings and tourists are rewarded in various ways. The leading fashion destination, Paris draws millions of tourists each year.

Exploring Paris is an experience in itself. It is the city of romance and love. Paris is home to thousands of museums, parks and churches. There are big and small parks in the city beautifully decorated. One such park is the Jardin Saint Aignan in Paris. This park is not located at the center of Paris; rather it is tucked away at the end of a small cul-de-sac. This can be found in the Temple district which is highly populated.

Jardin saint Aignan covers an extensive area of 4000 square meters and is an absolutely fantastic tourist spot. This park was inaugurated in the year 2007. This spot where the park is situated now was formerly a hotel with the name of Hotel Saint-Aignan. The hotel building dates back to 1650. The hotel was refurbished and made into a part of the Museum of the Art and History of Judaism.

The garden was associated with the hotel building when Paris had acquired the rights over the building in the year 1962. The adjoining land also came under the ownership in the year 1970. The garden is divided into 3 distinct parts. This vast stretch of greenery can be seen in 3 parts. At the entrance of the garden, the land is decorated in a contemporary style. The entrance also marks the end of Impasse Berthaud. This part is beautifully adorned with fragrant flowers like azaleas, hydrangeas and Japanese maple. However, the highlight in this part is the chestnut tree belonging to Anne Frank and her garden at Amsterdam.

The middle section of the garden is dedicated to historic monument. This section is decorated following the designs of the garden of Hotel of Saint Aignan. This section consists a bower and the design belongs to the 17th century architecture which put greater stress on the mineral aspect. The last section of the garden is where visitors can walk or sit and spend their time looking and admiring the beauty of the fruits and flowers of the garden. The communal garden is created with allotments from the local residents and there is also a playground for children.

Most Unusual Places to Visit in Paris

Have you been to Paris ample times? Have you visited all the tourist attractions in Paris? Then, this time you can do something different. Explore Paris in a unique way in which you have never done before. Read to find out which are the unusual places in Paris which you can visit during this trip. These places are visited more by the locals and less by tourists.

 Pere Lachaise

Pere Lachaise is a cemetery in Paris. It is quite famous but not many like visiting cemeteries. Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt and Jim Morrison were all buried in this cemetery. You can visit this place which is normally visited by the local people. In fact, you will find a touch of romance in this place and there is lot of peace. The place is maintained properly and the memorials and headstones have been created beautifully. You will find interesting epitaphs and you can also discover new pathways. It is a large cemetery and you can roam around freely as it is not crowded. Roaming around at the cemetery might give you a feel of mystery.

 The Salle Rodin museum

The Salle Rodin museum is a small one where you will find various remarkable pieces of work done by Rodin. The museum houses the famous sculpture- ‘The Thinker’ by Rodin. The museum stands amidst a garden and there are several other sculptures in the garden which enhance the beauty of the place. The museum is easily accessible as it is located in the neighborhood of St. Germain close to a metro stop. The museum remains open from Tuesday through Sunday.

 The Sewer Museum

There is another museum in Paris which is less crowded than many other bigger and popular museums. The Sewer Museum is a unique concept which emphasizes on the fact that the Parisians are extremely careful of the sewer system in the city. They are proud of the system and when you visit the museum you can understand it from the display. You can roam around inside the museum on your own with the help of the pamphlet you are given while purchasing the ticket. You can also opt for a free guided tour of the museum. Gear up properly for the tour because you will have to go through tunnels which are damp. hence take special care to wear such shoes which you do not mind being dirty.

Are you interested in cooking, then spend some time learning French recipes in a French cooking class. Learn different recipes and learn about the origin of the recipes. You will also learn about which wine goes with which recipe. Enjoy the cooking and tasting class and arrive a little early in class. The Fragonard Fragrance Museum is another unique museum where you can experience nice fragrances.

Ideas on How to Spend Your Valentine’s Day in Paris

Few would argue that Paris is one of the most romantic cities on earth. It’s practically impossible to avoid falling in love strolling along the River Seine and the winding lanes with the city lit up at night. With a huge number of tourists pouring in each Valentine’s Day and with the exotic and plush hotels in Paris you can plan a textbook romantic getaway to “The City of Light”.

The weather gazes around 10°C in February and is quite favorable for romantic endeavors. Paris is definitely a city built for lovers, so finding romantic things to do on Valentine’s Day is a real breeze. Scrolling through all the options for the special occasion will leave you spoilt for choice, so, you might want to plan your day prior to your visit to the lovely city.

A casual romantic stroll through the Left Bank can be a memorable experience, since; it usually is stomping with writers, painters and artists all ready to pour magic into your romance. You can also opt for a romantic river cruise through the Seine River in a yacht. Obviously, one cannot miss the Eiffel Tower. There is nothing more romantic than enjoying the view of the brilliantly lit city from the top of the Eiffel Tower with your loved one.

If the couple has a soft corner for art, then they can visit the Louvre museum, famous for its architecture, The Mona Lisa, The Venus de Milo and lots more.

Give your partner a drooling experience of the French cuisine. Paris has some of the best restaurants and chefs in the world. Take her/him out for dinner to any traditional French restaurant and spoil them a bit more with their menu card. The experience will be even more brilliant if you opt to dine at the Altitude 95 restaurant inside the Eiffel Tower itself.

It is always wise of you to plan your endeavor well in advance since the restaurants and hotels in Paris tend to get filled very swiftly on 14^th of February. You can browse through the numerous hotels and restaurants available in Paris via different websites and choose as per your convenience and budget.

Paris is a very safe city to be in. Crime rates are reasonably low since the authorities take extra care so as to ensure that no harm comes in the way of the lovers drowned in romance. Dress warmly and be sure to snuggle with your Valentine as Paris can suddenly turn chilly in winter.

Just for Two

Just for Two is the first company offering exceptional gifts for all lovers. It is a unique concept because we provide luxury experiences, personalised ideas and professional support of a private concierge service. The gifts can become a unique surprise for any occasion and any couple: for a wedding anniversary, a birthday or just to say « I love you ». To find a perfect idea we have divided them into specific categories and to add some mystery we propose a Secret Rendezvous as a beginning of the romantic adventure.

The category Just Paris introduces you to the world of amazing activities in the City of Lights. Sensational body treatments from all over the world or the whole SPA reserved especially for you will relax you both and wake up all your senses. You can choose among innovative helicopter flights, bike or boat rides – all of them bring excitement and show you Paris in a totally different light. Hotels, with which we cooperate, are the most luxurious places in the capital. With an amazing view on the city, room in the theme of Marie Antoinette or a private butler you will definitely feel like in a fairy tale. To make the most out of your stay, we propose you entertainment in the best Parisian cabarets, booked for the best seat and with champagne to increase your happiness. Very interesting, and for sure unique, are our gourmet dinners, when the most famous French chefs do their best by cooking a meal only for you. It is always good to eat a delicious and sophisticated meal, but in the presence of the Chef and with tips especially for you, it becomes a fulfilled dream. Check it yourself:

http://www.justfortwo.fr/en/paris-under-the-stars/86-crazy-river.html

http://www.justfortwo.fr/en/tasty-delights/146-rendez-vous-chambre-58.html

http://www.justfortwo.fr/en/senses-alert/115-sensory-escape-in-the-dark.html

Dream Travels are the combinations of the most romantic destinations in France and abroad. To strengthen your love and approach you to the culture, we have chosen the attributes of France to be highlights of your stays. Over the stay in Provence, you will experience a different reality than the one described in all the tourist guides – sleeping in the castle, gourmet meals and a wonderful ambiance of Provençale region will make it very unique. If you want to try truffles or wine in the specific region of cultivation, we are ready to make your dreams come true. To get an exceptional weekend abroad, the best romantic destinations await you: Edinburgh, Prague and Venice – your love will sparkle again in the surrounding of the old, amorous capitals. Find your best destination:

http://www.justfortwo.fr/en/in-france/141-love-in-provence.html

http://www.justfortwo.fr/en/romantic-weekends/129-the-seine-of-our-love.html

http://www.justfortwo.fr/en/romantic-weekends/77-sublissima-venice.html

Picture Your Love connects all the artists among the common goal – to create a work of art, which reflects your love. We cooperate with artists who create different kinds of portraits, photo shoots or who can even write a book about your love story. We also provide amazing jewellery for engagement, wedding or any other occasion.

Just for Two showcases exceptional gifts and experiences to be shared together. It also offers a service that makes life easier, by adapting to companies and enabling customers to achieve a last-minute present or a common gift. Just for Two prides itself of the quality of its private concierge service: a complete follow-up of the service and a top quality after-sale service in all circumstances. The concierge services are included. Discover the most interesting art gifts:

http://www.justfortwo.fr/en/declarations-of-love/166-french-kiss-in-paris-.html

http://www.justfortwo.fr/en/love-stories/118-l-histoire.html

http://www.justfortwo.fr/en/prove-your-love/81-love-place.html

To make a just married couple happy or to celebrate a wedding anniversary, Just your Dream is the new idea for an exceptional gift, the occasion to share magical moments with a special someone. With a budget from €1,500 the couple receives an invitation to make their dream come true. They share their ideas and we make them real. Travel the world’s vineyards, from Chile to California, Italy and South Africa; walk on the Scandinavian iced sea surrounded by glaciers; ride an elephant in the Thai jungle; sky dive over the Atlantic Ocean… We make the craziest, the simplest, the most incredible dreams come true. Once you received the Just for Two invitation, anything is possible. Our exclusive concierge service will organize and imagine the most amazing dream and make it come true in the most beautiful way.

Selling exclusively on the Internet enables us to enrich the offer on a regular basis in order to create original and exclusive gifts all year long. Just for Two has a wide network of prestigious partners who are willing to share their know-how and their expertise. The Just for Two gifts have been designed exclusively with the artists and partners.

In a nutshell, Just for Two is an answer to all those who love their beloved or the couple for which they want to find an exceptional gift. If you struggle to find a perfect offer, we can make your dreams come true with our private concierge service, which is ready to move heaven and earth to make you happy.