Car Hire Nice :: Paris City Guide

Love it or hate it, Paris is arguably one of the most romantic capital cities in the world. A city that is home to some of the most famous and instantly recognisable landmarks on earth. Once you have visited it, the very mention of Paris will forever evoke the sights, sounds and smells that you will experience in this fascinating, unique and magical city on the Seine.

The River Seine divides the city into the Rive Droite (Right Bank) north of the river and the Rive Gauche (Left Bank) south of the river. The City itself is small enough to be easily explored on foot. In fact it measures only six miles by seven miles (10 kilometres x 11km).

Paris consists of 20 districts known as arrondissements – numbered as you would expect from 1 to 20. These begin with the central Ile de la Cité and spiral outwards, ending with Porte de Montreuil on the eastern edge of the city.

Consider purchasing the Carte Musées et Monuments pass. This allows free unlimited access to more than 70 museums and monuments in the Paris region. The pass can be purchased from the Central Tourist Office, participating museums and monuments, the main métro stations and FNAC stores.

The best way to enjoy Paris is to simply wander at random through its distinctive districts from the artists ‘village' of Montmarte, the ancient Marais and Sentier districts with their winding, narrow streets and the impressively wide grand boulevards of the Haussmann district. Stop at will to explore an interesting shop and allow yourself time to sit at a pavement café and take in the atmosphere. This way you will discover the true Paris and you will never forget it.

Sightseeing can be made easier by using the efficient Parisian transport systems. passes allowing unlimited travel can be purchased and no visit to the city is complete without riding the metro.

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Must See in Paris

• There are of course those famous sights that you really cannot afford to miss:
• Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower), Cathédrale de Notre-Dame (home of Quasimodo and those famous bells.)
• Sacré-Coeur.
• Musée National du Louvre.
• L'Arc de Triomphe.
• Central Paris' lovely parks, in particular, the Jardin de Luxembourg and the Jardin des Tuileries.
  
  

Events in Paris

• Fête de la Musique. Late June.
• Free concerts in the streets throughout Paris.
• Bastille Day. 14 July. A national holiday with festivities and fireworks to commemorate the storming of the Bastille in 1789.
• Grandes Fêtes de Nuit de Versailles July, August and September in the gardens of Versailles. A son et lumière display with costumed dancers and music.