Theworldofmyjourneys

What do I say about one of the most visited cities of the world?

Paris is the City of Love, Light and Glamour. And although having been there three times, I never get tired of visit it.

Arriving to Paris:

Charles de Gaulle Airport:

- Train RER: Duration: 30 min Price: 9,10€ Frequency: 10-15 min Timetable: 04:56-23:56
- Roissybus: Duration: 55 min Price: 10€ Frequency: 15-30 min Timetable: 05:45-23:00

Orly Airport:

- Bus Paris par le train + RER C:

From the airport departs a bus to Pont de Rungis Station. Here you take the RER to the center.
Duration: 35 min Price: 6,45€

- Train Orlyval + RER B:

From the airport departs a train to Antony Station. Here you take the RER to the center.

Duration: 33 min Price: 10,9€

- Orlybus: Bus to Denfert-Rochereau. Duration: 30 min Price: 7€

Beauvais Airport:

- Airport bus: Duration: 75 min Price: 15€

-Day 1. Arriving to Paris. We walked by accommodation's neighbourhood. We were near the Arc de Triomphe so we didn't hesitate to visit it.

It wasn't late, so we went to see the Eiffel Tower illuminated.

-Day 2. It's early and we began to discover the city. We started at the Opera's square.

Opera Garnier

Adults: 9€

Up to 25 and Students:6€

Up to 10: Free

Behind the Opera is Galeries Lafayette, an upmarket French department store.

Near there we saw Madeleine's church and Vendome square.

Free

We walked towards Concorde square, where an Egyptian obelisk is situated where the most famous guillotine was.

The best way to get to Louvre Museum from this square is through the famous and crowded Tuileries Garden.

Louvre Museum

The most visited museum of the world

Unless you stay many days in Paris, it is advisable to visit only the museum's main masterpieces.

Inside the glass pyramid

Monna Lisa

Venus de Milo

Nike of Samothrace

Marriage at Cana

The Coronation of Napoleon

Adults: 12€

Up to 18: Free

EU citizens between 18 and 25: Free

-Day 3. We went early to Bateux-Mouches' pier, near the Grand palais, from there we took a ship that makes a tour through the Seine river.

Adults: 13,5€
Children between 5 and 12: 5,5€
Up to 4: Free

Alexandre III Bridge

Notre Dame

Eiffel Tower

After the cruise we went to Trocadero, an amazing balcony with amazing views, we took many photos and then we upped the tower.

From Trocadero

Eiffel Tower

Adults:

Up by stairs to 2nd floor: 5€

Elevator 2nd floor: 8,5€

Elevator upper floor: 14,5€

Youth between 12 and 24:
Up by stairs to 2nd floor: 3,5€
Elevator 2nd floor: 7€
Elevator upper floor: 13€

Children between 4 and 11:
Up by stairs to 2nd floor: 3€
Elevator 2nd floor: 4€
Elevator upper floor: 10€

Champ de Mars

The views

Trocadero from Eiffel Tower

From Champ de Mars we walked towards Les Invalides, where lies Napoleon

Adults: 9€
EU citizens between 18 and 25: Free

In the afternoon we decided to take the underground to Anvers, the nearest station to the Sacre Coeur.

To reach the unattainable chuch you can choose to walk up (almost 200 steps) or take a funicular (1,7€)

Free

If you walk about 200 meters to the left of the church, you'll arrive to the square of painters (Place du Tertre), a picturesque place where you can feel the essence of Paris.

Here you can make a portrait, buy some souvenirs, have a delicious cup of coffee or taste the famous crepes

Later we went to the red-light district, and we have dinner near the Moulin Rouge

Show from 110€ pp

-Day 4. We started visiting Ile de la Cité, a little island in the middle of the Seine. Here we saw the most famous cathedral in France, Notre Dame.

Free admission

Tower

Adults: 8,5€

Up to 18: Free

EU citizens between 18 and 25: Free

At the same island we discovered the Palace of Justice, the Sainte Chapelle and the Conciergerie, the prison where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned.

Palace of Justice

Sainte Chapelle

Adults: 8,5€

Up to 18: Free

EU citizens between 18 and 25: Free

Conciergerie

Adults: 8,5€

Up to 18: Free

EU citizens between 18 and 25: Free

Near the island we found the Town Hall and further Pompidou Centre

Adults: 12€

Students (18-25): 9€

Up to 18: Free

Near we saw the Fountain of the Innocents, a quiet place for have a drink

Yes, we have seen Paris in 4 days. People who have more days can see places near Paris, like Versailles Palace, or the theme park Disneyland, etc.

NEAR PARIS

Versailles Palace

Adults: 15€

Up to 18: Free

EU citizens between 18 and 25: Free

Disneyland Paris

One theme park (1 day):

Adults: 64€

Children between 3 and 11: 58€

Two theme parks (1 day):

Adults: 74€

Children between 3 and 11: 68€

For several days and Tickets+Hotel...Click here

Circuit Castles of Loire (2 hours by car from Paris)

My recommendation is going by yourself, visiting every castle of the Loire Valley. For those who don't want to take a chance, in Paris there are many agencies that organize tours of 1 or 2 days.

There are more than 10 castles, but the tours always visit the following three:

Château Chenonceau

Castle Fee:

Adults: 11€

Students and children between 7 and 18: 8,5€

Up to 7: Free

Château Chambord

Castle Fee:

Adults: 11€

Students up to 25 from EU: Free

Château Cheverny

Palace+Gardens fee:

Adults: 8,7€

Students, children up to 7 and large families: 5,7€

The average price for 1 day tour from Paris:

Adults: 100-200€

Up to 12: 60-100€

Up to 2: Free

Tour for 2 days:

Adults: 400-450€

Up to 12: 350-400€

Up to 2: Gratis

Onilne agencies: fcomfrance viator pariscityvision francetourisme

Mont Saint Michel ( 3,5 hours by car from Paris)

This island is part of the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites

For people who don't want to take the car, there are daily tours from the capital: 120-150€

For those who want to visit other cities of France or even go to another country:

Trains at France...Click here

Train to Brussels (1,5hours). From 65€

Car París-Brussels: 3,5hours.

Train to Luxembourg (2hours). From 60€

Car París-Luxembourg: Almost 4 hours

Train to London (Almost 2,5hours). From 130€

Car París-London: Almost 6 hours.

Discover the english capital in few days

-Day 1. Arriving to London is very easy from anywhere of the world.
We landed specifically at Gatwick airport.
Getting from the airport to the center:

Gatwick Airport: - Easybus: From 2 pounds to 10'5 pounds (depending of the time) . But almost it's cheap, it takes 1 hour to reach the center.

- Bus Terravision: 17,75 pounds (30 min)

-Gatwick Express Train (30 min): Adults: 19,9 pounds

Children from 5 to 15:10 pounds

Special prices for families and groups.

Heathrow Airport:   - Heathrow Express (20 min): 20 pounds one way, 34 pounds roundtrip

   - Underground: 5,6 pounds (45 min)

   - Heatrow Connect: 9,5 pounds (30 min)

     - Terravision bus: 18 pounds (30 min)

Stansted Airport:    - Stansted Express (50 min): 23,4 pounds one way, 33'2 pounds roundtrip

   - Easybus: From 2 pounds to 10 pounds ( depending of the time). (1h 20 min)

- Terravision bus: From 6 pounds to 9 pounds (depending of the station) (1h 15 min)

http://www.terravision.eu/london
http://www.easybus.co.uk/

It was late when we arrived to the accommodation so we went out to have dinner and discover the area where we stayed.

-Day 2. A great city was waiting for us. Where did we start seeing?
We visited the main of London, Westminster area.

We alighted at Green Park Station and then we crossed the park with the same name on Buckingham Palace direction. There we saw the Changing of the guard (At 11:30)

We walked The Mall Avenue and we arrived to the crowded Trafalgar Square, dominated by the Nelson column, the lions and The National Gallery (FREE)

We walked along Whitehall ,and passing the Prime Minister house (10 Downing St), we got the London's most representative landmark.

The Big Ben

We ate at the area and then we ascended the

London Eye

Adults: 19,2 pounds

Children from 4 to 15: 12,3 pounds

Children up to 4: Free

Later we visited the lush Westminster Abbey

Adults: 18 pounds
Students and older than 60: 15 pounds
Children from 11 to 18: 8 pounds
Up to 11: Free

-Day 3. Saturday, perfect for visiting Portobello's Market (Notting Hill).
We alighted at Notting Hill Gate and in few minutes we reached the first market stalls. It was really amazing.
The road, that measures 1,5 km long, was crowded and we took 3 hours to cross it.
Here you can buy anything: souvenirs, antiques, CDs, pictures, underwear, leather jackets, military clothing, food to take away, footwear, fruit, vegetables, furniture...
A great experience.

We ate at the area and then we take the Tube (underground) to go to King's Cross Station.

We took us may pictures next to the Harry Potter's cart, trying to take the Hogwards Express.

We also wanted to see the St. Pancras Station's facade, that it's next to King's Cross. This Station's facade appeared at the film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

We wanted to visit St. Paul's Cathedral, where Princess Diana was married and where the Mary Poppins' old woman fed the pigeons.

St Paul's Cathedral
Adults: 16 pounds
Students and older than 60: 14 pounds
Children from 6 to 17: 6 pounds

Millenium Bridge, it appeared at Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince

- Day 4. We began taking the underground to Tower Hill Station, that day we saw the East of London.

We went towards the Tower of London and then we ascended the Bridge with the same name.

Tower of London

Adults: 21,45 pounds

Up to 16: 10,75 pounds

Students and older than 60: 18,15 pounds

Tower Bridge

Adults: 8 pounds

Children from 5 to 15: 3,4 pounds

Students and older than 60: 5,6 pounds

Up to 5: Free

After the break we had had in the gardens in front of the Townhall, we went to Canary Warf, with the DLR (Dockland Light Railway). It's an automatic train without driver.

Later we took again the DLR to Greenwich Park, we had a picnic like the rest of Englishmen who enjoyed the sunny sunday. At the Afternoon we visited the observatory.