Paris - so much to see, so little time

Some of the most impressive things I've seen in Paris:

Sacre Coeur - Church of the Sacred Heart, a wonderfully exotic architecture for a Christian church on a hill in Montmarte

Notre Dame Cathedral - there aren't many free things to see in Paris: this is one of the few, and a definite must see!

La Defense - when you get tired of all the history and culture, hop in the metro and discover this oddity in the middle of financial district.

Louvre - not for the faint of heart. The anecdote goes: 'If you stop for 30 seconds to look at every picture at Louvre, you'll spend 2 years there'.

Quick Tips:

Tip about France:

Don't tip! :) (unless you really want to) It's included in the price.

Best Way To Get Around:

Three words:

METRO, METRO, METRO!

Overpriced (like every other Paris hotel), medium class hotel with little atmosphere and quite little comfort. The good part: it's still cheaper than most other hotels, on the metro line and serves good breakfast. It's in Porte de Clichy district of Paris, which is about 10 metro stations away from most of the tourist attractions.

Check out some more info on the hotel at: http://www.gate1travel.com/Destinations/France/hotels/IbisPorteDeClichy.htm

One of the most magnificent castles in the world. I recommend taking a guided bus tour: you learn a lot and it's convenient. The walk in the gardens is truly relaxing after seeing all the splendor of the castle inside. There are cafes and souvenir shops inside as well: this is a true tourist haven!

Getting there is a breeze! You can take a guided bus tour, or get there on your own. The official web-site has directions on how to get there: http://www.chateauversailles.fr/en/510.asp

There aren't many places you can see free in Paris, but Notre Dame is one of them. You can't miss it! The inside of the cathedral is awe-inspiring, with its fantastic, huge stained-glass windows and organs. Climb the tower to see the Gargoyles, but be prepared: the lines are insane! There is also a crypt and a museum underneath the cathedral you can see, but to be honest I didn't find it very interesting.

Tip:There are souvenir coins available in all popular Parisian places at 10 French francs each. They are VERY addictive! After collecting about 10 of them, I realized I'd spend a fortune before I had them all!

Louvre is HUGE! In fact, it is so huge you can't truly see in one day. That was the mistake that I did: I allocated one whole (almost) day to see the world's biggest museum, and... I experienced a total art burn-out. The guide said that if you stoped to look at every picture and Louvre for only 30 seconds, you would spend more than two years there.

Tip:After 15:00 (3PM), the tickets to Louvre are half price (or close to it). I highly suggest allocating two afternoons to discovering it. You'll get good 3-4 hours of looking each day, and you won't get so burned-out.

If there is any downside of vacation in Paris, it is the fact that after a few days exploring museums, castles, galleries, operas and so on... you might experience what I termed a culture burn-out. This place is a good cure for it. Located on the outskirts of Paris, La Defense is in the middle of Parisian business district. It is really an oddity to look at, this empty cube 40-stories high. You can take an elevator up to the top floor where you get a pretty good view of Paris.

Surprise, surprise! There is an art-gallery on the top floor!

What a wonderful place that Sacre-Couer is! On a beautiful sunny Parisian day, I cannot imagine spending my time in any other way, but to sit on the steps to the basillica, listening to amateur musicians, and looking up Sacre-Couer.

The location is very fortunate too. Sacre-Coeur is located on a top of the hill in Montmare district: the souvenir shopping haven in Paris. There is hundreds of souvenir shops around, as well as cafes and ethnic restaurants. It is also within a walking distance of Place du Pigalle and Moulin Rouge.

Tip:Try the roasted chestnuts!