Advantages: Great close alternative to US theme parks
Disadvantages: Not as 'Disney' as US counterparts, ot cheap!

...and cocktails (there are also tables outside if the weather is nice!). Hurricanes is the nightclub that opens at 11pm and closes at about 4am. It's a strange place in that it can be very busy with lots of great people and music, or else there can only be six people in the whole place! The dance floor is large, and they do offer themed nights, such as Mr & Mrs, Hawaii, etc. Be warned that the drinks are quite expensive (around 5€ for bottled beer). Other places to visit are McDonald's; Planet Hollywood, featuring a large gift shop and restaurant; and Gaumont Cinema, featuring films in French and English. Cirque Du Soleil also offers shows here, although I haven't been to one of these yet! One thing to note about the Disney Village is that it's accessible by RER from Paris, and as such, there is heavy security (including metal detectors) to get... Read review

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Advantages: Perfect location, excellent access to Metro and sights.
Disadvantages: Bedroom doors bang loudly when they shut.

...The first time I ever visited Paris I stayed at this hotel. I just left it up to my boyfriend and his dad to choose the accommodation as I knew nothing about this city at the time, except that it had the Eiffel Tower! When we looked it up on the internet there were a few flatting photographs, and because it was so close to the Gare du Nord (where we arrive from the Eurostar) it seemed like the perfect little hotel. It's in a great location for a hotel that isn't too pricey, or too cheap. Location It's located in the heart of Paris, it's a lovely traditional looking building and is in the immediate neighbourhood of the amazing St Quention Market. This is a indoor market, it's hard to miss as it's a large metal stucture and is quite impressive and attractive. It's a good place to buy 'real' French food, although... Read review

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Advantages: Very Very French
Disadvantages: First impressions can be a little daunting

...Forget the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame, THIS is REAL Paris! Situated down a slightly forbidding alleyway at the RUE DU FAUBOURG, just off BOULEVARD MONTMARTRE at the north east of Paris City Centre this is an absolute gem of an establishment, which up to now the Parisians have managed to keep very much for themselves! They opened in 1898, and from what I could see, very little has changed - the decor is simple - a tall long narrow hall with a balcony down one side, two long rows of tables - on the tables are laid sheets of white newsprint paper (the original disposable tablecloth) Above the tables is the longest brass luggage rack I've ever seen! Down the wall are a series of mirrors running from head height to ceiling, and must be about five metres high - and in between are strange brown wooden constructions comprising... Read review

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Advantages: does not irritate your eyes good for contact wearers
Disadvantages: expensive

...As someone who wears contact lenses, I am constantly on the lookout for a mascara that will not irritate my eyes and until now there was really only one that I could use, that is until yesterday when shopping in Boots I came across Bourjois paris - coup de theatre mascara. I had seen the ads on tv and was intrigued by the two part bottle and especially the white base, although a beautician friend tells me that all good beauticians use a powder base before applying any mascara!( Well if they are so smart why didn't they think of this??) anyway on with the op. This is a two part mascara, at first you may be fooled into thinking that you are getting quite a lot of mascara for your money as the length of the mascara tube is very long, however remember this mascara comes in two parts and given the price you pay each end of the tube... Read review

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Advantages: Well located for the Metro,cheap
Disadvantages: A bit tatty,extremely basic,noisy at night

.... Said bar was actually at the foot of our hotel ‘L’Hôtel du Chat Noir’ (in English ‘The Black Cat hotel'). We looked up at the shabby looking building and shrugged, at £100 for a double room for 3 nights we weren’t expecting the Ritz. Entering the lobby I was reminded of the description given when I booked the rooms through octopus travel: ‘The lobby is very small, consisting of a narrow corridor leading to a small reception desk. There is one lift leading to all floors.’ This is not an inaccurate description, although it fails to capture the innate shabbiness of it all. The bloke at the desk was not unfriendly, however and he handed over our keys to room 79 (yes, on the seventh floor) with politeness considering the late hour. I looked at the stairs with dread but thankfully the man pointed me towards the small lift. The elevator, like... Read review

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Advantages: ...
Disadvantages: ...

...of those they are delicious. La Sainte-Chapelle A jewel of gothic architecture, the Sainte-Chapelle was built in the thirteenth century by order of Saint-Louis to contain the crown of thorns. The high chapel with its 600 sq. metres of windows, 2/3 of which are authentic, offer one of the most complete sets of stained glass window from this era. It’s ceiling is covered with magnificent paintings. Classical concerts are sometimes given in here and it always tremendous to listen to. 4, boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris Métro : cité RER B Saint-Michel L’arc de triomphe I haven’ t ever visited it, so I made some research to tell you more about it Commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon, shortly after his victory at Austerlitz, it was not finished until 1836. There are four huge relief sculptures at the bases of the four pillars... Read review

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Advantages: Lots to see and do, the metro,
Disadvantages: Eating out can be expensive, everyone else is there too (everyone loves Paris)

...our walk. We crossed the Seine and walked to the churches of St-Germain-des-Pres and St. Sulpice. Taking a tour like this was fun especially since we had read the book and were looking forward to the movie. The mother of all museums - The Louvre Once a fortress to protect Paris against Viking raids and then extended by kings and emperors over centuries. Today the building itself is huge and it houses an enormous art collection. Apart from the Eiffel tower this must be another place that is hard to miss when in Paris. We decided to go there after we had the Da Vinci walk. Tip! Remember that there are a couple of entrances for the museum. Many people line up at the famous glass pyramid but it is also possible to enter the museum near Carrousel du Louvre. We bought tickets from the ticket machines under the pyramid and it cost 8... Read review

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Advantages: n/a
Disadvantages: n/a

...I have now visited Paris twice as a tourist, both in the February half term, visiting many of the city's attractions. I feel it would be helpful for people visiting Paris to have a guide of practicalities regarding their stay. TRANSPORT ********** If you live close to London, by far the easiest method of travel to Paris is by the Eurostar. Direct from Waterloo, it travels in 2 hours to the centre of Paris, to the Gare du Nord station. It may be pricey, but it is cheaper than flying, and a lot faster than driving and having to get a ferry. However, for the sake of convenience, if you live a long way from London, it may be faster to fly, although I have heard that an extension is being built so that it is possible to join the Eurostar at York (this may just be a rumour though). It can sometimes be cheaper to get tickets... Read review

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Advantages: Only place to see the Mona Lisa
Disadvantages: Very busy all the time

...Musee du Louvre (Louvre Museum) Background The Louvre is the most visited and one of the oldest, largest and most famous art galleries and museums in the world. The first royal “Castle of the Louvre” was founded in what was then the western edge of Paris by Philip Augustus in 1190, as a fortified royal palace to defend Paris on its west against Plantagenet attacks. The first building in the existing Louvre was begun in 1535, after demolition of the Old Castle (foundations of the Old Castle are now an exhibition). The architect Pierre Lescot introduced to Paris the new design vocabulary of the Renaissance, which had been developed in the chateaux of the Loire. During his reign (1589 – 1610), King Henry IV added the Grande Galerie. Henry IV, a promoter of the arts, invited hundreds of artists and craftsmen to live and work... Read review

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Advantages: Great sightseeing, excellent transport links, bargains to take advantage of
Disadvantages: Generally expensive

...are lovely to stroll around, with interesting old shops and a huge daily flower market (Place Louis Lepine) on the right bank side, near the metro station. There are many interesting sights, such as the medieval towered Conciergerie, which was the prison that held both Robespierre and Marie-Antoinette, and the Palais de Justice law courts, which surrounds the magical Saint Chapelle, a masterpiece of stained glass and slender gothic columns built in 1248. This originally housed holy relics, including Jesus's crown of thorns and a piece of the true cross, but both of these are now in the most famous attraction of the Ile, Notre Dame. This huge begargoyled gothic megalith is situated in the dead centre of Paris, and looms above Place du Parvais in an awe-striking way. It was begun in 1163, and has been host to many historic events including Napoleon... Read review

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