Menu
Menu
Menu
City of Lights? The stronghold of romance? The world culinary capital? Everything is true when it comes to Paris. The exciting, powerful, and beautiful city located on both banks of the Seine River, offers an interesting and non-stop pastime, from which it is difficult to know satiety. Paris enjoys excellence in a very wide range of areas of life at an international level including art, fashion, history, culinary, music, cinema, and philosophy and the hand is still outstretched. The development and introduction of the city take place alongside a peaceful and pastoral local life. The city areas dominate 20 different districts that provide color, style and unique ideas to each of them. The squares, boutique shops, restaurants, parks, cathedrals, houses in the small alleys and elegant cafes make Paris a glittering and coveted destination that all travelers look up to. You are invited to cuddle up to the romantic, tie-dyed, light-hearted and free atmosphere served by the French capital and discover (rightly) that you are addicted to it long before landing.
As befits a rich and affluent capital, Paris offers a variety of high-class accommodation, but at expensive prices compared to other French cities. City hotels are even more expensive compared to other cities in Europe. Prices even rise further from May to the end of October (except in August, when there is a drop in the price). And yet you will find in it all the possible types of accommodation – from basic hostels to luxury hotels, all for full value for every coin paid.
Choosing a hotel in Paris is important because it will make your vacation a success or a disaster: choosing a hotel that is too far from the center, accommodation on a high floor with no comfortable elevator (or no elevator at all) and no air-conditioned room (in Paris it is not customary to operate ) May impair the quality of your vacation. Therefore you can focus the choice of hotel on one of the following parameters:
Location: Hotel prices in the most central districts of Paris (1-7) are also the most expensive. The middle price range is reserved for hotels in Districts 8-17. While the cheapest prices belong to the more peripheral districts 18-20. The most popular district for accommodation is the Marais district (districts 3 + 4) and after it in the list you will find districts 5 (Latin district), district 6 (Saint-Germain) and the 9th district.
Star level: Somewhat surprisingly, the most sought after hotel level in Paris is 3 stars and not 4 as is the case in most European capitals. These hotels offer successful and quality accommodation and of course at lower prices so do not disqualify them outright.
Occupancy: The number of hotel guests varies according to the months of the year, but a hotel that feels that its occupancy will not be filled in the coming days may lower prices and apply good deals. Look for them.
In general, 2-star hotels can be estimated at 70-120 euros per couple per night, 3-star hotels at 120-180 euros per night, 4-star hotels at 180-350 euros and 5-star hotels in Paris from 350 euros up to any price Almost possible.
France is an extraordinary culinary powerhouse, whose unique cooking principles have crossed the country’s borders hundreds of years ago. In Paris in particular there is a large-scale culinary industry that relies on both traditional French cuisine and up-to-date food from other cuisines around the world. French food is based on fresh and local ingredients and stands out with unique products like foie gras, truffles, frog legs, rabbit and unique cheeses. Paris itself specializes in the use of sauces, hinges and fillings developed in French cuisine and translates them into up-to-date, fashionable and juicy dishes that can be tasted in a huge variety of restaurants in the city.
Paris boasts more than 13,000 restaurants and cafes. In a quick calculation, this is a restaurant or food stall on every street corner in the city and to visit them all, it will take you at least two hundred years! The excellent versatility of food in Paris, the wide variety and the best culinary minds active here will allow you to enjoy all the worlds: grab a quick lunch in a designed brasserie, sit down for a romantic dinner in a bistro, sip on a patisserie stand, taste the many market products.
The city is prepared for as wide food tours as you can. In fact, you can reach it as part of official food tours and even visit it to manage your own and not stop tasting from all the worlds. What is certain is that you will not feel alone: people from all over the world come to taste Paris and experience the famous culinary culture and some even come here just for this purpose.
Despite the high quality that will be served to you in the typical Parisian restaurant, there are quite a few “tourist restaurants” that serve simplistic food and at expensive prices. To make sure you are in a really good restaurant, avoid entering restaurants whose waiters stand at the entrance and invite diners to enter, check if the menu is in French or only translated, that the restaurant is full but not exploding from the queue at the entrance (indicating a trendy place (Business people are easy to spot, for example). Remember that competition among restaurants is tough so the chefs fight for you as diners and repeat diners. Therefore in most restaurants a more experienced chef will run the lunch service which will include more local population with “returning” potential and a less experienced chef in the evening service. This is why if you are experimenting with unique flavors or dishes, it is best to get to them at noon. Another tip we can give you, is to check the amount of fish that appears on the menu: a large selection indicates freshness, the use of raw materials from several local markets and leaving the comfort areas at the level of creativity in flavors and serving.
The impressive and iconic tower we know provides an impressive and memorable look in reality. The iron beams and the millions of screws that can be seen up close convey a different, extraordinary feeling and of course one that should in no way be given up. You can go up to the first and second floor on foot (or by elevator), while on the first floor (57 meters from the ground) you will walk on a transparent glass surface that will make the experience more powerful. On each floor there are seating areas in front of an impressive Parisian view. It is very worthwhile to catch the tower at sunset and watch the unique spectacle of the city lights coming on and the glittering lighting on the Eiffel itself.
Opening hours: 9: 30-23: 45 for elevators, 9: 30-18: 30 for stairs. Between 13.6-31.8, the closing hours are extended to 00:00 and 00:45, respectively.
Entrance fee: 25.50 euros – arrival on the top floor by elevator. For those arriving on the second floor by stairs: 10.20.
The impressive city emblem paves your way into a vibrant, colorful boulevard full of leisure and things to do. Inventory of restaurants, cafes, shops and showrooms that reflect the Parisian elite and more. The Victory Gate awaits you at the end of the boulevard, in the famous Charles de Gaulle Square from where you can continue to 12 other large boulevards. It is worth going up to the observation deck and overlooking the unique urban landscape.
Observation opening hours: 10: 00-22: 30.
Entrance fee: 12 euros.
One of the most exciting and famous monuments in Paris, is the impressive cathedral which unfortunately was hit by a big fire in April 2019 and parts of it are still slowly being restored. And yet, no wonder the splendor of the grandeur, the clever architecture and the artistic beauty of the unique windows, the huge bell structure and the impressive developers. The monster figures that adorn the roof and overlook the city you can see after climbing no less than 387 steps and enjoy their company as Kozimudo did.
Louvre Museum – What is the importance of the Louvre to modern culture from one to the “Da Vinci Code”, the Mona Lisa or the famous clip of the singer Beyonce? The largest and most coveted art treasures in the world are right here, in a building that used to be a palace and covers over 60,000 square meters. At the entrance and choose one of its proposed routes.
Opening hours: Wednesdays and Fridays: 09: 00-21: 45.
Thursdays and Saturdays-Mondays: 09: 00-18: 00
Entrance fee: 20 euros per adult (over 18). You can buy tickets on the website in advance and save standing in line.
Although Paris is at the forefront of global progress in every possible field, the construction of its streets and buildings is nonetheless much older and reveals the life of “classic Paris” as one moves away from the tourist sites. This is exactly what makes the Pompidou Building so special: futuristic in the sense of the decade in which it was built (1970s) and with advanced industrial design, revealing the steel skeleton through huge glass panels. The center is used for many shows, street theaters, exhibitions and special galleries in a variety of art disciplines and much more. Admission to the center is free, but for exhibitions you may have to pay. It is very worthwhile to go up to the fifth floor (do not worry, there is an elevator and even escalators) and observe the city. By the way, the open extension and full of fountains is the famous place where the residents gather in the summer and sunbathe.
Opening hours: 11: 00-21: 00 (closed to visitors at 20:00).
Closed on Tuesdays and May 1st.
This is the second largest park in Paris, located in the sixth district on the banks of the Seine and is considered one of the pleasant places for rest, activities and picnics in nature. Throughout the park there are fountains, statues, special garden areas, sports fields, pony rides, shows for children on the weekends, cafes and more.
Take half a day for a stroll and relaxation in one of the most interesting Parisian hotspots. The Victor Hugo House, the medieval De Vosges Square, the ancient synagogue, the Magic Museum and a huge variety of small, colorful and sweet shops that adorn the eyes and delight the heart. Here is also the Jewish part that offers a variety of shops, confectioneries and restaurants small dishes and of course kosher.
The fifth and sixth districts, adjacent to each other, provide excellent entertainment for any time of the year and for any hour of the day. The Latin Quarter (Fifth Quarter) contains the famous Sorbonne University and therefore has a vibrant student life that can be grasped through jazz clubs, bookstores, records and comics, street food and more. From there you can continue to Saint-Germain, the elegant and special sixth arrondissement, which serves as an important place inhabited by a number of famous philosophers and philosophers such as Simone de Beauvoir. Here, too, the jazz scene stands out, but next to it there is a very successful place for shopping and you will find here one of the first department stores in the world (La Bon Marsha).
On the summit of the Sacra-Carr Basilica, there is the “Mount of Tortured Saints” that will meet you with the Paris of yesteryear. Ancient windmills, the famous Moulin Rouge nightclub, the house of the painter Van Gogh, the erotica museum and of course the famous cemetery where several famous artists are buried. Not to be missed!
Although the Versailles complex is not located within Paris itself and requires an exit from it, which well illustrates the detachment experienced by the royal aristocracy who lived here from the poor inhabitants of Paris. Which, in the end, led to the French Revolution. The palace is a mast stop that must not be given up in any way! It has been zealously and meticulously preserved since it finished serving as the official royal palace in the 18th century and includes several areas, each housed in a separate and vast area: the main palace, the Trianon palaces, the Marie Antoinette mansion and the mesmerizing gardens. Inside you can watch the extravagant and rich lifestyle led by the kingdom: the private opera hall, the luxurious bedrooms (in the original furniture) and more.
Although it is the ultimate city for lovers, Paris also has plenty of exciting attractions for children. From Eurodisney through the Boulogne Forest to the variety of unique museums, here are some things to do here with the kids:
Paris offers a fairly large abundance of good, green and very well-kept parks. You can enjoy sweet corners for picnics, boating pools, fountains, riding ponies, puppet theater, duck and swan lakes, playgrounds and much more. Beyond the Luxembourg Gardens we mentioned earlier, you can also walk in the Boulogne Forest which offers boating, bike rental, train rides for children and more. Floral Park (in the Hansen Forest) offers a rare and colorful variety of flowers and plants.
Of course the ultimate place for children and children in their soul. The facilities, the characters, the Disney Palace and the variety of adventures will also pass whole days of experience inside the famous amusement park.
The park is located a short drive from the city (35 km) Although slightly smaller than the Eurodisney but no less excellent than it. The bonus: it is cheaper and the queues in it are less crowded. Plenty of facilities for all ages and successful enjoyment.
Like any self-respecting tourist city in the world, Paris also has a bus with an open top floor that stops at major stations and attractions and you can get on and off as you please. Purchasing the ticket will allow you to use the line for a whole day and get down to the well-known and good sites like the Opera House, the Louvre, the Cathedral, Saint-Germain, the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees, the Eiffel, the Invalid, Montmartre, Bastille Square, Concord Square and much more.
Inside the Louvre Museum, you should visit the ancient Egyptian wing where sphinxes of various sizes, ancient sarcophagi and thousands of other items from ancient Egyptian culture are displayed. Another wing refers to a Mesopotamia that resided in the Mediterranean region with statues, gates and models of ancient buildings. Other selected museums are the magnificent Magic Museum, the Army Museum where you will meet items, exhibits and objects from antiquity and the spirit of the knights, the Pompidou Museum which holds workshops for the whole family delivered in simple English, the Great Wax Museum, the Rodin Museum offering a variety of trails and sculptures. – The Science Campus where you will find playgrounds and a science museum, 3D cinemas and huge lawns.
Located quite close to the Eiffel Tower and offers more than 60 huge aquariums with a huge and spectacular abundance of fish and sea creatures.
An activity that will suit older children and adolescents in particular, but of course depends on the children themselves and their ability to enjoy the historical experience that is underground. It is a long and winding burial site erected under the city streets in the 18th century and at a depth of 20 meters. The walk opens down the stairs and continues through a tunnel whose walls and pillars are made of skulls and bones arranged in impressive and even menacing symmetry.
And a few more tips for a trip to Paris with the kids: The main sites are very crowded and make sure the kids stay close to you at all times. Most places are not convenient for moving carts so it is best to use a carrier. At many sites admission to children is free (in museums mainly, up to the age of 17) and sometimes it will be at a discounted price. The same goes for buying Paris Pass tickets. Family tickets can also be found at many of the attractions. In terms of mobility, it is highly recommended to use mainly the metro: the ascent to age 4 is free and up to age 11 at a discounted price. Tickets for some trips can be purchased at a very affordable price. The metro of course will take you to all the tourist sites and without traffic jams. Families who come for Christmas will get to see an ornate and mesmerizing city with fir trees and glittering objects in every corner. Also know that in the Lafayette Gallery and in the Prentomp department, the shop windows are transformed into moving and impressive electrical displays. Small stairs and platforms are also placed in front of them so that the children can see all the shop windows and enjoy them.
In general, Paris is not recommended for driving at all. Vehicle traffic in the city is busy and crazy, most of the day is congested and there is a severe parking shortage. In addition, in recent years Paris has been making many efforts to stop air pollution and restricting the entry of vehicles into the city (including a ban on driving every Sunday, the first of each month). To do this you will need to park your car in public car parks and continue driving on public transport. It is important to note that Parisian transport is particularly convenient, advanced and affordable and much more worthwhile in terms of mobility within the city, including on arrival and return from the airport.
If you still want to rent a car to travel to out-of-town places like Eurodisney or the palaces of Versailles, rent as soon as possible and not for the entire period. If you plan to return the vehicle at the end within Paris, prepare for a few hours drive from the suburbs into the city. Even a delay of half an hour will result in a fine of renting an extra day and at a very expensive rate. It is also important to know that rental prices skyrocket on holidays and weekends. Avoid renting these days if possible.
In terms of traffic laws in Paris and in general, it is important to know a few significant and important things:
On the Israel-Paris route you can find dozens of weekly flights (more than 3 different daily flights) and at attractive prices throughout the year. The low-cost line has in recent years caused a significant improvement in flight prices and today you can find a wide range of low-cost and scheduled flights at affordable prices, through many airlines and with the highest availability. It is recommended to compare prices through the various sites on the net and plan your flight preferences according to meals, luggage, landing times and takeoff so that they fit your budget.
There are two major airports near the city: Charles-de-Gaulle Airport, 27 km from the city, and Orly Airport, 14 km from the city.
From Charles de Gaulle you can leave for Paris on the RER train (line B) which collects from terminals 2 + 3. Landers at Terminal 1 will be able to use a free shuttle to the station (a 5-minute drive from Terminal 1, or a 20-minute ride from Terminal G2). The train costs almost 10 euros per adult and the ticket is also nice for a continuation ride within the city by metro. The line crosses Paris from north to south and passes major stations, which will allow you to change trains to the desired destination. The frequency is high. Other options are using the direct bus (about an hour to the Opera station) from the field, or bus number 350 (about an hour and twenty) cheaper, or a taxi with an average cost of 45 euros to central Paris.
From Orly you can take the bus to the RER train station (line B) or the metro station (lines 4 and 6) which costs 7.70 euros. The journey takes about half an hour and the final arrival is directly to the main train station in the south of the city. Another option is a metro costing 12.05 euros to Antony station of the RER line B. Another option is the tram (number T7) which is about 45 minutes long and costs 3.40 euros. Its frequency is very high (almost every 10 minutes). In addition you can use a taxi with an average cost of 45 euros to the center of Paris.
The question of when to visit Paris may vary according to the personal preference of each and every one of you. Here are some points to help you decide on the right flight date for you:
Paris in winter: The Parisian (and French in general) winter is very cold and is around zero degrees. You must therefore plan your trip wisely and understand whether you will be able to cope with hiking and free roaming in the open spaces. Of course you will earn significantly lower prices in terms of flights and accommodation, but remember that the season days in France are particularly short: the light hours in winter are very few and the sunrise in December-January occurs only after 8:30 in the morning. The sunset occurs as early as around 5 p.m. So we planned the trip accordingly: closed places like shops, department stores and museums after sunset and the outdoor trips like for example the special districts, the gardens of Versailles, the parks and the Champs Elysees to save for daylight hours.
Paris in summer: The temperatures for the hot season are 15-30 degrees, which is considered very comfortable in terms of hiking. At the same time it is important to remember that most businesses are not air-conditioned and it is difficult to find refuge from the heat on rainy days, which include multiple walks. Also the city is crowded and crowded, the queues are very long and it is better to buy tickets in advance wherever possible. Also keep in mind that this is the annual vacation time of the locals and many of them leave the city, which may cause some of the businesses to be closed. In terms of hotel air conditioning, you may need to add money for running the air conditioning in your room.
Paris in the transition seasons: Naturally considered the most comfortable hiking seasons. Remember that in the autumn and spring seasons it is still cold in the open and high places (for example on the Eiffel, on the Skara-Car terrace, the Victory Gate observation deck, etc.) and therefore bring suitable clothing.
