Paris - je t'aime

Paris : the city of love and romance

It is recommended that everyone visits Paris atleast once in a lifetime...For the city is unique in its style and the restaurents with tents overhead are a treat to watch and relax...and if you have a good companion with you that will add to the fun ..one will definately fall in love with the city with its charm and romantic feeling. There is certainly love in the air of this famous city.
To start with Paris being the capitol of fashion is indeed a neat and tidy city. To understand its fashion and glamour one needs to take a walk around Champe Elyees where all the big daddies of fashion and glamour world - giovanni, ....are lined up.
But if you are a down to earth person on a budget travel i guess you need to be careful and visit places near Saint demis et la halle which islikesome of our indian markets. here you can also meet some indians and they have shops too in the area.
There are many hotels starting from 50 euros to the top end 200, 300 euros a day...however if you serach the net you will be able to find some hotels and dormitories at 30 euros or less a day...Paris is more or less safe and is well connected ny its metro network so if u find a good budget hotel - may be far from city center - go get it.
Paris has lot of things to visit,,the louvre museum and the eiffel tower are the two most visited places...But there are other chuch (notre damne) and gardens and things also..
Paris has one of the best metro system in the world....one can go to any part of the city in maximum 30 minutes with propr knowledge of metro...
it is recommended that one purchases metro season tickt to travel which will be cheaper..metro tickets are availbale for full day, one week, 10 days, one month and so on..
a seperate book can be written on Paris...
vegeterian should be prepared to see things which they dont like as most of the europe and particulary france etc are predominantly non vegeterians..hence it will be difficult to find a vegeteria hotel and the definition of vegeterain also differs in this part of the world so you must say very clearly what all you eat or what all you dont.However if u go to passade de bardy you will find many indian pakistanis hotel lined up which will give you every sabji and bhaji, riti and chawal and achar and papad,,idli and dosa..stranegley and amusingly many of the hotels owned by pakistanis have an indian name so take the names with a pinch of salt. For example one hotel with a rajputana or somthing is owned by a pakistani.
There are other hotels too that serve veg dishes..One hotel that is also refered in th alonely planet book on paris is worth trying and is in this locality. Then there is one simple south idian who will serve idli for 3 euros and dosa for arnd -7 euros. If you ask politely that u are on a sjprt budget he may also give some small concession to you. The chap is nice to talk and is from south india i think from pondicherry. there is a small Kirana shop just opposite this souh indian restuarent and so if you are feeling home sick you can visit this good kirana shop in Paris..voila...
Euro being 56 rupees france and paris in particular are very expensive places to visit..
Make sure you carry enough money and book your hotel beforehand..
you will also finding indians at some junction , in a metro or at eiffel tower...but only at times...
People are friendly but keep to themselves and will not take the initiative to talk like indians..
Discrimination can be there but is very less and in general one will not encounter as paris has one of the highesr number of tourists and so people are professionals.
if one visits in summer and wintr one may find lot of dicount sales which is the best way to do purchasing otherwise buying anything in europe is a costky affair and does not make sense..as ususal one finds chinese goods spread at many poeple and dont be foolish to buy cheap chinese goods at higher prices
Laffayate is a famous mall offering everything ..and can be visited...There are many other malls near ville de citi which offers sales..
Chalres de gaulle is the international airport and one can reach in 50-70 euros to a hotel from the airport. the airport is in the north most direction of the city.
Taxies wallah are honest by and large but all type of people reside in all type of places..
be also prepared to protect from pick poketters especially in the metros and crowded places.
Paris is well connected to all part of Europe and one can get trains and flights right from the airport CDG. staions are called as 'Gare' in frenh and gare de nord is the big station for taking trains to london or other part of france. similarly Gare de Lyon is also another mahor station. besides the metro station at CDG airport is also good if you dont plan to enter the city. CDG airport is also called as Roissy and one should know that.
One can visit he city safely till 11 pm after that it is a bit risky ..(in general..)
what else....let me know when you are visiting France or Paris next time for information...
Overall a nice place and to visit...atleast once
Asheesh शाह
asheesh.shah@gmail.com