As our first blog, I am going to start with certain interesting points of a unique and special city for me: Paris.
Despite the extreme cost of the Euro, back on August 2008, I decided to head up to France, traveling with friends and family. We managed to have a wonderful time stretching our Dollars. We stayed one week in Paris followed by a two week tour around the country.
You are wondering, 1 Euro per day? How is that possible? Well, just think of Velib, the new bike system in the city, running with high success since last year. It was originally invented in Lyon, France and the Parisian authorities decided to try it locally and so far, it has been working really well. You can bike along the Seine River as well as almost anywhere in the city, where special lanes have been created for taxis, buses and bicycles. Everyone respects bikers, even pedestrians are respectful and everybody seems to have a good time with this new personality of the “City of Lights”.
There are three passes to choose, one annual card for locals and then two more options, a one week or a one day pass. For 1 Euro per day, one can buy the One Day Card which allows the renter to bike the entire day, as long as you don’t ride longer than 30 minutes. In other words, you pick up you bike on a bicycle station, ride to the next station where you can drop it. As a tourist, you might want to visit a site, museum, etc and once you are done you pick up another bicycle to continue your journey. So simple and convenient!! No forms to complete, just a hold of 150 Euros on your credit card for 24 hrs, no helmets, no restrictions on age, height or weight; the bicycles comes with a security lock as well as a nice basket for your belongings. The bicycle stations are pretty much everywhere, in the most touristic areas you even find them every two/thee blocks and most likely you always have one available.
It is fun, easy, fast, affordable and …………..a great way to burn the calories gained with the delicious croissants, pastries, baguettes, cheeses, quiches, foie gras and all kind of great French cuisine that for sure you are going to experience!
For lodging there is still a chance to find decent hotels with private bathroom, air conditioning and in a great location for less than $ 200.00 a night, breakfast included for two people. A Museum Pass is available for a nominal price covering up to 40 museums and local attractions with the benefit of not having to be standing on line to purchase your tickets. As far as food the majority of the local restaurants offer a fixed price menu for less than $ 20.00 per person including an appetizer, one entrée and the desert, or you can always buy a sandwich or salad at a local market, bakery or deli for a reasonable price.
If you are not so adventurous and prefer to have a more traditional vacation experience but still interested in cutting costs, think of traveling on value season from November to April, some tour companies offer excellent deals covering your airfare, transportation from/to hotel, accommodation as well as some local sightseeing tours.
Interested in more comfort or perhaps luxury? Not a problem, Paris has everything for everybody, for every budget for every taste, for every style, whatever your idea of having fun is, start planning, pack and go!
Paris is awaiting you!
No comments:
Post a Comment