Paris
The beating heart of France, Paris is a proud and beautiful city with a complex mix of the traditional next to the new. Walking through Paris is without doubt the best way to get to know its inner secrets and to become more familiar with its best-known and loved monuments. We offer two itineraries:
Classic Paris: you can visit all of the most famous sights including Notre Dame cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower. We can also visit the galleries of the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, the Sacre Coeur and the magnificent Palace of Versailles.
Hidden Paris: step off the beaten track to discover lesser-known corners. Some highlights include the Musée Marmottan and its breathtaking Monet collection, the bustling Mouffetard market, Père Lachaise cemetery, and the medieval art of the Musée de Cluny.
Detailed information
| Detailed itinerary |
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The following is a suggested programme, but your HF Holidays' leader may adjust it at their discretion, according to the wishes of the group or to fit into local opening times. There is clearly no obligation to join in any activity, and you should feel free to spend the time as you wish.
Classic Paris
Day 1: Arrival day
With your leader dine in a pleasant local restaurant..
Day 2: Ile de la Cité and the Louvre
Take the metro to the Ile de la Cité, the island in the Seine where the Parisii tribe of fishermen first settled in 250BC. Among its famous sights are the Notre Dame, the Louvre and the beautiful church of Ste Chapelle.
The most famous building on the Ile de la Cité is of course the Notre Dame Cathedral. The Gothic masterpiece was designed by Bishop de Sully and built between the 12th and 14th centuries. Highlights include the three rose windows on the west front and the ghoulish gargoyles at the top of the north bell tower. The nearby church of Ste Chapelle, is an exquisite gothic masterpiece. The vibrant colours and Biblical scenes depicted in the stained glass are awe-inspiring.
After a boat trip on the River Seine, we spend the afternoon in the Louvre, which houses the national collection of art from the Middle Ages to 1848 including the Venus de Milo and Mona Lisa (if on display).
Day 3: The Left Bank and Musée d'Orsay
Spend the morning at the Palace of Versailles, marvelling at the ornate rooms and extensive Royal Gardens, before returning to the Left Bank and visiting the Musée d'Orsay, the Luxembourg Gardens and the Church of St. Sulpice.
Built in the 17th century by the "Sun King", Louis XIV, the Palace of Versailles was the most grandiose palace Europe had ever seen. It was home to Louis XIV, Louis XV "Le Bel Aimé" and then to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette until the French Revolution in 1789. Perhaps see the Royal Apartments, the Royal Chapel, the Mirrors gallery, the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon.
In 1986 this former railway station, which had lain empty for 47 years, was reopened as the outstanding Musée d'Orsay. The museum houses the national collection of paintings from the second half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries.
St-Germain-des-Prés is the oldest church in Paris dating to 542 AD. A short walk then takes us to the classic Church of Saint Sulpice.
The Luxembourg Palace and Gardens were built in 1612 to 1624 for Marie of Medicis and is today the seat of the French Senate.
Day 4: Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower
Explore some of Paris' most famous sites, including the Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. In the afternoon, visit the Rodin Museum and the Hotel des Invalides, home to Napoléon's tomb.
Champs Elysées: This wide boulevard, its pavements lined with cafes, cinemas and shops is one of the world's most famous thoroughfares.
The Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Napoléon in 1805 to commemorate his great victory at the Battle of Austerlitz. However due to delays, and Napoléon's fall from power, the structure was not completed until 1836. Stairs inside the arch lead to a museum on the first floor and up onto the rooftop viewing platform which affords a panorama of the whole city. At the base of the Arc lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a memorial to the dead of the two World Wars.
The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World Fair by the engineer Gustave Eiffel and was at the time the world's tallest building (984ft). It was originally designed to be a temporary structure but it quickly became a symbol of the French capital.
Rodin Museum: By the time of his death in 1917, Auguste Rodin had established himself as one of the most revolutionary sculptors. All his key works including 'The Thinker' are on display here.
The Hotel des Invalides was originally built by Louis XIV in 1676 for his wounded war veterans. At its heart is the Dome Church, dominated by its gold domed roof which houses the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Day 5: Departure day
Montmartre or the Sacré Cour.
On our final day in Paris it may be possible to make a visit to Montmartre or the graceful Sacré Cour before our return journey by Eurostar.
Montmartre has long been a popular haunt of artists and you will probably see a number of painters working on the narrow streets. The Place de Tertre is the tourist centre of Montmartre and home to souvenir stalls, portrait painters and cartoonists.
Hidden Paris
Day 1: Arrival day
Enjoy a meal and short walk in the Latin Quarter.
Day 2: The Left Bank and Cluny Museum
Head off the tourist track to the Left Bank to visit the Panthéon, the collection of medieval art at the Musée de Cluny, the tranquil amphitheatre of Lutèce and the bustle of the Mouffetard market in the Jardin des Plantes quarter.
The Museum of the Middle Ages or 'the Musée de Cluny' , was founded in 1843 to recreate, in two remarkable buildings, the original Gallo-Roman baths and the ancient Abbey of Cluny. The museum displays one of the world's richest collections of medieval artifacts, the jewel being the exquisite late 15th century Flemish tapestries on the theme of the Lady and the Unicorn. Outside a medieval garden has been re-created.
Pass the famed Sorbonne, with its many convenient restaurants and bars, to reach the Palais de Luxembourg, set in one of the most beautiful gardens in Paris. Marie de Medici had the ensemble built to remind her of Florence's Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens.
Formerly Saint Genevieve's Church, the Pantheon was transformed during the Revolution into a secular temple for the burial or memorial of illustrious men. Mirabeau, Voltaire, Rousseau, Hugo and Zola are all buried here. Suspended under the cupola is a facsimile of the famous pendulum of Foucault, showing the earth's rotation.
Day 3: Eastern Parks & Villages
Starting our day in the fairy-tale Parc des Buttes Chaumont, with lovely views of Sacré Cour, we continue to the Parc de Belleville and one of the highlights of the holiday, the Père Lachaise Cemetery. Numerous famous artists and literati lie in the cemetery. Among the famous 'residents' are Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison. It also contains some moving monuments to the Resistance and to victims of concentration camps.
Following the Promenade Plantée, an imaginatively landscaped green walkway along the raised disused railway line, we head towards the Place des Vosges, the oldest and most beautiful square in Paris, from which a secret door leads to the lovely garden of the Hotel de Sully.
Day 4: Marmotten Museum and Leafy Western Paris
Appreciate Monet's breathtaking masterpieces at the Musée Marmottan by the Bois de Boulogne, a fine collection of Impressionist works and fine furniture. Altogether 165 paintings were donated by the Monet family including some of his most famous works such as Impression-Sunrise, Rouen Cathedral and several breathtaking late Water Lilies with almost abstract use of colour.
We can then walk eastwards above the Seine, taking in the attractive village of Passy, to reach the Allée des Cygnes (Swan Island). This is a long, narrow island in the middle of the Seine, along which we walk to reach the Parisian 'Statue of Liberty'.
Day 5: Departure day
Visit Montparnasse, where we can ascend its 209m high tower (more open views than the Eiffel Tower), and explore its street market and shops.
Paris by Night
Both programmes offer the opportunity to discover Paris by night. Some great places to visit in the evening are: the Pompidou Centre, whose extraordinary construction is floodlit at night and is popular with street performers, Montmartre, the steps of the Sacré Cour where you have a marvellous view of the whole city lit up in the dark and the Champs-Elysées which becomes particularly evocative at night, with cinemas, restaurants and cafés.
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| Dates and prices |
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Classic Paris
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| Tues 16 Sept 2008 |
4 |
£415 |
£309 |
| Tues 23 Dec 2008 |
4 |
£495 |
£375 |
| Tues 30 Dec 2008 |
4 |
£525 |
£409 |
Hidden Paris
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| Tues 30 Sept 2008 |
4 |
£415 |
£309 |
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| Travel to resort |
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Guests who have bought their holiday 'with rail' will travel to Paris by Eurostar via the Channel Tunnel. The onward taxi journey takes around 40mins depending upon traffic.
SNCF Eurostar (provisonal)
London Waterloo - Paris Gare du Nord
Out 12:09 - 15:59
Return 16:07 - 17:57
Latest HF Holidays Flight Information - updated 21/08/2007 (provisional)
Air France (provisonal)*
Manchester - Paris
Out 09:10 - 11:35
Return 13:20 - 13:50
*Price on request - please note cost of metro transfer is excluded.
Transfer from Charles de Gaulle airport - For Manchester flight guests you will need to take
the Metro from Charles de Gaulle Airport, allow 16 Euros for a return journey (payable locally).
Airport Parking: To book secure airport parking throughout the UK visit Purple Parking or Holiday Extras to book on-line.
Airport Hotels: To book airport hotels throughout the UK visit Holiday Extras to book on-line.
Making Your Own Travel Arrangements
By Eurostar: For many travellers, especially those in the South of England, the Eurostar services from Waterloo or Ashford International to Paris Gare du Nord offer the quickest and easiest route to the French capital. Eurostar can be contacted on tel: 08705 186 186 or at their website: www.eurostar.com.
To reach the Hotel from the Gare du Nord: The public transport system in Paris is a fairly quick and reliable form of transport compared to the road network. If you choose to take a taxi, the journey takes approximately 40mins (depending on the traffic) and you should expect to pay around €16, plus a surcharge for baggage.
By public transport it takes approximately 30mins and costs around €1.50. On arrival at the Gare du Nord, turn left (escalators at far end) and take the orange line 5 to Place d'Italie, change here onto the pink line 7 (direction Chatelet/La Courneuve) and alight at the second stop 'Censier Daubenton'. Take the escalator up to street level and take the exit marked to flower shop. Turn right into rue Censier, past the Church of St Médard on right and up slight incline to main road (Claude Bernard). Cross over and veer right into rue Pascal. The hotel is on the right in 150m. A copy of the metro and RER maps can be found at www.paris.org/Metro .
By air to Paris Charles de Gaulle: Paris' Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport, 23km (14 miles) northeast of Paris, is the city's largest airport and is served by a number of direct scheduled and 'low cost' flights from the UK and the rest of the world. The airport has three terminals which are all connected by the free shuttle bus.
To reach the hotel from Charles de Gaulle Airport:
Flights from Manchester booked through HF Holidays arrive at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport in terminal one.
The quickest and easiest method of transport from the airport is the 'RER' high speed metro, which is cheap, clean and efficient. In contrast, the journey by road can take much longer as traffic is often at a standstill on paris' notorious motorway ring roads. Please allow €16 (approximately £11) return for the transfers to and from hotel by public transport.
A taxi through www.cityhoppa.com will cost around £110 return, while a shuttle bus is about £23 per person return.
Paris Shuttle (tel: 0033 153 391818 or www.parisshuttle.com) can arrange transfers in a shared taxi from the airport to the hotel for €18-25.
www.airfrance.com/uk flights from Heathrow, Manchester, Newcastle, Aberdeen, Birmingham and Southampton.
www.britishairways.com flights from Heathrow, Glasgow, Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester.
www.easyjet.com flights from Belfast, Glasgow, Liverpool, Luton and Newcastle.
www.bmibaby.com flights from Durham Tees Valley, Heathrow, Nottingham, Leeds/Bradford and Belfast.
www.thomsonfly.com flights from Bournemouth, Coventry and Doncaster.
www.flybe.com flights from Exeter.
For more travel information, please request the holiday information leaflet for this Guided City Break from our Reservations Team on 0845 470 7558.
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| Temperatures |
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| April |
6°C |
14°C |
| May |
9°C |
18°C |
| Sept |
12°C |
20°C |
| Dec |
2°C |
7°C |
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| What the holiday includes |
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- Return economy class air or rail (with flight / with rail).
- 4 nights' accommodation in double or twin-bedded en-suite rooms.
- Bed & Breakfast.
- Services HF of Holidays' leaders.
- Detailed itineraries.
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