PARIS VACATION RENTALS, FRANCE

Contrary to the popular belief, the moniker ‘The City of Light’ is not figurative, but has a more straightforward and humble origin. In the middle ages, Paris was the only city in Europe, which shone even in the dark, thanks to the order that instructed the Parisians to manually light up their city by means of gas lamps. Today, when darkness (both literally and figuratively) is past, the city still justifies this attribution, because it is the shining beacon of fashion and a culture that has been born out of a past characterized by violence and struggle.

Become an explorer; delve in to her fascinating past and present, by renting out a Paris holiday rental that is a combination of luxury and privacy. You can choose from a range of Paris luxury rentals, some with spa facilities that include condos, villas, studio-style apartments, townhouses, apartments, cottages and lodges and breathe the same air that Ernest Hemmingway and Picasso did!

Cozy studios, Paris condos, cottages and apartments ranging from 0 to 2 bedrooms and sleeping from 2 to 6 people are ideal for couples and nuclear families, looking for some undisturbed private moments. While the townhouses, the larger apartments and Parisian villas with a holding capacity of up to 12 persons, are best-suited for large groups or for those who swear by space.

These Paris vacation rentals are close to bus stops, taxi stands, metro stations, grocery stores, cafes, restaurants, nightlife, spas, recreational hubs and places of interest. Most of them are within easy distance of the city’s famed monuments. What’s more, they even boast of breathtaking views of the same. A well-equipped kitchen, cable TV, unlimited internet access, washer/dryer are some of the amenities common to most of the Paris holiday rentals.

Who could have ever thought that an obscure village on the banks of River Seine would one day become the unquestionable seat of fashion and unparalleled style! And whoever would have thought that this charming collection of several quaint villages would redefine history in more ways than one and attract hoards of people from every corner of the world who would never tire of singing the praises for the city of Paris.

A definite must-see here is the guardian tower of Paris, the stately Le Tour Eiffel (The Eiffel Tower). Ironically, the involved trellis on its faces, its pomp and the structure itself, which is revered all over the world, is considered by the Parisians as an albatross around their necks! In spite of repeated efforts of the Parisians to destroy the Eiffel, it still stands, proudly flaunting itself! Climb the 2,652 steps or take the elevator and let the view knock you out for a six! You do not need to be a hard-core art aficionado to appreciate the Louvre Museum. The less said or written about it, the better, because our present vocabulary is sadly inadequate to describe the brilliance, magnificence, greatness and matchless exquisiteness of this invaluable treasure house! Do not, at any cost, miss your appointment with the smiling hostess of the Louvre - Mona Lisa.

To ensure that you do not overlook anything in Paris, take an open bus tour (L’Open Tour). The cheerful, big and comfortable double-decker yellow buses make the whole trip even more enjoyable. Nobody should miss the opportunity of taking long leisurely walks along the world-famous Champs-Elysées and feeling the breeze, as you window-shop or indulge in some serious shopping. For a whole lot of a new dimension of Paris, go for a night cruise on the Seine. The evening beauty of Paris will simply leave you mesmerized.

If you are different and are looking out for some leisurely pursuits or you are a connoisseur of art, then sit at one of the wayside outdoor cafes and indulge in people-watching. You will find that just like the city, the people too are eye-candies and somehow, unbelievably, have elegance and sophistication seeped deep in to them, in the most delightful way. It is a pleasure to watch the sheer aquiline noses and the regal etched lines. This pastime is free of cost, of course!

Sights and attractions in Paris hardly need any introduction. But just to acquaint yourself with one of the most stunning cities in the world, it is imperative too!

• Cathedral of Notre Dame
• L'Arc de Triomphe
• Père-Lachaise
• Napoleon's Tomb

There are a host of activities waiting for those who are not afraid of exercising their limbs and getting caressed by the wind and the sun; international football matches, tennis, fishing, rugby, the famous horse races and much more. If you are lucky to be in Paris when the French Open is in full swing, do visit Roland Garros and watch your favorite Tennis stars battling for the covetous title.

• Hiking
• Biking

The Parisian festivals and fairs are as colorful and pretty as the people and its culture. And there’s something for everyone.

• Fête de la Musique
• Fête de Ganesh
• Foire du Trône Funfair

The electrifying and diverse Parisian nightlife will have you whining as to why the Paris sun rises so quickly, while gourmet fare is the poetry of life and Paris teaches you how!

From haute restaurants to budget eateries to refreshing cafes and traditional bistros to multi-cuisine dining joints, the range and choices are endless.
If money is not an issue then go for a la carte. Else, opt for a prix fixe or fixed-price menu. The choice is limited where pre fixe is concerned but it is quite a bargain. However, you can cheat by having dinner for lunch as the prices escalate only in the night or by having a prix fixe for lunch or dinner. The French dinners are quite heavy so keep that in mind while ordering your meals. Coffee is served after you are through with your meal and unless you request for another version, you will be served the traditional java coffee, the café filter.

For one night, believe that tomorrow is the last day of the world and make a reservation in one of the haute cuisine restaurants, without caring one dime about the exorbitant prices! One such a restaurant is the Taillevent on rue Lammennais, which is perfection personified. And if you can get a reservation in the Eiffel tower restaurant then you can die tomorrow, peacefully! Carré des Feuillants and Les Elysées du Vernet are hot stops for modern French and Provencal fare respectively. If you were under the impression that vegetarian food is bland and tasteless and can hold no candle to non-vegetarian food then Le Marais’s tasty a galette pasrty, soups, salads and hearty meals will correct your misapprehensions in a moment. The French cafes are airy places with an informal atmosphere serving café au lait, French fries and Blanquette de veau, amongst others. Wash down your exquisite meal with an exquisite wine from the Lasserre that is home to a 160,000 bottles!

This late-night Mecca’s nightlife is a witch’s heady concoction, comprising of scintillating cabarets, snazzy nightclubs, rocking bars and the wide range of restaurants serving lip-smacking food waiting to refuel you.

Dance clubs thrive mostly around the St Germain des Prés Church area where you can shake a leg to the hip hop music, without a care in the world. Jazz is very popular with the Parisians and the jazz clubs playing jazz, salsa and rock called caveaux may be found on the left bank, spanning from rue Bonaparte and rue St-Jacques. Those who are craving for high-class bars need look no further than the bars at the Plaza Athénée.

If going on the stage has been your nightmare since childhood, then ‘The Show’ behind Notre Dame will most likely prove to be your cure for it provides a platform for all those who have always dreamt of displaying their talents in front of the world. The setup is characterized by gaiety, spontaneity and a genuine interest of the crowd to strike up friendships and either perform or watch others perform. For special effects, sample one, two, or more of the 400 types of beer and 60 varieties of whiskey at the Sous-Bock tavern along with a plate of curried mussels!

Les Halles and Le Marais is the gay area and is dotted with many lesbian and gay eateries, shops, bars and clubs.

A fitting conclusion to a fun-filled night of dancing and drinking and eating is by stooping over at Au Pied de Cochon for its famous onion soup, well after dawn and then hitting the bed at your comfortable Paris vacation rental.

On a Paris night, the cheapest entertainment, especially if you're young, is ‘The Show’ staged at the southeastern tip of Ile de la Cité, behind Notre-Dame. A sort of Gallic version of the Sundowner Festival in Key West, it attracts just about everyone who ever wanted to try his or her hand at performance art. The entertainment is spontaneous and usually includes magicians, fire-eaters, jugglers, mimes, and music makers from all over, performing against the backdrop of the illuminated cathedral. This is one of the greatest places in Paris to meet other young people in a sometimes moderately euphoric setting.

The French are so, well, French! Paris is Paris!
And shopping in Paris is just out of this world. The best thing is you do not even have to shop, but can just gaze and gape at the rows and rows of boutique shops with stunning window displays, awe-inspiring malls and markets. The amazing thing is that all of them, like the people, will be found gilded with a matchless style and bearing the stamp of ultimate appeal and sophistication. In fact, in Paris, the entire business of shopping acquires an entirely different meaning, altogether. It just cannot be explained. You have to visit ‘the City of Light’ and spend at least an entire day to experience the sheer ecstasy of a Parisian shopping.

Start with the themed markets, which may be closed or open-air and come in so many varieties that your ten fingers will not be enough to count them on! They are a haven for flowers, books, food and second-hand stuff like jewelry, antique pieces, rustic furniture and other unbelievable treasures. Do not treat the flea markets at the Porte de Clignancourt/Saint-Ouen Porte de Montreuil and Porte de Vanves condescendingly because they may house some hidden prize. “Books are one’s best friends”.  Parisians understand this concept best. The Sorbonne and the riverbank area are full of them, especially antiquarian ones.

Virgin Megastore on the Champs-Elysées is worth checking out. Especially during summers, the bouquinistes on the Left banks of the Seine, between the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Louvre Museum is flooded with book lovers who come to buy the attractively priced old manuscripts, prints and books. It is quite a scene. Second hand CDs, DVDs, used and new books are available in plenty around the Châtelet and boulevard St Michel. The interior of your house usually reflects your personality. Paris provides high quality interior designing products to decorate your home in the way you always wanted to and thus co-ordinate the interior of your abode with that of yours! For eats, the gourmet shops that come to the mind are Fauchon and Hédiard in place de la Madeleine and the excellent Lafayette Gourmet shop.

For the artistically inclined, stop over rue du Bac, rue de Seine and rue Jacob focus on antiques and art while rue de Rome is noted for the shops selling a variety of musical instruments.

Visit one of the famous malls and department stores of Paris and you will not be hung by the thumbs for thinking that you have been transported to an entirely different world of wonder and splendor! The Galeries Lafayette Haussman store is one name to reckon with. The beautiful glass coupole in its centre is a piece of art in itself. Just a few blocks ahead is another giant called Printemps that offers stiff competition to the Lafayettte. The pedestrian mall located under the Louvre; Carrousel du Louvre boasts of many boutique stores and a huge food palace. The arcades of the rue de Rivoli specialize in shops selling Souvenirs. The best and economical souvenirs that you can buy are tiny perfume vials that have a miniature Eiffel attached to them. They also make great gifts.

Paris is the unquestionable fashion Mecca of the world. In addition, this place is past master in the game of looking good and in the art of seduction. Why wouldn’t you want to take advantage? Visit the boutiques of big names specializing in hauteur coiffeur like Christian Dior, Hermès, Gucci and others that are mainly concentrated around avenue Montaigne, la place de la Madeleine, rue de Grenelle, rue du Cherche-Midi, and rue des Saints-Pères and become a style icon. To impress that special person, dab on some sexy perfumes and high-class cosmetics, bought from one of the duty-free shops around the Opéra and the Palaise Royal areas. You could also try the Rue des Francs-Bourgeois area that is thick with shops selling trend-setting garments and décor items. But if you are running low on the cash, then the rue Saint-Placide, with its array of discount shops will solve all your problems in no time.

Make the word bow to your feet by scanning the plethora of shoe shops along rue de Grenelle and rue du Cherche-Mid and buying yourself some classy footwear. And if the variety and options have overwhelmed you then you can always hire a professional shopper who will go with you and ensure that you get the best deals.

In Paris, you don’t have to dig deep in to your wallet to transport yourself from one place of interest to another. Your two able limbs will do quite well. Most of the places can be covered on foot. If your legs don’t support this inclination of yours, then Paris has several other options that don’t require too much of the co-operation of your legs! For example, the ancient and highly efficient Paris Metro System will be most happy to oblige you. They run untiringly from 5 AM to 12:30 AM everyday and the tickets, which can be bought on a 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, 5-day basis or on a monthly basis, are quite economical.  The bus system is well developed too and is a good way to get to know the inside and out of your vacation city. They usually run from 6:30 AM to 8:30 PM with some specials that can run until mid-night.

The suburban train line that goes by the name of the RER train is a convenient way to explore central Paris. Metro tickets are valid as long as you are in central Paris. Beyond that you will need to buy RER tickets separately. Le Paris tickets (travel pass purchased on a day basis) and the carte orange tickets (travel pass purchased on a monthly basis) can be used on both the metro and the bus. If you are caught without tickets, the penalty is not pleasant. Taxi stands are scattered throughout the city and the drivers are quite friendly and will not hesitate to help you out. Biking is a great and hassle-free way to nose about the city. Bikes can be rented from various bike shops including railway stations. Unless you are familiar with driving in Paris and the parking nightmares, don’t drive your own car. Another exciting option is to hop on to a boat or the Batobus. The season is from mid-April to mid-October and it bobs up and down the Seine with six major stops.