Tag: Paris
I did not visit Notre-Dame cathedral when I went to Paris. Here’s why
Soon after the devastating fire at the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, many people who have visited the French capital put up pictures they had taken of the 850-year-old church.
At the risk of sounding like an ignoramus, let me admit that till the time the news of the fire broke, I only had a hazy idea about the this Catholic church that the French people identify so much with.
By “hazy idea”, I mean I was aware of the presence of Notre-Dame as a church, but I wasn’t aware that the most famous one of the name was present in Paris. (There are 18 churches only in France called Notre-Dame, says Wikipedia.) Continue reading I did not visit Notre-Dame cathedral when I went to Paris. Here’s why
French President promises to rebuild fire-ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral
Paris (TAN): French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to rebuild the 850-year-old Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris that was ravaged by a massive fire on Monday evening.
The fire brought down the world-famous cathedral’s spire crashing to the ground as onlookers watched aghast.
“This Notre-Dame Cathedral, we will rebuild it. All together. This is part of our French destiny. I am committed to this: from tomorrow a national subscription will be launched, and far beyond our borders,” President Macron, who visited the site, tweeted in French. Continue reading French President promises to rebuild fire-ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral
Spend at night at the Louvre, thanks to Airbnb
San Francisco (TAN): Staying in a treehouse or a castle during a getaway might be fun, but nothing can beat the excitement of spending a night at the Louvre.
Yes, that’s right. Come April 30, you could check in to the world-famous Parisian museum for a night.
Global home-sharing platform Airbnb, in partnership with Louvre, has announced the museum will host the winner of the contest ‘Why would you be the Mona Lisa’s perfect guest?’, along with a friend for one night. Continue reading Spend at night at the Louvre, thanks to Airbnb
Eiffel Tower to remain closed today: Reports
December 8 (NTIN): Amid fears of further street violence by the “yellow vest” group, the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris is expected to remain closed today, media reports said. Some other attractions could remain closed too.
Across France, 89,000 police officers will be on duty and armoured vehicles will be deployed in the capital, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe was quoted as saying by BBC.
Police have asked shops and restaurants on Paris’s Champs-Elysees to remain closed on the day, reports said.
Some museums will also remain closed.
The French administration has blinked in the face of the Yellow Jacket protests with France Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Tuesday declaring a roll back of the fuel tax hike that had resulted in violent protests across the country, latest reports said.
According to the BBC, the suspension in the tax hike will be in place for six months. Philippe said the people’s anger must be heard and the measures would only be implemented after debate with the affected people.
Continue reading Eiffel Tower to remain closed today: Reports
France waives airport transit visa for Indians
July 28 (TravelAndy): Indian passport holders will no longer need a transit visa for transiting through airports in France.
“I’m pleased to announce that, with effect from 23rd July 2018, holders of Indian passports will no longer require an Airport Transit Visa (ATV) while transiting through the international zone of any airport in France,” tweeted Alexandre Ziegler, the ambassador of France to India.
People need airport transit visa if they are transiting through the international zone of an airport in the Schengen area. Continue reading France waives airport transit visa for Indians
Jet to start three new flights
October 10 (TravelAndy): Jet Airways will introduce three new international services to its global network this winter, besides reinforcing six existing routes with additional flights.
The carrier will introduce its first non-stop service between New Delhi and Riyadh. It will also deploy additional flights on the Mumbai-Riyadh, Mumbai-Kuwait, Delhi-Doha and Delhi-Dammam sectors.
Effective October 29, 2017, new non-stop flights will commence connecting Bengaluru and Chennai to the airline’s gateways in Amsterdam and Paris as part of the carrier’s strategy to connect more cities, especially in South India to destinations in Europe and North America. Continue reading Jet to start three new flights
Budget airline French Blue takes flight
September 14 (TravelAndy): Paris Orly based low cost airline French Blue has started its debut service with flights operating between Paris Orly in France and Punta Cana in Dominican Republic.
This new low cost airline will operate thrice a week flight on the Paris Orly-Punta Cana route, facilitating travel between Paris and the Caribbean.
The one way inaugural fare on this route is EUR199, said the airline. Continue reading Budget airline French Blue takes flight
Give slow travel a chance
Once you are back from a two-week trip to Europe, it feels good to tell people back home you saw six countries, doesn’t it?
But the part about the trip you’d rather not dwell on is that you could not spend more than an hour at the Louvre because you still had to see Eiffel Tower, the Montmartre and five other places by the end of the day. You also tend to skip the part about visiting St. Peter’s Basilica but not finding enough time to go to the Vatican Museum to see Sistine Chapel.
In fact, you realise later that you spent more time travelling from one place to another than taking in a particular place, especially if you were doing the trip with a tour company that promised you the “highlights” of Europe. Continue reading Give slow travel a chance
Tourist tax in Airbnb Paris from Oct
August 25 (TravelAndy): Airbnb will collect a tourist tax on rental apartments in Paris, like it had promised in March following a request from the authorities, reports said.
In a statement on Tuesday, the site — which is a place for people to rent, find and list lodging — said it would collect EUR0.83 per person per day from tourists from October. 1.
Airbnb has 50,000 listings in Paris alone. It claims to have 1.5 million listings in 190 countries. Continue reading Tourist tax in Airbnb Paris from Oct
How to go around a city cheap
Budget travellers love good public transport in a city because it saves them lots of money. I know I do! Public transport ticket systems work very differently in different cities and when I am in a new city, I initially try to understand how it works before I decide what’s most suited to my needs. But following these general things save me quite a bit of money every time.
Skip the taxi: From the airport, the easiest and most comfortable way to get to your destination in an unknown city is no doubt the taxi. But, it’s also the costliest and all budget travellers seek other alternatives.