Task 2:
THIS PART OF THE ASSIGNMENT IS AT HOME, AS IT HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND NEEDS TO BE ADDED TO THE REST OF THIS ASSIGNMENT.
Task 3:
Climate:
Paris has a moderate climate, in the winter season temperatures can dip below freezing but it stays generally around 7°C and in this period it is generally very wet as the rare snowfall melts as it hits the ground. In the summer season, mornings tend to be cool but it gets warmer by the late afternoon. There are a few summer days, which get rather hot from around 32°C but in August this heat is broken by rainfall. There is constantly rainfall throughout the year with the occasional northern European heat wave causing prolonged dry periods. The best time to visit Paris is between the months of May to July as it is very pleasant.
A CLIMATIC GRAPH WILL BE PLACED HERE, AS I DID NOT BRING MY COLOURED GRAPHS AND CHARTS WITH ME.
Seen from the climatic graph above, from January to December there is sunshine on nearly a daily basis but in the winter season, the hours of sunshine can be as little as two hours a day, while in the summer season there is around eight hours or more of sunlight that is experienced. From October to March it is winter season and temperatures can be lower than 10°C. From April to September temperatures steadily increase and in July it can reach up to 30°C. Rainfall is steady throughout the year but in the months of January, July and August there is the most rainfall.
Topography:
Paris is the capital of France and it is situated in the northern central part of France. It is located along the River Seine and Paris is 105 sq km (41 sq miles) in width and 27 m (90ft) above sea level. Paris falls into the historic Île de France region. Central Paris is known as Intra-Muros, or within the walls (it is oval-shaped and is divided by the River- Seine), with twenty districts spiralling clockwise from the centre in a logical order. The area north of the river is the River Droite or Right Bank, which includes the tree lined, Avenue des Champs-Elysées that runs west to the Arc de Triomphe. East of the Avenue- des Champs-Elysées is the massive Louvre Museum and the Centre Georges Pompidou, which is a lively district made up of museums, shops and markets and south of this area lies the Notre Dame. The Left Bank and Eiffel Tower lie south of the river and in the east are the Montparmasse Districts (an area famous for it’s academic and artistic types).
Natural attractions:
Natural attractions in Paris consist of a number of parks and gardens; the only real natural attraction is the River Seine that winds its way through Paris. The three most famous gardens in Paris are, Jardin des Plantes, which is a botanical garden that began as a single medicinal herb garden in the 1600’s and is today a seventy-four acre garden that is full of different plants, Jardin des Tuileries, which is an example of a formal French garden and it is situated near the Louvre and finally Parc de Bagatelle, which is a rose garden that is open to the public from the months March to October. The two most famous parks in Paris are, Jardin du Luxembourg, which is a park with centuries old trees and the local Parisians use it more frequently than tourists and Parc des Buttes- Chaumont, which is a park with an island in the middle of a lake and it is only accessible by boat or by a suspension bridge.
Built attractions:
Paris has a number of purpose built attractions, which attracts a number of tourists to the city. One of the most famous attractions is the Eiffel Tower, which was built as a “temporary exhibit” in 1889 to mark the centennial anniversary of the French Revolution. The Arc de Triomphe was built by Napoleon to commemorate his victories and on the Left Bank of the city is the Hotel des Invalides, which is a military museum holding Napoleons tomb. UK tourists are more likely to pay a visit to the Musee du Louvre, which is an eight hundred year old building and was originally the palace for French- kings, but today it is a museum that houses a number of different works, ranging from, Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiques to paintings and sculptures. Its most famous painting is the Mona Lisa by Leonardo de Vinci. Palais de la Decouverte and the Discovery Palace are museums in the city that have exhibits and films centred on science. Musee Picasso is a collection of Picasso’s paintings, which span over his lifetime and are housed in a 17th century mansion, while a museum with a difference is Musee Guimet, this is a fine arts museum featuring a Japanese garden and a Buddhist sanctuary all in one. The two most famous cathedrals in the city are, Sainte-Chapelie and the Notre Dame, both of which have extraordinary stained glass windows and are famous for their architecture.
A popular attraction that appeals to children of all ages and nationalities is, Menagerie (zoo), it has an assortment of animals from around the world. Another attraction worth seeing is the replica of the Statue of Liberty, which is found in a park in the centre of Paris. A distance (20 miles) outside of Paris is the famous Walt Disney theme park called, Euro Disney. It is a draw card for families and people of all ages.
Shopping is a favourite past time for tourists who visit Paris, as the city has many different shopping districts to suit everyone’s tastes. For haute couture or perfumes, head to Avenue Montaigne, which has exquisite Christian Dior, Ungaro and Nina Ricca boutiques, while The Place Vendome has some of the finest jewellers, including Cartier, Boucheron and Van Cleef & Arpels. In the Marais, it has a number of chic boutiques, kosher butcheries and traditional bakeries. The Marche aux Puces and the Market of- Fleas have more than three thousand stands, selling a variety of goods from perfumes, wines, cheeses and chocolates to antiques. Another favourite flea market is Vanves, which is held on Saturday and Sunday; it sells fresh produce, meats, cheeses and flowers.
Events:
There are a number of events that take place throughout the year in Paris. They are as follows:
January- 1st is New Year’s Day (an annual parade featuring marching bands, colourful floats and dancers)
February- No events take place
March- No events take place
April- Early April is the Paris Marathon (this course begins at Avenue des Champs-Elysées and continues through the city and past the city’s landmarks) and there is also the Paris Film Festival (more than sixty films are screened)
May- 8th is World War II Victory Day (a military ceremony takes place)
June- Early June is the Antique Show (there are one hundred galleries and museums showcase collections) and there is also the French Open Tennis Tournament. In mid June there is, The Theatre du Chatelet (music, dance and opera performances take place) and there is also The Orchestre de Paris (who perform at various venues)
July- Early July to late July is the Tour de France (a world premier cycling event that concludes in Paris along the Avenue des Champs-Elysées). On the 14th is Bastille Day (there is a parade down Avenue des Champs-Elysées and bonfires at different venues)
August- Mid August is the Paris Neighbourhoods Summer Festival (world music, jazz, symphony concerts, films, theatre performances and other events take place)
September- No events take place
October- Early October is when the L’Opera National de Paris performs at the Opera- Bastille and there is also the Autumn Festival (theatre, ballet, film and music exhibitions take place). In mid October, there is the International Dance Festival. On the 24th and the 28th is the FIAC Art Fair (it is internationally recognised)
November- No events take place
December- 1st to the 2nd is an Art Exhibition around the Louvre district
Food, drink and entertainment:
French people are very sociable, who find eating and drinking in cafes and restaurants a way of life. They enjoy traditional dishes made from fresh, full-flavoured ingredients. Examples of famous French dishes are, Frogs Legs, Mussels done in a wine sauce, L’escargot (snails), Bouillabaisse (fish soup), Carbonade a la flammande (beef stew) and Crepe Suzette (a thin pancake cooked with orange and liquors). French foods that are popular with the British tourists are things like, soft cheeses e.g. Brie, Camembert, French breads and pastries e.g. croissants. French traditional drinks include, red or white wines, the most popular being from Burgundy and the Bordeaux regions, champagnes from the champagne regions, Stella Artois (beer), Citron Presse (fresh lemon juice) and Vittel, Evian and Perrier (mineral water).
There a wide variety of restaurants to choose from, such as, French to Vietnamese to Indian to Senegalese, there are even McDonalds scattered around the city. The most famous restaurants in Paris are, The Ritz Bar and Pool, which serve brunch buffet everyday from 11am to 3pm. Paris also has a number of cafes to choose from as they are considered to be a popular meeting place for the local Parisians. Cafes are found on every street, many with seating outside. A famous and very popular café that is considered to be a teatime favourite with the local Parisians is, Angelina, it is famous for its hot chocolate and French pastries. There are bars, taverns and pubs scattered throughout the city as well and some famous examples of these are, The Frog and Rosbif, which is a British style pub that offers televised sport and English language newspapers, Le Fumoir, is an American/British styled bar and restaurant that resembles a smoking room.
Paris is exceptionally known for its variety of dance clubs and nightlife, there are many different clubs, ranging from jazz to new techno. Le Palace, is a club that is managed by Simply Red’s, Mick Hucknall and is a favourite to the fashion crowd and Queen, is an outrageous and successful gay disco in Paris and is famous for its summer “mousse” parties when the dance floor is covered in bubble bath. UK tourists are always keen on visiting the French Quarter of the city to see the Cabaret shows, where it is tradition for girls to perform the cancan.
Types of accommodation:
Paris is internationally renowned for its variety of hotels, which range from the small family establishment to the luxurious palace, but there are also other types of accommodation to suit every tourist’s needs, such as, accommodation for young people, apartment hotels, bed and breakfast accommodation, specialist accommodation, student-hostels, tourism hostels and youth summer accommodation. The total number of Parisian hotel rooms is approaching 75,000 and in Paris there are a number of hotel chains that offer basic standard accommodation with en-suite facilities, some of these chains include: Akena, Balladins, Etap, Fasthotel, Marmotte, Formule 1, Nuit d’ Hotel, Onestar Plus etc. Examples of five star hotels in Paris are: Opera Deauville Hotel, Hotel Des Arts, Hotel Westminster and Flatotel International. Most hotels offer special deals through the French Tourist Authority, like, Bon Weekend en Villes, which offers tourist deals, such as, two nights for the price of one and they also include a weekend package that includes breakfast, free accommodation for children under the age of twelve, two metro or bus passes and a discount card. There are also a number of hostels that cater for backpackers and tourists who want to travel cheap, they are: Aloha, Auberge de-Jeunesse Athos, Auberge International des Jeunes and Auberge Le D’Artagnan.
Types of transport:
Once in Paris, there are numerous different ways of getting around the city and transport is relatively in expensive and runs frequently. The three main modes of transport that locals and tourists can use are:
Metro- it is famous for its convenience, reliability and in expense. The metro has 190 km of rail and there are about 300 stations; it runs daily from 5:30am to 12:45am. Trains arrive to their stations every three to five minutes and a ticket would cost €1.30 Euros and it permits unlimited travel within the metro system.
Buses- the green and white buses travel throughout the city and are the same price as a metro ticket. One of the best routes for sightseeing is bus No.69, which takes tourists to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Place de la Bastille, the Marais, the Palais Royal, The-Louvre across to the Left Bank monuments, the Musee D’ Orsay, Boulevard Street, Germain, Les invalids and then finally to Champ-de-Mars. Buses are very reliable and reasonably cheap.
Batobus- runs from May to September, tourists can ride on the Batobus, which is a boat that runs up and down the River Seine. It stops at tourist sites, such as, the Notre Dame- Cathedral and the Louvre, however it is more expensive than the bus or the metro and it does not link up to other forms of transportation. It is €9.15 Euros for a one-day pass or it is €13.72 Euros for a two-day pass and children ride for half price.
Accessibility to travel and tourism gateways:
The travel and tourism gateways to Paris are well structured and are easy to access. There is a direct train link between Waterloo Station in London, England and Paris- Central Station in Paris. These rail links make use of the Channel Tunnel and is used by the Eurostar, freight trains, passenger trains and the Channel Crossing (used by motor- vehicles). The Channel Crossing and freight trains run from Dover and Folkestone in the UK, to Calais in France. At Calais, there is a huge seaport and border control, at this stop all vehicles that have disembarked from the ferry or train go through the customs checks. The roads from Calais are well signposted and there are modern motorways, which lead into Paris. The two airports that serve Paris are, Charles de Gaulle Airport (international) and Orly Airport. These airports deal with both domestic and international airlines on a daily basis. For tourists travelling by air from London, it is a quick and convenient method of reaching Paris, as the flying time is approximately fifty-five minutes. Both airports cater for tourists who need to reach the city centre, as there are metro links available as well as buses and taxis that are there to offer their services.
Task 4:
THIS PART OF THE ASSIGNMENT IS AT HOME, AS IT HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND NEEDS TO BE ADDED TO THE REST OF THIS ASSIGNMENT.
Task 5:
A MAP SHOWING THE AIRPORTS IN RELATION TO PARIS WILL NEED TO BE PLACED HERE, AS I DID NOT BRING ANY MAPS WITH ME.
The map above shows that the two airports are on either side of the city. Charles de- Gaulle Airport is to the north of the city, while Orly Airport is to the south of the city.
A MAP SHOWING THE RAIL-LINE LINKS TO PARIS WILL NEED TO BE PLACED HERE, AS I DID NOT BRING ANY MAPS WITH ME.
The map above shows the Eurostar links from London to Paris and the French railways, including, TGV links to all major cities.
A MAP SHOWING THE FERRY ROUTES, CHANNEL ROUTES AND MOTORWAY ROUTES LEADING TOWARDS PARIS WILL NEED TO BE PLACED HERE, AS I DID NOT BRING ANY MAPS WITH ME.
The map above shows the different routes leading from London to Paris. The shortest ferry link is between Dover to Calais. There are both major roads and motorways that lead directly from Calais to Paris.
There are various transport methods to reach Paris. Flying from many of the airports in London is one of the quickest and most convenient ways. The London airports to fly out from are:
- Gatwick
- Heathrow
- Luton
- Stanstead
- City
The two airports that tourists shall arrive at are, the Charles de Gaulle Airport, which deals with thousands of international and a number of domestic airlines daily and Orly- Airport, which is 16km south of the city and a forty-minute drive by car. The different airlines that tourists could use from London to Paris are:
- Ryan Air
- Easy jet
- British Midlands
- Air France
- Buzz
- Go
Tourists choose to fly to Paris as there is a wide range of airlines to choose from and they offer different prices to suit every tourist’s budget. Flying is quick, convenient and tourists are allowed to take luggage at to a set weight limit. The different types of transport to choose from the airport to the city centre are, the metro, car, taxi or the bus. The two main modes of transport that tourists can use are:
Ferry- another way to travel to Paris from London via Dover is by ferry. Ferry journeys take approximately one and a half hours and ferries leave from Dover thirty times a day for Calais. From Calais, tourists can take the motorway to Paris that will take approximately three hours. Should tourists choose to take their own car, they will need to travel via ferry and the ferry is comfortable and reasonably priced. As ferries leave Dover at different times of the day, it allows tourists flexibility when planning their journey to France. Tourists can choose between a normal ferry and a hovercraft crossing. Hovercraft crossings take place nineteen times a day from Dover to Calais and are a quicker option than a ferry, as the journey time is only thirty-five minutes, therefore cutting down travelling time. Please note that all crossings are subject to weather conditions, this means that if the sea is rough with huge winds, then all crossings are stopped.
The Channel Tunnel- tourists can either go by the Eurostar from London’s Waterloo- Station through the Channel Tunnel directly to Paris, which will take approximately three to four hours, including a thirty minute check-in time for when tourists finally arrive in Paris. Travelling by the Eurostar is convenient and extremely comfortable. It offers standard class accommodation or first class travel, including at-seat meals with complementary drinks. Prices vary due to the peak and off-peak seasons. For tourists who choose to leave their car through the Channel Crossing, will need to drive to Dover or to Folkestone, where they will board the channel train. Passengers are expected to sit in their cars within the train for the duration of the crossing and the crossing time should take just under an hour and is reasonably priced as tourists are charged for the vehicle and per number of passengers in the vehicle. This option allows tourists flexibility once they are in France.
Task 6:
THIS PART OF THE ASSIGNMENT IS AT HOME, AS IT HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND NEEDS TO BE ADDED TO THE REST OF THIS ASSIGNMENT.