Once visited never forgotten, Paris is an irresistible city of contrasts, a place where there is an almost perfect balance between the young and the old, the ancient and the modern. Although it is constantly reinvigorated, most of the buildings are between three hundred and six hundred years also and some are even older than that. And hopefully most of them will still be there for many hundreds of years to come.

Hotel de Sens, Marais area of Paris, France by Pline

The Marais area of Paris, with its narrow streets and Medieval and Renaissance architectural styles, is the city’s oldest quarter and dates from the 12th century. Although you might not think it now, it was called Marais as that is French for swamp which at one time it was. The quarter has been through many changes. Initially is was place favoured by royalty and the aristocracy, then following the French revolution it fell into ruin. It was never really revived until the 1960s, but since then it has become an important artistic and cultural centre of the city.

Reputedly the oldest stone house in Paris is Nicolas Flamel’s house in the rue Montmorency in the third arrondissement. Flamel has the reputation of being an alchemist, and according to an inscription outside the house was built in 1407. The ground floor of the house is now a restaurant called Auberge Nicolas Flamel.

The house of Nicolas Flamel, now a restaurant, in Paris, France by Thiebes

The oldest church in the city is the Église St-Germain des Prés. Built in the sixth century it was located just outside medieval Paris and was the church associated with the Abbey St-Germain des Prés, where the Neustria Merovingian kings were buried.

In stark contrast, Le Projet Triangle in the Porte de Versailles area is an example of modern Paris architecture. It has been designed so that it casts no shadow on adjacent buildings and resembles an extremely thin pyramid. Its construction will be completed in 2014 and with its fifty storeys it will be the first skyscraper to be built in Paris in the last thirty years.

A different way to arrive in Paris is to travel by bus. There are frequent buses to Paris directly from London and it is the cheapest way to get there. Alternatively you can go by train, which naturally is faster but is also much more expensive, but if you can possibly avoid it, don’t fly; Charles de Gaulle Airport has the reputation of being the most hated airport in the world.

Byline: This article has been written by Claire Chat a new Londoner, travel passionate and animal lover. She blogs about Pets and Travelling in Europe. If you want Claire to write you specific content, you can find email her here or contact her on Twitter (Claire_Chat).

The post The Old And New Of Paris appeared first on Europe Explored.

Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France by Jeff Warren

The black cabs you can come across in Paris should not be confused with the black cabs of London. Instead of being the Hackney carriage cabs, some of the services you can find in Paris include the supply of various types of transport including private saloon cars, limousines, mini-buses and so on. You can also find some extremely reasonable prices around the city which is another highly significant benefit.

There are plenty of reasons why you should choose chauffeur services over other types of transport. Convenience is of course a big attraction and the door-to-door service offered will always be well received, especially after a long journey. Also the touch of luxury aspect; the vehicles that are used are not only in beautiful condition for the utmost comfort but they are usually fitted with all the mod-cons you would expect in nice vehicles. Also, and this is probably overlooked sometimes, driver knowledge is key. For example, you may be going to a destination which is away from the usual tourist routes and this is where driver knowledge will come into play. In these scenarios the local driver knowledge is extremely hard to beat. The chauffeur will make sure you arrive at your destination in style. If for some reason he or she does not know the route then there is always the sat-nav.

It is clear that when you are on a trip it pays to get with a good chauffeur company. They are usually easy to find online and you can book their services in this way too. Taking the chance to let someone else take up the slack and drive you around in is a very desirable option and this can also be the mode of transport that makes your trip that bit more relaxing and less stressful.

Article written by Tony Rothen representing https://www.parisblackcabs.com/ who offer Paris airport transfers, limousines, shuttles and other services to such destinations as Disneyland.

The post What Are The Unique Features Of Cabs In Paris? appeared first on Europe Explored.

Of course for some time that has been the train, which might take just a little longer but it is considerably more comfortable and compared with flying it is relatively free from hassle. Alternatively you can drive, but would you really want to drive in Paris? If you have never done so than just accept that it can be a terrifying experience, and if you have done so, then you will know that already. Liberté, égalité, fraternité may be the French motto, and although Parisian drivers may practice the first of those two, in that there are no rules and everyone is equal no matter what colour traffic lights they are facing, there are very few signs of brotherhood; it is every man and woman for themselves.

Thankfully there is now a third way to get to Paris from London; since July 2012 you have been able to travel by bus. The iDBUS SNCF service was launched on 23rd July (tickets went on sale on 10th July) and it connects London with Paris and Lille. You can also take other busses from Paris or Lille to Amsterdam and Brussels.

You can choose to travel by day or overnight and the journey time for the former is 8.35 hours and for the latter is 9.00 hours, and apart from promotions the prices are fixed. The cheapest price for a single journey is £45 and there is a four for three deals, which awards one free ticket for each three that are purchased. There is even a special promotional deal with some tickets being available for just £3.

The iDBUS is no ordinary bus; it offers the ultimate in long distance coach travel, with comfortable reclining seats, individual air conditioning, TV screens, power points, free Wi-Fi and all the usual amenities. There is no need to be concerned about noisy fellow passengers either; alcoholic drinks are not allowed and music can only be listened through headphones; noisy use of mobile phones is also discouraged. Safety is also taken seriously; each seat has a three point seat belt and drivers are specially trained, they can also speak English and French fluently.

This is a guest post by Claire Sim a new Londoner, travel passionate and animal lover. She blogs about Pets and Travelling in Europe. If you want Claire to write you specific content you can send her a direct message or contact her on Twitter (Claire_Sim).

The post Take the Bus to Paris appeared first on Europe Explored.