Paris is the largest city of France and also its capital and hence Paris tour are increasing. It is also the capital of the Ile-de-France region of France. It is an important cultural and political hub of Europe. Paris is one of the cities of the world that receive the largest number of tourists in Europe. It's commonly known by the nickname "the City of Lights" as a tribute to its intellectual and artistic renown, as well as its exquisite beauty. Paris is considered an artistic and romantic city by the natives as well as by the people of the world. One important landmark of Paris which you must visit while on a Paris tour is famous throughout the world is the Eiffel Tower. This is an important tourist destination of Paris and about 5.5 million tourists throng to it every year. Paris is considered one of the top world cities along with New York City, London, and Tokyo.Economy: France is among the major economic powers of the world. The metropolitan area of Paris is one of the most important areas in the world economy. The Gross Domestic Product of the Paris metro was US $506.7 billion in 2004. The Paris metro ranks as the 15th largest economy in the world. The economy of Paris is very diverse. The main core area of the Paris economy is the services sector. This sector employs about four-fifths of the working population. Paris receives about 28 million tourists and business travelers each year. Thus, tourism is also an important area of its economy. It has a strong manufacturing base also. The largest number of manufacturing industries are in the high technology areas, including electronics, automobiles, and chemical industries.
Climate: During the summers, the weather in Paris is usually warm and dry. July is a pleasant month with average high temperature of 79o F. It rains throughout the year in Paris. The hottest summer months are from July to August. August also experiences the maximum amount of rainfall and occasional storms. Paris has an extremely pleasant climate during the spring time. The coldest months are from December to January. The average cold temperatures during winter are 37o F. Paris receives occasional snowfall in winters. The best times to visit Paris would be from May to mid-September. You should try to avoid the wet months of March and April.
Government Type: Paris is divided into 20 sub-divisions, known as municipal arrondissements. Each arrondissement has a City Council, which elects the Mayor of the arrondissement. Selected members from the City Councils of each arrondissement form the City Council of Paris. This council elects the Mayor of the city of Paris. Most of the power for formulating laws vests in the Mayor of Paris.
Population: The city of Paris has a population of 2.1 million people. The Paris metropolitan area has a population of 11.1 million people.
Paris Airport Transportation : Paris is served by two main airports - Charles de Gaulle International Airport and Orly Airport. The Charles de Gaulle International Airport is situated 23 km to the north of Paris. This is France's largest airport and handles more than 200,000 passengers everyday. Orly Airport is situated 14 km south of the city. Orly Airport is also one of Europe's busiest airports. It is situated at a convenient location and has its own rail station.
Paris Public Transportation : The train network of Paris is run by the RER. The RER consists of suburban rail tracks and subway tracks. The RER network connects with the national rail network of the super fast trains and normal speed trains. The RER also connects to the underground Metro rails of Paris. The Metro network of Paris is 211 km long. The Paris transportation authority is called Syndicat des transports d'Île-de-France (STIF). The STIF operates buses in Paris and its suburbs, the Metro, and the RER. The bus network of STIF consists of 7,400 buses on 1,254 lines.
Transportation in Paris : There are about 15,100 taxis in Paris, which transport more than 500,000 people everyday. You can locate a taxi at any of the airports of Paris, railway stations, hotels, and more than 460 taxi ranks in the city. You can hail a taxi on the streets of Paris, call one of the ranks, which have a telephone, or order a taxi by phone. When the board on the top of a taxi is lit up, this means that the taxi is free. When the sign is switched off, this means that the taxi is occupied. The starting charge for the taxis is €2, after which the charge per kilometer is added.
Paris Restaurant Reviews : The cuisine of France is considered one of the most refined and delicate of all world cuisines. Some French dishes, which are famous throughout the world, are the French breads, Blanquette de veau, Boeuf a la mode, Coq au Vin, soufflé, and croissants. You will find many restaurants in Paris serving delicious French cuisine, as well as many world cuisines. For instance, if during your stay in Paris, you would like to savor traditional French cuisine in a restaurant, some of the best restaurants that you will find serving this cuisine, are Laduree, Chez Castel, and Bermuda Onion. Laduree is a famous French restaurant on the famous Laduree avenue. A special dish served by this restaurant, which is the favorite of everyone, is "macarons" (biscuits).
Paris Hotel Reviews : Hotels of all types, suiting all types of purses can be found in Paris. For instance, if you are looking for a good, high-priced hotel in Paris, then some hotels that would match your requirement would be Hotel la Villa Saint Germaine des Pres, Au Relais du Vieux Paris Hotel, and Hotel au Relais Saint Jacques. The Au Relais du Vieux Paris Hotel once belonged to the Duke de Luynes.Among the facilities provided by the hotel are room service, baby sitting, television, satellite TV, telephone, non smoking room on request, a safe, hair dryer, laundry service, minibar, and Internet access.
Online Booking of Hotels in Paris : Many hotels across the world provide the facility of online booking. There are many hotels in Paris too where you can book rooms online. Some of these are Hotel Prince de Gaulle, Hotel Meurice, Paris Airport Hotel, and Hotel Raphael. The Paris Airport Hotel is built in the terminal area of Charles de Gaulle International Airport. You can walk off the plane and walk into the airport. The 242 guestrooms and 14 suites are furnished comfortably. The efficient room service will surely make your stay a pleasant one. Some of the amenities that each room is equipped with are telephone, minibars, Internet connection, television, and tea and coffee machines. The hotel has on its premises two elegant restaurants - Les Etoiles and Les Saisons. There is a bar also on-site where you can unwind in the evening after a busy day. For the business travelers, the hotel provides a business center also. source:mapsofworld.com
