Travel Paris

Already the symbol of Paris, the Eiffel Tower is also often the symbol of France. This is completely understandable once you have experienced the "shock and awe" of standing next to it. It is grand, bold and beautiful!

From atop the Eiffel Tower (accessible via a tour) you will have one of the best views of Paris. The Eiffel Tower offers 3 floors to visitors. The 1^st and 2^nd floors are available by either elevator or stairs. The stairs are only recommended if you do not mind breaking a sweat, especially during the hot summer months. The 3^rd floor  is only available via elevator with a change of elevators on the 2nd floor. The first and second floors each offer restaurants and other amenities. "Alltitude 95" the restaurant on the first floor, is average for France. It offers a great view and is relatively affordable (around 40€ per person). The "Jules Vernes" (LE JULES VERNE) requires advanced reservations and can easily run 150€ per person.  During the high tourist season, expect a decent amount of waiting in line time to get your Eiffel Tower ticket. To help the visitors stay cool, the Eiffel Tower has recently installed a few misters.

Most tourists and Parisians use the subway (i.e. metro) to move about in Paris. The state company that operates the metro is called the R.A.T.P.

Pros: It's fast, inexpensive and everywhere. It is also safe, mostly clean and easy to understand. Using the metro also simplifies estimating your travel time. For instance, when I lived in Paris I used the averaged scale of 1 minute and 30 seconds between metro stations. If my destination was 10 stops away, I knew it would take about 15 minutes to get there. Try it! Finally, if you enjoy 'people watching', the Metro is great.

Cons: Strikes; usually once or twice a year. Also, the metro is not open 24/7. Stations open between 5:00 and 6:00 a.m., with the last run ("le dernier métro" in French) between midnight and 1:00 a.m.

Most Parisians, I know, never visited the Catacombs (spelled Catacombes in French). I never did when I lived there. I finally visited them and I have to say it is truly unique. I recommend strongly touring the Catacombs.

This is one of the rare tourist attractions in Paris, where for just a few seconds you wonder if engineers have studied the place. They must..right...

A brief history:
The origin starts at the end of the XVIII century. After being used for 10 centuries the cemetery of the "Innocents" was starting to become a health hazard in this Paris neighborhood.