Arc de Triomphe

From the Place de la Concorde all the way to the top of the Champs-Elysees, you will discover the Place de l'Etoile which is known today as the Place Charles de Gaulle. And, at this busy place lies the Arc de Triomphe. Climb to the top for one of the best views of Paris. No, it doesn't go as high as the Eiffel Tower. But since Paris is relatively flat, the vantage point at this height is actually better. The Arc de Triomph brings in 1.7 million visitors on Paris Breaks each year.

Paris Breaks via Stratford

Everybody knows you can get Paris breaks from St Pancras Station in London, and some that you can also catch the Eurostar at Ebbsfleet and Ashford but not much has been written about the new Straford International Eurostar station in East London. That's because of the 2012 Olympics probably, which delayed the opening of this new intersection transport hub. Stratford International was in fact built at the same time as the fast high speed link from St Pancras to the channel tunnel, but it couldn't be opened straight away because of the work surrounding the site for the London Olympics in 2012.
But now Stratford is open, you just have to get a special bus service through the building site, from Stratford mainline railway station, platform 11. The Eurostar trains themselves, from St Pancras, don't stop at Stratfrd International yet, and there is still some dispute as to whether the London to Paris trains will stop at Stratfrd during and after the Olympics, but the high speed South Eastern trains service does stop at Stratford, so you can take a very fast train from Stratford to Ebbsfleet, Ashford and then on to Dover or Canterbury or use this route to connect with the Eurostar.

From Paris Breaks Flickr Group

Here are some pictures recently posted to teh Paris Breaks Flickr group.

Paris - Rue de Rivoli et Tour Saint-Jacques

Paris Rue Mouffetard

Undiscovered Paris

Well to be honest there aren't any undiscovered districts in Paris at all but it can feel a bit special if you get to know a new part that is a little off the beaten Paris breaks pathway. Here I am sitting next to the fountain in the place de la contrescarpe in the Rue Mouffetarde, also known as the old latin quarter.



It's a great little area to get away from the big boulevards and busy traffic in most of Paris, and imagine you are in a small French provincial town or village, bacause that's what it feels like.

Paris Breaks on Facebook

Paris Breaks on Facebook

Latin Quarter Paris Breaks

Latin Quarter Paris Breaks 5th Arrondissement - Quartier Latin

The Latin Quarter, quartier latin or 5th Arrondissement has long been the intellectual centre and heart and soul of Paris, as well as becoming a major tourist area. Bookshops, colleges, churches, clubs, student dives, Roman ruins, publishing houses, street musicians, world foodie restaurants and expensive boutiques characterize the district. Since the founding of the Sorbonne in 1253, the quarter was called Latin because students and professors spoke the Latin language, long before one particular dialect had become standardised as modern French. Follow in the footsteps of Descartes, Verlaine, Camus, Sartre, James Thurber, Elliot Paul, and Hemingway as you enjoy Paris breaks in the latin quarter. Changing times have brought Greek, Moroccan, and Vietnamese immigrants, among others, offering everything from couscous to fiery-hot spring rolls and souvlaki. The 5th arrondissement borders the banks of Seine, and you'll want to stroll along the quayside at quai de Montebello, checking the secondhand book shops with everything from antique Daumier prints to yellowing copies of Balzac's Père Goriot in the shadow of Notre-Dame.

Euros for Paris Breaks

The fall of the GB Pound against the Euro meant that Paris Breaks are more expensive, so there's been some resolve to take more short breaks in the UK and postpone Paris breaks until better days. The only trouble is that we miss Paris.

We miss the atmosphere, the wandering streets, planned architecture unexpected surprises, the Seine, food and drink and everything else about our favourite city.

ST Martin

DSCF0047.JPG
Originally uploaded by Andyrob

Walking around the streets is one of the best things to do on Paris breaks, and you never know what you might find.

This picture shows a typical old building with a narrow end where two roads intersect sharply. That because Paris isn't built on a boring square grid system like some other cities I won't mention. Let's just say that Paris breaks beat transatlantic flights any day.