* Day-trips from Paris

You're unlikely to exhaust the delights of Paris during your stay, but should you feel like a break from the bustle of the city, you'll find a number of attractive destinations within easy reach of the capital. The region that surrounds Paris - known as the Île de France - and the borders of the neighbouring provinces are studded with large-scale châteaux , many set in beautiful grounds. Many have played an integral part in French history - none more so than Versailles , an overwhelming monument to the reign of Louis XIV. On a slightly more intimate scale, Fontainebleau , with its Italianate decoration, is easy to appreciate; and Chantilly has a wonderful collection of Italian paintings and a gorgeous medieval Book of Hours. You can also enjoy the country air by taking a stroll in the gardens, parks and forests that surround the châteaux.

Two of France's most important church buildings can be easily reached from Paris in a day: the awe-inspiring cathedral of Chartres and the basilica of St-Denis , predating Chartres and representing the first breakthrough in Gothic art; it is also the burial place of almost all the French kings.

The River Seine winds northwest out of Paris through some idyllic countryside. In the nineteenth century, it attracted and inspired many artists. The Île de Chatou , an island in the river Seine, was especially popular with artists and has a small museum of Impressionist memorabilia within a riverside restaurant that was once frequented by Monet, Renoir and others. Further west is Monet's beautiful garden at Giverny, the inspiration for all his water-lily canvases.

* Eastern Paris

Paris east of the Canal St-Martin is traditionally a working-class area. The main quartiers, Belleville , Ménilmontant and Charonne , were once villages on the fringes of the city, colonized by the rural poor in the nineteenth century. The area developed a reputation as a revolutionary hot-bed, with many inhabitants taking the side of the Commune in 1871. Unfortunately, much of the area these days is characterized by high-rise housing developments, though some charming old villagey streets do remain. The main attractions in these eastern districts are the Père-Lachaise cemetery , the final resting place of many well-known artists and writers, and the Parc deLa Villette , containing a state-of-the-art science museum and many other high-tech attractions.

* Grands Boulevards and around

The term "Grands Boulevards" describes the long, broad thoroughfare that stretches from the Madeleine to République then down to the Bastille. The area is home to grandiose financial, cultural and state institutions and is associated with established commerce such as the rag trade and newspapers, plus well-heeled shopping. Many of the area's chic boutiques are to be found in the attractive nineteenth-century shopping arcades or passages , just off the boulevards. Characteristic of a later generation of indoor shopping, major department stores such as Galeries Lafayette congregate nearby in the 9e arrondissement, just north of the Palais Garnier opera house. Catering to the seriously rich, the boutiques at the western end of the 1er, around the church of the Madeleine , and the streets to either side of the Champs-Élysées display the wares of every top couturier, jeweller, art dealer and furnisher. More run-of-the-mill high-street shops can be found around Les Halles , once the site of the city's food market, now an underground RER/métro station and shopping centre.

more......