City Discovery Showcases Ten Things to Love About Paris and the rest of France

Feb. 8, 2010 - PRLog -- That Paris is the romance capital of the world is an undisputed sentiment. From its charming sidewalk cafes to its breathtaking rivers and iconic landmarks, it's easy to see how love and the City of Light are a perfect match. With a variety of things to do such as cruising through the River Seine, cooking lessons in Montmartre, riding the Citroën 2CV and so much more, Paris is a great getaway place, perfect for a nice weekend vacation, especially on special days like Valentine's Day.

In celebration of romance and the very thing that makes the world go round, City Discovery presents the top ten things travelers love to do in Paris and the rest of France.

1.    Dinner at Eiffel Tower plus Cruise and Moulin Rouge. Featuring dinner at 58 Tour Eiffel at the Eiffel Tower, a scenic cruise through the River Seine and a showing of "Feerie" at the Moulin Rouge, this tour is one of City Discovery's bestsellers.

Travelers will certainly enjoy the classic French dinner at 58 Tour Eiffel, which boasts of a panoramic view of the River Seine and Trocadero, as well as the relaxing Seine river cruise that showcases the grand monuments and beautiful bridges of Paris. There's nothing more romantic than seeing the Louvre, the Notre Dame Cathedral and other notable Parisian sights, as these are illuminated under the magnificent Parisian skyline at night. The tour concludes with a showing of "Feerie" at the Moulin Rouge. "Feerie," a show that features some of the best international acts including 80 musicians and 60 chorus girls from all over the world.

2.    Paris City Tour - with Hotel pick-up and drop-off. Here is where it gets exciting for travelers who want to see the monuments and landmarks that make Paris famous. Featuring attractions such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Champs-Elysées Avenue, the Opera House, the Concorde Square, Louvre Museum, Seine River and its bridges, French Academy, Hotel de Ville (City Hall), the Latin Quarter with the Sorbonne and the Pantheon, Arch of Triumph, and Les Invalides with the dome of Napoleon's Tomb, the tour also boasts of a photo stop at the Eiffel Tower, some free time at Cite Island with the Palace of Justice, and a walking tour of Montmartre, near the Sacre-Coeur Basilica and the artists' square, where travelers can go exploring on their own.

3.    2CV Convertible Secret Unexpected Tour of Paris. One of the best ways to see Paris is through a ride on France's most iconic car, the Citroën 2CV. This tour will focus on Paris' hidden gems, secret places and tucked-away side streets that are not on the usual traveler's itinerary. Included in the itinerary are: the Place Vendôme, the Kiosque des Noctambules, the Place de la Fontaine Stravinsky, the Place du Marché Ste Catherine, the Hôtel de Sully and the Hôtel de Sens. A great bonus: accommodating English/German/Spanish speaking chauffeurs, who indulge most travelers' requests and needs like stopping to take a picture and giving helpful advice on which restaurants to visit and shows to see.

4.    Cooking and Market Visit in Montmartre. For travelers, this is a fantastic way to unleash their inner Julia Child. Featuring a hands-on cooking experience with market visit in Montmartre, this activity involves cooking lessons with a bilingual chef trained in the kitchens of Joel Robuchon and Alain Ducasse. The lessons are conducted at a space that is both functional and feels like a home, with background music to put the students in the mood. After the lessons, everybody sits down to enjoy the prepared meals with a good bottle of wine.

5.    Grand Seven Wine Tasting Experience in Paris. This activity offers seven wines from Alsace to Bordeaux and from Burgundy to Chateauneuf-du-Pape. A French sommelier teaches participants of the tour how to read a French label and how to navigate a wine list, as well as techniques for appreciation and strategies for pairing food and wine. Also on the agenda is a presentation of French wine regions, a briefing on Old World versus New World wines, and some useful tips on how to slurp wine with class.

6.    Nice Le Grand Tour. Showcasing the town of Nice and its main attractions like the, Promenade des Anglais, the Harbor, Mont Boron, Cimiez Square Massena and the Albert 1st Gardens, this tour lets travelers enjoy the fantastic views from an open-top hop-on/off tour bus. Individual earphones are provided so travelers can listen to the original commentary about Nice, which is available in seven languages (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Russian).

7.    Toulouse City Tour. Including a panoramic tour of Toulouse and live commentaries by a driver/guide, this tour also features a drive to the Airbus A380 Assembly factory and a visit to the Canal du Midi and the train station, the Botanical Garden with its exotic plants, the Saint Michel bridge, the water tower, the Saint Cyprien neighborhood, the Modern Art Museum, the Canal de Brienne, Capitol square, St Etienne Cathedral and Saint Sernin Basilica.

8.    Saint Emilion Half day tour by Minivan. Starting with a pick up at Bordeaux, the tour, which comes with an English speaking driver/guide, then departs for the small village of Saint Emilion. The village, with its fascinating Romanesque churches and ruins stretching along steep and narrow streets was named after the monk Émilion, a travelling confessor, who settled in a hermitage in the 8th century. It was the monks who followed him that started up the commercial wine production in the area.

9.    Landing Beaches of Normandy Tour. On the itinerary from Paris is a visit to the Caen Memorial, Pointe du Hoc and the American cemetery, Arromanches and the Canadian Memorial. This tour also features a film screening and a commentary on the Caen Memorial and lunch before proceeding to the American cemetery Saint-Laurent at Omaha Beach. The last stop is the Canadian Memorial at Juno Beach.

10.    Mont Saint Michel Day Trip. Mont Saint-Michel Abbey, one of the most famous pilgrimage centers since the Middle Ages, is the focus of this tour. Also included in this day trip from Paris: lunch at Relais St. Michel, a modern restaurant with refined décor and an excellent view of the Mont Saint-Michel monument.

For more Paris tours and activities, check out City Discovery's Top things to do and suggested itineraries. City Discovery also offers New Tours and Special Deals, which no smart traveler should miss.

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About City Discovery
City Discovery is a leading provider of sightseeing tours, travel experiences and ground transportation worldwide. With over 5,000 carefully selected travel activities in 300 destinations and user-friendly features such as traveler reviews, wishbox, suggested itineraries and gift certificates, City Discovery sells directly to consumers through City-Discovery.com and a network of over 7,500 travel agencies and affiliates. City Discovery is available in 13 languages and has offices in USA, France, Italy, Greece and the Philippines.