Where to stay in Paris

If you’re thinking of going to Paris and don’t want to spend a lot of money with the place you’re going to sleep, forget it.
Staying in Paris with cheap prices needs a lot of research but we’re going to help you with that task.
What we recommend are the Formule 1 or Etap hotels. They belong to the Ibis Hotels chain and that means some quality and comfort.
The Formule 1 hotels are more central then the Etap ones. Etap is best for those who have a car.





Here you can see where the Formule 1 are situated.








There’s a very good Formule 1 Hotel in Saint-Denis, right in front of the Stade de France, the national football field, has a Mcdonalds also in front and it’s a 3 minute walking from the St Denis station and only two stops form the Gare du Nord (Paris Centre).
In this chain spreaded around the city the prices vary between 35€ and 50€ for a triple bedroom (all the rooms have a double bed and a single one). There not luxurious rooms but they have a sink and a tv in every room. The showers and bathrooms are shared but they are very clean and you don’t have to pay to bathe (it’s usual in many paris hotels an extra fee for every shower you take, about 2€ each, and there are some hotels that offer you a greeting shower when you arrive). No wonder that it was the French who invented the perfume!
The breakfast is not included but for only 3.90€ each you can enjoy a buffet.
Another good option with this type of prices is the Mije Hotel, a hotel/hostel whose prices are between the 28€ and 45€ per person. It’s very near the Pompidou Centre and if don’t want to look out for a restaurant this hotel has one whose meals are only 10.50€.

Another good option but a bit more expensive are the Ibis hotels that cost about 90€ per room (double) and breakfast is not included.
Like the Ibis hotel there’s also the Luxour Hotel.



But if you’re looking for something more sophisticated then make your reservation at the Hotel Le Tourville, where for 150€ per night you’re going to have an exquisite stay.


If you’re looking for a type of accommodation where you can meet people all around the world then the option are the famous hostels.

We recommend the Peace and Love hostel where all the people that work there are very nice and they try to speak English (a thing that doesn’t happened very often in Paris), it’s very central – 10 minute walking from the Louvre- and has many weekly activities like tours around the city or even fancy dinners.
The prices are around the 25€ per person per night.
Whatever you do stay away from the Richard hostel as that here you have to pay an extra fee for your sheets (3€) and if you’d like to change them during your stay you have to pay for a new one and has no breakfast. Beside this it has no security and a badly situated.

A zone that you have to avoid is the Pigalle/Clichy area (where is the Moulin Rouge and many prostitution houses) as by night it’s not a very secure area.
It’s one of the arrondissements with a big criminality rate and where the tourists are easily to be recognized.


As you can see accommodation in Paris is not a very cheap thing but between the many options and prices available the best thing to do is to stay at a less central hotel then in a central one where you have to share your room with 10 other strangers.

Paris

Paris is known as the City of the Lights and is one of the most visited capitals of Europe. It follows London as the second city of Europe with biggest number of population.

It’s may be the most romantic city of Europe where you can walk around the Seine, go to the top of the Eiffel Tower and be very romantic.
Beside this romantic factor Paris is also a very cultural city, it’s enough to say that it’s here one of the best known museums of the world and the most enigmatic work of art ever existed. We’re talking of the Louvre Museum and the Mona Lisa painting.
The city is divided in 20 “arrondissements” that works like a administrative division.
Any time of the year is a good time to visit Paris and to taste the fabulous French cuisine.
Side by side with Tokyo, New York and London, Paris is one of the most important cities of the world.

Sightseeing Rome

Rome is truly an italian city, dedicated to it's culture and very connected to it's great times of imperial stardom.
The presence of that great past can be founded in any roman corner and the sophistication is marked in elegant fountains spreaded around the city.
It's handicap may be the Tiber River as it doesn't have the glamour of other famous european rivers.

In Rome start by visiting the Piazza Venezia, a monument dedicated to the memory of King Vittorio Emanuelle II, with more then 150 years and also has the monument dedicated to the unknown soldier.



It's situated in a square surrounded by gardens, near the Palazzo Venezia where Mussolini pronouced himself to his roman people, and right at the top of the Piazza you can get excelent pictures of the Coliseum and the Roman Forum.

Be carefull and don't take pictures with the funny men dressed as roman gladiators as that in the end they will charge you between 5€ and 10€ per person.



If you visit the top of this monument you'll get to the Piazza Campidoglio,a square idealized by Michaelangelo and that's where it stays the Capitolino Museum where you can visit the she wolf that fed, as the legend tells, Romulo and Remo the founders of the city.




A bit west from there, about 100metres, in the middle of the valley between the Palatino and Capitolino stays the Roman Forum, that was in the past the centre of the imperial decisions.

There you can visit the Ara di Cesare, where still today the turists pay tribute to the great emperor Julio Cesar and you can also see the ruins unbelievably preserved.

Do this trail and imagine yourself going back on time when Julio Cesar was the commander of the Roman Imperium.

On the way out take a picture at the Constantin Arch.
As this is a very historical place with lots of interesting places to visit we decided to leave here an aereal picture of the block so you can decide for yourself the places that you'd like to visit.



Right beside the Roman Forum there's one of the monuments in list to the vote for 7 Wonders of the Word, the
Coliseum.
Build as a stage for fights to please the upper roman class and the Emperor today is an open air museum where for 11€ you can visit the inside.
But if you want to do so first buy the ticket for the Pantheon and for the Coliseum in the first place as it usually is not so crowded and in that way you avoid about 1hour in line to enter at the Coliseum.
Even with almost 2000 years the Coliseum is still an impressive work of art.
It has 50 metres high, 185 metres large and in it's great days had capacity for 50 thousand people.

Less then 5 minutes from there heading East you'll find Circus Maximus, at the present a public park where the romans take a walk with their girlfriends or even walk the dog.
But Circus Maximus was once a very important roman place.
Built 600 years BC it was here that the roman games took place.
As it was a very popular sight it was frequent that the field was always expanding.
There for it's greatness.





It had 600 metres long and 225 metres large with a capacity for about 385 thousand people (in the present with would be 3 times bigger then the biggest football field in the world)







Everyone that goes to Rome, even if it's not catholic has to visit the Vatican.

The Vatican has 44 hectars and is the smallest independent nation in the world.
It has it's own postal services (where you can't forget to send a postcard back home), it's own pharmacy and even a ATM in latin.
It's ruled by the Pope that is elected by the cardinals and it's the centre of the religious power.
Around the Saint Peter's Church there's the Vatican Gardens and the Museum where you can visit the famous Sistin Chapel.




The Saint Peter's church is where every Sundays the Pope Benedictus XVI celebrates the mass.





The entrance to the Saint Peter's Church is free of charge but you have to be in line for quite a long time just to take some pictures inside the church.
Inside it's possible to see the giant Altar where only the Pope can celebrate the mass, visit the tombs where the previous popes are burried or even climb to the top of the building whre you can see a breath taking view of Rome.
If you'd like to climb and if you're not claustrophobic (the access is very tight) you have to pay a fee.


Another Vatican place that you can't miss is the Vatican Museum.
However you have to be very patient as the line to visit it crosses around 3 streets and can take about 4 hours just to get to the door. Try to arrive very early (about 6am) as that the museum closes around 1pm and nobody enters after that hour even if you're in the line for hours.
And another thing, the simple tourist is easily outrunned by groups of turists that by having a guide (it's expensive) they have priority.

You have to pay 12€ to enter the museum but all the last sundays of the month the entry is free of charge.
Check here the prices and the schedulle.

If you have the time it's a well spend time as the inside of the Sistine Chapel makes all worth.
Inside the museum there are thousands of statues (all of the figures are with no sex or covered, due to big castration made by the Pope Pius IX in 1857), magnificient frescos designed by Bernini or Michaelangelo and you can take a walk in the gardens that the Pope uses to walk.


Right at the end of the tour you'll get to the Sistin Chapel where you can't film or take pictures and be prepared to be amazed with it's dazzling beauty.

The Vatican is also known by it's Swiss Guard that protects the city for more then 500 years.
Wherever you go around the Vatican it's possible to find them. To be a guard you have to be swiss national and have to wear that funny outfits designed by Leonardo DaVinci.



Fountains

Rome, being a mediterranean city in the summer time can be pretty hot making the city visit a bit harsh for the tourists.
But relax, buy a bottle of water and enjoy the many fountains that are spreaded around Rome.
Some of them are pretty known others not that much but one thing is for sure, if you decide to sit yourself near one and fresh up no one will tell that you can't do that (except if you decide to bathe).
From the dozens of fountains that exist in Rome we dettach the most important and historical ones.



We start by the Trevi Fountain.

Finding her in not very easy as it is in the middle of very strait streets but if you're doing the city by foot it's easy to hear the water noise and the people talking.
Through the Piazza Venezia it's 5 minutes walking.
When you get there don't be amazed if you can't find a place to sit.
It's in a very hidden square and the fountain has 25,9 metres high and 19,8 metres wide becoming a very fresh place to rest.
It's in this fountain that the tourist throws a coin to the water.
The legend says that you have to throw a coin with your right hand and through your left shoulder so that you one day go back to Rome.
With this tradition everyday is colected about 3000€ that later are used to help needed roman people.
But still don't be amazed if you see people with sticks on their hands wich have little magnets on the point so that they can catch the coins that are on the fountain water.

Another fountain that you can't miss it's in the Piazza Navona, The Fountain of the 4 Rivers.

It was created by Bernini, one of the favourits of the Vatican.
In this Fountain are portrayed the Nile River (Africa), the Ganges River (Asia), the Danube River (Europe) and the Plate River (America)
In this piazza there's other two fountains but this is the best known.
The legend says that the figures that portray the rivers avoid looking in front and that one of them has a disgusted look as that in front of this fountain theres the Saint Agnese Church that was designed by a Bernini rival.

Continuing with Bernini work head to Piazza del Popolo that is a 10 minute walk from the Spanish steps (through Via del Corso) and right in front of the Santa Maria del Popolo Church there's the Lions Fountain. In this fountain 4 lions can be seen throwing water through their mouths.
In this square there's an obelisc that the Augustus Emperor brought to Rome and that completes the fountain.

Right next to this fountain there's the Fontana dela Dea Roma where you can see the Rome goddess armed with a lance and a helmet, with on either side the reclining statues of Tiber and Aniente and the she-wolf feeding the twins Romulo and Remo.


Piazza del Popolo is another great place to relax and to watch the true italian lifestyle. It was once in time the entry to the Rome city.
It's also in here the almost twins churches, the Santa Maria de Montesanto (left) and the Santa Maria dei Miracoli (right). They were designed by Carlo Reinaldi but because of the top of the church dimensions couldn't be alike.

Try the mini buses that depart from this square and that just have 6 seats. They have to be this small so the can fit in the strait roman streets.



Piazza di Spagna is another spot that you can't miss.
It's internationally known as it's the place where every year takes places the Roma Fashion Week and has this name as it's here that it's the Spanish Embassy.
It's one of the most visited and known places of Rome.

In this square there's also a fountain named Fontana della Barcaccia. It has this name as it represents a boat sinking.

It was built by Bernini's father and the legend tells that was made to remember a boat that sunk in the XVI century on the Tiber River and appeared in this place.


Shopping

If you like to shop this is the right place.
The italians have the tradition of being compulsive buyers.
There's also the saying that the italians live to work, to eat and to shop.
If you like exclusive things go down the Piazza di Spagna and you're in Via Condotti.
You'll find in this street the style for all tastes and money.




Stores like Dolce&Gabbana, Gucci, Prada, La Perla, Giorgio Armani, Dior among others have a store here.






If you walk down this street you'll get to Via del Corso, a commercial street where only circle public transports.. Here you can eat, dress and buy more accessible brands like Zara, Benetton, Diesel.
You also have to visit Via Venetto, a symbol of the italian dolce vitta and where are the best hotels of the city. It's here that you have to buy that Rolex.

The markets also have a place in Rome.
The best known is the Campo di Fiori.

It happens daily (except on sundays) in the Campo di Fiori square.
The main product sold here are flowers but you can also buy food genders or other type of things.
You can also buy here the ingredients to make that famous italian sauce and for very cheap prices (about 2€).
The market lasts untill 1.30pm, the time that the sellers start cleaning their stalls and the street is cleaned.
In this square there are also many immigrants that sell the famous fakes of designers watches, bags, etc.
They are great copies and don't forget to bargain. But don't be admired if in the moment that you're talking to them that they dissapear. It's a sign that the Caribinieri are approaching.

After lunch time this square becomes a quiet place where you can relax and maybe if you want play a bit of soccer with the kids that gather there in the afternoon.
By night it's the perfect place to drink a Cappuccino.

Another famous market is Porta Portese.
Catch a bus at Largo Argentina and there catch a type of a surface underground and leave at Via Portuense.
This markets happens every sunday morning. The ideal time to go is about 9am as the confusion is not that much and that way you can grab the best products. It ends around 1pm.

Here you can buy new products, second hand things, fake brands. During World War II this was known as the black market. And it's the same now.
be very carefull with your wallet as it is a very turistic spot there are many pickpockets.

Here's a map of the city centre that will help you find the places that you need to visit.

Where to stay in Rome

There are 3 good types of places to stay in Rome, depending on the type of person you are and how much you're willing to spend.

A great option, specially for the nature lovers, with a good quality/price relation is camping.
We dettach Plus Camping Roma, where for low prices you can relax and has great hygiene and cleanliness conditions that normally don't exist at campings.
Here you can rent a tent, houses, cabins or you can bring your own equipment (tent or caravan) and pay between 10€ to 25€ per person per day.


This camping has also a nightclub (in case you don't want to go to the centre of the city), barbecue, volleyball camp, 2 swimming pools and 2 jacuzzis.
It also has many bathrooms with showers and laundry and are always very clean.

In front of these camping there's a supermarket, Panorama, where you can buy the ingredients for your meals and maybe, if you want, buy some meat to do a barbecue!
Right in front of the camping there's aso a bus stop that allows you to get to the centre in less then 15 minutes (when there's no traffic because during the day this journey can take up to 1 hour just to travel the 6km that separate the camping from the centre). But if you want a quiet journey then you can choose to buy for 1,5€ per day a ticket to the private bus provided by the camping. It departs from the camping every right hour and takes about half an hour to get to Cipro Station (where you can catch the underground).
The only problem of choosing this camping is that it's not walking distance from the city centre ( it's situated after the west line A - Batistini), so if you want to enjoy the roman nightlife the only way of coming back is by taxi as the public transports end at midnight.

Plus Camping Rome also provides private transportation from the airport to the camping for only 10€ per person (it's a good choice for those who don't know the city), you just need to make a reservation by email 48hours prior to your arrival and show to the driver when you get there.



If you prefer the comfort of a bed, Alice in Wonderland offers you that and much more.

Extremelly well situated, just a few minutes walking from the Coliseum, it's in the last floor of a XVIII building recently renovated and with a fantastic decoration.

For 45€ per person you can have cable tv, mini bar, wireless in the bedroom, private bathroom, ar conditioned and breakfast.
The common area has a pleseant fireplace for the colder days and in the hotter days you can use the balcony where maybe you can tan!
It's also possible to rent a bike or a motorcycle right in the hotel.
We dettach the extreme cleanliness and the safety.


A more economic choise and also a very good one is the Arcadia Hotel, a 3star hotel, situated near the Anagnina Metro station (Line A) and it's only 20minutes from the centre.

A double room is priced between 50€/60€ (depending on the time) per night and per room with breakfast included.
It's in a commercial area and very easy to find.
It has a 24hour reception so you don't have any problem if you arrive late for check-in.

We suggest that you stay away from the hotels or hostels near the Termini station and always say no to the rooms that people are renting on this sation way out as this is a zone a bit dangerous and the lack of quality and hygiene are not very present in this area.

How to move in Rome

In Rome the best way to move is by foot!
Althought the underground is clean, very simple (there's only two lines - A and B), fast and modern it's not very near the famous places that Rome is known about.
It's not that the Romans don't try to have better and bigger underground lines it's just that Rome has 2 cities - one above and one down under. Everytime that they try to open the ground to start new lines they find artefacts and the old roman city that by it's historical importance is not allowed to build on.
The buses are usually over crowded and take the double of the time that you'd take if you had went by foot.
Even so it's a cheap solution for those who have the time.
The tickets for the underground and buses are together, wich means that for just 1€ you can travel for 75minutes (after the first validation) in any roman transport.

There's daily tickets that cost 4€ and allows you to travel for 24hours and have unlimited journeys. They are validated the firts time that you use it and afterwards you don't need to do it, just have to show it in case they ask you.
If you go to Rome only for the weekend then it's best for you if you buy the 3day travelcard for 11€.
In case of a longer stay then choose the 7day travelcard for just 16€ that allows you to travel in any public transport for the whole week.


The tickets are sold in any stand and even in the Termini Station don't bother to look for an official seller as they don't exist.


Another good option is to rent a Vespa!
It's a great way to know the city, specially on those hot summer days, allows you unlimited flexiblity, you can get to know all the famous places and also allows you to know places that only by foot or by two-wheeled transports you can get to. But the most important is that is easy to park without having to circle around the block to find a spot.

The daily rental of a scooter costs around 35€/45€, depending on the motorcycle (if it's for one or two persons), and the insurance, helmets, travel assistance are included on the price and has no mileage limit.
The most days you rent the cheaper it gets.





But even so if you prefer the car option then rent online and choose the Sixt rent-a-car that allows you to rent a Smart for only 5€ per day and with 100km included.







If you get scared only by thinking of walking don't be as is a great way to burn the calories gained on the excelent roman meals and don't forget that all the ways gets you to Rome.

How to get to Rome

Now you can travel to Rome for less then 150€ by choosing the low cost airlines, like Ryan Air, Easy Jet, etc.

Rome is served by two main airports: Ciampino and Fiumicino. Both are relatively near the city centre - Ciampino is 15km and Fiumicino 30km – and have easy access although you can take about one hour to reach the centre due to the caotic roman traffic.

Ryan Air only flies to the Ciampino Airport.

The Fiumicino, or Leonardo DaVinci airport (as is also known) is the main roman airport. It has great connections to the city centre, mainly by the railroad tracks. There’s the “Fiumicino Express”, a service that puts you in less then 30 minutes and for 11€ in the Termini Station in the roman city centre.
This service departs and arrives daily on the 27th track.



Ciampino is considered, althought is most central then the Fiumicino airport, a secondary airport from whom travels the low cost airlines and the private jets. When you land you will see dozens of luxury jets parked in the airport hangars.
Once in Ciampino, the transportation to the city centre has to be made by taxi or by bus as the airport isn’t served by any railroad or metro services.
There are many options to travel the 15km from the Ciampino Airport to the Termini Station (the most important roman rail station and the biggest of Europe).


But from the many options available we detach the Terravision company.
It’s about 8€ one way or 14€ round trip. You can buy online. There’s a bus every 20 minutes prior to plane arrivals and there are always buses untill everyone is served. The buses are parked on the airport way out and it’s easy to see them.
The way back in the Termini Station is always made on the same place that you are left in. Even if you have an early morning flight is better for you if you catch the 7.30pm transfer. After this hour you only have late at night but we don’t recommend it as the Termini zone is a bit dangerous by night.





The other option is the cheapest way. There’s the Cotral company that charges you 1€ (yes, only 1€) and takes you from the Ciampino Airport to the Anagnina metro station and there you can buy your simple ticket to the Termini Station (+1€) or you can buy the ticket most appropriate to your stay (a seven-day ticket or a three-day ticket).
The Anagnina Station is 20minutes travel untill the Termini Station.
This company has connections form the airport to the centre daily untill 11pm.
After this hour the only way to get to the centre or to the airport is by taxi.

A cab takes about 30 to 45 minutes to arrive during the day. By night this service takes about half the time as there is no traffic but even so the service is more expensive. This option costs abou 45€/50€.

Pay attention when you choose the taxi option as there are many illegal ones that offers you their services. Try to always catch an official roman cab.
They’re white or yellow and don’t try to discuss a price, try always to be taxed by the taximeter.
Even so if you think that you are being fooled get the name of the taxi driver and the number written on the exterior side of the door.

In Italy you have to be very carefull as this wasn’t the mafia country.

Eating in Rome

Rome is, in our opinion, the best gastronomic capital of Europe. Since pizzas, pastas, lasagnas, you can eat all this in lower prices that you've ever dreamed of.

Definitly the cheapest zone in Rome to eat is Trastevere (a quiet area, with almost no traffic as the streets are too small for cars and the tourists don't usually go there, as is not on the books). In this place the most difficult part is to pick the restaurant as the prices are all alike between them.
Our suggestion is to stay in the first one that you find a free table (wich can be more complicated between 12.30am/ 2pm and 7.30pm/10pm).



The restaurants in Rome are just like the movies show, and this zone is not an exception.
Square tables for 2, chess like towels, candles and flowers and if you're lucky you may find an acordeon or violin player to set the mood.
The prices are very cheap.

You can have lunch with an entry (salad, soup or garlic bread), first plate (lasagnas, pizzas, pastas, cannelonni, ...), second plate (chicken, fish or meat) and a dessert at your choice, for just about 8€.
This restaurants also have this option for dinner but the price is about 10€.
Don't forget that, if you eat outside you have to pay 1,5€ for the service, but it's a simbolic fee as you've just had a great meal with an excelent service.


If during the day you prefer not to stop for lunch, then eat something in any roman corner.
It's very easy to find a trattoria where you can buy squares of pizza (in Italy the pizza slices are not triangles but squares and are paied by it's weight).
After being cut, the slices are wormed and believe us, that you won't tell they're not fresh out of the hoven.
Go inside and if you don't like any (wich is very hard) don't worry that 100m ahead you'll find another trattoria.
Try not to go into foreign trattorias (specially the chinese ones, and yes they now make pizzas) because the ingredients are not that good and the prices are absurd for their low quality.


Besides the famous food, the italians make great desserts.
The tiramisu lovers won't find it hard to delight themselves and the icecreams are one of the best italian temptations.
Buy one as they have an outstanding taste, from the best that you'll ever try in your life.

Any icecream store is excelent, even those who are in turistic spots like Piazza di Spagna where you can eat a giant 6 flavour icecream for just 6€.

Rome has lot's of piazzas full of animation, things to buy and where to eat. However they usually have over the top prices.
We suggest that you buy an icecream and sit on the pavement and watch the street actors show.

But if you want to eat something else or just relax a little bit please stay away from the Ai Tre Tartufi cafe in Piazza Navona.
The bathroom's are the filthiest that you've ever seen in your life, they make prices based on the appearance of the tourist (even thought the prices are listed on the menu) and the waiters are extrely unpolite. Go to the one in front of these restaurant.


Of course there's fast food in Rome, but the famous McDonnals and houses alike aren't just around the corner like in London, for example. If you're missing that burguer then look very well as you're not going to find that easy (there are only about 20 McDonnalds restaurants in all Rome).



In the Vatican, opposite to what says in the books, you may also make menu meals just like in Trastevere for less then 10€.
So if you took the morning to stay in line to the Vatican Museum, don't worry, on your way out you'll find good restaurants with good prices.

If you're staying at Plus Camping Rome you'll find in front of it the Panorama Supermarket and a few meters ahead you'll find a McDonnalds and a Pans and Company restaurants.
The supermarket prices are low, and they too make home made pizzas, but nothing alike the ones made in the old part of the city.

If you usually loose weight when you go on vacations, forget it because in Rome certainly you will gain some weight as is almost impossible to stop eating.

Rome

Rome is the eternal capital of Europe. It's head to head with Athens in terms of most historical cultural capital, as it can be seen by the dozens of ruins and renaissence monuments spreaded around the old part of the city.
While London is the european capital with a bigger number of population, Rome is the european capital with the biggest dimensions.
In Rome it's also sitted the Vatican, a city-state, with it's own government and is also the oficial residence of the Pope.
Rome is a caotic city whose population is dominated by italians, as it doesn't happens in other european capitals.
In Rome be prepared to delight yourself with the best food you've ever tasted and with best prices.
If you want a cultural european vacations, with the best food in the middle, then Rome is the place to go.

Eurodisney

Eurodisney doesn't need any presentations.
Everybody has already heard something about this Parisien theme park that enchants both grownups and children.
It's a world appart that everyone dreams of going someday in they're lives.
Being the first or just one more time that you're going to Disneyland Paris here are some tips for you.


Getting to Eurodisney it's not very difficult, although the park is not in Paris as everybody thinks it is. It's in Marne-la-Vallee, a town situated about 40km from Paris centre.

If you're already in Paris and thinking of going by train the best solution is going through Gare du Nord, one of the biggest and the most central station of Paris that contains many trains to various destinations, including the TGV to London.

The train ticket between zones 1 (Paris centre) and 5 (Marne-la-Vallee/Chessy) costs about 12.30€ and it's called Mobilis as it doesn't have travel limits for that day.
The trip takes about 50 minutes but it has the compensation of stopping right in front of Eurodisney. Just go up the stairs and welcome to the enchanted world.

If you're thinking of going by car think twice as it can be very tricky to get out of Paris center and at the same time you're wasting precious minutes in the company of your favourite Disney characters.
However there are many informations of how to get to your destination.

The ticket to Eurodisney for 1 day costs 47€ - adult ticket and 38€ for childrens between ages 3 and 11.
The ticket for 3 days for an adult costs 126€ and for childrens beteween 3 and 11 years old 104€.
The tickets can be bought online.
Don't think of buying at the door as for sure you're going to find a huge line.
You can also buy the ticket in some stores in Paris as you can find it cheaper then buying it online but if you don't know the town very well it's better to buy it online.



Next to the main park there's another one, the Walt Disney Studios
But if you only have one day to visit this magic world then choose the main one.
However if you're planning an extended trip then go take a tour to the Walt Disney Studio, but pay attention that you need another ticket that you have to buy in separate.

Eurodisney is open everyday between 9am and 8pm, depending on the time of the year.
If you'd like to know the schedulle of the parks to a specific day check the calendar.



The main park is divided in 5 themes: Aventure Land where you can climb a huge tree house, sail by the Pirates of the Caribbean seas or experiment the exciting Indiana Jones russian mountain; Frontier Land where you can get to know Pocahontas village, travel in a vapor boat and get to know the corners of the old faroest; Fantasy Land where you can live the disney fairytales and get to know the Sleeping Beauty Castel; Discovery Land where you can travel in a rocket in the dark, where you can travel in time and space or watch a 3 dimensions movie where a dog will sneeze right on your face; and the Main Street U.S.A, a main square designed in an old victorian style where you can buy all the souvenirs that you want and even go around in an electric car.


When you enter is given to you a map in a way not to get lost and to better plan your day at Eurodisney.
All the diversions are included in the price of the ticket, once you're inside you won't pay any ride and you can repeat it as any times as you want.
The main problem of the park are the gigantic lines that some of the attractions can gather.
It's almost impossible to know the all park in just one day but if you plan your day very well and if you don't stop for lunch (bring your own snacks and sadwiches and stop to eat for about 15 minutes) you can pretty much know the park very well.
A meal for 2 can be made for about 12€ but you loose too much time in line.

Try to stay away from Eurodisney on wednesdays as the french kids don't have classes on that day of the week and the lines on that that can be bigger then on other days.
The characters that we grew up with can be seen on the park but if you don't want to be looking for them in the map that is given to you in the entrance says the times and places that they are so you can take a picture with them or even, if you buy it on the Main Street, a little autograph book where you can ask them to sign it for you.



Everyday at 4pm takes place the Fenomenal Parade with alegoric cars, dancers and all the characters that you have misses.
During the 60 minutes it's almost impossible to loose it as it goes around all the park and with loud music and an impressive animation.
It's a lovely show worth watching.

A weekend in London

If time doesn't appear often on your schedulle then 2 days will have to be enough for you to feel the real London vibe.
The truth is that one month is not enough to know london but the most important things, if you're stong at will, can be seen in just 2 days.
If you find it difficult to choose between the hundreds of options then take our suggestions in the way to have 48 fantastic hours.



Start your journey by taking the underground untill Edgware Road Station and head towards Marble Arch.
Trough this 5 minute walking you'll find many middle east shops where you can find the best exchange rate for your euros. There's no cheaper place in London then in this street.
Drink a hot chocolate down at Starbucks (they're the best, there's dozens of stores everywhere and they're worth the 5 € you pay for it).

Once you're in Marble Arch go through Oxford Street (one of the biggest commercial streets in the world) and be amazed with the London style.
In Oxford Circus catch the underground to Notting Hill Gate and follow the signs to Portobello Road (saturday mornings just follow the crowd to see that you're in the right direction).

With some pounds less and the hands full of stuff go back to Notting Hill Gate station and catch the underground to Green Park (you have to change line at Bond Street).
Once you're in Green Park, follow the signs and go down the park untill you arrive at Buckingham Palace to watch the change guard (daily at 11.30am).




Five minutes from there and after you cross St James Park go to the Horse Guards
and take a picture with the Queen's horses.
At the same time you're heading to the famous 10 Downing Street (the oficial home of Britain's Prime Minister),at the right of the Horse Guards.

Stop to eat something in the neighbourhood and with some energie gained you can see at the bottom Big Ben. Take a good look at him and take as many pictures as you can.
Right in the corner there's the Westminster Abbey, the place where Lady Di said goodbye to this world.

Go back to Big Ben and get in one of the many turistic boats (the ticket costs about 7 €) and go till the Tower of London. There enjoy Tower Bridge and the interior of the Tower of London (it takes about 3hours to see it).
In the way out get the underground at the Tower Hill station and go to Leicester Square (you have to change line at Embankment).
Have dinner and enjoy a bit of the London nightlife.
2 minutes from there shines the big publicity panels of Picadilly Circus.

The next day start your journey in Warwick Avenue and visit Little Venice and see how many of londoner's have a different lifestyle living on boats. There catch a bus to Camden Market. You're going to need about 3hours to watch the latest and unusual trends that exist there.

In Camden catch the underground to Hyde Park Corner (you have to switch line in Leicester Square) and eat something in Hard Rock.
With full stomach it's easier to walk down at the giant Hyde Park. Take a rest and head west toward Harrods.

Loose your head and buy some souvenirs there and right at the door there's the underground station (Knightsbridge) and head to Covent Garden.

Enjoy the street shows and eat something in the neighbourhood.
If you still have the time and energie use them in a night walk from Waterloo to Tower Bridge that is absolutely gorgeous at night.

Have a good weekend!

Sightseeing London

London has a lot to give.
Once you're in town you may feel a little bit confuse with so much offer that is given to you that you don't know where to start.
If you like to be in touch with nature you may start by the many green spots around the city.
London is known by it's fog, by it's high level of pollution and by it's caotic traffic but it's very easy to abstain from that because of the existence of dozens of parks and gardens right in the heart of London.
The londoner's usually spends his weekend, or even that lunch hour break in the parks with the children, walking the dog, having lunch and even play some football with the friends.
The biggest and the best known is Hyde Park, with more than 350 hectars, 4000 trees and a horse track.

Every sunday it's possible to watch some political debates or just some opinions of people passing by in the Hyde Park Speaker's Corner. In 2003 about 1 million people gathered there to protest against war on Iraq. Get off at Marble Arch and follow the signs drafted on the floor of Hyde Park to find Speaker's Corner.
Don't miss the Serpentine, a huge artificial lagoon that was ordered by George II to show off his love to his wife Caroline of Ansbach, where you can roll around with your bike or skates and to pedal in boats down on the lake.
Hyde park is also the stage of many benefit concerts or the stop point to some of the biggest bands in the world.



If you continue your walk down at Hyde Park you will get to Kensington Gardens, and it's good to be prepared with some cookies as you're arriving to Royal Albert Statue you will find dozens of friendly squirls that will get to you if there's something in exchange.



Princess Di loved to walk around in this park as her palace is situated in Kensington Gardens. Visit the memorial dedicated in her memory and take a picture with the Peter Pan statue.




Another best known park is Regent. It's in a sofisticated neighbourhood as it's situated in a high class residential area. It has about 30.000 roses. If you like to play sports, this park has a lot to offer you, since tenis and golf courts, a place to play some hoquei, jogging tracks, 2 rugby fields, 4 to play some cricket and 14 football fields.
Through the top of the garden it's possible to get to London Zoo.

If you go to Greenwich to see the meridien then you have to cross the Greenwich Park where you can run, take a walk, do a picnic or roll down the hill. In the top of the park you'll find the astronomic observatory and there you'll enjoy the breathtaking view of London that certainly you will never forget!


Back to the city centre, straight to Buckingham Palace, the oficial residence of Queen Elizabeh II, stop at St James Park and feed the many ducks, pelican, goose and pigeons that live there.
Sit down and relax at the many chairs displayed in the middle of the garden.


Museums

If culture is your big passion then you came to the right place.
If you want to got to one of the best museums of the world then catch de underground to Russel Square and head to the British Museum.
Here it's possible to make a trip to past cultures, with special focus on the egipcian. The entry is free of charge and you'll only pay if you want to visit special exhibitions.
It's open daily between 9am and 6pm althought some days it will only close at 11pm.



If you always liked the time when dinossaurs ruled the world then you can't miss the Natural History Museum. Here you can see real size replicas of this "monsters", know a little bit more about there lives and get carried around with de pre-historical vibe that circles around the museum. It's a must go place both to children and adults. It's open daily and the entry is also free of charge and the last permitted entry is at 5.30pm.


If you didn't cross with any famous star,
then let yourserlf be photografed with some of the celebreties down at the very famous Madame Tussaud's.It's in Baker Street near the Planetarium. You can buy both tickets togetether if you like so. The ticket price is not very appealing, 25£ (37,5€) but you can't miss this place. Take a picture with the eternal Lady Di, walk trought the many USA presidents, ask for the pope blessing, help building Mourinho's ideal team, remember the famous white dress of Marilyn Monroe and sing with Michael Jackson.
If your ticket includes the Live Chaimber, a special wing of the museum, then prepare yourself to feel the rush watching Joana d'Arc being burned alive or Louis XVI being decapitated. Jack the ripper and Adolf Hitler are also there between many others.
The way out is in a trolley car and where you can wath the antique London.






If you like arts and is addicted in The Davinci Code then you certainly want to go to the National Gallery. It's in Trafalgar Square, near the Nelson's column. here you can see the real Madonna of the Rocks and the Caravaggio colection, aong other works of art.
The entry is free of charge and it's recomended and amall visit.
If you want you can leave a pound to manintain this museum free of charge.





On South River Thames it's possible to visit Tate Gallery. The entry is free and the nearest underground is Pimlico. It's the modern art museum of London. It's collection is so vast that the board decided that it was for the best that the pieces of art would be renovated 6 to 6 months.
It's open daily and it closes at 5.50pm.


Landmarks

Anyone that goes to London goes to see the Big Ben.
Big Ben is not the name of the famous clock in Westminster as everybody thinks but it's the name of it's bell.
When you get to London make sure that this is going to be the first thing that your're going to see. You'll be impressed with it's dimension and for sure that you will set your clock by him.


London Eye is right in front of Big Ben. For those who don't know what that is, it's a giant wheel, with numerous capsules that can gather about 15 persons each.

It was opened in the year 2000 and in the present about 10.000 people travels every day in the eye.
Inside each capsule you can take fantastic pictures and in clear sky days you can see for about 40km distance (you can even see the Windsor Castle). If you'd like to impress or even pop the question you can rent a private capsule.


Go to Trafalgar Square, one of the most beautifull squares in the world, where it's the National Gallery, Nelson's Column and it's where usually the londoners celebrate a big football victory and where the chinese celebrate they're New Years.

Visit Tower Bridge and try to find out the schedule that the bridge is open. In the top of the bridge there's a special glass where you can take fantastic pictures of the London sights.

You can see right next to the bridge the Tower of London, a fortress that in the present is the repository of the Crown Jewels and in the past was a castle and a prison.
It's almost one hundred years old and it's still imaculated. On the inside you can see numerous crows whose wings were cut so that they won't fly away. The brittish believe that if they fly away from the Tower the monarchy will fall.
Don't miss a visit to this place that is well worth the 15£ (22,5€). Students, familiar and retired people tickets are cheaper.

Go to St Paul's Cathedral, where Prince Charles married Diana and was built after it's predesessor was burnt during the big London fire of 1666.
If you want to reach the top you have to pay and will have to climb about 500 stairs.

If you're a Beatles fan or just a curious one go to Abbey Road and see the studio where they recorded, take a picture in the famous zebra walking wich was the cover of a Beatles album and sign the wall. It's very near of the centre and you can catch a bus in Oxford Street to go there.

Also go to Westinster Abbey, the stage of the english crowns and the same place where Pincess Diana saied goodbye to the world.

If you have a free afternoon then visit the Greenwich Royal Observatory where it's the first world meridien. It's situated in a pretty and colourful village that marks the spot known as GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) that sets the time in every clock in the world.
The ticket is free but you have to get in line to get one and the last entrance is at 4.30pm.
And if you're there visit Cutty Sark, a historic english boat that was used as a way of transportion of tea.

If you'd like to know one of the places where was filmed The DaVinci Code then go to Temple Church. Get off at Temple Station. It's close by between Fleet Street and River Thames. It's a bit tricky to find it as it's in a very quiet area.
It was built in the XII century and in the floor you can see the Templars tombs (they built this church). Free entry.

As you're near the river get to know HMS Belfast, a ship that was used in the II world war and in the Normandie landing and it's now open for exhibition near the Tower Bridge.
Children 'till 16 have free entry and adult tickets go around 8.5£ (13€)


Relax

In London you have dozens of places where you can have fun.
One of the best clubs in the world is in London. It's the Ministry of Sound, it's near the city centre and you can go there by getting off at the Elephant & Castle underground station.

If you like more calmed spots then go to Leicester Square area. Go to Hippodrome that has that student vibe.
Go to Tantra Club, in Soho. A very cool bar with style and glamour. The vive looks like an MTV videoclip. One of the best bars is the West End area.
If you like theatre then go watch one of the many musicals that play in London.
One hint, go to the Half Price Ticket Booth in Leicester Square (there are lot's of false booths but the only one that is real is the one in front of the Capital Radio of London) but it only sells tickets for that day.
Watch the famous Phantom of the Opera, or Cats or even enjoy the Queen musical. You can even buy your ticket online.

If you like to see famous people there are many world premieres in London where you can see the famous Hollywood stars or even the royal family that so many times marks they're presence in these events.

If you'd like something more romantic then have a dinner boat Cruise in the Thames River. It costs about 80£ (120€) per person but you'll have a night that you wont' forget.

If your trip is finnishing and would like to get rid of that damn pennies that the britts usually throw away, go to the Trocadero Shopping in Piccadilly and use them in the pennies machine. If you're lucky maybe you'll win some money for a future trip.