Everyone is so familiar with the French capital and what there is to see there that you almost don’t need to bother taking a guide book with you. The most visited tourist attractions include the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame de Paris, the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre, the Pompidou Centre, the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées.
The great thing about Paris is that the main tourist sites are all within walking distance of each other, and although the city is busy at any time of the year, it’s a beautiful city to walk around. When you want a break from pounding the boulevards, though, you can always hop on the easy-to-use Metro.
There’s always something big happening in Paris, a little like any of the other major capital cities in the world. If you’re in Paris during May and June this year, you could get tickets to the French Open and potentially witness history being made. Rafael Nadal is currently the favorite at Betfair and other betting sites to win this, one of the four biggest tennis Grand Slams. If he does, he will have improved on his own record for the number of times a single player has won the same competition. Currently, Nadal is the only player to have won a single Grand Slam eight times, and this year, if all goes to plan, he will get his ninth victory at Roland Garros. Keep track on the latest odds at betfair.com as the tournament gets underway.
Another big sporting event coming up in July is the finish of the Tour de France, the gruelling cycle race that covers much of France every year but always finishes on the Champs-Elysées.
Music lovers might want to time their visit to be part of Rock en Seine, one of the biggest music festivals in France. It takes place from 22-24 August this year and will feature groups such as The Prodigy, Arctic Monkeys and Lana del Ray. And cinema buffs could book their trip to coincide with the International Paris Film Festivalthat takes place from 5-12 July. You may not get into the premieres but there’s the all night movie marathon at the Forum des Images or the Cine Karaoke where the audience is encouraged to join in and sing along to memorable movie scenes.
Whenever you go to Paris, you’ll be able to see some of the greatest sights in the world as well as participate in live events such as these.
Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, Paris
Musée d’Orsay and the Seine, Paris, France
Rolland Garros tennis match
Tour de France on Champs-Elysées
