Day One

Three days in France is not much in a country offering so many famous attractions and interesting sites. The best way to spend your time is to hit the highlights of Paris and spend your third day either exploring Louis XIV’s Versailles or the lovely Loire Valley.

 

Begin your journey in the City of Light, the glorious and romantic Paris. Famed from literature, movies, and history, Paris is everything you expect her to be. From strolling the Champs-Elysees to marveling at the Louvre’s massive collection of art, you will not be disappointed.

 

Start day one of your quick tour of France at the world famous Eiffel Tower. Designed by Gustave-Alexandre Eiffel and built for the Universal Exhibition of 1889, the tower stands 1,056 feet tall. You will be one of 5.5 million visitors that trek to the tower each year. As for ascending the tower, you have a few options. The first is to bypass the elevator lines and hike two floors by stairs. You can get a pretty good view and move on with your day. If you want a more exciting view, travel by elevator to one of three increasing high levels (tickets are more expensive the higher you go).

 

When you are finished marveling at the ancestor of the skyscraper, make your way over a few streets to Paris’ other famous monument, the Arc de Triomphe. It stands 163 feet high and 147 feet wide, and it is the largest triumphal arch in the world. It was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806, though it was completed in 1836 under a different ruler. It is decorated with famous sculptures and engraved with the names of hundreds of generals who commanded troops in Napoleon’s armies.

 

Because the Arc de Triomphe stands at the head of one of the most famous streets in the world, you are in perfect position to spend the afternoon strolling down the Champs-Elysees on your way to Place de la Concorde. The street’s beauty can be credited to Marie de Medici, who decided to extend the garden axis of the Palais des Tuileries with an avenue of trees. The result is a gorgeous boulevard that serves as the commercial heart and soul of Paris. It is lined with shops, boutiques, restaurants, and cafes. Find one that appeals to you, order a croque monsieur (French ham and cheese sandwich) for lunch, and settle in for some of the world’s best people watching.

 

When you have had your fill, finish your journey down the Champs-Elysees at the Place de la Concorde, one of Paris’ major squares, marked by a giant Egyptian obelisk. As pleasant as it is today, this place has a bloody history: it was the site of many of the French Revolution beheadings, including King Louie XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette.

 

Splurge on a decadent, multi-course French meal for dinner and anticipate a magnificent day at the Louvre tomorrow.