Travel News | Travel Advice

Of all the popular European tourist destinations, Paris is up there with the top three. Most of the main attractions are in the centre of Paris where just over two million people live although when you enter the suburbs, that figure rises to almost ten million. Paris is one of the most traveled cities in Europe, if not the world, today.

Paris has always been known as the world capital of art, fashion and culture and when new fashion designs hit the street you can bet they started in Paris first. And in addition to the fashion that comes from the city, it is also very art oriented as well and the city of Paris is the home to several well known museums; new artists are always appearing in this famed city.

Whilst Paris has plenty of famous attractions there are three that stand apart from the rest and should always be seen no matter how many times you visit. These three are world famous, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral and of course the Eiffel Tower each of which has many hundreds of thousands of tourists visit them every year.

The Louvre internationally renowned museum is in Paris and has enough exhibits to keep even the most demanding person occupied for days with many hundreds of visitors every day. The reason for this is simple; the Louvre is the home to some of the greatest works of art of all time including the Mona Lisa; but there is much more to see that just this world famous painting.

As far as the weather is concerned, most tourists are lucky and can visit at any time of the year without to many worries about any form of extreme weather. You can expect winter temperatures to hover around the 40 degree mark and summer has a daily average of 75 degrees Fahrenheit so it isn’t too uncomfortable if you are traveling around no matter when you visit.

Paris has two good sized airports that handle the majority of cheap flights in and out of the city; there is Orly Airport which gets a bit of traffic, but not nearly as much as the Roissy-en-France which is one of the busiest in all of Europe. It is easy to catch direct flights from Roissy-en-France to almost anywhere in the world as it covers most international destinations.

Paris has always been a very popular tourist destination and people like to visit the area for the art, fashion, or for just a relaxing vacation. Any trip to Europe would not be complete without a stay in Paris even if it is a long weekend because there is so much to see and do it is almost certain you will want to return.

As the second largest city in Western Europe, Paris is a great place to visit; it’s location straddling the banks of the river Seine make it a beautiful city to visit. Renowned for its modern art and breathtaking scenery a short stay in Paris is the ideal location for a romantic weekend break; most people quickly discover that a few days is not really enough.

If you are looking for some great cheap Paris airfares have a look at Teletext Holidays for regular discounts.

It is famous for many famous buildings and locations; the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre must not go unmentioned. Visitors to Paris as well as its citizens can travel around Paris easily; the Metro underground train network will probably be the main method as it runs regularly and reaches every part of the city.

You can’t miss the Eiffel Tower, mainly because it’s over three hundred meters high; it can be seen from any point within the city and the superb views just can’t be matched by those looking at it from the ground. You can be assured of an even more beautiful sight if you visit in the evening when it is illuminated; taking a tour at the same time will teach you much more about this remarkable structure.

If you plan on spending some of your traveler’s checks in Paris, then a trip down the Champs Elysees is an essential part of a trip; it’s where you will find all the top class hotels, shops and restaurants. This is an ‘up-market’ area that attracts thousands of tourists each day; it is also where most of the five star hotels are situated but thankfully hotels tend to be cheaper once you move away from the city center.

This city is also the home to the renowned Louvre Museum; it holds in excess of 300,000 pieces of art, which cannot possibly be seen in a single visit. On a Paris short stay vacation it would be easy to spend entire weekend here; unfortunately it has so many visitors each year that some people are unable to see their favorite works. Over the years, Paris has been home to many of the world’s famous artists; chances are that you will have the opportunity to see a number of famous paintings whilst you’re visiting.

The famous 19th century edifice built on Napoleons instructions, the Arc de Triomphe, is also in Paris; the names of his generals are engraved on its surface and another of those ‘must have’ photo land marks. The Arc is the focal point of the city and contains an observatory to view the local area; it can be found in Charles de Gaulle Place at the intersection of twelve avenues including the Champs Elysees.

You will not be at a loss for places to visit whilst in the city; there are plenty of others to keep you occupied but to make the most of your time, use one of the guided tours. Most people find their Paris short stay vacations exciting but only see a glimpse of what’s on offer; that would require a longer visit as you probably won’t have time to visit the gothic churches and castles in only a few days.

While a large number of individuals choose to only charter private yachts for a few hours or a day, there are many more that make the decision to make a voyage out of it. This can be an extremely enjoyable way to spend a few days but I is surprising how many people neglect to arrange insurance protection for this event.

Of course insurance is recommended for any pursuit just like this and whilst many people do not see the need when they are only using the yacht for a few hours, this is not the same as a week or two week vacation where travel insurance must be taken out for the party. Unfortunately the vast majority of people believe that they are protected by the yacht insurance they take out when they arrange the charter.

Personal belongings and the renters require a separate travel insurance plan to cover themselves as the insurance already arranged was just to protect the craft and her crew members. Although there is a good chance that your yacht chartering adventure will be accident free, it is something that cannot be guaranteed and that is why it is at least advised that you look into purchasing insurance for yourself and family.

Travel insurance, if you are unfamiliar with it, comes in a number of different formats and extensive travel insurance packages tend include reimbursement for trips that need to be cut short due to injuries or medical illnesses. The variety of cover is comprehensive some of which you will need, some you may not but there are certain factors that are important to include.

Chartered yacht trips are usually very safe but incidents can happen and accidental death should be one of those incidents covered by your travel insurance. Remember that you will be at sea and events can take a turn for the worse and accidents are possible. Perhaps you now understand just why accidental death cover is so important when you arrange travel insurance.

After our lives, our possessions are important to us so you will need to ensure adequate provision is made in this area as well. You will need to ensure the travel insurance cover for personal belongings will cover the cost of replacement as many items we carry with us are expensive and no-one knows if they could be lost, stolen or damaged during the trip.

This is where reading the fine print matters as the last thing you want to happen is to put in a claim and have it rejected because you did not read the policy properly. The costs for travel insurance are not normally high so don’t skimp on this necessary ‘piece of mind’ cover when you charter your yacht.

These days we all travel more on our yearly vacations, some more than others while the really adventurous like to travel as far away from where they live as they can. Wherever it is you want to visit, there will be numerous sources of information online at special travel sites. Not only this but many people have given up going to a travel agent altogether (unless they are after a brochure) and make all their travel, car hire and accommodation arrangements online. Generally travel agents cannot compete, at least financially, with the wealth of sites that can offer amazing discounts.

There is obviously a great deal of trust required to use the internet this way as often the companies you deal with have never been anything else but an internet based business. However, companies like Teletext Holidays UK can offer some incredibly cheap airfares and discounted holidays. I much prefer to deal with someone I can see and touch, that‘s why I still use my travel agent and I also know they have a real office that I can visit. With a travel agent, I can change my mind about my plans several times, call and ask questions, and have someone to blame should my vacation not turn out to be what I was hoping for. The more maddening problem with travel sites arranged vacation is when there is a complaint about some aspect of it; this is the part that lets the whole system down as talking to a human being is not easy, and if you do actually manage to speak to someone, do have any idea where they are?

Even if you are lucky enough to talk to a person, how do you know they are telling you the truth about the situation? It is because of the number of things that can go wrong I still prefer to use my local travel agent even if it does take a little more time and there may be more to pay. One of my friends only ever uses the travel sites to book her vacations but she does like the last minute discounts that can be found which are much easier to find using the internet. She is good at this and saves hundreds of dollars of the proper price and has always had a good vacation.

I’m not one for last minute travel although I suppose I could be if my schedule was more flexible but my job requires me to ask for vacation months in advance. Other savings to be made using travel sites are the costs of other day trips or tours that are not part of the main vacation. Still after all is said and done I still the use the internet a great deal for my vacation research before I actually go along to see my travel agent as I will have most of the information I require before I see her. I know it may seem unkind after all the help that my travel agent has given me but I know that if I have problems that need correcting when I return, it is easy to go along and see her to have sorted out.

Whether it is a business trip, for pleasure or a student break, you should never travel abroad without comprehensive travel accident insurance. By taking out travel accident insurance cover you can guarantee that no matter what happens you will be covered even for problems with baggage, personal belongings, travel delays and emergency return flights. When you purchase your travel accident insurance, you’re likely to have several options regarding the amount of coverage, what specific health benefits, and a form of trip insurance (in the event your trip is cancelled or your luggage is lost, you’re covered).

It may be time consuming to search, compare and choose the best and cheap travel and medical insurance types and prices to suit your needs and budget but it is well worth it for your peace of mind. When carrying out your travel accident insurance research, remember that travel agents are there to sell you a holiday or travel deal and may not know much about travel and medical insurance policies so may not have the answers you need to make an informed decision. In your search, don’t forget online consumer and comparison websites that do all the research for you, so all you have to do is choose the best policy for your needs.

Often, a person’s health insurance may cover certain medical bills associated with foreign travel but a comprehensive travel accident insurance policy should cover all eventualities including air ambulance support and emergency cash where necessary. Travel accident insurance should, if the correct plan has been researched, cover every type of situation and not just those of an emergency medical nature such as delayed or cancelled flights and lost or stolen personal effects for instance. It is often the case where a travel accident insurance policy does not cover events such as baggage delays and only helps if they are lost or stolen, in the same way that emergency medical assistance should be available twenty four hours and not just at specific times. To ensure complete coverage is part of your travel medical insurance, it is a good idea to check whether overnight hospital benefits are included, usually 0 per night, whenever the trip is outside Canada or the USA.

When an insurance claim has to be lodged owing to an incident it is important to notify the company who has supplied your travel accident insurance as soon as you are able. When you return from your vacation, you will need to collect all your receipts, proof of ownership (where necessary) and any other relevant information collected from the Police or medical establishments and forward them all to the insurance company claims department to assist in an early settlement. Working with your insurance company is far preferable to working against them as they can be of great help in a crisis and it is nice to have that peace-of-mind that when you return you won’t have further problems to deal with because you failed to inform them of what was happening. Choosing your travel accident insurance may at first seem a trivial matter but you can guarantee if anything untoward is going to happen, it will happen when you are on vacation in another country and where you will need comprehensive cover the most.