Paris, France: 3 days/2 nights...

Paris is a sprawling city with plenty of sights to see. The amount of history and culture here is pretty amazing. Everything is pretty expensive here, so I'm only going to spend 2 nights here to avoid spending a ridiculous amount of money. It's a city worth visiting, but I would not live here.

There is so much to see in Paris! You could spend weeks here if you have the budget. There's the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, the Arch, the massive Louvre Art Museum, countless churches, cathedrals, sculptures, statues, and other interesting landmarks and architecture. Just cruise around on a bicycle or scooter in any direction and you will find interesting things to see no matter which direction you go. Cycling or scootering is best way to explore the city. There are electric assisted bicycles for rent throughout the city. There are plenty of bike lanes and most are smooth, but many are cobble stones which makes it hard to for my Xootr's polyurethane wheels.

For urban environments like Paris, a kick scooter like my Xootr is far superior than a bicycle. It's just as fast in most urban situations (12-15 mph on flat terrain), easier to navigate thru thick crowds. It's lighter in weight, smaller in size, and more stable at slower speeds (<>

It's very easy to get lost, however. Paris is a city full of traffic circles. Every time you encounter one of these traffic circles, there are at least 5 different streets for you to choose from. Pick the wrong one and you are going to get lost very quickly. Fortunately, subway stations are almost everywhere and there's a map to help get you oriented. Subways are fast and efficient. They run until 1 am and there's always less than a 3 minute wait for the next train. However, the trains and stations are dirty, smelly and not pleasant to ride in. I'd rather ride the bus if I had more time to figure out the routes. But as a new visitor, I'd recommend the subways as they are the easiest way to get around the city without getting lost.

If you are spending a few days here, I suggest you get a metro pass. For about 15 Euros a day, you get unlimited rides on the subways and busses. The subways (metro as they call it) are easy to figure out. I used it to get from the airport to the hotel without too much difficulty. Taxis are also reasonable if you need to get around after the subways close at 1 am. Many people here don't speak English, but you will usually find someone that speaks English after asking 2 or 3 people. You will also encounter beggars and street venders harassing you to give them money or buy their wares. They can be very aggressive and may hound you until you give them something.

I am glad I stayed in the Boulogne district in the south west corner of the city. It's relatively quiet area of the city. Central Paris is packed with people with massive crowds on the streets, stores, and restaurants. Prices for food and hotels are also higher. The lines for everything can be long. I stayed at Hotel b at 70 Euros per night. I can recommend this hotel. It's a very small room with an even smaller elevator, but the room was clean and a nice breakfast is included in the price. The all you can eat breakfast includes ham, cheese, croissants, fresh breads, cereal, juice, apple sauce.

At 8 pm tonight, I will be taking an 11 hour overnight train to Berlin. I got a sleeper cabin, so it'll be interesting to see how sleeping on a train will be. It's gotta be better than on airplane!