Valentines Day in Paris
The city of lovers comes alive in February – even if it is cold and miserable, James Stone says.
For those of us with another half, the onset of January only means that Valentines Day is getting closer.
In previous years I've been know to get by with a romantic meal and some flowers grabbed form the reduced section of Sainsbury's. But not this year, I've managed to bag a couple of cheap flights to Paris.
Getting to Paris from London has never been easier. Not only do a number of budget airlines offer cheap flights to the French capital, but the recent Eurostar revamp at St Pancras makes for an interesting start to the journey. Journey times on the two modes of transport differ by mere minutes and some people have argued that the high-speed train has the advantage of getting travellers straight from one city centre to the other.
Opting to fly to Paris is easily done, but the rail-link does have its own set of advantages. Getting from Charles de Gaulle or Orly airports can be a bit of a pain, but is made easier by the regular shuttle buses which leave fairly regularly from the centre of town.
Once in Paris, visitors are met with a vast number of ways to occupy their time. A trip to the Eiffel Tower is a must, as is an obligatory picture in front of the Arc de Triomphe and a tour around Notre Dame Cathedral.
A walk down the main promenade of the Camps-Elysees is another Parisian must-do, being home to some of the finest street-side cafes and trendy clothing shops in France. Of evening, visitors can find some bustling nightclubs and restaurants on the avenue and at certain times of year, outdoor street festivals are staged along the road.
The recent introduction of a smoking ban, similar to the one rolled out in the UK last summer, means that some of the backstreet Parisian cafes have lost that hazy ambience. Perhaps a blessing in disguise for some of the more health conscious, but an unexpected turn of events none-the-less.
Of course, like most places in continental Europe, Paris has proper seasons, meaning a trip to the city during February calls for lots of scarves, sweaters and mittens. u
Alternative romantic getaways for Valentines Day include Rome, again easily accessible by plane, Barcelona - another cheap flight favourite - and Reykjavik which is fast becoming the popular choice for those couples looking for something a little bit different.
