Archive for 'Pretty Views in France'

The Palace of Versailles, Château de Versailles, or simply Versailles is a former royal palace located in the Île-de-France region of France that is now open as a museum and is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations.

Once a tiny village in the countryside, the surrounding area is now a wealthy suburb of Paris. This is where King Louis XIV moved out the French court from the capital in 1682 and where the royal family remained until the French Revolution and the beginning of the end of the monarchy.

Extravagant and beautiful, the building began life as a brick and stone hunting lodge for Louis XIII that was built in 1624 under the architect was Jacques Lemercier.

In the last post in this series, we have just crossed the Pont Alexandre III, having found a vacation rental in Paris, and are continuing Google's itinerary for one day in the city.

6. Place de la Concorde (Distance from the previous destination: 10 minutes by foot. Suggested amount of time to spend here: 35 minutes)

The 18th century Place de la Concorde is another of the major public squares in Paris, located in the 8th arrondissement. A bustling spot with a good ambiance, cafes and people-watching, there are plenty of palaces, architectural gems and monuments and fountains to take in. One of the most picturesque parts of the city, it is probably the image of Paris that many have in mind. Just grab a coffee, take a break from this crazy dash around the city and take it all in.

Continuing with Google's itinerary for 24 hours in Paris, we had just visited the Eiffel tower and were about to move on…

3. Jardins du Trocadéro (Distance from the previous destination: 5 minutes by foot. Suggested amount of time to spend here: 40 minutes)

Another outdoor space in Paris, this is where you will find the Christmas markets and ice rink in the winter and where you will get more excellent views and photo ops by the Eiffel Tower. Located in the 16th arrondissement, and bordered to the northwest by the wings of the Palais de Chaillot and to the southeast by the Seine and the Pont d'Iéna, with the Eiffel Tower on the opposite bank of the Seine, its main feature is the lovely Fountain of Warsaw. With a long basin, or water mirror, it features several jet-streams that create dramatic fountain displays and is just, overall, a very pretty place.

A lifetime wouldn't be long enough to explore everything that makes Paris so unique and beautiful. There is a reason that so many have fallen so deeply in love with the city for centuries now. However, most of us don't have endless hours and days and years to explore all that Paris to offer so what should you see with limited time in the city? Well, if you only have a day, Google has an automated itinerary with some interesting suggestions. Using information compiled from all over the web – from reviews of attractions, to maps and typical crowd flows – they have mapped out where to go and suggested amounts of time to spend there.

If you have found a vacation rental in Paris, it might be a good place to start while planning your trip, or if you have found a vacation rental in France and are planning on heading to Paris for just a day trip, it might be exactly what you need!

Mont-Saint-Michel is one of the most striking and iconic buildings in the world. Perched atop of a rocky islet, it dominates the bay where Normandy and Brittany merge and can be seen for miles away. Around the Gothic-style Benedictine abbey is the town that grew up around it and both are historic gems that have remained unspoiled for century.

Just find a vacation rental in Normandy or a holiday rental in Brittany and be sure to set aside some time to visit this beauty for yourself – it is well-worth it!