Escape London 2012 for Paris

If you live in London and you are already feeling overwhelmed by the London Olympics, it is hard to escape the fervour of the games in the city. London 2012 has seen a massive influx of games visitors and tourists who will be packing the tube, the London hotels, the attractions and the restaurants. Now would seem to be the perfect opportunity to hop across the channel and enjoy some of the delights of Paris.
Of course, this could have been a completely different story and it may well have been the other way round, with Paris having been the other leading contender to host the 2012 Olympic Games and it would have been Paris hotels bursting with visitors, and roads packed with travellers getting to fabulous sporting arenas.
It could well be that Pairs is less busy than usual as many people who may have ordinarily considered Paris have headed for London 2012 instead. Although, of course the cause and effect could be totally the opposite, and many people have thought that with the world heading for London, now is the time to head for the French capital. The hotels in Paris may well be fuller than you expect but there are always good deals, and in reality, you don’t ever really need an excuse to visit one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Paris in August should be lovely. If the weather plays ball, it does tend to have slightly better summers than London, being further south, so if the sun shines, it makes seeing all those fabulous sites an even greater experience. If it is your first trip to Paris, it is quite easy to decide where you want to go. Choose Paris hotels with a central location and the iconic landmarks and most popular things to see and do are easily accessible. Every first trip should include all those famous names – the Eiffel Tower (go up high for amazing views), The Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Louvre. Admittedly, you may only be able to pay a short visit to each, but it provides the ideal reason to come back for another visit. If you have time, take a bateaux mouche cruise on the Seine, take a walk in the Tuileries and enjoy as much fabulous food and wine as you can.
If you aren’t a Paris virgin, make it a trip with a difference. Go shopping for antiques, or how about a spot of early Christmas shopping, or, maybe splash out and live it up with a meal in a 3 Michelin star restaurant. If you’ve never visited the Moulin Rouge, maybe a weekend in August is the perfect opportunity. Find a charm in the mix of boutique hotels and cheap hotels Paris has to offer and get out into the city to enjoy some of the outdoor events. Watch movies under the stars at La Villette Open-Air Cinema Festival or Cinema au Clair de la Lune, or listen to a performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at La Chappelle.