Paris, France (pop. 2.2million)

Paris; the city of love, the city of food and the city of light… That's a whole lot of city in one! Paris is the epitome of French culture, chic tree lined streets, delicious restaurants with more Michelin hats than most countries alone, lovers publicly displaying their affections for all to see and museums holding more artworks and treasures than visitors have time for. One of the most visited places in the world, Paris is a destination that any worldly traveller must have on their list and more often than not, it’s at the top.

When in Paris and you’re confronted by some less than helpful locals, go with the flow and adopt the French saying – Cest la Vie. If you do need directions or help, err on the side of caution and assume that the person you are talking to speaks fluent English – those that do won’t rebuff you because they are insulted by the fact you think they may not be educated in English or those that don't will probably help you anyways. Always remember however, that hello (Bonjour), thank you (Merci) and goodbye (Au Revoir) should be said in French and not English – they are easy to remember and assist in disarming the French of their contempt.

Besides the traditional blasé attitudes of the French, Paris has a lot to offer the tourist. The city is large, so be prepared to do a large amount of walking and don’t be afraid to catch the city’s famed metro system. Walking from one attraction to another is not only good for your fitness, but enables you to see things off the tourist track. When necessary however, the city’s large and broad metro system is efficient and reaches almost all areas of the city. It’s rather cheap and convenient, albeit sometimes rather smelly. Visitors to the city are spoilt with the tourist Orange Carte – it represents really good value for those who are doing a lot of travelling around the city (and believe me, you will). It also provides some discounts and savings around the city so keep the booklet handy with you.

To begin with, visitors should begin their tour of Paris near the metro station of Saint Michel near the Notre Dame. Head into the world famous cathedral first thing in the morning before it gets busy before coming back out towards the fountain located in the heart of Saint Michel. From there, head west along the River Seine until you reach Pont Nerf, and from there it's a short stroll to the Louvre. Finally, continue west towards the Champs Elysees, home of the Arc de Triomphe. One you have walked this leg of Paris, a majority of the city’s highlights have already been seen. What remains is Montmartre, the Eiffel tower, Montparnasse Tower (and the surround St Germain des-Pres area), La Defence and some retail therapy at Galleries Lafayette. If you are not confident in walking such a long distance on your own, there is a free walking tour that leaves from St Michel every morning that is free, purely based on a tip to the tour guide (I would suggest roughly 5-10euros). Perform an Internet search of “new Europe walking tours” to find information about additional tours, meeting times and information.

Useful Hint:

The best view of Paris is either from the Sacre Coeur (free) or the Arc de Triomphe (nominal). The view of Paris from the Eiffel tower isn’t complete without the view of itself. That being said, views of the city at night from the Eiffel tower are spectacular and sunset/evening is the best time to visit.

Getting Here:

• Trains from all over Europe arrive into Paris Gare du Nord frequently. It is the most convenient to catch the train from London to Paris, rather than flying out of the many London airports.
• The national rail operator, TGV, connects Paris to other French cities easily and very quickly.
• Most planes land at Charles De Gaulle airport or Orly airport. Both are well connected to Paris by the regional train operator RER.
• Cruise ships dock a few hours away in the port of Le Havre.

Stockholm, Sweden (Pop. 674,000)

Ahhh Sweden, how many Swedish icons there are in popular culture and around the world? For a country of less than 9million inhabitants, the Swedes have been embraced by the world through cars, alcohol, pop music, clothing and flat pack furniture. The household Swedish names we’ve all come to know and love include ABBA, Absolut, Volvo, Saab, IKEA and H&M.

Stockholm is the epicentre of Swedish business and as such, one is instantaneously transported to Swedish heaven upon arrival at Stockholm Arlanda Airport. The short bus ride into the city passes the green rolling hills of the Swedish countryside and during the summer, you can see why the Swedes sport around such beautiful tans. In the city area, Stockholm is built along the east coast of Sweden and also takes up a number of islands including the one that holds the royal palace. Connected by a series of bridges, Stockholm’s old town area is the picture perfect cobbled stone lined street one imagines in fairytales.

The palace itself covers about a quarter of the old town island and is a rather non-descript stone building. Inside however, its arts and relics from kings and queens gone by combine to form a rather dazzling collection of jewels and treasures from one of the world’s oldest monarchies. Similar to many other Scandinavian and European cities, Stockholm is a bike friendly city that is easy to navigate and provides safe bike lanes for cyclists to roam about. If biking is not particularly high on the agenda, then the city’s public transport system is clean, efficient and frequent albeit a little on the expensive side.

Some notable sites in Stockholm for tourists include Skansen, which is one of the world’s largest open air museums, providing an intriguing look at early Swedish life and also contains an animal park that somewhat resembles a zoo. Children and adults will be both amused and interested, and traditional Swedish food is served in the cafes and patisseries. The Skansen is also located across from the Tivoli amusement park and a short stroll from the yacht permanently tied to the harbour that acts as a youth hostel. The Vaasa museum is also located along the water from and has an original wooden ship that sunk during its maiden voyage as it was leaving Stockholm harbour over 400 years ago. Art lovers will also enjoy the Moderna Museet.

Useful Hint:

Staying further away from the city is a significantly cheaper option than living in the heart of the city. Being away from all the tourist attractions and living closer to the locals also means that eating out and general necessities are also cheaper and easier to find. If budget is a concern, accommodation, which allows for self-catering is a brilliant idea to combat the high prices of the Swedish economy, as DIY dinners are reasonable value even in a country such as Sweden.

Getting Here:

• Arlanda is the main airport serving Stockholm and is the home of SAS airlines (Scandinavian air service) and its partner Star Alliance members. One World alliance members are less prominent but none the less still fly here. Flights leave here to all parts of Europe and the world.
• Skavsta airport is a regional airport labelled by RyanAir and other low cost airlines as an airport for Stockholm. Coach most conveniently reaches it and currently there are 2 bus companies at war on the route and offering deals and specials on tickets to and from the airport.
• Trains from around the country and neighbouring Finland and Denmark all terminate at Stockholm central station.
• Cruise ships and ferries dock close to the city centre at the terminal on Stockholm harbour.