Paris is the capital of France and the second largest city of Western Europe; it’s location straddling the banks of the river Seine make it a beautiful city to visit. Traveling through the city of Paris can be very enjoyable; there is a superb underground rail system called the Metro which is efficient and easy to understand.

If you are planning a trip to Paris there are three landmarks that you must save time for. They include the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, The Arc de Triomphe, and Notre Dame Cathedral. All four of these landmarks attract thousands of international tourists every year.

The Eiffel Tower is one of France’s best known Paris landmarks built in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel. Named the biggest structure in the world it was completed to celebrate the world exhibition in 1889. In 1930 the Chrysler stole the title of the world’s tallest building though. The Eiffel tower is seen as the symbol of Paris and one of its most visited attractions rising 300 meters into the sky it dominates the Paris skyline and is one of the most visible examples of Paris history.

The Louvre is one of the most famous museums in the world holding some of the most famous pieces of art. Once the home of the French Royal families it now holds art from all over the world including pieces from Rome, Egypt as well as Greek and Oriental art. Examples of this are Nike of Samothrace, Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous work the Mona Lisa and other famous pieces of art.

The Arc de Triomphe can be found at the Place Charles de Gaulle and was a celebration of Emperor Napoleon’s countless victories. Built in 1836 during the reign of Louis Philippe this was built years after Napoleons fall but is engraved with the names of the generals who commanded the French troops during Napoleon’s regime.

Notre Dame Cathedral was one of the first Gothic cathedrals ever built. Constructed started in 1163 by the Bishop Maurice de Sully and took two decades to build. The cathedral was not only where the monarchy of France was crowned but also the fictional home of the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The railway network of France, which stretches 31,840 kilometres (19,784 mi) is the most extensive in Western Europe. It is operated by the SNCF, and high-speed trains include the Thalys, the Eurostar and TGV, which travels at 320 km/h (200 mph) in commercial use. The Eurostar, along with the Eurotunnel Shuttle, connects with the United Kingdom through the Channel Tunnel. Rail connections exist to all other neighbouring countries in Europe, except Andorra. Intra-urban connections are also well developed with both underground services and tramway services complementing bus services.

There is approximately 893,300 kilometres (555,070 mi) of serviceable roadway in France. The Paris region is enveloped with the most dense network of roads and highways that connect it with virtually all parts of the country. French roads also handle substantial international traffic, connecting with cities in neighboring Belgium, Spain, Andorra, Monaco, Switzerland, Germany and Italy. There is no annual registration fee or road tax; however, motorway usage is through tolls except in the vicinity of large communes. The new car market is dominated by domestic brands such as Renault (27% of cars sold in France in 2003), Peugeot (20.1%) and Citroën (13.5%).Over 70% of new cars sold in 2004 had diesel engines, far more than contained petrol or LPG engines. France possesses the world’s tallest road bridge: the Millau Viaduct, and has built many important bridges such as the Pont de Normandie.