PARIS

As Victor Hugo put it: 'It is in Paris that the beating of Europe’s heart is felt. Paris is the city of cities.' Certainly, it is at the heart of France. In terms of urban sprawl, it is, in Europe, second only to London. Where matters of French administration, politics and cultural life are concerned, it plays an absolutely dominating role. It is also the world capital of chic. For all these reasons and more, Paris is so unlike much of the rest of its own country that it has been described as virtually a city-state in its own right.

Largely undamaged by two world wars, Paris has been created by centuries of inspired planning. Its street corners reek of history, its monuments and museums are well-known to people from all over the world and its inhabitants are an endless source of controversy. In this French capital, every pavement is a theatre on which daily life is played out.

Paris has a reputation for being a city of romance, a city of arts par excellence and a city of fun.  This is a city, which can easily be discovered on foot. But help is at hand for the weary: one of the beauties of Paris is a superb public transport system - and it is thanks to the RER and SNCF that the region surrounding the capital is so easily accessible.