La Gare

One of the top restaurants in Paris for 2008 is La Gare. This restaurant is the place to go if you want to impress that special person. At La Gare, the desserts are just as good as the main course, if not even better! It is an exceptional place, that tastes amazing, but still stays within your budget. It is a great place to go with a group of friends but people who have been here recommend you go for the first visit with a date. This is the type of place that you go for the first time for the setting, then you never stop returning for the food. Everything that the restaurant does is for the costumer.

Visiting the Eiffel Tower

Trips out of the country can be very expensive. Staying downtown of an area can add up, but if you stay too far out you can be paying just as much for transportation. I know if I went on a trip to Paris one thing I'd have to see would be the Eiffel Tower. My next question to myself would be.... "Where do I stay?"

I would choose to stay at the Hotel Eiffel Seine for many reasons. One, it's very affordable for its location. Rooms can start as low as $155 and it is only a five-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower. Two, the inside of the hotel is very cute. The 45 rooms offer something unique and there are five types to choose from. Some offer balconies overlooking the city, which I would enjoy. Hotel cleanliness is very big when I'm choosing a place to stay. The Hotel Eiffel Seine is very clean and the staff is very helpful for anything the guests may need. Three, the hotel even offers a little restaurant. I personally enjoy having a nice place to grab something quick to eat when I have a busy day packed with things to do. Overall it's an adorable little hotel, and I would definitely stay here if I were going to Paris. 

Five Stars for the Five Hotel

Staying in Paris and don't even know where to begin? I can help... at least with where to stay. I recommend The Five Hotel. It's located in the middle of Paris right by the Jardin du Luxembourg. I want a unique experience when I stay in hotels, I don't want the typical everyday hotel. The Five Hotel is anything but typical. It only offers 24 rooms so advanced reservations are a must. The rooms are like none I have ever seen. They are almost magical. There are five types of rooms to choose from and each has its own theme. My favorite has to be the night room. The bed actually hangs from the ceiling that's covered with stars and little lights. Everything about this hotel is enchanting. The lobby is filled with unique chairs, mirrors, wall hangings, and lights. A continental breakfast is also included which is always a nice plus to any hotel. It's a great family friendly place. There are many things to do near by and childcare is offered if needed. It's a great modern and almost futuristic hotel, 5 out of 5 stars in my book. 

~The Struggles of Luggage~

Trying to find your luggage in a crowded airport can be stressful. Why is it when you buy your luggage you don’t think about of the billion other people that may buy the exact same luggage? When the conveyor belt is going around, it seems that everyone’s luggage is the exact same. It’s already hard enough to get your luggage off the conveyor belt, so the added blow of finding out that you grabbed someone else’s luggage isn’t much fun. I have had someone accidentally grab my luggage and I grabbed theirs. It was a huge mix up and really embarrassing when I opened my suit case and especially when I found all men’s clothing. There weren’t any tags on the suitcase, but mine had my information on it. The guy who got my suitcase contacted me and we were able to switch them back. So later, my mom filled me in on a good trick to help with luggage confusion. She told me that if I tied a bright ribbon or fabric around one of handles of the suitcase that it can make it much easier to see. Now, I usually tie a bright orange ribbon around the handles of all of my luggage, so I can easily tell that they are mine and help me keep track of it all. Along with that, I make sure to have a tag on each suitcase with my name, address and cell phone number so if there is any mix up they can contact me. Lost or mixed up luggage can be both confusing and frustrating, especially on vacation. I tried my mom’s advice and it has helped me travel with a bit more ease.

Paris, France

I would personally love to go to Paris, but have never gotten the chance to go. One of the top restaurants in Paris is Spicy. Spicy is a great family dining experience. There is entertainment for children, a terrace, and animals are allowed. The wide variety on the menu will keep everyone happy and they have an excellent Sunday brunch. They have very reasonable prices and the menus are in english.

Another restaurant I found interesting is Le Bellecour. This is a cozy little place which serves simple and delicate dishes. Traditional European dishes are taken to new heights as the restaurant changes its menu three times a year to ensure the freshest foods. The dress code here is business casual so you don't have to get too dressed up, unles you want to. reservations are recommended.

~Passports- Don't Leave the Country Without One~

Headed to Paris? If so don’t forget your passport! When traveling anywhere out of the United States, it’s very important to know whether you need a passport or not. More times than not, you have to have a passport, even traveling to Canada and Mexico it is necessary to have a passport. Getting a passport isn’t so much hard as it is very time consuming. So, once all the paper work has been filled out, it can take 4-6 weeks before you get your passport. So when planning a vacation or trip out of the country, the first thing you need to focus on is a passport. If you are traveling out of the US and you don’t have a passport, then be sure to give yourself and only one else who is traveling with you enough time to get their passports. Also plan for the expense of the passport, passports can cost up to $100. Before booking anything, make sure you have a passport. There is no sense in booking a vacation and not being able to go because you don’t have a passport. That is a huge waste of money and time, plus it can be very upsetting to plan an amazing vacation and not be able to go because of paper work.