Take a Quick Trip to Paris

What are you doing for the next two minutes and seven seconds? Nothing? Perfect. Take a short trip to Paris, courtesy of Luke Shepard, a student at the American University of Paris.

Now you’re ready to start your weekend.

Bon voyage!
Lisa

Take a Free Tour of Paris, No Travel Necessary

Can’t afford to visit Paris in Springtime? No problem. Visit www.paris-26-gigapixels.com for a free, hi-def view of the City of Light.

Get your 360-degree view of Paris here. Croissant not included.

This site allows you to zoom in on famous sites, learn a little but about them, and maybe get a bit dizzy in the process. Take a 10-minute vacation from your coursework or use the site as a trip-planning tool for your next European trek.

Bon voyage!

Student Deals on the Eurostar Disney Train

What are you doing for Spring Break? Or next summer? If you’re looking for a way to save money and still have fun, planning ahead is step one, and step two is finding the best student travel deals.

If backpacking Europe is high on your travel wish list, consider adding the Eurostar Disney train to your itinerary. It’s touristy, but fun, and you have to do something silly to balance out all the museums, cafes and other serious traveller activities you’re going to do.

The Eurostar offers daily direct service between London Waterloo or Ashford and Marne-la-Vallée (the heart of Disneyland Paris). The train drops you at the gates of the Magic Kingdom so you can walk right up and say “Bonjour” to Mickey and Minnie.

And if you’re looking for Disney deals on this side of the Atlantic, don’t forget about Disneyland’s offer to get into the park for free on your birthday during 2009.

Paris Thalys Train Still on Sale!

Thalys Train

If you’re headed to Paris before the end of September and plan to do some traveling by train, you may want to take advantage of this Travel CUTS sale fare. As long as you aren’t looking for a first-class seat, you can travel from Paris to Brussles for just $49. (At least that’s the price I got when I just looked it up. Prices may change.)

The Thalys train also connects Paris to Amsterdam, if you prefer, um, flowers, to lace and chocolate and waffles.

Get more information about this sale and other student travel discounts at Travel CUTS.

Eiffel Tower Not Getting Ruined After All

Looks like there’s no need to panic. The plans to improve the Eiffel Tower with a little hat/observation deck that were widely reported as being approved and ready for construction, were actually just a suggestion, and there will be no changes made to our favorite antenna:

http://www.architectmagazine.com/industry-news.asp?articleID=674095§ionID=1012

This doesn’t mean you can put off a trip to Paris though. You should still get there ASAP before all the crêpes go organic and the éclairs are made fat-free.

The Eiffel Tower: See it While You Can

Oh, those artsy smarty French. They’re always looking for ways to make things better, prettier, more refined or just more French. They did well with the whole Impressionism thing. The baguette is about as good as bread can get. Their fashion isn’t bad either. But now they’re messing with history, architecture and tourism, all at once.

They are “reshaping” the Eiffel Tower.

What can possibly be done to change a structure so big, so sturdy, and so well known? Well, you can put a little hat on it. Or maybe it’s a collar, the kind of big fluffy thing that kings named Louis once wore. You can accessorize it with a bit of frill and fringe and then hang some sparkly lights on it. Won’t that be nice? Maybe, maybe not.

The story that came out yesterday doesn’t indicate when construction begins, only that it will be complete in time for the structure’s 120th birthday next year. That means if you want to get a photo of you next to Eiffel Tower Classic, and not New Coke… er, The Eiffel Tower, Take Two, you’d better hurry. Or you’d better know someone who’s a whiz in Photoshop.

Mostly, I worry about all the street vendors and souvenir shops that will have to either make room for new keychains, postcards, spoon drips, collector-edition thimbles, pot holders, and tshirts, or get rid of the old ones. Who’s to say what the tourists will want? Could this redesign launch a new industry or photographers on the street offering photos next to a backdrop of the old-style Tower for tourists who want pictures with both? If you’re looking for a way to pay for your trip, you can use that idea for free.

Contiki can take you to Paris and show you all the sites, or you can get a student flight and a hostel membership and go it alone. Either way, your friends at Travel CUTS can help you find the best deals. Bon voyage!

New Year’s Eve Around the World

Wherever you are on December 31st, chances are there’s something exciting happening. Unless you’re home with your parents. Then I can’t really help you.

If you don’t have plans yet, there’s still time to get together with friends, or make new friends, or call up old friends and plan a reunion.

Spending the New Year Down Under? Visit newyearseve.com.au to find out where to see fireworks or get your dance on in Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart, Perth, or somewhere in between.

If you’re in Edinburgh, you have to do Hogmanay, and in Dublin, Ireland the party will be all over the place. London will have its share of fireworks along the Thames, but if that sounds too chilly for you, how about celebrating Festa de Iemanjá on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro?

If you’re looking for fun in Tokyo, Paris, Reykjavik, Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Singapore, or even boring old New York, this article on New Year’s Parties Worldwide can give you more details.