Eiffel-Tower

From beautiful rivers to extinct volcanoes, exotic beaches and pristine vistas, France truly has it all! France is known as the perfect place to stay, eat and explore by many. It is the favourite of many travellers and considered one of the most romantic countries in the world; popular as a honeymoon spot for many lovebirds and newlyweds.

One of the most visited countries in the world, France is home to long hot summers and exotically romantic locations. It is mostly associated with fine wines and cuisines, a laid back lifestyle and beautiful scenery for the world to envy. Hosting a diverse landscape that has been a source of inspiration for several poets, writers and artists over time, France has gorgeous mountain ranges, a lush green countryside landscape and miles and miles of a beautiful coastline.

Paris is definitely one of the most popular cities of France, but there are other exotic locations that are truly worth visiting when in France.

Here are 15 Exotic Places To Visit In France. Have a look!

1. Arc de Triomphe

arc-de-triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most popular monuments in Paris. It is located in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle, at the western end of the Champs-Élysées.

2. Chartres Cathedral

chartres-cathedral
Chartres Cathedral is also known as Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres. It is is a medieval Catholic cathedral of the Latin Church located in Chartres. It is about 80 kilometres southwest of Paris.

3. Chateau de Chambord

Chateau-de-Chambord
The royal Château de Chambord at Chambord is one of the most recognizable châteaux globally because of its distinctive French Renaissance architecture which infuses traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures. The building was constructed by King Francis I of France.

4. Château de Chenonceau

Château-de-Chenonceau
The Château de Chenonceau is a French château spanning over the River Cher, near a small village of Chenonceaux in the Loire Valley in France. It is one of the well-known châteaux of the Loire valley.

5. Eiffel Tower

Eiffel-Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a wrought iron tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, who designed the tower. During the construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument and became the tallest man-made monument in the world.

6. French Riviera

french-riviera
The French Riviera is on the Mediterranean coast of southeastern France. It includes glamorous beach resorts such as Saint-Tropez and Cannes and the microstate of Monaco. Being a health retreat in the 18th century, the place has attracted artists, aristocrats and the 1960s “jet set.”

7. Les Invalides

les-invalides
Les Invalides is a building complex in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, comoriing of different museums and monuments.

8. Louvre Palace

louvre-palace
The Louvre Palace is a royal palace located on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris. Its originates back to the medieval period, and its present structure has changed in stages since the 16th century. It was the actual seat of power in France until Louis XIV moved to Versailles in 1682, bringing the government with him. The Louvre has stayed the nominal, or formal, seat of government til the end of the Ancien Régime in 1789. It has housed the Musée du Louvre and various government departments.

9. Luxembourg Gardens

Luxembourg-Gardens
The Luxembourg Garden is located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. It was created in the beginning of1612 by the widow of King Henry IV of France, for a new residence she designed, the Luxembourg Palace.

10. Musee D’orsay

musee-d'orsay
The Musée d’Orsay is a museum in Paris, on the left bank of the Seine. It is situated in the former Gare d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station that was built between 1898 and 1900.

11. Notre dame Cathedral

notre-dame-cathedral
Notre-Dame de Paris, French for “Our Lady of Paris”) is a historic Catholic cathedral in of Paris, France. The Cathedral is considered to be one of the finest French Gothic architecture, and it is among the largest and most famous church buildings in the world.

12. Palace of Versailles

palace-of-versailles
The Palace of Versailles is a royal château in Versailles in the France. It is also known as the château de Versailles.

13. Pont Du Gard

pont-du-gard
The Pont du Gard is an old Roman aqueduct crossing the Gardon River in the south of France. Located near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard, the bridge becomes part of the Nîmes aqueduct, a 50-kilometer passage designed in the 1st century AD to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus.

14. Sacre Coeur Paris

sacre-coeur-paris
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica. It is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Paris, France.

15. Strasbourg Cathedral

strasbourg-cathedral
Strasbourg Cathedral also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Strasbourg, Alsace, France.

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France Visa Requirements

  • Submit visa applications in person, at least four weeks prior to intended date of travel.
  • Passports should be valid at least six months at the time of visa application. Please bring previous passports, if any, and attach with application copies, on A4 size paper, of used pages, copies of Schengen, US, UK, Canada, Australia visas.
  • Photocopy of your national ID card.
  • Police report if previous passports lost.
  • Visa Application Form, Security questionnaire and 2 recent photos (35mmX45cm / white background)
  • Original signed letter of the applicant’s company/employer stating name, position, salary, duration of employment, address and contact numbers of the employer, purpose and duration of visit to the Schengen state(s).
  • Supporting documents of personal income:
    – Original bank statements of the last six months stamped by the bank, bank maintenance letter
    – National Tax Number Certificate (NTM) for the previous two years

– Proof of income tax payment (FBR)
– Last three salary slips for salaried individuals

  • Copy of flight booking.
  • If you have been refused a visa by an Embassy or High Commission, written explanation about reason for trip and refusal letter.
  • Original and photocopy of Family Registration Certificate issued by NADRA (in English or with a certified translation if in Urdu)
  • Original and copy of a travel medical insurance policy of not less than 30,000 Euros. The policy must cover medical and hospitalization expenses for the entire period of valid stay on Schengen territory as well as repatriation costs. Consult valid list of authorized insurance companies in Pakistan as agreed by Schengen partners in Islamabad.
  • The applicants are requested to submit certificates proving that concerned person has received Oral Polio Vaccine.
  • Accommodation / hotel reservation for your period of stay.
  • Covering letter requesting the Visa officer for issuance of visa.

When to Visit and purchase air ticket

  • Try visiting in the off season. Up to 30% off during off season
  • Air tickets are the biggest expense. Plan ahead and Book early.
  • Look for periodic off-season discounts run by many airlines to get a good deal on airlines
  • September-October (Off season, weather is neither cold nor hot)

Budget (7 days/nights vacation to Paris)

  • Air tickets:                           Rs 80,000 per person
  • Visa                                       Rs   8,000 per person
  • Travel insurance                Rs   2500 per person
  • Accommodation (3 star)  Rs 36,000 per person (twin sharing)(15 min walk from City Center)
  • Transportation                  Rs   12,000 per person (using bus, and Metro)
  • Food/ Entertainment      Rs 41,500 per person ( Fast food, local street food, tours)
  • Expenses                            Rs 10,000 per person
  • Total                                   Rs 190,000 per person

The calculation has been done based on the following:

  • Cheapest air ticket from Karachi- Paris (Ticket price comparison website prices)
  • Accommodation prices from world’s top hotel booking engine
  • Transport Euro 100 (Metro from Airport to City Centre, use metro where necessary)
  • Food and Accommodation @ Euro 50 per person per day. (Euro 7 per meal= Euro 21+Euro 30 for tours/museum entry per day)
  • Expenses to be spent for buying souvenirs at the end of trip $100
  • 1 Euro =PKR 118-120
  • Carry Euro from Pakistan
  • Calculations are per person based on twin sharing accommodation
  • Accommodation Prices may vary by 40% if you go for budget accommodation or luxury accommodation.

Source: Travel Package Compare

A Pakistan Travel and Tour empowerment website where various tour operators provide several packages offered for travel purposes. So discover the world today, by signing up with Travel Package Compare and enjoy a carefree vacation to some of the world’s exotic destinations.

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