h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In France, there are hundreds of types of cheese available. To see a fine selection fo them, go to the market on market day and follow the stench to where the cheese is stored in an inside buidling. You will find hundreds of types of cheese in them, along with lots of fish and other meats.

French bread is wonderful, but it does horrors to the teeth due to its hard crust. I would recommend cutting the bread with a knife and then eating it, so as to protect your molars and canines.

The Louvre is a wonderful place to find anything art-related, and is even home to the world-renowned Mona Lisa by DaVinci. It has a wonderful bookstore, with books on topics ranging from the art inside, different styles of art, and how to create art yourself. You can buy prints for about every painting for an outrageous price.

Gypsies are a danger in France, especially around the major attractions (the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Trioumphe, etc.). Watch out, as they will steal your lunch with no remorse. Also beware the street vendors who sell illegally-made products for cheap prices. Getting bad and/or products is not worth the price. Get something real.

The Eiffel Tower is a wonderful place--if you enjoy waiting in line and then paying an outrageous price to go up. Stay in as long as you can--you won't want to wait again and pay again.

Don't venture up the Arc de Trioumphe unless you've got a lot of energy--there are about 500 winding stairs to go up (and subsequently down). Also keep eye on any children as the sides are not protected like on the Eiffel Tower and they could easily slip through and fall to the ground.

If you don't speak French, fret not. France is very tourist-friendly, and all the major attractions have maps in English. Most people also speak very good English, although having a basic knowledge of French will greatly help.

Musee Carnavalet (edge of the Marais: 23 rue de Sevigne - that's two e-acutes, but not sure how to do that in Netscape!) is a fascinating musuem of the history of Paris, but is almost exclusively in French which is a shame as it gets a bit tiring having to think so hard to take it all in. Especially as I don't know the basic history in enough detail.

I used to live around the corner - a truly incredible museum.