Foreign Trips
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St. Mary’s Secondary School, Baldoyle
Paris Trip
First Years, 24 February to 27 February 2011
Itinerary
DAY 1
THURSDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2011
DUBLIN - PARIS
04:30 Bags to be checked in at the Ryanair desk at Dublin Airport
06:35 Departure of flight FR24 to Beauvais Airport
09:00 Arrival of flight at Beauvais Airport
On arrival the group will be met by their Voyages Piel coach and driver
and will be transferred to central Paris.
11:30 Visit the Eiffel Tower. This was built as a temporary addition to the Paris skyline
for the Universal Exhibition of 1889 but remained to become the symbol of Paris.
The visit will be organised by the tour leader on arrival.
Admission: Adults: €8.10 Second Floor
€13.10 Top Floor
Youth Second Floor
€4.80 Weekdays
€6.50 Weekends
Top Floor
€9.80` Weekdays
€11.50 Weekends
Have lunch on the Champs Elysées. Five star hotels, fine restaurants, upmarket
shops and cafes line the avenue where people come to see and be seen.
The Avenue is surrounded by beautiful formal gardens and important political
establishments and hasbeen the setting for many historical parades and marches
in French history.
13:00 A reservation has been confirmed for the group to visit the Musee D’Orsay. This museum
was originally commissioned by the Orleans railway company to be its terminus in the
heart of Paris. During the conversion much of the original architecture was retained. The
new museum was set up to present each of the arts of the period from 1848 to 1914 in the
context of the contemporary society and all the various forms of creative activity happening
at the time.
15:30 The group will meet their tour guide at Parking Cours de la Reine, Place de la Concorde
for a tour of Paris which will cover the main landmarks in the city such as;
L’Arc de Triomphe – The world’s most famous Triumphal arch was built by Napoleon in 1805 after his victory in the Battle of Austerlitz
Place de Charles de Gaulle – Twelve avenues radiate from the Arc at the centre bearing the names of important French leaders.
Champs Elysees – The capital’s most famous thoroughfare and the setting for the victory parades following the two World Wars.
Rue de Rivoli – This street completes the link between the Louvre and Champs Elysees and is famous for its long arcades with a variety of shops ranging from designer to high street brands.
Louvre – Containing one of the most famous art collections in the world including Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Louvre has a history extending back to medieval times.
Jardins de Tuileries – These formal gardens are an integral part of the landscaped area and run parallel to the Seine from the Louvre to the Champs Elysees.
Ile de La Cite – The boat shaped Island is the oldest part of the city of Paris and remains of the first buildings can still be seen in the Archaeological crypt under the square in front of Notre Dame.
Pont Neuf – Despite its name (new bridge) this bridge is the oldest in Paris and spans 275m with its 12 arches. It has been immortalised by major literary and artistic figures since it was built.
Notre Dame – Notre Dame stands majestically on the Ile de La Cite. The Cathedral is a Gothic masterpiece and a superb example of French Medieval architecture.
Conciergerie – During the Revolution this building with its distinctive towers became notorious as a prison.
Palais Royal – The Palais Royal houses the offices of the state and is backed by lovely gardens. There are modern pillared sculptures in the entrance to the Palace.
18:00 Dinner is reserved in Flunch Beaubourg, 21 Rue Beaubourg, 75003 Paris, Tel: 00 33 1 40 29 09 78
20:00 End the evening with a trip on the Bâteau Mouche. Departing from the Pont d’Alma the pleasure boat operates along the main sight seeing reaches of the river, taking in many of the city’s famous monuments, there is a recorded commentary during the cruise on the main places of interest which you will see along the banks of the Seine.
Continue to your hotel to check in and overnight:
Campanile Bobigny
304 avenue Paul Vaillant Couturier
93000 Bobigny
Tel: 0033 1 48 31 37 55
DAY 2
FRIDAY 25TH FEBRUARY 2011
PARIS
Breakfast will be served in your hotel.
09:00 Depart for Central Paris.
10:30 A reservation has been made for the group to visit the Louvre Museum. The collection of European paintings (1400-1900) is very comprehensive and 40% of the works are by French artists. The museum’s antiquities - Oriental, Eqyptian, Greek, Etruscan and Roman - are of world renown and offer the visitor an unrivalled range of objects. The objets d’art on display are very varied and include furniture and jewellery. Among many other famous art works, you can see the 'Mona Lisa' and the 'Venus De Milo'. You will enter the Louvre through the controversial giant glass pyramid in the Cour Naploeon. Booking reference: 2010-1351439
Visit Notre Dame Cathedral. This Cathedral dominates both the Seine and the ecclesiastical history of Paris. Begun in 1160, it was finished a century and a half later. It is the art of Notre Dame that will awe and delight you. Built in an age of illiteracy, bible stories are everywhere - carved into the portals, painted on the altars, and emblazoned in the glorious stained glass windows.
Have lunch in the Latin Quarter. The name Latin Quarter comes from the university tradition of studying and speaking in Latin, a tradition that disappeared during the French Revolution. The area has dozens of Right Bank luxury boutiques and antiques stores in addition to the two oldest trees in Paris and some heart-stirring glimpses of Notre-Dame.
Depart for Val d’Europe where the group will spend the rest of the afternoon shopping. Val d'Europe International Shopping Centre offers to its guests many opportunities for relaxation, in a unique atmosphere, where quality of life and the pleasure of shopping have found their place.
18:00 Dinner is reserved in Flunch Beaubourg.
20:00 A booking is confirmed for the group to visit Aquaboulevard, the aquatic pool in Paris. This is a fine leisure complex where you will find swimming pools, giant toboggans, wave pools, water slides etc and a constant temperature of 28.
Rate: €11.00 per person.
Only regulation swimwear is acceptable, swimming costumes for girls.
DAY 3
SATURDAY 26TH FEBRUARY 2011
DISNEYLAND
Breakfast will be served in your hotel.
09:00 Depart for Disneyland. Situated 35km east of Paris and spread across 1,500 acres the five-themed park offers attractions based on children’s fictional characters like Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty. There are five lands in the park-Main Street USA, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Discovery Land, each brimming with magic and fun. Please be aware that your tickets are only valid for entry to either Disneyland or Walt Disney Studios. We would recommend for a 1-day visit going to Disneyland. If you enter one of the parks by accident you will be charged the full entry price of approx €30 to get back into the other park.
19:00 Dinner is reserved in Planet Hollywood in Disneyland.
Menu: Main Course, Dessert & Drink €14.50
In the evening time there will be an opportunity to visit the ‘Disney Village’ with its shops, restaurants and live music.
DAY 4
SUNDAY 27TH FEBRUARY 2011
PARIS - DUBLIN
Breakfast will be served in your hotel and the group will check out
09:00 Depart for Versailles.
The group will spend some time in the gardens of Versailles. The gardens cover some 800 hectares of land, much of which is landscaped in the classic French Garden style perfected here by André Le Nôtre. In addition to the meticulous manicured lawns, parterres of flowers and sculptures are the fountains, which are located throughout the garden. In 1979, the gardens along with the château were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
11:20 A reservation has been confirmed for the group to visit the Chateau de Versailles. You can visit the splendid Chateau dating back to the reign of Louis XIV where you will see the magnificent Royal Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors. In the time of Louis XIII Versailles was a hunting village with a small stone chateau. However when Louis XIV came to the throne he expanded the chateau and soon the court numbered 20,000. On death of the Sun King the court returned to Paris and since 1798 Versailles ceased to be.
The group will be at liberty for lunch around Versailles.
Return to Paris and spend some time in the beautiful area of Montmartre. Your coach will park on the Boulevard Clichy. You can climb the steps or take the funicular train to the top of the hill to see the beautiful white-domed basilica of the Sacre Coeur. Take a walk to nearby Place du Tetre where you will see the artists and portrait painters at work. Montmartre is also home to the famous Moulin Rouge.
18:20 Depart Paris for Beauvais airport.
20:20 Bags to be checked in at the Ryanair desk at Beauvais Airport
22:20 Departure of flight FR29 to Dublin Airport
22:45 Arrival of flight at Dublin Airport
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The itinerary is subject to change.
Opening times are subject to change.
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