Jaunted - Tag: Paris

The World's Top Three Glittery New Year's Celebrations

JetSetCD — 2009-12-24T10:05:07-05:00

You can drink, you can dance, and you can kiss someone at the stroke of midnight anywhere, but somehow the experience of New Year's has more resonance when you're doing all things in the presence of pyrotechnics or a giant crystal ball covered in lights. Hey, everyone likes something sparkly and exciting, and so we sincerely hope that you get to celebrate the turn into 2010 at one of The World's Top Three Glittery New Year's Celebrations.

3. Paris, France
Paris isn't called "The City of Lights" just for the heck of it; not only will you be able to stuff your face full of cheap Nutella crepes on the street, but you'll be able to do so while walking down a traffic-free Champs d'Elys�es, bordered by Christmas light-covered trees and bookended by the illuminated Arc de Triomphe and Place de la Concorde. But with so many historical landmarks and gorgeous buildings, you'll have decisions to make. How about kissing at midnight in front of the Eiffel Tower, as it goes crazy with a lights display? C'est magnifique.

Paris: What Not To Do In Paris: The Top Five Tourist Mistakes

JetSetCD — 2009-12-10T13:52:20-05:00

Ahh Paris, City of Lights, city of stinky cheese, and city of a million tourists. As much as we love you, we know to be cautious around certain things while visiting. We have been to Paris many times, but for this feature on what not to do, we consulted with a friend who not only lived in Paris, but also studied art and photography there for years. Yes, someone who truly learned what it was to spend an evening in Montmartre and walk by Notre Dame daily.

So without further ado, here is the Jaunted guide of What Not To Do In Paris: The Top 5 Tourist Mistakes.

Check them out, after the jump.

Paris: YSL Will Send You To Paris For New Years, If You Prove 'Parisienne'

JetSetCD — 2009-10-22T16:38:42-05:00

Ahh, New Years in Paris, what a fantasy trip that would be. Although we got the dream New Years vacation out of the way a few years ago in Venice, it doesn't mean that we can't lust after the combination of fashion and free travel that the new contest from Yves Saint Laurent offers.

Here's the details, for all you wannabe holiday jetsetters: YSL is launching a new fragrance called Parisienne and they've devoted a mini-site to it, complete with a blog of Paris travel tips. To win a trip for two to Paris for New Years, you must also share a story and photos, specifically "about how you have experienced the spirit of Parisienne in your own life." There's also a chance of winning a YSL handbag and Beaute products, but we'll just take the trip thanks.

Did You Want To Use Your Credit Card In Europe? Sorry.

Omri — 2009-10-05T13:18:54-05:00

As if the cratering dollar wasn't enough of a problem for US tourists, the New York Times reports that even trying to use American credit cards in Europe is getting difficult. The problem is in the so-called chip-and-PIN verification technology that much of the world is adopting as an alternative to magnetic strip cards. Instead of swiping your card you're supposed punch in a personal ID that needs to match the one encoded on the chip. Only problem: US credit cards mostly don't have those chips.

The writeup manages to convey the issue with all the cosmopolitan awareness we've come to expect from the NYT Travel section. They relate the story of a passive-aggressive couple in Paris who—having had their cards rejected by bike kiosks—just walked around sullenly telling no one in particular how would awesome if they could ride a bike. Obnoxious. But that doesn't make the problem any less real:

Paris: Like New York, Paris Has Designs For A Center-City Airport

JetSetCD — 2009-07-22T13:49:22-05:00

Looks like New York isn't the first to dream up improbable city-center airports; Paris had the idea back in 1932. Instead of paving runways into Central Park, as the New York plan calls for, the old-timey Paris dream was to install a whole new airport island atop the current location of the �le des Cygnes in the Seine River, just off the Eiffel Tower.

Paris already has a notable island, �le de la Cit�, which holds Notre Dame cathedral and more. The addition of this airport would have meant flying tourists onto a Seine island just so that they can go visit another Seine island. Thankfully, the plan for the airport island was scrapped more than half a century ago, and these days, the thin existing island holds the replica of The Statue of Liberty, a pleasant walkway, and a subway stop.

This Weekend In the World: Paris Loves Lance Armstrong and Seattle Loves Its Food

JetSetCD — 2009-07-17T16:34:19-05:00

· Prague
You hit Miami's Art Basel and you've already passed through Venice for the Biennale, but what about swinging through The Czech Republic for even more art, and this time with feeling? Prague is throwing its own Biennale, the fourth annual, and this year brings the largest assemebly of young painters ever—120—who'll bolster the size and reputation of what is already a hugely significant exhibition of Central European art and photography. Find it all this month at Karlin Hall, Thamova 8 in Prague 8, and American are sure to be pleasantly surprised by the event's extra little show of "The Newest New York Young Photographers from the Big Apple."

Paris: Justin Timberlake Wards Off The Ladies With Armed Guard at CDG

cmb — 2009-06-24T11:02:16-05:00

Over the weekend, Justin Timberlake was spotted arriving at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, rolling his own Louis Vuitton bag and being escorted by an armed guard, presumably to keep away screaming teenage girls.

Last night, Jonathan Rhys Meyers was also spotted with a guard in the Paris airport, only this guard wasn't trying to protect Meyers, he was trying to protect the general public. Apparently, the "Tudor" was on a bit of a bender as he threw money on the floor and drunkenly bragged about his wealth. He reportedly told the officers, "You wanna hit me? Hit me!"

We wonder if he was upset about the new baggage fees, which seem even worse now that there is a resolution in the House of Representatives to have the TSA take control of the size of carry-on bags. If passed, instead of each airline being responsible for screening the size of each passenger's bag, the TSA will presumably screen bags as people are going through the metal detectors.

This is supposed to insure a uniform standard for the size of all carry-on luggage, but will also mean your only choices in the airport will be to go through one more bureaucratic step or be gouged by the airlines to check your luggage. Maybe its time to get to know the Amtrak schedule a bit better.

Related Stories:
· Carry-on size may be policed by airport security [Wallet Pop]
· Report: Meyers detained by airport police [UPI]
· Airport Photo Shoots [Jaunted]

[Photo: TMZ]