Paris is often billed as the city of romance in the same way that New York is portrayed as the city that never sleeps. But to get away from the romance, there is no better place to go than the Musée des Égouts de Paris, or the Paris Sewer Museum.

Indeed, Paris’ reputation as the city of romance probably has a lot to do with the fact it has had such good sewage works for so long – when young couples were out on a date, they were faced with the smell of perfume, not of waste, a situation radically different to almost any other city in the world in the 19^th century.

The museum, located on the Place de la Resistance, is truly fascinating.  The great success of the Sewers is born out by the museum itself – it does not smell. Rather, one can admire fascinating exhibits detailing how the sewers date back to 1370.

No city has a sewer network like Paris, where the sewers house drinking and non-drinking water areas, as well as many cables to keep the electricity system working. But really, this is all down to one man: Baron Haussman. He was a city planner who came up with the plan for the sewers in the 1850s which elevated Paris to becoming a truly modern city.  His work to build a sewer system over 600km long was truly a feat of engineering.

The Musée des Égouts may not seem an obvious attraction to visit. But what with the role the Parisian sewers play in Les Miserables, as well as the extraordinary history of what is in effect, an entire underground city, it really is worth a visit, for its quirkiness if nothing else.

Photo: ‘Les Egouts, Sewer Museum Underneath Paris‘ by Bogdan Migulski

Finally it’s the summer and festival season is already under way! We’ve already seen a scorchingly sunny Glastonbury Festival a fun packed Bestival is coming in September. These are just some of the UK’s finest but what about festivals abroad?

Of course there’s the likes of Exit Festival in Serbia and Oktober Fest in Germany still to come but our favourite has got to be Rock en Seine in Paris, particularly as it’s so easy to get to using high speed rail.

Last year, 15% of Rock en Seine’s festivalgoers were from England and this year there’s going to be even more. Rock en Seine in Paris and Bestival in Isle of Wight have teamed up to provide an exclusive event by blending two bands with outlandish live rock energy; Où est le Swimming Pool & Naïve New Beaters.

To celebrate a summer of fun, friends and festivals, Eurostar are offering one of our lucky readers a chance to win a pair of 3 day passes to Rock en Seine Festival and be there to witness this amazing fusion of French and English music. The prize includes two 3 day passes to Rock en Seine, two camping tickets and high speed return train travel on Eurostar for you and your guest!

If you haven’t heard about Rock en Seine before, it’s a 3 day festival located just outside of Paris with an array of incredible acts. It all kicks off on 27^th August 2010 and performers include Queens Of The Stone Age, Paolo Nutini, 2ManyDJs, Massive Attack, Arcade Fire and Blink 182 to name just a few!

If you’re still not convinced, see what the last winners thought when we brought them to Rock en Seine before on Eurostar.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

We’ll pick the winner based on originality, creativity and overall impression on 13th August and notify the winner via e-mail, see the full line up and below for our full terms and conditions.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page to be kept in the loop with current and future competitions as well as news, deals and more. Good luck!

Photo: ‘The Prodigy live at Rock En Seine‘ by cougarmicrobes

Terms & Conditions
Entries must be submitted by 12th August 2010 at 11.59pm when the competition closes and the winner will be notified on 13th August 2010 via e-mail.Participants must be UK residents, over 18 years old and able to travel on 27th August 2010 on the 08:55 train departing from London St Pancras to Paris the winner and their guest must make their own travel arrangements to London St.Pancras, allowing for a required 30minutes checking before departure.Return travel is on 30th August 2010 on the 16:13 train departing from Paris Gare du Nord to London St. Pancras and the winner and their guest must make their own travel arrangements to Paris Gare du Nord, allowing for a required 30minutes checking before departure.There is no cash alternative and tickets are non exchangeable.

This competition is not available to members of Eurostar or its associates.

If a selected winner is unable to attend or make the designated departure train then the prize will be given to the next runner up.

This prize includes a Rock en Seine camping ticket as accommodation.

We have a lovely guest post from the fantastic mummy blogger Eva who writes the Nixd Minx blog who has kindly shared her recent trip to France with us.

France is a vast and varied country and it’s worth taking time to get to know the regions but all too often we overlook the places which are closest to us.

If you’re looking for a destination that’s culturally different but not too far from home, did you know you can make it from London to France in around 60 minutes?

Catch the 6.20 or 7.20 Eurostar from Kings Cross you will be on the doorstep of the beautiful and atmospheric Picardy coast by 8.30am which certainly helps to stretch out a day trip or long weekend.  The great thing about travelling on Eurostar is that you don’t have the hassle of the airport experience and Kings Cross is pretty much in the centre of London and easily accessible.  There’s the added bonus of carbon neutral travel too.

I’m a great fan of the Cote D’Azure and the Var region but we tend to visit there when it’s holiday time and don’t really consider it for a short break or a London destress.

On a recent trip to France we found a place of tranquility and calm, tucked away in an oasis of green and nestled along the coast.   The area is steeped in Anglo-French history and is beautifully kept.

We spent a long weekend in Picardy and stayed at the Belle Dune Eco resort, which has a very famous golf course on it too, and cycled to the beaches which meant we were very environmentally friendly – and the locals were pretty pleasant too!

For gourmands or wine buffs, there’s plenty there to take home too, but it’s really worth getting away from Calais and heading further out to the coastal areas such as Plage Mahon to check out the local special dish.  Call it Moules with everything if you will.  There are plenty of great places to sample moules frites in the area, and each restaurant has a chef’s special recipe on the menu too.  If you want something light; best go for the the chervil and white wine or for something a little more gastronimique there’s always cream, ham and garlic to scintillate the tastebuds.  There are plenty of local beers on offer to and I tend to prefer a provencal rose as a light accompaniment to this great lunch.

And a few words about the beaches; unlike the South of France the public beaches stretch on for several miles and they are shallow and sandy so great for the kids who like to muck about on the shoreline or make sandcastles.  Judging from the Sunday turn out, it looks like the British and French share a love of the great family day out.

After a hard day at the beach, you’ll notice that it tends to get dark rather late in this area, so it’s best to save some of your energy for a relaxing night cap and enjoy the stunning sunset.

A few weeks ago we wrote about the renowned designer, Philippe Starck, and his ultra trendy renovation of Mama Shelter – a hotel restored from a disused multi-storey car park. As it was so popular we thought we’d follow it up by telling you about another one of Starck’s remarkable works, Kong in central Paris.

Located on 1 rue du Pont Neuf a dedicated lift takes you up from street level right up to the top of the Kenzo building. As the lift doors open you get the impression that you’re walking straight into the mind of Philippe Starck, with fascinating chandeliers and intriguing tables & chairs dotted around each of the rooms.

The fine dining restaurant serving up mouth watering dishes such as Japanese style Beef Carpaccio and there’s a large bar area at the very top where you can enjoy spectacular views over Paris.

The most interesting part of this magnificent venue has got to be the huge open plan, dome-shaped glass roof at the very top of the building. Providing you’re not a sufferer of vertigo, you enjoy a drink next to the glass walls and look down on the bustling streets below or across the the rooftops of the center of Paris.

We’re not sure what the prices are like for Kong but, judging from the photos we’ve seen, we’d image this would be the type of place for a special occasion, anniversary or even a proposal rather than a casual dinner. Word of warning though, word on the web is that you’re not permitted to take photographs!

Photo: ‘Kong‘ by Daquella Manuela

Lately we’ve been trying to write more and more about the hidden and relatively unknown gems of Paris, Lille and Brussels (everyone knows about the Eiffel Tower already, right?). So after a strong recommendation from a Parisian-born French colleague we thought that the aptly named La Boulangerie had to be the star of today’s Food & Drink post.

After a short description of the bakery that’s reported to attract crowds of loyal (and hungry) Parisians from our colleague, we set about looking for more information about it on the internet. First stops were Qype and Yelp but bizarrely they have no reviews yet, so if you’re on those networks get there quick and be the first to review La Boulangerie – we want to hear all about it!

After further searches we found that La Boulangerie appears not to be a bakery producing freshly baked bread and pastries, which we first thought it would be, but it’s a restaurant. It’s actually a superb quality restaurant serving up gourmet dishes such as fresh almond gazpacho with grapes, foie gras and duck fried condiment of dried figs. It’s location is very close to Ménilmontant Métro Station at 15 rue Panoyaux in the 20ème arr district and the building is actually an old bakery, hence the name we assume.

Sounds all very tasty to us but we’d love to hear what you think if you’ve been there, or if you’ve been to an even better place that you’re dying to recommend. Post any suggestions in the comments below and you may see a post about your recommendation here in the future!

Photo: ‘Broad and Blue‘ by T.M.O.F on Flickr.

Paris is known around the world for it’s great sense of style and superior design standards so it may not come as a shock to you that this post is all about cool design. Paris Hotel Design has been building hotels for years (although it seems they see it as collecting hotels like artwork, rather than building them like businesses) and have upheld a distinguished level of design quality in every one of their ‘collection’.

Based around our 5 senses, The Five Hotel is a truly sensory experience incorporating a selection of scents in each room, absolute silence at night, culinary delights, fibre optic light displays and a huge variety of quality fabrics to touch. On top of this unique aspect to the hotel, they’ve also have all the usual features you’d expect to see in a good hotel – except these guys do it really well. Each room has a whopping 66cm LCD satellite screen with over a hundred multilingual channels and free WIFI broadband access as well as top quality glass desks and so on.

Paris Hotel Design’s latest in their collection of remarkably designed hotels is the Seven Hotel Paris. Like it’s predecessor, visitors to this hotel are immersed into a new and unique experience, this is definitely not your bog-standard hotel. Most notably, this hotel has floating beds! Yes, you read it right, floating beds. And floating baths too! It’s well worth checking out how they describe the hotel on their website because you come away from reading it with the impression that this hotel will give you an experience somewhere in between that of a James Bond film and Alice in Wonderland!

If you want to check out either of these hotels please see their websites below. The Seven Hotel is due to open on 1st July 2010 and, as it’s been highly anticipated for some time, rooms could get booked up pretty quick.

From July 17th to August 22nd this year, Parc de la Villette in Paris will be hosting another of it’s Open-Air cinemas! Showing both French and English films daily on the large projector screen, people come armed with overflowing picnic hampers, wine, blankets and deck chairs to lap up any of the day’s remaining sunshine.

These annual events attract a variety of people ranging from old to young, couples to families and film buffs to film novices. It’s said to be an experience not to miss as the innovative architecture skirting the boarders of the park even make it easy to imagine you were on an arty movie set yourself.

Each year there is a different theme and this years is ‘Avoir 20 Ans’ (or ‘Being 20′ in English) and it’s expected to be packed with large groups of young Parisian students celebrating the end of their exams and studies from their academic year.

So if you’re about to finish university for the year, or if you’re just in need of a relaxing break, this sounds like a great way to get away from it all and celebrate with a group of friends in true Parisian style!

When: 17th July – 22nd August 2010

Where: Parc de la Villette (Métro: Porte de Pantin or Porte de la Villette)

Cost: Free

Win the trip of a lifetime to the new generation festival at Disneyland® Paris to experience two magical parks and one stunning concert with your family this June.

We’ve got tickets for two lucky families of four to experience the Love Music Live event with Enrique Iglesias on 19^th June 2010.

As well as this fantastic concert the prize includes Park hopper tickets to both Disney Parks, accommodation in the Disneyland Hotel as well as your travel to and from the UK in Leisure Select on the Eurostar.

Departing on the 18^th of June you’ll get to experience the ease of traveling on the Eurostar and a whole weekend full of Disney fun that the family won’t forget.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED AND WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED

Congratulations to Laura and Tariq who won the Disney competition this weekend

You have until Midnight Wednesday 9^th June 2010 to enter and winners will be selected and notified Thursday 10^th June 2010.

By entering this competition you are agreeing that you are over 18 years old and are happy to receive by email special offers and free news about Disneyland® Paris, as well special offers and free news by email from the Disney group of companies.

T&Cs

- This competition is open to adults aged over 18 years old residing in the UK.

- The prize is for a family of four (with at least 1 adult over 18 yrs old per room)

- Accommodation is for two nights in a standard room at Disneyland Hotel, including continental breakfast.

- Park hopper adult tickets to both Disney Parks for the duration of your stay (subject to capacity).

- 4 x entrance tickets to the Love Music Live event on 19 June 2010, to be held in the Pavilion in Disneyland Park

- 3 x lunch vouchers and 2 x dinner vouchers for the duration of your stay

- Holiday must be taken between 18 and 20 June 2010, and no other date will be made available.  The event date is subject to confirmation.

- Return travel on the Eurostar in Leisure Select (traveling to Disneyland® Paris on June 18^th at 9:53, coming back on June 20^th at 19:37). These travel times cannot be amended.

- The winner and their chosen companion must check in at least thirty (30) minutes before departure and may not be allowed to board the train if they do not do so. Eurostar will not be liable for any passengers failing to make the departure time indicated on their tickets.

- Eurostar shall not be responsible for any indirect, special or consequential damages or losses suffered by the entrant or a third party.

- Eurostar International Limited Conditions of Carriage apply to all Eurostar travel, copies of which may be obtained by writing to Eurostar UK Sales, Times House, Bravingtons Walk, London, N1 9AW or via the website: www.eurostar.com.

- Travel insurance is not provided

- UK transfers are not included.

- Winners are responsible for their own passport and visa requirements.

- The winner will receive hotel vouchers and park tickets in advance of confirming their accommodation.  If these hotel vouchers or park tickets are lost then they cannot be replaced.

- There is no cash or prize alternative.

- Any costs incurred in addition to the prize package elements listed above (e.g. telephone charges, room service etc) are at the guests own expense.

- This offer is not available to members of Eurostar or its associates.

- If a selected winner is unable to attend or make the designated departure train then the prize will be given to the next runner up.

- The promoter is Eurostar International Ltd, Times House, Bravingtons Walk, London N1 9AW.

In Paris for the Fête de la Musique? Everywhere you go you’ll hear music, from opera to jazz. The Fête unites big names at major venues with accordionists on street corners and choirs in church halls.

It all began in October 1981, when Maurice Fleuret became Director of Music. Fleuret wanted to find a way to bring people and their music out on to the streets. In 1982, the Fête de la Musique was created by the French Ministry for culture.Since then the Fête de la Musique is held in more than hundred countries in Europe and over the world and even had  a postage stamp devoted to it in 1998.

Musicians are a mix of professionals and amateurs and festival policy is to give an equal place to rock, jazz, singing and classical music. The event is aimed at a large audience, working to popularise musical practice for young and not so young people from all social backgrounds. It gives an opportunity to communicate and share a very special moment through music.

Rock gigs are usually held at the Place de la Republique, while classical orchestras can be heard in the courtyard of the Palais Royal and indie bands at Place Denfert-Rochereau. Events take place not just in Paris but all over France and it’s common for musicians to return to their home towns to perform.

Fête de la Musique takes place every year on the 21st June (the day of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere) and concerts will be happening all over Paris with everything completely free!

Photo Concert France2 by Edera

Last month our Arts Ambassador, Jarvis Cocker launched Eurostar Culture Connect – a unique partnership between Eurostar and specially selected museums and galleries in London, Paris and Brussels, giving our travellers exclusive 2 for 1 entry to these exhibitions simply by showing their Eurostar ticket.

To celebrate the launch, we’re giving away 2 pairs of tickets to see our Arts Ambassador play live with Air at Cité de la musique on Friday 4 June, as well as Eurostar travel to get you to Paris and back.

ENTRIES TO THIS COMPETITION ARE NOW CLOSED

Entries must be submitted by Monday 31 May 2010 and the winners will be announced on Tuesday 1 June 2010

* Participants have to be UK residents, over 18 years old and able to travel on Friday 4^th June on the 16.04 train departing from London St Pancras to Paris, allowing for a required 30minutes checking before departure. Winners will have to make their own way to St Pancras. There is no cash alternative. These tickets are non refundable. This offer is not available to members of Eurostar or its associates. If a selected winner is unable to attend or make the designated departure train then the prize will be given to the next runner up. This prize does not include accommodation in Paris.

In collaboration with:

Photo: IMG_8104 by Tripwireerin