Travelogue Paris is an ideal destination for a quick visit. When a colleague invited me to join him for his first ever day-trip to Paris I jumped at the opportunity. Although it turned out to be the hottest day of summer for decades, we decided to make the best of it. We left as the day was breaking and caught the first Eurostar out of Ashford.

From London, the South-East and even further a field throughout the UK (due to easy access to Waterloo International by domestic rail network) Eurostar has to be the best bet. Don’t worry if you’ve never done the Channel Tunnel before. You hardly notice. Once on board we availed ourselves of a breakfast sandwich and coffee from the buffet, and returned to our seats to allow the cornfields and woods of the French farms and villages to parade themselves in quiet isolation past the windows of the speeding train. Before long the fields reluctantly gave way to Parisian suburbia, the train slowed its pace, and we came to a halt at the platform of Gare du Nord. From Ashford to Paris in approximately two hours.

Just a few minutes west from Gare du Nord “a pieds” you’ll find the arty quarter of Paris. Sacre-Coeur and Montmartre are so attractive and are situated on a hill giving an overview of the city as well as providing a bit of avant-garde atmosphere. We did them first and eventually took a rest at a well-worn little café a stone’s throw from the famous Place du Tertre, (a fascinating kind of artists’ market square) and had lunch. Service was typically French so we took our time and planned the afternoon.

The river Seine flows majestically below dozens of impressive bridges, and is banked each side with grand classically styled buildings. Ancient and modern sculptures, art and architecture, and statues of France’s brave and bold stand as monuments to the impact the French have had over the centuries. Over the last two or three hundred years this self-same river has seen innumerable conflicts, battles and revolution, with the Seine literally flowing red “with the blood of angry men”, yet today it is tranquil and benign. There is a sense of natural self-satisfaction about the Seine, permanence, it was here first, and it will continue to flow long after we’re all gone, thank you very much.

Where the Seine flows close to the Eiffel Tower you’ll come across the moorings for one of the two main river cruise providers in Paris. We slipped aboard a smart glass-topped Bateaux Parisien trimaran for an hour-long excursion down the river to Notre Dame and back. Perfect for a hot afternoon. I listened to the commentary for a few minutes then decided to allow the river to ferry its own joys to me – sights and sounds from all around renewed at every bend and every bridge. What a way to relax and see this city from down here on the water!

It is easy to love Paris in the springtime, and even the high temperatures of Paris in the heat of summer need not put you off. It’s a good time to come if you don’t like crowds – the Parisians themselves leave it en mass during August. We travelled light, and took a hat, and soaked our feet in the fountains at the Louvres. There are plenty of shady corners in Paris too, often with a water feature and usually with a little bar or café where you can sit for ages with just a coffee or a glass of wine.

Paris clothes it citizens in the finest couture and for the observant bystander the squares and pavements are soon an impromptu catwalk. Young or old, the beautiful women, les Parisiennes, lend their charm, with a natural fashionable elegance, to the most ordinary street scene, bringing a touch of warmth to the rich stylised architecture with its high formal doorways and long windows. A myriad of smart designer boutiques with their minimalist displays and impressive price-tags await the wealthy, yet the French have the knack of looking great whatever their circumstances. I love window shopping here and will pop into Galeries Lafayette, on Hausmann, just behind l’Opera for a few minutes - just for the fun of taking in the latest designs of everything. Paris’s most famous department store has six floors of expansive galleries gathered around a huge open space which is crowned by a spectacular single dome of multicoloured glass, a giant Tiffany lampshade.

And so we headed home. This time we rode Eurostar “First Class” and felt like royalty, welcomed aboard with champagne, lounging in comfy wide recliner chairs, and attentively served an excellent three-course dinner by thoughtful, good-spirited cabin-crew. Downing the last of our complimentary wine we allowed the memories to settle with the setting sun, as twilight put the outside world to bed.

Fab Tips

• Awarded to Eurostar for excellent service. We found staff attentive, welcoming and polite. The service was timely and crew dealt with issues that arose in a exemplary manor.
• Awarded to Eurostar as our preferred travel route to Paris from London & the South East.
• Awarded to Lonely Planet for an invaluable and robust city map.
• Awarded to the Paris Tourist board. Paris is an excellent destination with clean streets, helpful people and interesting sites.

• museums big and small, from the Louvre to Edith Piaf
• broad scope of listings to tickle tout le monde, whether they're toting baguettes or briefcases
• mapped walking tours to get travellers on their feet, and bus tours to sweep them off their feet
• day trips to Versailles, Chartres and Monet's home at Giverny

• full coverage of multicultural Paris
• tried-and-tested walks to guide you off the beaten track
• inside information on scored of excellent eateries
• the lowdown on Paris' entertainment scene, from classical music to risqué cabaret revues
• wide range of excursions, including Fontainebleau and Versailles