Tour of two cities

To discover Paris and Amsterdam, put on your best walking shoes, writes David Bowden

MY journey to two of Europe’s leading cities was to discover just how easy a soon-to-be-launched Tale Of Two Cities service operated by Air France and KLM can be in seeing the best ofParis and Amsterdam.

On April 23, Air France starts direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Paris. And I recently flew on Air France from Singapore to enjoy one of the finest in-flight services in the sky.

PARIS — SO FRENCH

The flight arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport and locating the Metro to ride the train into the city was a breeze with excellent signs in French and English.

Armed with my guidebook, I took the train to Central Paris to explore it on foot and using the Metro. Buying a Metro ticket has a few twists but watching others do it, I soon got the hang of it.

My base was Novotel Bercy, just out of the city centre but with Paris rates being expensive, this hotel is a winner in a fabulous neighbourhood. The River Seine, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, The Louvre, Champs Elysees and Eiffel Tower were in my sights for my three-day Paris trip.

The River Seine flows through Paris and skirts the islands of St Louis and Ile de la Cite. Notre-Dame Cathedral with its dramatic arches, grand stained glass windows and gargoyles is located on the Ile de la Cite.

I could have rested my feet and taken a trip down the River Seine on a glass-sided batobus or open-sided bateaux mouches, however, I chose to walk to the Louvre via the Pont des Arts, an ornate bridge over the Seine covered in “love locks”.

The Louvre is the world’s largest museum with Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa being the essential artwork to view but I found there were many other equally fascinating works.

After resting in the Jardin des Tuileries gardens, I walked up the grand boulevard of the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe.

The parks and museums at the bottom of the boulevard are replaced by boutiques, hotels and iconic cafes and brasseries near the Arc de Triomphe.

Enjoying coffee in an alfresco cafe watching and being watched is an important part of most people’s lives. Seats face the street to ensure an uninterrupted view of those walking the boulevard. Some cafes to try along the Champs Elysees include Le Cristal, Bistro Romain and Cafe George V.

Shopping is an important reason for visiting Paris as it’s the headquarters for many designers. Shoppers will be in overdrive with all the boutiques located along the Champs Elysees — Hugo Boss, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Guerlain and Benetton.

While these were all out of my league, I found the best one-stop shop to be Galeries Lafayette on Boulevard Haussmann. It’s a huge store centred on a grand glass-dome and spreads over several blocks with Paris souvenirs sold near the entrance.

AMSTERDAM — DYKES AND CANALS

There’s much more to Amsterdam than the dykes and canals but these two fascinating features make excellent places to start. Amsterdam isn’t the Dutch capital (The Hague is) but, being the biggest city, it has developed a reputation for its lively nightlife. Its red light district of De Wallen has more observers than participants and I discovered it was safe and more a destination to “tick off the list” than a place to linger.

Amsterdam is a beautiful city with a maze of tree-lined canals and squares full of outdoor cafes and bars. Something lively is always going on but I also learned to watch out for cyclists who become irritated with tourists aimlessly wandering onto cycle paths.

Buying an I Amsterdam Card (www.iamsterdamcard.com) for free city transport and free or discounted access to Amsterdam’s major attractions saves money.  

Cruising the city on a pencil-thin boat is recommended as a way of appreciating Amsterdam’s topography which is flat and barely centimetres above the level of the neighbouring sea held back by  protective dykes.

One of the cruise highlights is the Bridge Of 15 Bridges near Rembrandtplein where it’s possible to see all 15 old bridges crossing the canal.   

With 40 museums and 140 art galleries, there are plenty of indoor activities for the cooler months. The Rijksmuseum houses one of the world’s most impressive art collections with Rembrandt’s Night Watch being its most prized piece. Nearby, the Van Gogh Museum displays some of the master’s greatest works.

Rembrandtplein is a quiet square lined with restaurant and bars and a place I found relaxing to stop and get my bearings. While Dutch cuisine isn’t universally known, my meal at Restaurant ‘t Narrow was delicious in the surroundings of a 17th Century house.

Think of Holland and images of windmills, clogs, cheese and tulips spring to mind. The closest most travellers will come to all these cliched icons is in the endless rows of fridge magnets and key chains displayed in souvenir shops especially along the Damrak and Flower Market.  

Amsterdam by night is markedly different to its daytime best. Most people head for districts like Leidseplein and Jordaan for its lively scene of restaurants, bars and clubs. 

How to get there

TRAVEL to Paris on Air France (Tel: 03-7712 4555, www.airfrance.com) and become acclimatised to all things French. Meals reflect French culture and flight attendants go out of their way to make passengers comfortable.

Air France departs Singapore each evening with connecting flights from Kuala Lumpur on partner airlines. Business class passengers can lie back and enjoy “dinner in bed”.

The great news for Malaysian travellers is that Air France will commence flying direct from Kuala Lumpur to Paris in late April.

Leaving: Depart Paris for Amsterdam on either Air France or KLM. Trains from Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport depart regularly and take 20 minutes to reach the city. KLM (Tel: 03-7712-4555, www.klm.com) flies direct from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. It offers touches like e-bookings and KLM’s World Business Class offers excellent touches like Dutch wine and Delft porcelain gifts.  

Where to stay

Paris: Check into one of Paris’s best valued hotels, the Novotel Paris Bercy (www.novotel.com), just 10 minutes’ walk from the Gare de Lyon. Rooms are functional with contemporary styling and a breakfast that fully prepared me for a day’s sightseeing. It’s close to Bercy Metro and Bercy Village. This is a true neighbour where people live, work and recreate. The village includes a lively food street that includes a couple of personal favourites such as Maison Kayer and Aux Delices de Bercy.

Amsterdam: Hotel Ibis Amsterdam (www.ibishotel.com) is a great affordable hotel located on Stationplein right next to Centraal train station.

The Lourve ­— a must–visit in Paris.

Cruise along Amstel River in Amsterdam.

Old draw bridge in Amsterdam.

Tour of two cities