It is in its public areas that Madame Reve really shines.

Not every hotel has a grand history,so some are just making one up

The Ritz and Raffles might be historic and storied,but what about a new hotel? How does it quickly get a personality?

  • Lee Tulloch

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TGV Duplex INOUI high-speed train.

France’s fast trains are stress-free,but beware the backwards seats

France’s high-speed TGV INOUI is more than an inter-city train. It crosses international borders too.

  • Kristie Kellahan
Super spread... a wide selection of butter brands and flavours at La Grande Epicerie de Paris.

When friends found out I was going to Paris,they all wanted one thing

Butter is the hero of innumerable dishes in France,where its quality is strictly enforced by law. The big problem is getting it home to Australia.

  • Shaney Hudson
Travellers wait as Eurostar trains to London and all trains heading to northern France have been brought to a halt following the discovery of an unexploded bomb dating back to World War II.

Unexploded WWII bomb in Paris grinds Eurostar services to a halt

The discovery of an unexploded bomb dating back to World War II has disrupted trains services going to and from Paris’ bustling Gare du Nord train station.

  • Samuel Petrequin andJustin Leicester
Of the nine million visitors to the Louvre each year,70 per cent are there just for a glimpse of the Mona Lisa.

Visiting France’s most famous museum has become a nightmare

With huge numbers queuing for a glimpse of the Mona Lisa,visiting the Louvre is an ordeal. And now Australians will have to pay even more to visit.

  • Abigail Buchanan
Attracting millions of tourists each year,Venice has long battled pickpockets .

Beware:Europe’s worst spots for pickpockets named

Locals in Rome,Venice,Barcelona and Paris reveal the train lines and tourist attractions where petty crime is rife.

  • Amanda Hyde
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The TikTok effect … queues where you wouldn’t normally expect them.

I used social media to plan my Paris holiday. Result? Lots of queuing

Paris just closed its last tourist information office,citing social media as a better source. So I decided to put it to the test.

  • Nick Duerden
A girl walks in the Kaweni slum on the outskirts of Mamoudzou,in the French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte in the aftermath of Cyclone Chido.
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World of photos,December 21,2024

The best photos from the international wire agencies as chosen by our picture editors.

A couple,hugs as snow falls,with the Eiffel Tower in the background,in Paris.
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World of photos,November 23,2024

The best photos from the international wire agencies as chosen by our picture editors.

A bit of this,a bit of that...

French dessert menus were boring. Then this dish came along

“It was always the same:creme caramel,fruit salad and chocolate mousse,” says Paris-based gastronomy expert Bernard Boutboul. Something had to change.

  • Chrissie McClatchie