France

France rewards slowness, and Paris alone could take a week. Instead of racing across the country, our France trip bases you in one central Paris hotel and gives the capital proper time. You can go up the Eiffel Tower, see the Louvre with a guide who takes you beyond the Mona Lisa, wander the hilltop lanes of Montmartre at sunset and end an evening on a Seine dinner cruise as the monuments light up.

Paris also works as a base for some of France's best day trips. The Palace of Versailles, with its Hall of Mirrors and formal gardens, is about 40 minutes away by train. Claude Monet's house and water-lily garden at Giverny is at its best from April to October, when the flowers are in bloom. Disneyland Paris, about 45 minutes east, makes a full day for families with children, and a guided walk through the Latin Quarter, Notre-Dame and Île de la Cité fills in the history.

For Indian travellers, the practical advantages are clear. A France trip runs on a Schengen visa, which also lets you continue into Switzerland, Italy or the Netherlands if you wish to extend. Indian restaurants are easy to find around Gare du Nord and La Chapelle, and the Paris Métro makes it simple to move between sights. Spring and early autumn bring the best weather and lighter crowds. Staying in one central hotel for the whole trip means no packing and unpacking, more time for long café lunches and riverside evenings, and the freedom to revisit a favourite neighbourhood before you fly home.