Mumbai30 Nov 23 1 Traveller Economy
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About Paris
The City of Love and capital of France, Paris is one place where you would literally want to stay back. It is a global hub for fashion, art, culture and gastronomy, which only makes it more desirable. The city is also an abode to many of the biggest tourist attractions in the world such as Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the famous Musée du Louvre.
Best time to visit Paris
Summer is undoubtedly the most ideal time to visit Paris. The city opens its tourist avenues for the crowds that arrive from different parts of the world. The city of love bustles with joyful travellers soaking in all the lovely vibe. Not to mention how the sun is pleasantly adding to the fervour while you wrestle through queues to see some tourist attractions. Lovely as everything about a summer in Paris might sound, you should know that it comes at a whopping sum. The peak season comes with exorbitant accommodation charges. To book a hotel in Paris during this season, you will have to have a lot of savings or enough budget reserved. The city does witness some of its fun holidays and festivals such as Tour de France, Bastille Day, fete de St-Denis, Fête de la Musique, to name a few. It also rains during this period so best to carry an umbrella or a raincoat if you wish to go ahead for a summer trip to Paris. However, for those who want to keep away from all the excess touristy crowd and experience a quaint Paris, you should pick September and October.
Paris in fall is typically cheaper with fewer tourists and more space to soak in the romantic city. Much like how the temperatures start to drop in these months, the prices of hotels and hostels also fall. This is definitely the best time to visit Paris, especially since you will get to see the top attractions of the city without having to wait in long queues. However, make sure that you book your hotels and trip in advance if you're rooting for September. The month hosts the famous Paris Fashion Week in September, so getting a cheap hotel in Paris would be difficult.
Places to visit in Paris
You will need a good number of days in hand to cover the majority of tourist attractions in Paris. The city of love is quite gifted in terms of attractions which include the Eiffel Tower, the Notre-Dame, the Louvre, to name a few. You can start with the Notre-Dame Cathedral. It is easily one of the iconic locations of Paris that are on par with the fame of the Eiffel Tower. Speaking of which, your next destination could be the Eiffel Tour. As part of the staunch Wonders of the World list, Eiffel Tower architecture and the romanticism it has followed over the years makes it a landmark. One can simply not skip the Eiffel Tower. In fact, if you've got enough euros in your kitty, you can further go to the top of the structure and indulge in some fine dining while looking down at the stunning city. Little needs to be told about Paris' Musée du Louvre, one of the biggest art museums in Europe and the most colossal museum around the world. The museum has actually been converted into one from the palace of the 13th-century French king Philip II. With a grand exhibition of over 35,000 artwork, including the famous Mona Lisa painting, the museum is too beautiful for words and brings back history and art culture from ancient times.
These might be the iconic sites to visit, many other lovely locales deserve your attention too. Le Marais is one such place to visit as it has been related to the famous French author, Victor Hugo (who authored The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Misérables). The place has the tendency to take you back in time to medieval Paris. Musee de l'Orangerie is a museum that has been brought into existence to feature a variety of impressionist and post-impressionist art. Many artists have dedicated their lives to emulating the works of famous artists. The museum basically celebrates these heroes for their work. It might be odd to add a cemetery in the list of places to visit in Paris. However, the Père-Lachaise Cemetery is so stunning with a maze of cobblestone pathways that it automatically brings forth a charm to space. Palais Garnier - Opera National de Paris continues to send a vibe of architectural opulence and grandiose after all these years.
Things to do in Paris
Balancing between sightseeing, shopping, exploring the city, attending the opera, delving in the culinary bliss of Paris is all too much to do. You will need to fix a good plan to at least cover the big attractions before you settle to go on your own Paris expedition. You can take your loved one on a lovely river cruise by Bateaux Parisiens. It will be just as dreamy as it sounds. Not to mention A walk down the Champs-Élysées is all you need to invoke the shopaholic in you. From luxury stores of Louis Vuitton and Hugo Boss to widespread establishments such as Gap and Zara, the street has a treat for all your shopping needs. You can splurge by taking home a designer Chanel Number 5, or you can resort to just walking the streets and marvelling at the sights of what is considered as one of the fashion industry's meccas. You can also take a stroll around Paris and stand atop the bridge over the Seine River. It is a beautiful and romantic site. Indulging in winery and visiting a vineyard is something you shouldn't miss as the best wines come from France.
Food and Restaurants in Paris
Parisians or rather the French in general, pride themselves for being food connoisseurs globally. Thanks to their contribution towards the culinary world, the food in Paris is nothing short of Très Bien. The city of Paris, with its extra rich landscape, has some exquisite establishments that celebrate food the French style. Places such as Marais, Champs-Elysées and Eiffel Tower are places where you will find upscale fine dining experiences. Meanwhile, 2ème arrondissement (second district) is reserved for cheap and affordable eateries as well as cafes. Wherever you travel in Paris though, the lovely scent of French onion soup, steak frites, croque-monsieur and coquilles St-Jacques will follow you. Their patisserie scenes are just extraordinary. With desserts like macarons, crêpes, pain au chocolat and puits d'amours, you cannot escape those urges to rake in more calories during your trip. Well, you might as well read celebrated American foodie Julia Child's book "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" or watch Meryl Streep-Amy Adams' starrer Julie and Julia, to know more about French cooking.
French food is an experience and a culture you should learn more about. It just gets more fascinating as you divulge into their styles and tastes. To get some upscale dining experience in Paris, make reservations at Guy Savoy, Chez Andre, Bistrot Paul Bert and Allard. As for some cafes that fall in your budget, visit Cafe Pinson, Semilla, Du Pain et des Idées, Frenchie Wine Bar, La Tête dans les Olives, L'Ami Jean and L'Autre Café, to name a few. The city has a flourishing food culture with new restaurants and culinary establishments cropping up in corners of every street.
How to reach Paris (Transportation)
Flight connectivity to Paris from India is excellent thanks to the demand for the city. There are three airports in Paris which connect the city to major international and European cities. The Charles de Gaulle airport receives all international flights coming from major global cities. There are regular flights to Paris from Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi. In fact, there are dedicated flights to Paris that fly from Mumbai daily. Air France, Air India, Etihad, Vistara Airlines are some of the airlines that have services to Paris. Air France has direct flights to Paris from Mumbai, without any layovers. However, depending on the ticket price of the airlines you choose, the duration will increase. In fact, you might have to opt for connecting flights from Munich or Zurich to Paris too, depending on which airlines you choose. The most popular international route to Paris from India is over the Middle East. Hence, much of the layovers and connecting flights can be taken from the cities within the Middle East. Istanbul, Dubai, Doha are some of the cities where layovers and connecting flights to Paris are available.
For a European trip, tourists often opt to travel to several countries and cities. Hence, the EU Union has also made travelling to other cities and countries in Europe possible via trains. There are some lovely express trains that connect cities, including Paris. The fashionably posh city comes with a plethora of accommodation options ranging from high-priced luxury living to budge-hostels. With such a varied choice, you can make your hotel reservations in Paris or book hostels or small quaint hotels. The ticket price of flights to Paris is not very expensive, provided you choose an off season time.
About RwandAir
RwandAir Limited or just RwandAir is the national flag carrier of Rwanda. The airline predominantly operates as a domestic route and international route service to Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Its main hub is at Kigali International Airport in Kigali. Following the Rwandan genocide in 1994 which was a mass slaughter of the Tutsi, moderate Hutu and Twa, the government of the country made several attempts to restore the former national flag carrier, Air Rwanda, operations of which were ceased. As the country was trying to repair itself and return to normalcy following the genocide, the government did its best to attract many companies to revive the airline. A huge number of enterprises and private companies also expressed interest to partner with the Rwanda government. Eventually, Uganda-based SA Alliance Air took up the operations of RwandAir between 1997 and 2000. However, as SA Alliance Air's operations had ceased in 2000, the government of Rwanda once again took over all the operations of the airline, starting from rebranding it to altering its management.
The plan was to ensure that the airline doesn't terminate services. By 2002, the airline was able to commence operations as it followed the new brand name, Rwandair Express. It was established as the national flag carrier of Rwanda and focussed solely on passenger transport. In 2016, after nearly 14 years since its revival, the airline received its International Air Transport Association's Safety Audit for Ground Operations. The airline has had quite a tumultuous journey in surviving in the aviation industry with the constant civil conflicts in the country. By 2009, RwandAir's strategy to expand its regional market and to enhance the domestic routes became their sole focus. They planned to include cities such as Dar-es-Salaam of Tanzania, Nairobi of Kenya and Gisenyi of Western Rwandan province to join the regional network. In the same year, RwandAir registered itself with the new trademark 'RwandAir Ltd' which has since been used as the operating name of the airline. Following the rebranding that took place, the airline dropped RwandAir Express and acquired RwandAir as its new brand name. The main reason behind dropping Express from the airline's name was to add more seriousness to its brand and to acquire itself as a large airline.
By 2010, the airline, under the leadership of Rene Janata, also introduced a frequent flyer programme called Dream Miles. The move was certainly appreciated as it further enhanced the stance that RwandAir aimed to project to the world. After the exit of Rene Janata later the same year, John Mirenge took over the office to become RwandAir's new CEO. Despite being founded in 2002, much of RwandAir's expansions and development took place at the end of the decade. By 2010, the airline managed to acquire its new Boeing 737-500s. Two of the aircraft were delivered to the airline in the same year. The two aircraft have been leased from the General Electric Capital Aviation Services by the airline. The flight boasts a two-class configuration with 12 business class seats and the remaining 90 as economy class seats. In 2011, the airline welcomed its first delivery of aircraft that was purchased by RwandAir. Much of the fleet of RwandAir have either been leased or bought as second-hand with their Boeing 737-800 being the first aircraft purchased by the airline. The Boeing 737 Next Generation became the only aircraft across African carriers to be operated in the continent.
In the same year, the airline also took delivery of its second Boeing 737-800 Next Generation. While it started expanding its fleet by purchasing new and better aircraft models, RwandAir also put its focus on further extending its operations among other African countries. In 2013, the airline announced that they would be commencing international routes to Cape Town, Juba, Accra, Zanzibar and Harare. Much recently, the Middle Eastern airline, Qatar Airways, purchased 49 per cent of shares in RwandAir. This move came right after the airline bought 60 percent of stakes in the Bugesera International Airport in Rwanda. Currently, RwandAir's ownership is divided between the government of Rwanda and Qatar Airways with the former owning 51 percent of shares. The airline has been a loss-making venture for quite a long time now. The government of Rwanda aimed to privatise the airline once it would start showing profits. However, the airline is yet to show profits that would enable more buyers and investors to want to invest in it. So far, Qatar Airways is the only airline to have invested in RwandAir.
Fleet size of RwandAir
Even though it has been a while for RwandAir to be present in the aviation industry or even be part of the country, the operations haven't really kicked off the way one would have expected it to. The fleet size of RwandAir is also considerably small as it has only 13 aircraft. With a slew of African destinations that the airline covers, the fleet is rather small. However, with the involvement of Qatar Airways, it does seem like the airline's operations might pick up after all. In fact, once they can establish a better name, the airline's next focus will be on its fleet expansion. Currently, the fleet consists of one Airbus A330-300, one Airbus A330-200, four Boeing 737-800NG, two Bombardier Q0400 NextGen, two Bombardier CRJ-900 NextGen and two Boeing 737-700NG.
Baggage Allowance
RwandAir's baggage allowance enables passengers to carry 23 kg. While the airline has 23 kg baggage allowance for all the passengers, the only way the rules alter is depending on the cabin class. According to the airline's policy, the economy class and premium economy class passengers are allowed to carry two pieces of checked baggage. Meanwhile, the business class passengers are allowed to carry three pieces of checked baggage. In case the passengers have excess baggage and need extra weight, the airline also has provision to purchase extra baggage. The cabin baggage policy involves passengers carrying 10 kgs. Passengers mustn't carry more than 10 kg weight for their cabin baggage. The dimension of the baggage should also not exceed 55 cm x 38 cm x 20 cm measurement. This is basically the length, width and depth of the baggage. Along with the cabin baggage, the airline also allows passengers to carry an additional accessory bag. The bag could be a laptop, a handbag, a briefcase or even a camera bag. The accessory bag should fit under the front seat.
In-flight services
RwandAir might be a national flag carrier, but the airline has miles to go before they are able to provide passengers with upscale in-flight services. They do have the basic amenities such as reclining seats with legroom, provision for in-flight meals and also spacious overhead bins. Other high-tech equipment to enhance the in-flight services can be received once RwandAir chooses to expand its fleet with newer aircraft.
Popular routes and top cities for RwandAir
RwandAir is known to connect a plethora of domestic route and international route destinations. Despite being a considerably small airline with less presence, RwandAir has been working towards expanding its regional route connectivity. As of 2020, the top destinations for RwandAir include Brussels, Benin, Bujumbura, Douala, Kinshasa, Addis Ababa, Libreville, Accra, Conakry, Mumbai, Tel Aviv, Abidjan, Mombasa, Nairobi, Bamako, Abuja, Lagos, Brazzaville, Bugesera, Cyangugu, Kigali, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Juba, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Entebbe, Dubai, London, Lusaka and Harare. The airline also has codeshare agreements with a few airlines. Since RwandAir does not have a very strong presence in the aviation industry, the codeshare agreements are also a few. They include Brussels Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways, Turkish Airlines and Westair Aviation.
Why travel by RwandAir?
RwandAir is easily one of the best options to pick when travelling to African countries. The airline is one of the handful of airlines in the continent to have such a massive domestic route and international route connectivity. Passengers can easily reach East Africa from West Africa on RwandAir as the airline does offer excellent network. While they have been slow with their expansion plans due to several financial constraints, the airline has accommodated some recent technology to enhance the experience of passengers.
On the airline's booking window, travellers can book either one or multiple RwandAir flight ticket/s and receive promotional offers too. On the same page, the airline has also accommodated a web check-in window. Along with this, passengers can also receive updates on flight updates and flight status. Following the booking of the air ticket, RwandAir tends to share the company policy with respect to travelling. They even mention baggage allowance and other such important details along with the ticket. RwandAir is a loss-making venture that is yet to receive some good news in terms of monetary profits. However, despite its position, the airline has ensured to bring forth facilities and equipment that cater to bring comfort and convenience to the passenger. Hence, it is an ideal choice for travellers who wish to explore African terrains. Also, the flights are considerably cheap and affordable.
