What’s new in France, Switzerland for 2018
France and Switzerland are two of Europe’s most appealing destinations, but they’re constantly changing, so I’ve gathered these new items for your 2018 travel planning.
In Paris, prices at the Eiffel Tower are up nearly 50 percent to help fund a 15-year renovation, including a bulletproof, 8-foot glass wall around the tower’s base. It now costs about $30 to ride the elevator to the top, $19 for just the two lower levels, or $12 to climb the stairs to the first or second level.
At two other major Paris sights — Notre-Dame and Sacre-Coeur — a modest dress code is being enforced; visitors with shorts or uncovered shoulders may be turned away. Renovations
A: I would have to say Taiwan. My parents emigrated to California with no family in the area — and barely any in the United States. When I go back to Taiwan, I get to catch up with the dozens of cousins I could have grown up with. The last time I went back was four years ago. My mom planned a trip for my dad and me. Taiwan was how I remembered it, but I also got to know it a lot better. We explored places like Penghu, which is a vacation archipelago off the mainland. It’s like what Hawaii was like in the ’50s — pristine and relatively undisturbed by tourism. We rented scooters and spent five days riding around the whole island.
A: It’s especially famous for its night markets — think street carnival, but it continue at the Carnavalet, a museum dedicated to the history of Paris, keeping it closed through 2019.
Due to legal challenges, Uber in Paris is no longer much cheaper than taxis, and may cost more than taxis at peak times. And when considering Uber, note that private cars don’t enjoy the privileged access that taxis do in the town center.
Last summer, Paris’ regional transit authority announced plans to drop the term “RER” and instead use “train” for commuter rail lines A through K. Similarly, the French railway is changing the name of its network of highspeed trains from “TGV” (high-speed trains) to “InOui.”
Thanks to deregulation, inter-city and international bus service from Paris is improving. Ouibus and Flixbus are cutting costs drastically and amping up onboard comfort with Wi-Fi and more spacious seats. For example, Flixbus happens every night. I remember loving this carnival game called Fishing (where) you get a paper scoop, and you try to get as many fish as you can before the paper breaks. You keep the fish you get. A lot of street vendors would have stalls that are simply a big blanket laid out on the street, and they’re selling everything from cellphone cases to slippers. Everyone goes there for the food, though. Food carts sell now-renowned dishes like Stinky Tofu, Taiwanese Sausage, shaved ice and, yes, boba milk tea. Taiwanese invented that! The country has such good food that Asians from other countries visit Taiwan just to eat. I remember that the seafood there is so fresh. Every restaurant has a menu (with) crab, fish, lobster, clams . ... When you order it, they just boil it and put it on a plate. No seasoning required.
A: Definitely New York. The amount of life and culture, all infused and combined in one place is astonishing and, often times, overwhelming. You’ll never run out of runs direct and cheap bus service from Paris to the island abbey of Mont StMichel.
It’s also easier to travel from Paris to the Dordogne River Valley, an area known for its prehistoric cave art. A new high-speed train between Paris and Bordeaux has reduced travel time to two hours. Your best bet to see prehistoric caves there is to reserve ahead for a tour of the new, high-tech Lascaux IV, a replica reproducing all of the original Lascaux cave art.
Sound-and-light shows employing new laser technology are trendy these days and a highlight at several French chateaux. In Auvers-sur-Oise, Chateau d’Auvers’ new show incorporates sound, light, and video to teach visitors about the Impressionist painters (such as Van Gogh and Cezanne) who left their mark on this area. In the Loire Valley, renovation is complete at the island chateau in Azay-le-Rideau, and its sound-and-light things to explore.
A: A friend highly recommended getting certified for scuba diving so we can dive all around the world. I got certified (a few) months ago. I’m dying to go to one of the top spots in the world — the Sea of Cortez, (which is) only about an hour away from Los Angeles.
A: Some friends and I planned a trip to Machu Picchu about two years ago. It still is one of my most memorable vacations. Machu Picchu was like the Mecca for the Incas, and they built a path out of stones — a four-day pilgrimage through mountains. It was an insane hike. There were periods where we were climbing stairs for six hours at a stretch, then going downstairs for another four. With nothing out there but the scenery, the path and ruins, with a captivating tour guide telling us stories of what it was like to live back then, it really felt like I was there. show is back on. At Chateau Royal d’Amboise, the dramatic sound-andlight show — complete with lavish costumes, battle scenes, and fireworks — now comes with an English audio guide to follow the narration.
To the south in Provence, several new sights have popped up. Arles’ LUMA Foundation — a 180-foot-tall Frank Gehrydesigned aluminum tower — houses a resource and exhibition center for artists. In Nimes, the Roman World Museum is slated to open this summer in a futuristic building across from the Roman arena. It will feature an archaeological collection from the seventh century B.C. to the Middle Ages, and a rooftop garden with city views.
Next door, in the French Riviera, Nice’s Russian Cathedral has reopened after a two-year, $23 million renovation, which included finishing frescoes untouched since World War I. A new tramway line will eventually link Nice with its airport (running parallel to the Promenade des Anglais a few blocks inland); service should start by the end of 2018.
To the east, Switzerland offers its own set of new scenic treats. Near Lake Geneva, the Diablerets summit now features the Peak Walk suspension bridge, which stretches 350 feet from the top of the lift to the mountain’s highest point.
In my favorite corner of Switzerland, those ascending the Schilthorn (a famous mountain in the Berner Oberland) can stop at the midpoint cable-car station of Birg and try out the Thrill Walk, a 600-footlong see-through catwalk bolted to the cliff side. More adventurous (in their imagination) travelers can also tightrope across a cable bridge (there’s a net), cross a section of glass flooring, or crawl through a chainlink tube — all with views to the valley below. Also, those traveling with a Swiss Travel Pass can now use their rail pass to reach the
QSchilthorn summit for free.
Part of the joy of Swiss travel is the country’s wonderful train system, which is continually being improved. One of the heavily marketed scenic rail journeys, the William Tell Express, is now called the Gotthard Panorama Express. (It’s still the same trip, half by boat and half by train, from Luzern to the Italian-speaking region of Ticino.) And passenger trains have started using the new Gotthard Base Tunnel, the longest railway tunnel in the world. At 35 miles long, it cuts about 30 minutes off the travel time between Zurich and Milan.
In travels to France, Switzerland and beyond, plan ahead and travel with up-to-date information to make the most of your trip.