City of lights

For a second or two as we stepped out of the Planet Hollywood restaurant on the Champs-Elyses we felt like movie stars. Lined up on any either side of the entrance, like the parting of the Red Sea, were at least a hundred people waving cameras and camcorders and obviously waiting for someone of significance - and then we walked out.

"How did they know we were in town?" I joked to my wife, Jayne, as we walked rather sheepishly through the crowds.

Moments later and the real star arrived - US rap singer and actor Will Smith, but by this point we were too far back to see anything. I did, however, manage to catch get the back of his head on video!

I don't know where Will was staying, but he would have been hard pressed to find anywhere as good as our hotel, the Sofitel Champs-Elyses.

It is situated just off Paris's most famous thoroughfare, in what is called the Triangle d'Or (the Golden Triangle) making it in easy walking distance of the city's main attractions.

On our doorstep were the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Jardin des Tuileries which lead to the Louvre and Notre Dame, which was ideal for Paris virgins like ourselves who wanted to see as many of the popular sites as possible during our two-night stay.

The 40-bedroom hotel, which also boasts an impressive business centre, is a mixture of Napolean III-style splendour and contemporary architecture. It has recently undergone a major refurbishment, and all the rooms have a modern, crisp and clean feel to them.

Our only disappointment was that the main restaurant was only open for breakfast at weekends, but what a breakfast it was. You name it, they had it.

For evening meals, there were literally hundreds of bistros and restaurants on our doorstep, although it was a struggle to find anywhere that catered for vegetarians. Prices vary too, from the reasonable to the time-to-get-a-bank-loan variety. In one restaurant Jayne had to pick me up off floor when we were charged £5 for a small fresh orange juice!

Paris, we were told, is a city you either love or hate. We fell in love with it at first sight.

It oozes grandeur, sophistication and style and at night the City of Lights gets even better.

The Champs-Elyses, full of car headlights and with the illuminated Arc de Triomphe at one end and a brightly-lit giant Ferris wheel at the other (the Paris equivalent of the London Eye), is a spectacle you'll not easily forget.

But the piece de resistance is of course the 984ft-tall Eiffel Tower, which for the year 2000 only, is covered in thousands of twinkling bulbs making it look like a gigantic Christmas tree.

There is a lights-and-laser show on the hour every hour after dusk which is spectacular, so don't forget your camcorder.

It was while watching the display that we came across the makeshift shrine to Diana, Princess of Wales. Flowers are placed at the base of a sculpture, aptly named Flame of Liberty, while the parapet above the tunnel, in which Diana and Dodi Fayed were killed, is covered in hand-written messages of condolence. A truly moving tribute.

Getting to Paris these days could not be easier - or cheaper.

York passengers can take advantage of new rail fares of only £79 return thanks to a joint initiative between GNER and Eurostar.

The fares must include two nights or a Saturday night and be booked seven days in advance. It should take about six hours, and that includes the underground journey from King's Cross to the Eurostar terminal at Waterloo.

Bon voyage!

Fact File

Accommodation: excellent*****

Food: Good***

Value for money: good***

Things to do: Spoiled for Choice*****

More information: A double room at the Sofitel Champs-Elyses costs from 260FF (about £248) a night. Reservations: 0181 283 4570. Information: www.sofitel.com and www.hotelweb.fr

Train information: 0845 7225225 or www.eurostar.com and www.gner.co.uk

PICTURE:The Eiffel Tower, for one year only, covered in fairy lights to mark the new Millennium