Golf and a city break

City of Light and capital of romance, Paris is hosting the greatest match in world golf in September 2018, when it stages the 42nd Ryder Cup between Europe and the visiting team from the United States. The showdown will take place at the spectacular Golf National course – just over 30km from the city centre – which is also host to the golf competition in the 2024 Paris Olympics. It’s the first time the Ryder Cup is being held on the fringe of a capital city, which, with Paris’ network of international airports, train stations and motorways, will make this probably the most easily accessed Ryder Cup in history.

What’s more, it will be the perfect opportunity to combine golf with a city break. Enjoy a bit of both, or leave your golfing friends and family behind and head into the city for the duration – Paris has plenty for those who prefer the artistry of Gauguin and the flair of Gaultier to a round of golf. Famous for its iconic landmarks – the Eiffel Tower, the Arc du Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées among them – as well as art and architecture, museums and galleries, café society and culture in abundance, everyone must visit Paris at least once in their lifetime. And, though we’re biased of course, you’ll find it’s impossible to visit only once.

Paris is a perfect family destination with Disneyland Paris (where the 2018 Ryder Cup Junior will take place), the Parc Monceau, the Jardin des Plantes and Asterix amusement park. Culture vultures can spend many contented hours in the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Pompidou Centre and the Musée du Quai Branly. Fashionistas and shopaholics will relish visiting the Cité de la Mode et du Design and the Yves Saint-Laurent museum. The Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, the Marais with its retro and vintage stores, and glittering department stores Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps should also all be top of your shopping list.

Once you need a break from all that activity, refuel at one of Paris’ scores of excellent restaurants – or for real foodies, take a gourmet tour to eat your way around the city. Or get into the spirit of classic Parisian life by buying bread, cheese and wine from a market stall and heading to one of the gorgeous public parks or gardens such as the Jardin du Luxembourg, or sit by the water on the Seine or the Canal St-Martin.

There are further attractions west of the city centre. Both 2018 Ryder Cup teams will be based at the renowned Hotel Trianon in nearby Versailles, which with its splendid UNESCO-listed chateau, is one of Europe’s most compelling tourist destinations. The chateau was commissioned by Louis XIV in the 17th century and is one of France’s most prominent historical and artistic treasures, set in beautiful gardens designed by André Le Nôtre.

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