Try Paris for a perfect break advises travel journalist

Paris has been named a "perfect break" by Natasha Edwards of the Telegraph, who says that the "relaxed pace of life" on the west bank of the city is unmissable at this time of year.

Cheap prices on the Eurostar make it easy to get to, and the city celebrates the 40th anniversary of the student uprising this summer with a whole host of nostalgia teeming into the Rive Gauche area.

She advises spending a morning at the Camille Claudel exhibition in the Musee Rodin, or taking a stroll around the Latin Quarter "with its mix of narrow medieval streets and learned institutions".

For those who like to splash out while on their European city breaks, Paris is the perfect place to do it, with dinner at Le Jules Verne, the restaurant of the Eiffel Tower, being an excellent choice for any discerning romantic.

If you like to stay up late, Ms Edwards says to try rue Guisarde, where you can dance the night away with a cocktail and hang out with the cool kids of Paris.

Paris may just have the perfect balance of a relaxed atmosphere and tourist charm for all the family this summer, and it is only a train ride away.