Paris police authorities systematically wiped tens of thousands of crimes from their books as part of a decade-long cover-up to make the capital seem safer than it was.

There's nothing like a beautifully shot film to make you feel like up-and-leaving the very next day. Here are five examples that show off their stunning destinations to full effect.

Each week, Flight Centre's team of experts answers your travel questions.

Paris has launched a new kind of tourist guide: not a guide for tourists, but a guide to different types of tourists.

Europe’s rail network has long enabled travellers to piece together unique itineraries. A new high-speed connection from London to Barcelona will be a welcome addition. Gavin Bertram reports.

When you’ve strolled around the City of Love visiting icons like the Lourve, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and eaten more than your share of fresh baguettes and gooey cheese, here are five off-the-beaten-track things to write home about.

Considering a shopping excursion to Paris? It's a good idea to plan ahead.

If you're keen for a shopping fix overseas this holiday season here are the best streets around the world to fill up the suitcase with goodies.

Marc Jacobs capped an incredibly strong Paris fashion week with his collection for Louis Vuitton shown at The Lourve. Miuccia Prada, who presides over a lucrative fashion empire, felled a small forest in aid of her presentation for Miu Miu, one of the final day's other big shows. Elie Saab threw huge graphic chunks of moon rock down the catwalk as set, to evoke his more geometric theme.

London-based Vivienne Westwood led the crowd, celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, but travelling via Japan, Russia, Spain and Africa. Viktor & Rolf, meanwhile, went back to their signature plays on oversized proportion to produce a glitzy show as they prepare to celebrate 20 years since they founded the label. The epitome of femininity, Cacharel, explored spring through the natural colors of mother nature, in a trademark delicate display.

The setting may have been grand but the shows on the first day in Paris are often low-key, a showcase for emerging talent.

The common garden snail may not seem appetising, but the French have raised it to a level of luxury and international renown. Viva visits a farm where production is not as slow as you might expect.

Michele Hewitson ticks off the items on her Paris to-do lists and discovers even more to do.

The Chloe fashion house is celebrating its 60th birthday during Paris Fashion Week but its spring-summer 2013 show proved it's still as fresh as a daisy. Stella McCartney describes her collection as a fresh, optimistic and relaxed spring-summer outing. But Hedi Slimane's debut for Yves Saint Laurent caused fashion editors to disappointingly drop their pens half way through.