Inspired by the final episodes of Sex And The City, LISA COOK heads for a stylish weekend in Paris.

I'm Carrie Bradshaw. OK, I'm not, but we can all dream. There are some similarities though. I like shoes, I'm writing this for a newspaper and I was going to Paris with my boyfriend.

OK, he's not a Russian artist and my shoes are more New Look than Manolo Blahnik, but for one weekend I was going to follow Carrie's lead.

I didn't have fond memories of Paris. It was somewhere we had visited on art college trips where, apart from the odd art gallery, the only Parisian experience we had was stumbling back through the red light district to our ropy hotel.

This trip was to be different. Older and wiser, and with slightly more money in my purse, we were going to do Paris in style.

Beginning as we meant to go on, we travelled first class by GNER from York to London then, after a quick Tube ride across the capital, caught the Eurostar from Waterloo to Paris.

Your seat is assigned with your ticket, and if you travel first class on Eurostar you also get a glass of champagne and a three-course meal. The perfect start.

Fewer than six hours after leaving home, our train was pulling into the Gare du Nord in Paris.

Our hotel, La Trmoille, was only a short taxi ride away through the mayhem that is Paris traffic.

Situated in a quiet street within the exclusive Triangle d'Or, it's surrounded by the Avenues George V, Champs Elysees and Montaigne, the Bond Street of Paris.

It is easy to see why this hotel has quickly become one of the most fashionable in Paris. One word immediately springs to mind to describe the decor, texture. From the dramatic fabric wallpaper and pulled-back curtains behind the bed in each room, to the mohair cushions, furry or suedette throws, it is contemporary and French chic all rolled into one. The consideration to guests, comfort and privacy is on show everywhere you look. The staff are not intrusive, but you know they are there. There is even a privacy hatch in your room so you don't have to let anyone in to deliver room service or breakfast. No worries about having to look your best first thing in the morning.

After a day of sightseeing - Sacre Coeur, a boat down the Seine and a dusk trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower (not for the faint-heated) - it was time to relax in the hotel's bar and restaurant, Senso.

Designed by Terence Conran and serving contemporary French cuisine, we managed to find our way around the menu after one of the staff translated it for us. O-level French just wasn't good enough on this occasion.

The hotel also has a fitness suite and spa offering a range of treatments to help you unwind after a long day sightseeing or shopping.

The next day, in true Sex And The City fashion, a trip to the most exclusive boutiques could not be ruled out. The Avenue Montaigne is home to the likes of Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Prada. But being in Paris, there was only one shop to visit: Chanel.

Luckily my entrance into this fashion establishment was much more dignified than Carrie's slide across the floor into Dior just down the road.

My quest for a lipstick, just so I could get the bag, turned into a pair of sunglasses. But it was worth the battering my credit card got just to see them so beautifully wrapped - ribbons, flowers, the works. It was almost a shame to unwrap them.

Unlike Carrie, though, I was reluctant to leave. While she may have fallen out of love in Paris and was desperate to return to New York, I had fallen in love with the city.

But the train was booked and in fewer than six hours I would be back in old York.

Fact file:

Lisa travelled to Paris with GNER and Eurostar. Visit www.gner.co.uk to find details of a GNER/Eurostar promotion.

When we travelled in March, a standard return from York to Paris including Tube travel across London started from £81 per person. The offer runs until the end of May 2004.

Eurostar operates up to 14 services a day from London Waterloo to Paris with a fastest journey time of 2 hours 35 minutes. Visit www.eurostar.com for further information.

Reader offer

Would you like to rev up a little romance this spring with a rendezvous at Hotel La Tremoille in Paris?

Readers can enjoy a special 'I love Paris in the spring time' rate

combined with a romantic ride for two down the River Seine and breakfast for

two in bed. Valid from April 1 to May 16, 2004, (subject to availability) you can stay at La Tremoille from just 305 Euros (approximately £209) per night, for two people sharing, including:

Continental breakfast, served in bed or in Senso restaurant

Easter chocolate treats

A CD of I Love springtime in Paris

and two tickets for a romantic ride along the River Seine on the Bateau

Mouche.

For reservations, phone La Trmoille +33 (0) 1 56 52 14 00 or email:reservation@hotel-tremoille.com or visit www.hotel-tremoille.com

Updated: 09:08 Saturday, April 03, 2004