Getting There
Air France, France's national carrier, and scores of other airlines
link Paris with every part of the globe. Other French cities with
direct international air links include Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille,
Nice, Strasbourg and Toulouse.
Paris is the country's main bus and rail hub, with services to/from
every part of Europe. Buses are slower and less comfortable than
trains, but they are cheaper, especially if you qualify for the
10% discount available to people under 26 or over 60 or hunt around
for discount fares. The completion of the Channel Tunnel in 1994
has meant travel between England and France - on the silent, ultra-modern
Eurostar rail service - is now quick and hassle-free. The Chunnel
also has high-speed shuttle trains that whisk cars, motorbikes
and coaches from England to France.
By sea, the quickest passenger ferries and hovercrafts to England
run between Calais and Dover, and Boulogne and Folkestone. There
are numerous routes linking Brittany and Normandy with England;
Saint Malo is linked by car ferry and hydrofoil with Weymouth,
Poole and Portsmouth, while Roscoff has ferry links to Plymouth.
Ferries also ply the waters between France and Ireland (Cherbourg-Cork),
the Channel Islands, Sardinia (Marseille-Porto Torres), Italy
(Corsica-Genoa) and North Africa (Marseille-Algiers, Marseille-Tunis,
Séte-Tangier).
Getting Around
France's
domestic airlines link most urban centers, but flights can be
quite expensive. Occasionally discount tickets will work out cheaper
than overland travel so it can be worth scouting around if you've
got a big hop in mind.
Train service in France is efficient, punctual, and comfortable.
It is one of the most popular ways to get around, allowing travelers
to view the countryside in a swift, but leisurely manner. Operated
by the state-owned SCNF (Société Nationale des Chemins
de Fer), it reaches almost every part of the country. The high-speed
TGV (train é grande vitesse) makes possbile travel between
some cities (eg Paris and Lyon) faster and easier by rail than
by air. For added convenience, the Paris Charles-de-Gaulle and
Lyon Saint-Exupery Airports have high-speed train stations.
The price of train travel in France depends on whether you choose
first or second class, as well as on the time and date of travel.
If you are buying a ticket in France, there are a large number
of reduced fares or passes for seniors, families and youth. If
you are planning your rail travel before you go, there are a variety
of affordable and flexible passes and packages available for the
U.S. traveler through your travel agent or Rail Europe, including
the France Railpass, the France Rail 'n Drive, Eurail and other
good-value offers. (links = yes - but you have to see with Bernard
Crouset)
As a guide, the minimum prices for the following journeys by TGV
are:
Itinerary |
Full Fare |
People under 26 |
| Paris-Lille (1hr) : 160 miles |
208 F |
139 F |
| Paris-Lyon (2hr): 317.5 miles |
318 F |
239 F |
| Paris-Marseilles (4hr): 536 miles |
379 F |
284 F |
| Paris-Bordeaux (3hr): 360 miles |
352 F |
260 F |
linked by 964 356 km (599,240 miles) of roads and 31 940 km (19,847
miles) of railway. Inter-regional bus services are limited but
buses are used extensively for short-distance travel within regions,
especially in rural areas with relatively few train lines (eg
Brittany and Normandy). Smaller towns without train stations are
generally linked by bus service to the nearest station.
Guidelines
Tickets In France. Every passenger must validate his own ticket
before boarding the train -- failure to do so can result in a
fine. A large number of orange machines are located at the entrances
to the platforms as well as in other train station locations.
Once validated, the ticket is only good for that day. On board
a conductor will check your ticket.SNCF services:
Collection and delivery of luggage to your hotel.
Baggage registration
Station porters
Tickets delivered to your hotel
Buses. All SNCF stations have nearby bus stations. A train/bus
combination is a trouble-free way to travel in France. Whether
for nearby excursions or regularly scheduled connections, contact
the SNCF or the local tourist office. Finally, the Eurolines bus
company operates services between France and major European cities.
Tel: 011 33 (0) 1 49 72 51 51.
Reservations and Information in France - SNCF direct line Tel.
33 (0) 8 36 35 35 35 (2.23F/min) from 7a.m. to 10p.m., 7 days
a week. - Ticket offices and automatic ticket machines in railway
stations SNCF offices or travel agencies.
Having your own vehicle can be expensive, and is sure to be inconvenient
in city centers where parking and traffic are problematic. Be
warned that most driving in France is done with the horn, or 'French
Brake Pedal', as it is often called. As a rule of thumb, don't
be timid or overly respectful once on the road as this technique
will often confuse the natives. Renting a car is expensive if
you walk into an office and hire a car on the spot, but prebooked
and prepaid promotional rates are reasonable.
France is a superb country for motorcycle touring, with winding
roads of good quality and lots of stunning scenery. It's also
an eminently cyclable country, due largely to its extensive network
of secondary and tertiary roads that are relatively lightly trafficked.
Another relaxing way of seeing France is to cruise its canals
and navigable rivers by houseboat. These usually accommodate four
to 12 passengers and can be rented for a weekend or several weeks.
Local transport includes the cheap and efficient Metro and RER
underground networks in Paris (there are also metro lines in other
cities), trams, buses, téléphériques in the
French Alps, expensive taxis (especially outside the major cities)
and river shuttles. |
