Getting to Paris

GETTING TO PARIS

Paris is a major hub of European air, road, and rail travel. Direct flights from around the world

serve the French capital’s two main international airports.

Paris is also at the center of Europe’s growing high-speed rail network, with arrivals throughout the day of Eurostar from London, Thalys from Brussels, Amsterdam, and Cologne, and TGVs from Marseille and Geneva. Approaching by road, auto-routes (highways) converge on Paris from all

directions, including – via Eurotunnel’s Channel rail shuttle – the UK.

ARRIVING BY AIR

The main French airline is Air France. From the United States there are regular flights direct to Paris mainly on American, United, Northwest, Continental, and Delta. From Canada, Air France and Air Canada fly direct to Paris. Qantas is one of the few providing connecting flights from Australia and New Zealand.

The main British airlines with regular flights to Paris are British Airways and British Midland. Easyjet (from Belfast, Bristol, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Luton, and Newcastle), BmiBaby (Durham, East Midlands, Leeds, and London), and Jet2 (Leeds-Bradford and Manchester) offer an inexpensive CDG service. Ryanair flies from Dublin, Shannon, and Glasgow (Prestwick) to Beauvais, an hour’s bus

journey north of Paris. For airline offices in Paris.

The peak summer season in Paris is from July to September. Airline fares are at their highest during this time.

Different airlines, however, may have slightly different high summer season periods, so check with the airlines or an agent as to which months are covered by these fares.

In general, airlines offer their lowest fares to those passengers booking on the Internet via their websites.

It often pays to book far in advance. However, last-minute deals are sometimes available.

Addresses of reputable discount agencies in Paris. You will find that these agencies offer charters and regular scheduled flights at very competitive prices. Many also have representatives in other countries.

Flight Times Listed here are some examples of flight times to Paris from various cities in different parts of the world: New York 8 hours; Los Angeles 12 hours; Montreal 7.5 hours;

London 1 hour; Dublin 90 minutes; Sydney 23 hours.

CHARLES DE GAULLE

(CDG) AIRPORT

Paris’s main airport is 19 miles (30 km) north of the city. It has two main terminals, CDG1 and CDG2 which straddles the TGV-RER station, and a charter flight terminal, T3.

Getting into Town Buses, trains, and taxis all run to central Paris. Air France operates two services from CDG1 and CDG2: one goes to Porte Maillot and Charles de Gaulle-Etoile (about every 12 mins; journey time about 40 mins); the other to the Gare de Lyon and Montparnasse TGV train station (every 30 mins; journey time about 50 mins).

From T3 it is a short walk to the RER station, where you can catch a train to central

Paris. The RATP Roissybus, serving all three terminals, takes travelers to Opéra (every 20 mins 6am–11pm; journey time about 50 mins).

Disneyland Paris runs the VEA bus service (8:30am–7:45pm daily, to 10pm Fri, to 9:30pm Sun) every 30–45 minutes from CDG1 and CDG2.

The TGV station is in CDG2, and there are RER rail stations (Line B) at CDG1 (linked via a shuttle bus and CDGVAL rail-link) and CDG2. Trains leave every 5–15 minutes and take about 35 minutes to reach the city center, at the Gare du Nord, Châtelet, St-Michel, Luxembourg, and Port Royal.

Airport Shuttle (Tel: 0825 09 20 92) provides door-to-door service in a minibus for both airports and Beauvais, for €40 for one person, or €21–€25 each for two or more (reserve at least 48 hours ahead, then call them after landing to confirm your journey). They also drop off at the Arc de Triomphe for €18. per person. Normal taxis to the center run between €45 (daytime) and €55, often with long lines.

ORLY AIRPORT (ORY)

This is Paris’s second airport, which is located 9 miles (15 km) south of the capital. It has two terminals, Orly Sud and Orly Ouest.

Getting into Town Transportation services go to the southern part of the city, and a special bus (VEA

shuttle) links the airport with Disneyland Resort Paris (every 45 mins 8:30am–7:30pm).

Travelers arriving at Orly can take a taxi, bus, or train to central Paris. The bus services are run by Air France and RATP (Orlybus). Air France buses take about 30 minutes to reach the city center, stopping at Les Invalides and Gare de Montparnasse.

The Orlybus (every 12–20 mins) takes about 25 minutes to reach the city center at Denfert-Rochereau. The Jet Bus service takes travelers from the airport to Villejuif-Louis Aragon metro station every 15–20 minutes.

A bus called Orlyrail links the airport with RER Line C at Pont de Rungis, from where trains leave every 15 minutes (half hour after 9pm), taking 25 minutes to reach the Gare d’Austerlitz. An automatic train, Orlyval, links the airport with RER Line B at Antony station, from where trains leave every 4–8 minutes for Châtelet (35-minute total journey).

Taxis to the city center take 25–45 minutes, depending on the traffic, and cost 25–30.

CROSSING THE CHANNEL

Travelers coming to Paris from Britain by road will need to cross the English Channel. The simplest and most popular way is on the vehicle-carrying train shuttles through the Channel Tunnel. Operated by Eurotunnel, these run between the terminals at Folkestone and Calais.

You are directed onto the trains and remain with your vehicle, though you may get out of your car and walk about inside the train.

The journey through the Tunnel takes about 30 minutes, is unaffected by sea conditions or weather,

and trains depart every 15–30 minutes, depending on demand. On both the English and the French

side, the Tunnel terminal has direct highway access.

There are also several ship or catamaran car ferries across the Channel.

On the short Dover–Calais route alone, there are up to 100 crossings per day, operated by several operators running frequent, fast services. SeaFrance takes 90 minutes to cross, for example.

Transmanche Ferries, part of Corsica Ferries, runs the route between Newhaven and Dieppe, which takes nearly 4 hours. Norfolkline has a 2-hour Dover to Dunkerque crossing.

Two companies ply the longer western routes across the Channel. Brittany Ferries crossings from Plymouth to Roscoff take up to 8 hours, and from Poole to Cherbourg they take 4¼ hours on conventional ferry, or 3 hours on the Condor Vitesse (fast ferry). From Portsmouth, Brittany take

6 hours to Caen, and 11 hours overnight to St-Malo. P&O has reduced its ferry routes to just Dover–Calais. LD Lines now runs from Portsmouth to Le Havre in 5½ hours. Driving to Paris from Cherbourg takes 4–5 hours; from Dieppe or Le Havre, about 2½–3 hours; from Calais, 2 hours.

ARRIVING BY BUS

The main bus operator to Paris is Eurolines, which is based at the Gare Routière Internationale in eastern Paris.

Its buses travel to Belgium, Holland, Ireland, Germany, Scandinavia, United Kingdom, Italy and Portugal.

Their terminus in London is Victoria Coach Station, from where there are between three and five

daily departures for Paris, depending on the season. The journey from London to Paris takes between 8 and 9 hours.

ARRIVING BY RAIL

Eurostar trains travel direct from central London (St. Pancras), Ashford, and Ebbsfleet (both Kent) to

USEFUL CONTACTS

Brittany Ferries

Tel 0871 244 0744 (UK).

www.brittany-ferries.co.uk

Eurolines

Ave de Général de Gaulle, Bagnolet.

Tel 08 92 89 90 91.

Victoria Coach Station, London SW1.

Tel 08705 808 080.

www.eurolines.com

Eurostar

Tel 08705 186 186 (UK).

www.eurostar.com

Eurotunnel

Tel 08705 35 35 35 (UK).

www.eurotunnel.com

LD Lines

Tel 0844 576 8836 (UK).

www.ldlines.com

Norfolkline

Tel 08708 701 020 (UK).

P&O

Tel 08716 645 645 (UK).

SeaFrance

Tel 03 21 17 70 26.

Transmanche Ferries

Tel 08009 171 201 (UK).

Central Paris (Gare du Nord) in 2 hours and 15 minutes. Other high-speed services into Paris include Thalys from Brussels, Amsterdam, and Cologne, and TGVs from throughout France. Pre-booking is essential though this can be last minute. Prices are much cheaper booked ahead.

As the railroad hub of France and the Continent, Paris has five major international train stations operated by the French state railroads, SNCF. The Gare de Lyon in eastern Paris is the main station, serving the south of France, the Alps, Italy, and Switzerland. The Gare de l’Est serves eastern France, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany.

Arriving at the Gare du Nord are trains from Britain, Holland, Belgium, and Scandinavia.

Trains from some Channel ports arrive at the Gare St-Lazare. Trains from Spain and Brittany’s ports terminate at Gare Montparnasse and Gare d’Austerlitz. The other main stations are: Gare de Bercy;

Massy-Palaiseau (SW of city); Marne-la-Vallée for Disneyland Resort Paris (E); Aeroport

Charles-de-Gaulle (NE).There is a tourist office at the Gare de Lyon where you can book accommodations. All stations are served by city buses, the metro, and RER trains.

Directional signs show where to make connections.

ARRIVING BY CAR

Paris is an oval city. It is surrounded by an outer ring road called the Boulevard Périphérique. All highways leading to the capital link in to the Périphérique, which separates the city from the suburbs. Each former city gate, called a porte, now corresponds to an exit from (or entrance to) the

Périphérique. Arriving motorists should check their destination address and consult a map of central Paris to find the closest corresponding porte. For example, a driver who wants to get to the Arc de Triomphe should exit at Porte Maillot.

MAIN AIRLINES

SERVING PARIS

Aer Lingus

Tel 0870 876 5000 (UK).

www.aerlingus.com

Air Canada

Tel 0871 220 1111.

www.aircanada.ca

Air France

0820 320 820.

www.airfrance.fr

American Airlines