Air
The national airline is Air
France (AF). Many airlines operate to France, including an
increasing number of low-cost airlines from the UK.
Departure tax: None.
France’s principal international
airports are detailed below:
Note: Facilities at the airports listed below
are all of a high international standard and include bank/bureaux
de change, duty-free shops, restaurants and bars. There are also
small airports with some international flights at Biarritz, Caen,
Deauville (St Gatien), Le Havre, Montpellier, Morlaix, Rennes
and Quimper.
Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Also known as Roissy-Charles de Gaulle,
(website: www.adp.fr)
is 23km (14 miles) northeast of the city, travel time is approxd
40 minutes.
Taxis are readily available and journeys to the
centre cost around €38. An airport limousine
service can also be hired for approximately €90.
Roissybus services operate from the airport to
Place de l’Opéra between 0545 hrs
- 2300 hrs every 15 minutes. The Fare is approximately €8
and takes approximately 1 hour.
Air France coaches run from Étoile
via Porte Maillot, from Montparnasse
via Gare de Lyon and from Orly Airport
to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle. Services
run every 12-20 minutes and take 40-50 minutes. Fares are approximately
€11.
The airport is also easily accessible by train on the
RER B line or SNCF with connecting ADP
shuttle bus.
Paris-Orly (ORY)
Paris-Orly is
14km (9 miles) south of Paris.
Coaches and buses run to the
city every 12 minutes, travel time is approx 25 minutes, from
outside Orly Ouest.
Taxis are available. RER B and
C trains run every 15 minutes via Saint-Michel
and the travel time is approx 30 minutes.
Bordeaux (BOD) (Merignac)
Bordeaux Airport is 12km (8 miles) west of the
city.
Coaches, buses and taxis
to the city are available.
Lille (LIL) (Lesquin)
Lille Airport
is 12km (8 miles) southeast of the city.
Coaches and taxis are available
to the city.
Lyon (LYS) (Lyon-Saint-Exupéry)
Lyon (LYS)
(Lyon-Saint-Exupéry) is 25km (15 miles) east of the
city.
Coaches or taxis are available
to the city.
Marseille (MRS) (Marseille-Marignane)
Marseille
(MRS) (Marseille-Marignane) is 30km (19 miles) northwest of
the city.
A coach service departs to the city and taxis
are available.
Nice (NCE) (Nice-Côte d’Azur)
Nice (NCE)
(Nice-Côte d’Azur) is 6km (4 miles) west of the
city.
Buses depart every 20 minutes. Taxis
to the city are available.
Nantes (NTE)
Nantes
(NTE) is 15km (9 miles) south of the city.
Trains and buses depart frequently
to the city.
Strasbourg (SXB)
Strasbourg
(SXB) is 16km (10 miles) southwest of the city travel time
is approx 15-30 minutes.
Trams and taxis are available
to the city.
Toulouse (TLS) (Blagnac)
Toulouse
(TLS) (Blagnac) is 10km (6 miles) northwest of the city.
Buses to the city depart every 20 minutes. Taxis
are available to the city.
Facilities at the airports listed above are all of a high international
standard and include bank/bureaux de change, duty-free shops,
restaurants and bars. There are also small airports with some
international flights at Biarritz, Caen, Deauville (St Gatien),
Le Havre, Montpellier, Morlaix, Rennes and Quimper.
Sea
The following companies run regular cross-channel services:
P&O Stena
Line (tel: (08705) 202 020) from Dover to
Calais (travel time approx 1 hour 15 minutes)
P&O Portsmouth
(telephone number: (08705) 202 020) from Portsmouth
to Le Havre (travel time approx 5 hours 30 minutes
during the day and eight hours at night) and from Portsmouth
to Cherbourg (travel time approx five hours during
the day and eight hours at night).
Seafrance
(telephone number: (08705) 711 711 from Dover
to Calais (travel time – 1 hour 30 minutes).
Hoverspeed
Fast Ferries (telephone number: (0870) 240 8070, e-mail: reservations@hoverspeed.co.uk,
from Dover to Calais (travel
time approx 50 minutes by seacat) and from Newhaven
to Dieppe (travel time – 2 hours 15 minutes
by seacat).
Brittany
Ferries (telephone number: (08703) 665 333) from Plymouth
to Roscoff (travel time approx 6 hours), from
Portsmouth to St Malo (travel
time approx 8 hours 45 minutes to the UK, 11 hours to France),
from Portsmouth to Caen (travel
time approx six hours) and from Poole to Cherbourg
(travel time approx 4 hours 15 minutes by ferry or, in the high
season, 2 hours 15 minutes by seacat).
Condor
Ferries (telephone number: (01202) 207 207) from Poole
and Weymouth to St Malo (via Guernsey and Jersey)
(travel time approx 4 hours 30 minutes and 5 hours 30 minutes
respectively), from Guernsey to St Malo
(travel time approx 2 hours 40 minutes) and from Jersey
to St Malo (travel time approx 1 hour 10 minutes).
These companies offer a variety of promotional fares and inclusive
holidays for short breaks and shopping trips. Passenger and roll-on/roll-off
ferry links to and from North Africa, Corsica
and Sardinia are provided by Southern
Ferries/Société Nationale Maritime Corse-Mediterranée
(SNCM) (website: www.sncm.fr)
(see Getting Around section).
Rail
International trains run from the channel ports
and Paris to destinations throughout Europe.
For up-to-date routes and timetables, contact French
Railways (SNCF) (telephone number: (1) 5342 0000) or in the
UK, Rail Europe (telephone number: (08705) 848
848).
The Channel Tunnel
Eurostar
is a service provided by the railways of France, Belgium, and
the UK, operating direct high-speed trains from London
(Waterloo International) to Paris (Gare du Nord)
and to Brussels (Midi/Zuid). It takes 3 hours
from London to Paris (via Lille).
When the high-speed rail link from London through Kent to the
tunnel is fully operational (January 2007), the travel time between
the two capitals will be reduced to 2 hours 15 minutes.
The Eurostar
trains are equipped with standard-class and first-class seating,
buffet, bar and telephones, and are staffed by multi-lingual,
highly-trained personnel. The pricing is competitive with the
airlines, and seats range from Premium First and Business to Standard.
Children aged between 4 and 11 years benefit from a special fare
in first class as well as in standard class. Children under 4
years old travel free but cannot be guaranteed a seat. Wheelchair
users and blind passengers together with one companion get a special
fare.
For further information and reservations, contact Eurostar
(telephone number: (0870) 600 0792 (travel agents) or (08705)
186 186 (public; within the UK) or +44 (1233) 617 575 (public
outside the UK), Rail
Europe (telephone number: (08705) 848 848). Travel agents
can obtain refunds for unused tickets from Eurostar Trade
Refunds, 2nd Floor, Kent House, 81 Station Road, Ashford,
Kent TN23 1PD. Complaints and comments may be sent to Eurostar
Customer Relations, Eurostar House, Waterloo Station, London SE1
8SE (telephone number: (020) 7928 5163, e-mail: new.comments@eurostar.co.uk).
General enquiries and information requests must be made by telephone.
Road
There are numerous and excellent road links with all neighbouring
countries. Eurolines
(52 Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW1W 0AU, telephone number: (08705)
143 219) and National
Express (Ensign Court, 4 Vicarage Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham,
B15 3ES, telephone number: 08705 808 080) run regular coach services
to France from the UK.
The Channel Tunnel
All road vehicles are carried through the tunnel in shuttle trains
running between the two terminals, one near Folkestone
in Kent, with direct road access from the M20, and one just outside
Calais with links to the A16/A26 motorway (Exit
13). Each shuttle is made up of 12 single and 12 double deck carriages,
and vehicles are directed to carriages depending on their height.
There are facilities for cars and motorcycles, minibuses, coaches,
caravans, campervans and other vehicles over 1.85m (6.07ft). Bicycles
are also provided for and passengers generally travel with their
vehicles.
Heavy goods vehicles are carried on special shuttles with a separate
passenger coach for the drivers. Terminals and shuttles are well-equipped
for disabled passengers. The passenger terminal buildings contain
a variety of shops, restaurants, bureaux de change and other amenities.
Journey time is about 35 minutes from platform to platform and
around approx one hour from motorway to motorway.
Eurotunnel runs up to four passenger shuttles per hour at peak
times, 24 hours per day. Services run every day of throughout
the year. For further information about departure times of shuttles
at the French terminal, contact Eurotunnel Customer Information
in Coquelle (telephone number: France (3) 2100 6543).
Motorists pass through customs and immigration before they board,
with no further checks on arrival.
Fares are charged according to length of stay
and time of year and whether or not you have a reservation. The
price applies to the car, regardless of the number of passengers
or size of the car. Promotional deals are frequently available,
especially outside the peak holiday seasons. Tickets may be purchased
in advance from travel agents, or from Eurotunnel
Customer Services in France or the UK with a credit card.
For further information, brochures and reservations, contact Eurotunnel
Customer Services UK, Customer Relations Department, Saint
Martin's Plain, Cheriton, Folkestone, Kent CT19 4QD (telephone
number: (08705) 353 535). |
