France Tourism: Getting There

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Getting There

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By Plane

The two Paris airports -- Orly and Charles de Gaulle -- are about even in terms of convenience to the city's center, though taxi rides from Orly may take less time than those from de Gaulle. Orly, the older of the two, is 13km (8 miles) south of the center; Charles de Gaulle is 22km (14 miles) northeast. Air France serves Charles de Gaulle (Terminal 2C) from North America. U.S. carriers land at both airports.

Most airlines charge their lowest fares between November 1 and March 13. Shoulder season (Oct and mid-Mar to mid-June) is a bit more expensive, though we think it's the ideal time to visit France.

The Major Airlines--American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) has daily flights to Paris from Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, Miami, Boston, and New York.

British Airways (tel. 800/AIRWAYS; www.britishairways.com) offers flights from 18 U.S. cities to Heathrow and Gatwick airports in England. From there, you can book a British Airways flight to Paris.

Continental Airlines (tel. 800/525-0280; www.continental.com) provides nonstop flights to Paris from Newark and Houston. Flights from Newark depart daily; flights from Houston depart four to seven times a week, depending on the season.

Delta Air Lines (tel. 800/241-4141; www.delta.com) flies nonstop from Atlanta to Paris every evening and operates daily nonstop flights from Cincinnati and New York. Delta is the only airline offering nonstop service from New York to Nice.

US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com) offers daily nonstop service from Philadelphia to Paris.

The French national carrier, Air France (tel. 800/237-2747; www.airfrance.com), offers flights daily or several times a week between Paris and such North American cities as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Montréal, New York, Newark, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington, D.C.

In 2004 Air France acquired control of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which is leading to the creation of Air France-KLM, the world's biggest airline in terms of revenue. In the lifetime of this edition, KLM and Air France will begin coordinating their schedules and fares, acting as a unit. Airline spokespersons predict that the merger in time will lead to lower costs, lower fares, and better connections between flights.

Flights From Australia & New Zealand-- -- Getting to Paris from Australia is difficult, because Air France (tel. 02-92-44-21-00; www.airfrance.fr) has discontinued direct flights. Qantas flies from Sydney to Singapore and other locations with service to Paris. Consequently, on virtually any route, you have to change planes at least once and sometimes twice. British Airways (tel. 02-89-04-88-00; www.britishairways.com) flies daily from Sydney and Melbourne to London in time for several connecting flights to Paris. Qantas (tel. 13-13-13; www.qantas.com.au) can route passengers from Australia into London, where you make connections for the hop across the Channel. Qantas also flies from Auckland to Sydney and on to London.

Getting There From Elsewhere in Europe--By Plane

From London, Air France (tel. 0845/084-5111; www.airfrance.com) and British Airways (tel. 0845/773-3377 in the U.K.; www.ba.com) fly frequently to Paris; the trip takes 1 hour. These airlines operate up to 17 flights daily from Heathrow. Many travelers also fly out of the London City Airport in the Docklands.

Direct flights to Paris operate from other U.K. cities such as Manchester and Edinburgh. Contact Air France, British Airways, or British Midland (tel. 0870/607-0555; www.flybmi.com). Daily papers often carry ads for cheap flights. Highly recommended Trailfinders (tel. 020/7937-5400; www.trailfinders.com) sells discount fares.

You can reach Paris from any major European capital. Your best bet is to fly on the national carrier, Air France, which has more connections into Paris from European capitals than any other airline. From Dublin, try Aer Lingus (tel. 866-IRISH-FLY; www.aerlingus.com), which schedules the most flights to Paris from Ireland. From Amsterdam, try KLM (tel. 800/374-7747; www.klm.com).

By Train

Paris is one of Europe's busiest rail junctions, with trains arriving at and departing from its many stations every few minutes. If you're in Europe, you may want to go to Paris by train. The cost is relatively low -- especially compared to renting a car.

Rail passes as well as individual rail tickets are available at most travel agencies or at any office of Rail Europe (tel. 800/848-7245 in the U.S.; www.raileurope.com) or Eurostar (tel. 800/EUROSTAR in the U.S.; www.eurostar.com).

Under the Channel--Queen Elizabeth II and the late French president François Mitterrand opened the Channel Tunnel in 1994, and the Eurostar Express has daily passenger service from London to Paris and Brussels. The $15-billion tunnel, one of the great engineering feats of our time, is the first link between Britain and the Continent since the Ice Age. The 50km (31-mile) journey takes 35 minutes, with actual time spent in the Chunnel 19 minutes.

Eurostar tickets are available through Rail Europe (tel. 800/848-7245; www.raileurope.com).

In London, make reservations for Eurostar (or any other train in Europe) at tel. 0870/584-8848. In Paris, call tel. 01-70-70-60-88, and in the United States, call tel. 800/EUROSTAR. Chunnel train traffic is competitive with air travel, if you calculate door-to-door travel time. Trains leave from London's Waterloo Station and arrive in Paris at Gare du Nord. The one-way passenger fare between London and Paris averages $225 second class, $315 first class.

Fares are complicated and depend on a number of factors. The cheapest one-way fare is Leisure RT, requiring a purchase at least 14 business days before the date of travel and a minimum 2-night stay. A return ticket must be booked to receive this discounted fare. The most expensive passage is a one-way fare of $400 in first class.

The Chunnel accommodates not only trains but also cars, buses, taxis, and motorcycles. Prices start at $145 each way for a small car. Le Shuttle, a train carrying vehicles under the Channel (tel. 0870/535-3535 in the U.K.; www.eurotunnel.com), connects Calais, France, with Folkestone, England. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, running every 15 minutes during peak travel times and at least once an hour at night.

Before boarding Le Shuttle, you stop at a toll booth to pay, then pass through Immigration for both countries at one time. During the ride, you travel in air-conditioned carriages, remaining in your car or stepping outside to stretch your legs. An hour later, you simply drive off.

By Bus

Bus travel to Paris is available from London as well as many cities on the Continent. In the early 1990s, the French government established incentives for long-haul buses not to drive into the center of Paris. The arrival and departure point for Europe's largest operator, Eurolines France, 28 av. du Général-de-Gaulle, 93541 Bagnolet (tel. 01-49-72-51-58; www.eurolines.fr), is a 35-minute Métro ride from central Paris, at the terminus of line no. 3 (Métro: Gallieni), in the eastern suburb of Bagnolet. Despite this inconvenience, many people prefer bus travel.

Long-haul buses are equipped with toilets, and they stop at mealtimes for rest and refreshment.

Because Eurolines does not have a U.S. sales agent, most people buy their ticket in Europe. Any European travel agent can arrange the sale. If you're traveling to Paris from London, contact Eurolines (U.K.) Ltd., 52 Grosvenor Gardens, Victoria, London SW1 0AU (tel. 020/7730-8235 for information or credit card sales).

By Car

The major highways into Paris are A1 from the north (Great Britain and Benelux); A13 from Rouen, Normandy, and northwest France; A10 from Bordeaux, the Pyrénées, the southwest, and Spain; A6 from Lyon, the French Alps, the Riviera, and Italy; and A4 from Metz, Nancy, and Strasbourg in the east.

By Ferry From England

Ferries and hydrofoils operate day and night, with the exception of last-minute cancellations during storms. Many crossings are timed to coincide with the arrival and departure of trains (especially those between London and Paris). Trains let you off a short walk from the piers. Most ferries carry cars, trucks, and freight, but some hydrofoils take passengers only. The major routes include at least 12 trips a day between Dover or Folkestone and Calais or Boulogne.

Hovercraft and hydrofoils make the trip from Dover to Calais, the shortest distance across the Channel, in just 40 minutes during good weather. The ferries may take several hours, depending on the weather and tides. If you're bringing a car, it's important to make reservations -- space below decks is usually crowded. Timetables can vary depending on weather conditions and many other factors.

The leading operator of ferries across the channel is P&O Ferries (tel. 0870/520-2020 in the U.K.; www.poferries.com). It operates car and passenger ferries between Portsmouth, England, and Cherbourg, France (three departures a day; 4 hr., 15 min. each way during daylight hours, 7 hr. each way at night); and between Portsmouth and Le Havre, France (three a day; 5 1/2 hr. each way). Most popular is the route between Dover, England, and Calais, France (25 sailings a day; 75 min. each way), with a one-way fare of about £10 ($19), free for children under 4.

Hoverspeed (tel. 800/677-8585 in North America, or 0870/240-8070 in the U.K.; www.hoverspeed.com) runs at least 12 hovercraft crossings daily between Calais and Dover; the trip takes 35 minutes. It also runs a SeaCat (a catamaran propelled by jet engines) that takes just under 1 hour; the SeaCat departs about four times a day for the 55-minute voyage between Dover and Calais. Typical one-way fares run about £28 ($53) per person.

If you plan to transport a rental car between England and France, check with the company about license and insurance requirements and drop-off charges. Many forbid transport of their vehicles over the water between England and France. Transport begins at £130 ($247) each way. A better idea is to ask about a car exchange program (Hertz's is called "Le Swap"), in which you drop off a right-hand-drive car and get a left-hand-drive vehicle at Calais.

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