Getting to Paris
There are many, relatively quick, easy and
cheap ways to travel to Paris from more or less anywhere in
the UK.
By air
Paris is a very popular destination and cheap
flights go there from almost all UK airports. Generally, the
budget airlines provide an excellent service but the downside
is that you may be subject to delays and you have very little
redress. If you build waiting time into your schedule so you
can be flexible and you bring some good books, a flight with
a low-cost airline is probably the cheapest – and possibly
the easiest - way to get to Paris from anywhere outside London.
Paris’s biggest airport is Charles
de Gaulle (CDG), which is 14 miles (23 km) north east
of the city, near a village called Roissy-en-France. From
there, you can get a bus into town:
The Air France coach line 2 goes to Porte
Maillot and on to place Charles de Gaulle/Étoile (a
completely different place from the airport, don’t be
confused! It’s the square with the Arc de Triomphe in
it, called étoile, star, because of the many streets
leading into/out of it). The journey takes 35 minutes to an
hour, depending on traffic, and you can buy your ticket on
the bus.
The Air France coach line 4 goes to the Gare
de Lyon and the Gare Montparnasse. The journey takes 45 minutes
to an hour or more, depending on traffic, and you can buy
your ticket on the bus.
The RoissyBus will take you to the rue Scribe
in the Opéra district. The journey takes between 45
minutes and an hour and a half, depending on traffic, and
you buy your ticket on the bus.
 Alternatively,
you can take the RER regional train service, line B, to the
Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les Halles, St-Michel/Notre-Dame,
Luxembourg and other stations through to south Paris. It takes
35 minutes to reach the Gare du Nord. Be
warned that RER ticket machines do not accept banknotes,
so bring as much loose euro change as you’ve got in
your drawer. When I last made this journey (May 2008), a single
ticket to the Gare du Nord cost 8,20€. Since the queues
at the ticket office can be horribly long, do have the coins
ready if at all possible.
Note: The Paris
Visite card is valid on the train journey from the
airport into Paris, though it might suit you better not to
use it till you’re in town if you’re not going
to travel outside the city limits except to and from the airport.
See Getting around Paris.
If you have got loads of luggage you can
always take a taxi, though this will cost you a good 60€.
Paris’s other international airport is Orly
(ORY), situated 9 miles (14 km) south of the city,
near the town of Orly. From there, you can get a bus into
town:
The Air France coach line 1 goes to the Gare
Montparnasse and on to Les Invalides. The journey to Invalides
takes half an hour to an hour, depending on traffic, and you
can buy your ticket on the bus.
In case you’re wondering, line 3 goes
up and down between Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports.
The OrlyBus will take you to Denfert-Rochereau,
where you can get on either the metro or the RER regional
train line B. The journey takes 30 to 45 minutes and you can
buy your ticket on the bus.
Another way to reach RER line B is to take
the Orlyval shuttle train to the nearby Antony station.
Another way to reach the metro is to take
the Jetbus to Villejuif-Louis Aragon at the end of line 7.
If you do this on the way back, however, be sure you’re
on the right train, since the line branches at Maison Blanche.
See Getting around Paris
for more information about the metro.
Alternatively, you can take the free shuttle
bus to RER line C, which will take you up to the Gare d'Austerlitz
in about 35 minutes. Be warned that
RER ticket machines do not accept banknotes. Since the queues
at the ticket office can be horribly long, do have coins ready
if at all possible.
If you have got loads of luggage you can
always take a taxi, though this will cost you at least 25€
and perhaps a lot more if you’re going to the north
of Paris.
Click on the link to look at a map of the metro
and RER systems.
By Eurostar train
Particularly if you live in or near London
or close to the Kent stations on this route, the Eurostar
is an excellent way to travel to Paris. It leaves from St
Pancras Station in London and arrives at Paris Gare du Nord
roughly two and a quarter hours later. What could be simpler?
If you live in a major city such as Manchester,
you can get through fares all the way to Paris and, while
it may (or may not) be cheaper to fly, you may (or may not)
find it more convenient to go by train.
You can look at timetables and book tickets through www.eurostar.com.
By car through the Eurotunnel
If you want to take your car to France, probably
the quickest way to do so is through the channel tunnel. The
shuttle service is flexible and efficient and takes you from
Folkestone to Calais in just 35 minutes (though you need to
check in 30 minutes before departure). Come off the M20 at
junction 11A and the rest is easy. Just remember to drive
on the right-hand side of the road when you come out in France.
You can book your tickets online through www.eurotunnel.com.
This is a good option if your plan is to
travel around France. If you just want to go to Paris, I would
recommend you leave your car at home. Public transport is
so good in Paris that you really don’t need a car and
I would go so far as to say that your car will be a hindrance
to you. Driving in Paris can be pretty hair-raising and finding
somewhere to park can be even worse.
By ferry, plus train or car
If you’re not in a hurry and you prefer
to travel by ferry, you can get one from Dover Eastern Docks
to Calais Maritime. You can arrive in Dover by train and get
a bus to the docks or you can go by car, although, as mentioned
above, if you’re aiming to spend time in Paris you are
probably better off without your car. You can take a train
from Calais to Paris – but they are not all that frequent,
so do check the timetable before you book your ferry crossing.
You can look up the times of French trains (and book tickets)
through www.raileurope.co.uk.
You can look up ferry timetables, plan your
journey and book tickets through www.seafrance.com.
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