Travelling to & in France

Getting to and travelling around France
By air:
Flying is the quickest way. Operating more than fifty routes between France’s main towns and cities, Air France and Air Inter provide a domestic network that spans the entire country, with average flying times of one hour. Call in at your local travel agent or airline company to ask about discounted fares (charters, off-peak flights).
Air France: (33-1) 44 08 24 24.
Air Inter: (33-1) 45 46 90 00.
Air Liberté: (33-1) 40 28 47 31.
By train:
Given the diversity of the rail network, the speed of intercity links and the wide range of tariff options available from the national railway company SNCF, travelling by train is a privileged mode of transport in France. The TGV high-speed train links up Paris with the north, the Atlantic and the south-east. Paris is a mere two hours away from Lyons (some 300 miles away)! By purchasing “Joker� rail tickets between 8 and 30 days in advance for set travelling dates, you can benefit from fare reductions of between 30 and 50%. Bicycles are also transported by the SNCF without problem.
SNCF: (33-1) 45 82 50 50.
By car:
France’s road network is one of the densest in the world, so you can easily travel the country using either the main (toll) motorways or small country roads, all of which are clearly marked on Michelin maps.
Car hire companies include:
Hertz: (33-1) 48 62 29 00.
Avis: (33-1) 46 10 60 60.
Europcar: (33-1) 30 43 82 82.
Rent a car: (33-1) 46 82 60 60.
The Euro Tunnel connects Paris to London in less than three hours via Calais on board the Eurostar passenger train or “Shuttle� vehicle transporters. “Joker� tickets are valid here, too.
Eurotunnel: (33-1) 44 94 88 80.
Simple access to all museums
“Museum Passes� provide free admission to 65 museums and monuments in Paris and the Ile-de-France region around Paris. They cost FF 60.- (US$ 12.-) for one day, FF 120.- (US$ 24.-) for two days, FF 170.- (US$ 34.-) for three days. Outside Paris, most cities and major towns offer similar passes. Admission to national museums is free for young people under 18.
Take a guide…
“Guides Voir�: France, published by Hachette, 672 pages (FF 160.- or US$ 32.-). This widely illustrated guide offers a balanced approach to France, in 16 regions. It features monuments, museums, leisure and other activities, a history brief as well as culinary specialities, maps and itineraries, and a selection of recommended addresses for shops, hotels and restaurants to suit all budgets.

“Guides Michelin�: you can’t do without them. The Red Guide classifies hotels and restaurants town by town, the Green Guide provides itineraries for every region of France (in English, German, Spanish and Italian).

“Guides Bleus�: France, published by Hachette (FF 190.- or US$ 38.-). The “classic� among guides, with a clear layout, practical information, region by region approach, highly researched introduction to cultural highlights. These guides focus on art and history and provide a large number of maps.

•�Guide du routard�: Hôtels et restos de France, published by Hachette (FF 80.—or US$ 16.-). A pioneer among practical guides for the ultimate in travel freedom. Renowned for its tips and hints on accommodation, restaurants and transport, its humour and the quality of its information, and an abundance of maps.