Getting to Paris
Paris is well equipped in the area of public transport, which is administered by the state owned company RATP. The easiest way to get around Paris is by the metro (subway) which runs daily from 5:30am-12:30am. Transportation maps are available at subway stations. Tickets can be purchased singly or in books of 10. They are available at the stations and from tobacconists and must be validated before boarding. It is also necessary to have the ticket available at the end of the journey. The best buy is a Paris Viste ticket which is valid for 1-5 days and can be used interchangeably on the subway, bus and rail service to some destinations. Buses run daily from 6:30am-8:30pm.
For information in English: 08 36 68 41 14.
Balabus
A special tourist bus(the Balabus) operates on Sundays and holidays from April-September, circling the main tourist sites.
Batobus
From May-September the Batobus takes passengers on sight seeing trips on the Seine. This boat runs between the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame daily from 10-7 with stops at the main attractions: 01 44 11 33 44.
Taxis can be hailed from the street or from one of the 470 stands around the city. An illuminated light on the roof indicates that the cab is available.
Air Travel
Flights arrive at either Roissy-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) (01 48 62 12 12 ) or at Orly (01 49 75 15 15). Most visitors arrive at CDG which is 14 miles north of Paris. Buses run frequently (every 12 minutes) and trains every 15 minutes from the airport to the city.
The same schedule of trains and buses operates from Orly airport, which is 8 miles south of Paris. A bus also runs every 20 minutes in both directions between the two airports. Metro, RER, Bus. RATP Information: 08 36 68 20 20
Note: Traffic drives on the right side of the road in France. Pedestrians should exercise extreme caution. Drivers assume the right of way and often do not look for pedestrians.
Additional Transportation Information
The preferred route from Britain to France is the Channel Tunnel (or Chunnel) between London (via Folkestone) and Paris (via Calais), a trip that takes only three hours. TGV services also link Paris with Amsterdam and Brussels.
Hoverspeed runs bus-boat-bus combos from London, but the convenience of the Channel Tunnel has a great advantage over the water route.. There are also ferries and hovercraft between Ireland and France. Euroline buses run from Paris to cities all over Europe.
Railway:
Train (SNCF) information
08 36 35 35 35
Paris is equipped with 6 major railway stations each of which is in charge of a particular area of France.
Limousine
International Limousines Tel : 33 1 53 81 14 14
Prestige Limousines Tel : 33 1 42 50 81 81
Executive Car Carey Limousine Tel : 33 1 42 65 54 20