France: Getting there & around

Getting There

• bus

  Paris is the country's main bus hub, with services to/from every part of Europe. Buses are slower and less comfortable than trains, but they are cheaper, especially if you qualify for the 10% discount available to people under 26 or over 60 or hunt around for discount fares. The Chunnel has high-speed shuttle trains that whisk coaches from England to France.

• ferry

  By sea, the quickest passenger ferries and hovercrafts to England run between Calais and Dover, and Boulogne and Folkestone. There are numerous routes linking Brittany and Normandy with England. Portsmouth is linked by car ferry to Cherbourg, Caen and St Malo. Other regular routes include Plymouth to Roscoff, Poole to Cherbourg, Weymouth to St Malo, and Newhaven to Dieppe. Ferries also ply the waters between France and Ireland (Cherbourg-Cork), the Channel Islands, Sardinia (Marseille-Porto Torres), Italy (Corsica-Genoa) and North Africa (Marseille-Algiers, Marseille-Tunis, Sète-Tangier).

• train

  Paris is the country's main rail hub, with services to/from every part of Europe. The completion of the Channel Tunnel in 1994 has meant travel between England and France - on the ultra-modern Eurostar rail service - is now quick and hassle-free.

• plane

  Scores of national and international airlines link Paris with every part of the globe. Other French cities with direct international air links include Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Strasbourg and Toulouse. Several low-cost airlines operate regular routes to major cities across France.

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Getting Around

• bus

  Interregional bus services are limited, but buses are used extensively for short-distance travel within regions, especially in rural areas with relatively few train lines (eg, Brittany and Normandy). On longer trips, buses tend to be much slower but slightly cheaper than trains; on short runs, buses are generally slower and more expensive.

• boat

  Another relaxing way of seeing France is to cruise its canals and navigable rivers by houseboat. These usually accommodate four to 12 passengers and can be rented for a weekend or several weeks.

• car

  Having your own vehicle can be expensive, and is sure to be inconvenient in city centres where parking and traffic are problematic. Be warned that most driving in France is done with the horn, or 'French Brake Pedal', as it is often called. As a rule of thumb, don't be timid or overly respectful once on the road as this technique will often confuse the natives. Renting a car is expensive if you walk into an office and hire a car on the spot, but prebooked and prepaid promotional rates are reasonable.

• bicycle

  France is an eminently cyclable country, due largely to its extensive network of secondary and tertiary roads that are relatively lightly trafficked.

• train

  France has an excellent rail network, operated by the state-owned SCNF (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer), which reaches almost every part of the country. Thanks to the high-speed TGV ( train à grande vitesse ), travel between some cities (eg, Paris and Lyon) is faster and easier by rail than by air.

• plane

  France's domestic airlines link most urban centres, and since the long-protected domestic airline industry has been opened up, discounts have made internal air travel an option even for budget travellers.

• underground rail

  Local transport includes the cheap and efficient Metro and RER underground networks in Paris (there are also metro lines in other cities).

• motorcycle

  France is a superb country for motorcycle touring, with winding roads of good quality and lots of stunning scenery.

• Disabled Travellers

  France is not well equipped for handicapés (disabled people): kerb ramps are few and far between; older public facilities and budget hotels often lack lifts; cobblestone streets are a nightmare to navigate in a wheelchair; and the Paris metro, most of it built decades ago, is hopeless. But disabled people who would like to visit France can overcome these difficulties.

  The French government has increased efforts to improve conditions for disabled people, creating the national Tourisme et Handicap rating. This classification is given to sites, restaurants and hotels that meet strict requirements and standards: different symbols indicate whether the establishments have access for people with physical, mental, hearing and/or seeing disabilities. Places marked Accessible normes handicapés subscribe to certain access standards, but the rating is not officially verified.

  With the SNCF, a traveller in a wheelchair ( fauteuil roulant ) can travel in both TGV and regular trains (make a reservation at least a a few hours before departure). Details are available in SNCF's booklet Guide du Voyageur à Mobilité Réduite . You can also contact SNCF Accessibilité (tel 0 800 154 753) which has information (French only) for travellers with physical, sight and hearing disabilities.

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