Your Holiday in Paris

How to get to Paris

France’s capital is easily accessible by bus, car, rail and plane.

Eurolines is a trans-European bus company that offers trips to Paris.

Several auto routes link Paris with the rest of France: A1 and A3 to the north, A4 to the east, A5 and A6 to the south and A13 and A10 to the west.  Traffic jams are significantly worse during French school holidays.

There are several train stations serving Paris.  It is worth knowing in advance at which station your train is arriving, to better choose your hotel and plan for transport within the city.

Paris is served by 3 international airports: Charles de Gaulle International Airport to the north-east of the city.  This is one of the major hub airports of Europe.  Orly International Airport is to the south-west of the city.  This older international airport is used mainly by Air France for national lines and other international carriers in Europe.  Beauvais airport is to the north of the city and is a smaller, regional airport that is used by some low-cost carriers.

Travelling around/how to get around Paris

It is generally a bad idea to rent a car to visit Paris.  Traffic is very crowded and parking tends to be difficult.

Walking in Paris is one of the great pleasures of visiting the city.  It's possible to cross the entire city in only a few hours.  A metro ride of less than 2 stops is best avoided since walking will take about the same amount of time and you'll be able to see more of the city.

Paris has an excellent underground train system known as the Métro.  There are 16 lines on which trains travel along all day at intervals of a few minutes between 5:00am and 1:30am, stopping at all stations on the line.  A single ticket costs €1.50, however it is generally not advisable to buy tickets by the unit and to rather purchase a carnet of 10 tickets, which can be bought for €11.30 at any station.

There is an excellent boat service which makes use of the River Seine.  As well as providing cheap, easy transport to much of central Paris, it provides excellent photo opportunities.  You can buy a day or 3-day ticket and hop on and off the boat as needed.  The boat takes a circular route from the Eiffel Tower, down past the Louvre, Notre Dame, botanical gardens then back up the other bank past Musee D'orsay.

Renting a bike is a very good alternative to driving or using public transport.  Riding a bike in the city is generally safe.

A bus ride is interesting if you want to see more of the city.  The Parisian bus system is quite tourist-friendly.

Paris has few taxis, so do not expect to be able to flag one down without a wait. If you need one to get to the airport, it is wise to book ahead.  Taxis are comparatively cheap, especially at night, when there are no traffic jams to be expected.  In the daytime, it is not always a good idea to take a taxi, as walking or taking the metro will often be quicker.

Paris Tours and Guides

Paris has plenty of different and informative tours and guides available; Walking and Bus tours are particularly popular.  A good alternative to the big bus tours are tours run by minibus.  Or escape the crowds and take a luxurious boat tour down the river Seine.

Google map of Paris

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