City Information
Airport
ROISSY-CHARLES
DE GAULLE
Roissy-Charles
de Gaulle airport (otherwise known as Paris-Charles de Gaulle) is 25
km north of Paris. Flight time from London is approximately 1 hr 5
mins. If you are delayed here, head for the Centre Equinoxe at the
Hotel Hyatt Regency, where there’s a pool, jacuzzi, sauna and
fitness room with a personal trainer. Stay as long as you like for
150FFr.
ORLY
Orly
is located 14 km south of Paris. It caters mainly for internal
flights and those to and from French-speaking Africa.
CERGY-PONTOISE
Paris’s
new airport is conveniently located for the business district, La Défense,
as well as for the city centre. Central Paris is easily accessible
by RER and SNCF frequent train services. Taxis are also available
and cost approx 350-400FFr.
EUROSTAR
Boka
hyrbilar hela världen online -
Queensway
Travel
Eurostar
reported a 9% increase in ticket sales in 2000 to 7.7 million. Its
deserved popularity may have something to do with punctuality –
Eurostar had an on-time average of 81.1%, compared with 62% for
flights, according to the British Civil Aviation Authority. The
high-speed rail link runs around 14 times daily (five or six of
those trains pick up at Ashford International). Journey time is 3
hrs. The 0515 gets into Paris at 0923, and the last departure from
Paris leaves at 2113 Fri-Sun, arriving at 2316. Mon-Thurs the last
train leaves Paris at 2007, arriving in London at 2213.
First-class return, including meal service and desktop facility,
starts at around £250, but you may have to stay over Sat night.
On-board service is excellent; ground support, admin and ticketing
are running equally efficiently. There are many interesting
promotions for weekends, as well as a Frequent Traveller programme.
Gare
du Nord may be your only snag: queuing for metro tickets can be time
consuming and the left luggage section seems to have been designed
as a Crystal Maze-style challenge. Canny travellers book into hotels
near the station rather than risk a last minute expedition for their
bags. Getting a taxi here at peak times is also difficult – be
prepared to queue for up to 45 mins.
Airport
to City Centre
Airport
Shuttle is a door-to-door service costing 120FFr per person – 89
FFr for two or more passengers – to or from Charles de Gaulle or
Orly. The cars take up to eight people; reserve well ahead. There is
no extra charge for luggage.
From
Charles De Gaulle
A
taxi to the centre of Paris can take as little as 30 mins or over an
hour. Expect to pay 200-300FFr plus 6FFr for each item of luggage.
The most reliable way to the city centre is the RER (a 45-min
journey costing FFr45). Trains run every 15-20 mins, departing daily
from 0500-2345. The well signposted station has access from Air
France Terminal 2. If you arrive at Terminal 1 take the free shuttle
bus to the RER station.
The RATP Roissybus runs every 25 mins. The 45-min service between
the airport and rue Scribe (opposite pl de l’Opéra) runs daily
from 0600-2300 and costs 48FFr.
Air France buses run daily from every 12 mins from 0540-2300. Bus
stops are at Etoile (ave Carnot) and Palais des Congrès, Porte
Maillot. Tickets can be bought in the terminal building or on board
and cost 65FFr one way, 115FFr return. Air France buses also run to
Gare de Lyon (0700-2100 on the hour) and Gare Montparnasse
(0900-1400 every 30 mins); tickets cost 75FFr one way, 130FFr
return.
From
Orly
A
taxi will take 20-40 mins and costs about 150FFr to Etoile, plus
6FFr for each piece of luggage.
The high-speed Orlyval shuttle train (57FFr) runs every 5 mins to
RER station Anthony, from where the journey to Etoile takes 30 mins.
Alternatively, take the bus (35FFr) – Orlyrail – to RER station
Pont de Rungis. From there a train runs direct to Etoile (Charles de
Gaulle). English information is available on 49 75 15 15 (but expect
to hold on).
Air France buses (75FFr) take about 50 mins and leave both terminals
every 20 mins daily from 0600-2300, stopping at Les Invalides and
Montparnasse. Buy tickets from the Air France Terminus.
The RATP-run Orlybus to Denfert-Rochereau leaves every 10-12 mins
(daily from 0600-2330). Tickets (35FFr) are available from machines
in the airport hall. Website: www.ratp.fr.
By
Helicopter
Transfers
from the airports to Portes de Sèvres take about 15 mins and cost
750FFr each for up to five passengers. Tel: 01 45 54 95 11.
Orientation
The
city centre is within the boulevard Périphérique ring road. The
River Seine cuts through the centre and the city is divided into 20
districts (arrondissements), spiralling out from the Louvre at the
centre like a snail’s shell. South of the Seine is the Left Bank,
arty, intellectual, romantic Paris. North is business, finance and
elegance. Older quarters have the quaint narrow streets loved by
bohemians and marketed by Hollywood. Modern Paris began in the 19c
when Haussmann’s wide boulevards cut a swathe through tradition in
the name of progress, banking and pavement eating. Working class
districts such as the Bastille and La Villette are now trendy areas
for lunching and socialising, and the skyscraper city of La Défense
to the west is the business centre of tomorrow, home to cutting-edge
technology and multi-nationals.
Metro
The
metro system is clean, fast, efficient and easy to use. Buy a ticket
(8FFr) or, best of all, a convenient carnet of ten for 58FFr. One
ticket is valid for any journey within the Périphérique. Central
zone day tickets are available from 30FFr and tourist equivalents
for two to five days cost 70-165FFr. Lines are colour-coded,
numbered and known by the names of their termini, and a metro map
superimposed over a city street plan can be consulted at all
stations. Stations in the centre are just a few hundred metres
apart.
RER
The
RER high-speed metro is the quickest way to La Défense, just three
stops from Opéra. The service also runs (at a supplement) to
Versailles, Disney, the airports and the eastern suburbs. There’s
also a section linking the city centre station at
Haussmann-St-Lazare (underneath Galeries Lafayette, Printemps and
MandS) to Chelles-Gournay in the eastern area of Seine-et-Marne, and
a second link to Villiers-sur-Marne. The line carries 170,000
passengers per day. Metro and RER hours are 0530-0100.
Buses
Buses
are slower than trains but faster than cars, and use one or more
single tickets per journey. There’s only a limited service after
2030 and on Sun.
Taxis
Taxis
can be hailed if the rooftop sign is illuminated. Most Parisian taxi
drivers have selective vision and prefer to find passengers at ranks
marked with blue and white signs (where they charge a supplementary
pick-up fee) or those who have placed their order by telephone. Be
warned: taxis set the meter running the moment you hang up the
phone, so prepare to pay for an extra 10 mins and 3 miles. Expect
surcharges if you have a case, leave a smart hotel, or need to
travel on Sun. Don’t try to hail an eastbound cab after midnight.
Three passengers is usually the maximum load, since the front seat
is often occupied by a floppy spaniel.
Executive’s in a hurry can book themselves a motorbike taxi. A
trip to Paris-Orly costs 215FFr + tax, to Paris-Charles de Gaulle
290FFr. Within Paris journeys cost from 125FFr. Tel: 01 45 16 28 56,
Website: www.k-m-2.com.
On
Foot
You
will find that Paris is surprisingly compact and walking is advised
when moving about within one arrondissement. Taxis may not always be
the best option in congested city streets.
What
to see
Flyg och hotell - Flyg & hotell - Flyg och hyrbil
Queensway
Travel
The
Eiffel Tower: Gustave Eiffel’s 300-metre-high tour de force
was built for the 1889 World’s Fair and is now the city’s
signature. To celebrate the millennium, thousands of light bulbs
sparkle sensuously for 10 mins every hour after dusk. From the top
view, the city spreads out for 67 kms, but be prepared for a long
wait, as the tower gets upwards of 4 million visitors each year. An
estimated 170 million have come since its construction. There’s a
brasserie on the first level and the Michelin-starred Jules Verne
restaurant on the second. Open daily 0930-2300. Parc du Champ de
Mars, Website: www.tour-eiffel.fr. Metro: Trocadéro.
Musée
d’Orsay: This former railway station, an elegant beaux arts
building designed by Laloux, was recently transformed by architect
Gae Aulenti. It now houses a fabulous collection of 19c and 20c
paintings, furniture, photography and sculpture. There are major
masterpieces by Rodin, Pissarro, Monet, Renoir and Degas as well as
Van Gogh, Cézanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, Seurat and the Nabis. From the
Café des Hauteurs there is a splendid, quirky view through the
clock. Guided tours in English Tues-Sat at 1130 and 1430. Lunchtime
concerts in the auditorium. 1 rue de la Légion d’Honneur,
Website: www.musee-orsay.fr. Metro: Solferino, RER: Musée d’Orsay.
Notre
Dame:
Third oldest of the great French Gothic cathedrals after Saint-Denis
and Sens, Notre Dame dominates the Ile de la Cité, the oldest part
of Paris. Pope Alexander III laid the first stone in 1163 and it was
completed in 1345. Maurice de Sully supervised the work, though the
name of the architect is unknown – a shame, because it is
stunning. During the Revolution, Notre Dame became a temple and then
a wine warehouse. It was restored to its former glory in the 19c.
Walk around the back for a stunning view of the flying buttresses.
Place du Parvis Notre Dame. Open daily Apr to mid-Sept 0930-1800,
slightly shorter hours during other months. Admission 30FFr.
Hotel
des Invalides:
A brilliant monument (literally – the gold-leaf is dazzling)
originally built by Louis XIV as a hospital for veteran soldiers.
Napoleon’s tomb is under the golden cupola of the Dome Church.
Place des Invalides, 7ème arrondissement.
Centre
National d’Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou:
Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers’ and Jean-François Bodin’s
controversial landmark is up and running after an extensive
facelift. Panoramic views, high culture and fine dining: rush
immediately. Metro:
Chatelet, Rambuteau, Hotel de Ville. RER
Chatelet/Les Halles. 75191 Paris cedex 04. Parking underground.
Website: www.centrepompidou.fr.
The
Louvre:
place du Carrousel (Thurs-Mon 0900-1800, Weds 0900-2200). The new
Louvre is the ever-expanding, mind-boggling cultural centre of
Paris. Enter through the glass Pei Pyramid, see the great art
collections, catch a fashion show at the Carrousel, shop in the
boutiques (Courrèges, FNAC, Body Shop etc) or just watch the world
go by from the bustling and spectacular Café Marly. Website:
www.louvre.fr
Place
des Vosges:
Paris’s oldest and, some say, most atmospheric square. Planned by
Henry IV in 1605, it’s in the centre of the busy, trendy Marais
with boutiques, antique shops and restaurants. Visit Victor Hugo’s
house; he lived here from 1832-1848.
The
Cartier Foundation:
Ultra-modern glass and steel building designed by French architect
Jean Nouvel. There is always something exciting going on and the
various evening entertainments tend to draw the crowds.
Théâtre
du Châtelet, place du Châtelet: Restored
to its former glory, presenting an eclectic programme of delightful
lunchtime concerts, Sun morning concerts, modern and classical
ballet, opera and recitals. This is where Parisians come to get
their culture fix. Website: www.chatelet-theatre.com.
Trocadéro
Gardens and Palais de Chaillot:
Just over the river from the Eiffel Tower and the best place to get
a view of it. It’s always buzzing, so watch out for silver
scooters, roller-bladers and pickpockets. The surrounding area has a
museum for every taste – the musée de la Marine, the musée de
l’Homme, musée des Monuments Historiques, musée de Cinema-Henri
Langlois, Théâtre National de Chaillot and the Cinemathèque. The
Trocadéro gardens are fun in the summer and the tiered terraces
have pools with bronze statues.
Tour
Montparnasse:
A monstrous steel and glass 1970s tower, lower than the Eiffel, with
excellent views and rarely a queue. A high-speed lift whisks you up
to the 56th floor, where an exhibition of aerial views shows the
changing face of Paris since 1858. Panoramic terrace on the 59th
floor. 33 ave du Maine, 15ème. Metro: Montparnasse-Bienvenue. Open
daily 0930-2200, admission 48FFr. Website:
www.tourmontparnasse56.com.
Batobus:
Travel up and down the Seine on the boat bus. Six riverside stops
including Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. All day ticket 65FFr.
Where
to walk
The
new buzzing business centre is the 15ème arrondissement, and after
closing the deal you can take in some fresh air with a stroll around
the Parc André-Citroën – named after the French car
manufacturer, whose factories once stood here. Distinctively
structured in a futuristic design, the 34 acres are divided into a
succession of gardens that are rich in variety and imagination –
including the Six Sensual Gardens and the Garden en Mouvement, with
wild flowers and plants growing as nature intended. If you want to
whoop it up after signing the contract, run through the water jets
and then dry off in the White Garden; or hide from the park-keepers
behind the dense vegetation of the Jardin Noir. Open daily
0830-1900. (Metro Balard, Javel-André-Citroën).
Bercy
Village has risen from the ruins of the 12c Château de Bercy. This
area once served as ‘the cellars of Paris’, where wine was
stored before being shipped worldwide. Now there’s a superb
Sofitel, chic restaurants and wine bars, state-of-the-art furniture
stores, chic shopping, multiplex cinema, hotels and, the icing on
the gateau, Club Med World. Metro: Cour Saint-Emilion (Météor,
Line 14).
The area around the canal St Martin in the 10ème is ideal for a
stroll on a Sun, when cars are barred. George Pompidou once wanted
to put a motorway through this area but it was thankfully saved and
has become a bucolic idyll in one of the hippest parts of town.
Night cruises on the canal by Canauxrama take 2 hrs 30 mins,
complete with projectors, prisms and mirrors that activate as the
barge goes by.
Alternatively,
an excellent way to enjoy Paris is by bicycle. Amusing guided tours
can be arranged with ‘Paris à vélo, c’est sympa!’.
