Orly airport bunnies and other Paris, France Transportation Tips

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Orly airport would appear to be the perfect breeding ground for rabbits. In such a protected compound they breed, well like rabbits I suppose.

The last time I visited, in transit, they were hopping around all over the place.

I have no doubt that the French Airport authorities have since dealt with them using a mixture of ruthless Galliic efficiency combined with a deep and abiding love for God's creatures. That and a family-sized tub of Warferin.

The airport is much closer (14kms) than Pari's other airports and is well connected to the city. If you are on an internal flight or on Easyjet you will probably arrive here. Some 30 odd other airlines on longer routes also still use the place. I certainly find it a quicker and easier place to use, rather than CDG.

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Phone: 800 538 2929

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Paris Beauvais may have a rich cultural avionic heritage, but in the modern era it is a little airport servicing four or five low-cost airlines, including Ryanair (of course).

At least this means that the time you spend in the airport is minimal, and delays are unusual. On the downside the transfers to the centre of Paris are Longer - it is some 80Kms, and if you are delayed at the airport there is precious little to do.

Airport buses are some 13Euro One-way and leave 20 mins after each flight arrives - tickets can be booked online.

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Phone: 800 538 2929
Website: http://www.aeroportbeauvais.com

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: One of the great disadvatages of using most metro systems is that you don't really get a good feel of a city when you are stuck in a tunnel.

Apart from a few brief glimpes of sunlight passing over water, the system only has two elevated sections of any length.

Line 6 has a long section, and running along the southern part of Paris towards the Eiffel tower is very useful. Meanwhile on Line 2 there are a number of stations on elevated structure: Barbès-Rochechouart, La Chapelle, Stalingrad, and Jaurès.

There is also a shorter section on Line 5 between Saint-Marcel and Quai de la Rapée, which is quite impressive as it snakes across the Seine.

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Website: http://www.ratp.fr

'Mode': TO
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: The Gare du nord is nowadays the Parisien terminus of the Eurostar trains coming in from London.

The station has also recieved a 'makeover' in the last few years. Just consider these lines from a travel writer in the Guardian newspaper : "Arriving at the Gare du Nord by métro in the early '80's, was like ascending from a colorful coal mine to a dark hanger, full of smoke."

Few people hand around the place when coming or going, but it is worth looking at the Facade of the building which feature nine statues symbolising Nine Northern French towns or cities that can be reached from this station.

I also like the 'atmosphere' of the departure board, with destinations listed right across Northern Europe - London, Germany, Holland and even up to the Scandanavian countries.

A boring, ultilitarian name for a station it might be - but it does exactly what it says on the tin !

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: One day all metro systems will look like this.

Line 14, formally known as the Meteor (to give it a space age, modern type, grand-project name) is the newest Metro line in Paris. It is driverless, and sparkingly clean. The automated trains pull up at platforms with doors on the platform - rather like a kind of horizontal lift. The swish of the doors always reminds me of the door on star-trek. Gallic efficency at it's best.

A similar set up on the the Jubilee line in London just doesn't seem to work in the same way - delays, mess and undecipherable tannoy announcements.

The line (currently, it should expand) runs from St Lazare through the middle of the city on the North bank of the Seine before popping over the river.

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Website: http://www.ratp.fr

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: Fancy a walk up to the Montmatre area to see the artists and Sacre Coeur ? Well the lazy man's way up to 100 meters above the level of the Seine is to take the Montmartre funicular from the Pigalle area.

The original funicular opened in 1900, but it was completly modernised in 1991, with no traces of the orginial railway staying behind.

On the plus side , the railway is integrated into the metro system, so your travel-pass will work. in effect a 'free' ride. Otherwise it will just cost you the price of one RATP (which I always pronounce Rat-pee) metro ticket.

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Website: http://www.ratp.fr

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Motorcycle
Getting TO/AROUND: Driving around the peripherique (The ring road of Paris), is something you just don't want to do. It is a mad, bad dangerous place even when it is laden with speed limits and cameras.

It is made even worse by certain drivers with a death-wish trying to copy their hero 'The Black Prince'. Although he sound like a slightly-dodgy porn star he famously achieved infamy through his illegal racing onthe peripherique all 35 km's of the ring-road. Averaging 190+ kph on his Kawasaki ZXR750 with a camera strapped to the tank, the Frenchman's stunt achieved a cult status in the biking world.

Please don't copy this at home, as they used to say.

Unfortunatly your route may well include the route, just make sure you are sober, alert and expect for the unexpected.

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'Mode': TO
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: I remember, years ago, on my first real trip to the continent leaving from the Gare de Lyon down to the Riveria. The longest train I had ever seen - sauntering down to the far end, we found an empty compartment. Up went the smelly old socks and bags everywhere - three seats each and a good nights sleep all the way to the south of France.

The plan only backfired when somewhere near Lyon when two gorgeous girls opened the compartment door, and then promptly buggered off again.

These days the super-fast TGV makes the journey in about six hours. Only one overnight train in each direction still remains - and that doesn't even use the Gare de Lyon. It leaves just after 9PM from the Gare Austerlitz.

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'Mode': TO
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: The regional Metro (RER) has two stops at the main Charles De Gaulle airport, where the vast majority of long-distance flights arrive.

A ticket will set you back 7 Euro 75, which makes it a bargain. The travel pass or 'Paris Visite' although promoted as a pass for tourists will not provide good value unless
* you are only spending one night in the city and flying out again,
* or your hotel (unlikely) is in the outer suburbs
* You are planning to visit places around region such as Disneyland Paris or the Palace of Versailles.

It is therefore (in most cases) better to travel in on one ticket and then buy a normal day pass for Paris' central area for your sightseeing adventures.

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'Mode': TO
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: The Gare St Lazare is by far the most atmospheric of the Paris Terminals. You are most likely to use it if you are heading out to Rouen (very well worth the day trip) or out to the Normandy coast (Le Harve, Dieppe). In the old days this would have been the departure point to pick up the transatlantic steamers to the New World.

It is also used for a good deal of Suburban traffic. Make sure you take time to have a look around and compare the station to how it looks on Monet's famous picture of the station. (see must do tips)

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