Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [178]
Airport Connection is the name of just one of a number of van services that serve both Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports. Prices are set, so it costs the same no matter how long the journey takes. To make a reservation, call, e-mail, or fax your flight details at least one week in advance to the shuttle company and an air-conditioned van with a bilingual chauffeur will be waiting for you upon your arrival. Note that these shuttle vans pick up and drop off other passengers.
From Orly, the most economical way to get into Paris is to take the RER-C or Orlyrail line. Catch the free shuttle bus from the terminal to the Pont de Rungis train station. Trains to Paris leave every 15 minutes. Passengers arriving in either the South or West Terminal need to use Exit G. The fare is €6.20, and journey time is about 35 minutes. Another option is to take the monorail service, Orlyval, which runs between the Antony RER-B station and Orly Airport daily every 4 to 8 minutes from 6 AM to 11 PM. Passengers arriving in the South Terminal should look for Exit K, those arriving in the West Terminal, Exit W. The fare to downtown Paris is €9.85.
You can also take an Air France bus line 1 from Orly to Les Invalides on the Left Bank and Montparnasse, the line 1* also stops at Etoile and Porte d’Orleans on request; these run every 15 minutes from 6 AM to 11 PM. (You need not have flown on Air France to use this service.) The fare is €11.50, and the trip takes between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on traffic. Those arriving in Orly South need to look for Exit L; those arriving in Orly West, Exit D. The Paris Transit Authority’s Orlybus is yet another option; buses leave every 15 minutes for the Denfert-Rochereau métro station; the cost is €6.40. You can economize using RATP Bus 183, which shuttles you from the airport to Line 7, métro Porte de Choisy station, for the price of a city bus ticket. It operates daily from 5:30 AM to 8:30 PM at the Orly Sud terminal.
Contacts: Air France Bus (08–92–35–08–20 recorded information in English | www.cars-airfrance.com). Airport Connection (01–43–65–55–55 | www.airport-connection.com). Paris Airport Service (01–55–98–10–80 | www.parisairportservice.com). RATP (including Roissybus, Orlybus, Orlyval) (3246 in France [€0.34 per min] | www.ratp.com).
BARGE AND YACHT TRAVEL
Canal and river trips are popular in France, particularly along the picturesque waterways in Brittany, Burgundy, and the Midi. For further information, ask for a “Tourisme Fluvial” brochure at any French tourist office. It’s also possible to rent a barge or crewed sailboat to travel around the coast of France, particularly along the Côte d’Azur.
Barge Companies: Abercrombie & Kent (630/954–2944 or 800/554–7016 | www.abercrombiekent.com). En-Bateau (04–67–13–19–62 | en-bateau.com). European Waterways (800/394–8630 in U.S., 888/342–1917 in Canada | www.gobarging.com). French Country Waterways (781/934–2454 or 800/222–1236 | www.fcwl.com). Maine Anjou Rivières (08–05–80–10–83 | www.maine-anjou-rivieres.com). Viking River Cruises (800/304–9616 | www.rivercruises.com).
BOAT TRAVEL
A number of ferry and hovercraft routes link the United Kingdom and France. Prices depend on the length of the journey and the number of people traveling. Driving distances from the French ports to Paris are as follows: from Calais, 290 km (180 mi); from Cherbourg, 358 km (222 mi); from Caen, 233 km (145 mi); from St-Malo, 404 km (250 mi).
Dover–Calais: P&O European Ferries (0825/120–156 | www.poferries.com) has up to 25 sailings a day; the crossing takes 90 minutes. Seafrance (44–8451–458–0666 from outside the U.K. | www.seafrance.fr) operates up to 15 sailings a day; the crossing takes about 90 minutes.
Portsmouth & Poole