• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Contents

Air Travel | Bus Travel | Car Travel | Train Travel

AIR TRAVEL

With a land-mass about 4/5 that of Texas, France presents its own set of transporation challenges when confronting the big question: What’s the best way to get around? Fact is, the quickest and often least expensive option—thanks to budget airlines and competitive rates on Air France—is flying. You can fly in one hour from Paris into Nice Airport (plus 15 minutes by bus into town) on easyJet from Orly Airport (15 minutes south of Paris) from about €40 one-way (without checked bags). But factor in the extra hour at the airport for security, the baggage restrictions, and out-of-town location of airports—budget lines use smaller airports far from city centers. An Air France flight from Paris Orly to Marseille costs €125 while a RyanAir flight starts at just €30 but flies from Beauvais Airport (an hour north of Paris by bus) plus plenty of extra fees. But flying is often the best option if you have little luggage, less time, and travel to major cities.

BUS TRAVEL

Because France has invested so dearly in its highly organized national rail network and well-connected highway system, nationwide bus service simply doesn’t exist.

Eurolines offers only international routes, so you can get in or out of the country, but there are no routes connecting the big cities within France.

Happily, domestic bus travel is managed regionally, usually serving small rural communities or replacing SNCF train routes that are no longer commercially viable.

These bus routes, however, tend to be slow, with confusing schedules posted online (and rarely in English). Still, they can often be a cheap and direct way to travel short distances.

The Getting Around section at the start of each of our chapters has handy local information about useful bus routes.

Remember that it is always useful to visit the local tourism office or the central bus depot for schedules and tickets.

CAR TRAVEL

While the French train network is quite vast, smaller towns—especially in harder-to-reach mountainous regions—may have only limited schedules. And since many route hubs are in major cities such as Paris, there’s often a lack of direct routes in between these smaller towns, requiring a circuitous trajectory to cover a relatively short distance. This isn’t a big deal for visitors with plenty of extra time who are flexible in their travel plans.

But if you’re seeking the maximum amount of freedom to explore France off the beaten path, then a rental car could be your best option.

France’s highways, or autoroutes (A), are well maintained, and generally traffic-free outside certain holidays and metropolitan areas during rush hour, but with so much natural beauty, charming villages and interesting sights along the way, we would recommend sticking to the national trunk roads, or Routes Nationales (RN), which allow you to easily stop to see local site, pick up some fresh produce at a farm, or pull over for a picnic at a lakeside park.

Of course, driving in France requires a valid license from your home country, a bit of talent with a map (as a backup to any GPS system), and enough knowledge about the local road rules to stay out of trouble.

While there are many pluses to driving a car, there are important minuses. One of the biggest expenses of your trip can wind up being the gasoline, which has been hovering around €1.35/liter (or €5.08 gallon) at this writing. In addition, signage in France can be spotty—we’ve heard plenty of horror stories about half-hour trips turning into two-hour ordeals.

Finally, there is the obstacle-course that is parking, with travelers to French cities having to run the gauntlet of meters, parking-ticket machines, parking cards (cartes de stationnements), chaotic rush-hour traffic, and the eternal search for an overnight garage.

If you’re determined to drive, however, see our Travel Smart chapter for more tips for renting and driving a car in France.

TRAIN TRAVEL

The next best thing to flying, and sometimes more convenient, is by