|
Getting to France
|
|
Air
For most people, from the United States anyway, air is the primary way to get to France.
|
Getting
Away Air Fare Finder! |
Other airlines from the US include: American into Charles de Gaulle and Orly,
Continental into Charles de Gaulle,
Delta
Airlines into Charles de Gaulle, Northwest into Charles de Gaulle,
TWA into Charles de Gaulle, United into Charles de Gaulle and US Airways into Charles de Gaulle.
From the United Kingdom:
Air France,
British Airways, Air U.K., British Midland, and Easyjet runs scheduled service to Nice from Luton.
|
|
At
Travelocity, not only can you find
the lowest fare or best schedule on over 400 airlines, but you can also
find
Great
Car Rental Deals, Low hotel rates when you click on |
Rail
France is also easily accessible from all over Europe by rail and the SNCF is recognized as one of the best national rail services in Europe. (www.sncf.fr/indexe.htm) You may also want to check with Eurail/Eurostar
(www.eurail.com).
Ferry
There are ferry routes between France and the United Kingdom as well as between France and Corsica.
Dover - Calais: (01304/865000), P&O Stena Line (01304/863000)
Portsmouth - LeHarve: P&O European Ferries (01304/863000)
Hoverspeed operates the following routes with a fleet of seacats:
Dover - Calais (fast ferry - under 1hr)
Dover - Ostend (fast ferry - around 2hrs)
Newhaven - Dieppe (fast ferry - around 2
hrs)
Newhaven - Dieppe (classic ferry - around 4
hrs)
Reservations and Information - 08705 240241
Book On-Line and save 2% -
http://www.hoverspeed.com
Land
As France has such an excellent train service there are not a lot of long-distance buses. However, Eurolines (0171\730-3499) operates from the UK as well as within Europe. France also has an excellent network of roadways making car travel enjoyable and easy.
Moto
Europa - If you are visiting Belgium, England, France (Offices in
Avignon, Bordeaux, Calais, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Mulhouse, Nantes, Nice,
Paris, Pau, Perpignan, Rennes, Strasbourg, and Toulouse), Germany, the
Netherlands, Italy, Portugal or Spain, why rent a car when you can lease from
Moto
Europa. Getting Away
has teamed with
Ideamerge to provide an online way for you to learn more about, and
perhaps subsequently order, a Renault Eurodrive tax-free, short-term auto
lease. These leases can be great deals for persons traveling 17 days or
more! And, this is the only site on the web where you can learn so
much about them and order securely online. Tax-free, short-term leases
have the touch and feel of a rental but can be much less costly
and, in many respects, much simpler. You book and pay for your lease
before taking delivery, signing a contract which allows Renault to register
and fully insure in your name the exact vehicle of your choice
for the period you requested. You do not, of course, pay the full price of
the vehicle; the one low charge—tax-free and including full
comprehensive insurance and breakdown coverage, 24/7 roadside assistance, and
full warranty—is essentially the difference between preset buying and
selling prices. After returning the vehicle, you have no further
obligations whatsoever; Renault sells the vehicle to a rental agency or other
party.
Check
it out today before you rent a car!
|
|
Elegant and simple! Touch the screen and hear turn-by-turn directions with
street names as you enjoy your driving experience throughout Europe. Customize
your navigation method or route, to travel safely and stress-free. The Garmin
Nuvii 370 contains premium detailed maps for all of Europe, including highways,
regional freeways and local roads with attributes such as turn restrictions, one
way streets and other navigation features. It contains general map detail for
most cities and towns throughout Europe. Metro areas listed are covered in the
greatest detail. The Nuvii 370 also displays points of interest such as: food
and drink, lodging, golf courses, theatres and cinemas, gas stations, hospitals
and more. Full Coverage available for: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Spain and Switzerland. Full detailed coverage in major cities of: Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Norway and Sweden. Coverage in Eastern Europe includes: Estonia (Tallinn), Latvia (Riga), Lithuania (Vilnius), Slovakia (Bratislava and Kosice), Hungary (Budapest, Balaton, Debrecen, Miskolc, Eger and Tokaj), Slovenia (Ljubljana and Maribor), Croatia (Zagreb, Rijeka and Pula, Split, Selin, Zadar, Dubrovnik and the Island of Krk), Bulgaria (Sofija), Romania (Buburesti (Bucharest) and Timisoara). |
I have taken the trip about every way you can across the English Channel both from England to France and the other way around. I will have to admit, although it is the slowest way, I prefer the ferry as it tends to make me take a day off to relax a bit during my travel. But, there are plenty of other ways to get across. Here are your choices.
FERRY: There are several ferries that travel between Dover and Calais (my usual destination), Boulogne and other locations. You can either be a foot passenger or can drive on. Much like any other ferry, they are equipped with public bathrooms, cafeteria, decks and lounges and are pretty comfortable. The trip takes a little under two hours. It is the least expensive way to go and I recommend the ferry, especially if you enjoy the sea and have the time.
HOVERCRAFT: If you are traveling from Dover to Ostende or Calais, Folkestone to Boulogne or Newhaven to Dieppe, you must experience the hovercraft at least once. Some of the largest hovercrafts in the world cross the Channel at speeds of about 60 miles per hour. I will warn you that it can be a little rough if the seas are running high and that it is pretty noisy. And, when the sea is high (and just about all other times) there is so much spray that it is difficult to see. It is still a good way to get there as the seats are pretty comfortable (somewhat like being in an airline) and the food is pretty good. This is the fastest way to get across the channel by water.
HYDROFOIL: The Hydrofoil is more comfortable than the hovercraft, and almost as fast. The ship rises to skim the top of the waves and is a pretty awesome way to go. As you "fly" across the waves you hardly feel a bump. The hydrofoil moves at about 50 mph and it is about a 65 minute trip. Along with the good ride there is food and other services. The hydrofoil is grounded if there are rough waters so check weather conditions and call ahead to confirm the schedule.
CHUNNEL: Other than flying, this is the quickest way to get between London and Paris. You can also take the short thirty five minute shuttle from Folkstone to Coquelles through the Chunnel. Besides long waiting lines, it is like taking a flight. Having to be there at least 45 minutes before departure, boarding the shuttle and being seated is reminiscent of just about any large airport on a weekend. But, if you are in a hurry, don't mind the high prices or the crowds, this is the choice for you.
Prices vary for the channel crossing with the ferry being the cheapest, the
Chunnel and the Hydrofoil being the more expensive and the hovercraft at a
more moderate price. Of course there are flights across the Channel but, as I
already mentioned, who would want to miss a hovercraft or hydrofoil ride or
the more leisurely ferry trip. It is an experience you won't soon forget.
|
|
Getting
Away Rental Car Finder! |
