The national airline is Air France (AF) (www.airfrance.com).

From London to Paris is 1 hour, and from New York is 7 hours.

Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) (www.adp.fr) is 23km (14 miles) northeast of the city. To/from the airport: Coaches to the city run at least every 20 minutes. Taxis are readily available. Roissybus services operate from the airport to Place de l'Opéra. Air France coaches run to Étoile via Porte Maillot, to Montparnasse via Gare de Lyon and to Orly Airport. Services run every 12 to 20 minutes and take 40 to 50 minutes. The airport is also easily accessible by train on the RER B line or SNCF with connecting ADP shuttle bus. Facilities: Banks/bureaux de change, duty-free shops, restaurants, bars and car hire.

Paris-Orly (ORY) (www.adp.fr) is 14km (9 miles) south of the city. To/from the airport: Coaches and buses run to the city every 12 minutes (journey time - 25 minutes) from outside Orly Ouest. Air France coaches run to Etoile and Invalides via Montparnasse and to Charles de Gaulle Airport. The Orlyval service also links Orly Airport (sud) and the RER station ‘Anthony'. Taxis are available. RER B and C line trains run every 15 minutes via Saint-Michel (journey time - 30 minutes). Facilities: Banks/bureaux de change, duty-free shops, restaurants, bars and car hire.

Lyon (LYS) (Lyon-Saint-Exupéry) (www.lyon.aeroport.fr) is 25km (15 miles) east of the city. To/from the airport: Coaches or taxis are available to the city. Facilities: Banks/bureaux de change, duty-free shops, restaurants, bars and car hire.

Marseille (MRS) (Marseille-Marignane) (www.marseille-provence.aeroport.fr) is 30km (19 miles) northwest of the city. To/from the airport: A coach service departs to the city and taxis are available. Facilities: Banks/bureaux de change, duty-free shops, restaurants, bars and car hire.

None.

Atlantic: La Rochelle (www.portlarochelle.com): leisure boating.
North Sea: Boulogne (www.portboulogne.com): leisure boating and cross channel services; Calais (www.calais-port.com): cross-channel services; Le Havre (www.havre-port.net): scheduled services and cruise lines to national and international destinations.
Mediterranean: Marseille (www.marseille-port.fr): leisure boating, cruises and scheduled services to Corsica, Sardinia, Algeria and Tunisia; Nice: leisure boating and ferries to Corsica (www.riviera-ports.com).

The popular Channel passenger services connect the English port of Dover with Calais. Major operators include P&O Ferries (tel: 0870 598 0333, in the UK; www.poferries.com) and SeaFrance (tel: 0871 423 7119, in the UK; www.seafrance.com). In the Mediterranean Corsica Ferries/Sardinia Ferries (tel: (04) 9532 9595; www.corsicaferries.com) service Sardinia from the French mainland.

Cruise ships regularly stop at various French ports, including Villefranche (for Nice and Cannes) and Marseille.

International trains run from the channel ports and Paris to destinations throughout Europe. For up-to-date routes and timetables, contact French Railways (SNCF) (tel: (0) 825 888 088 or 3635 from within France; www.sncf.com) or Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064, in the UK; www.raileurope.co.uk). Eurostar (tel: 0870 518 6186, in the UK; www.eurostar.com) is a service provided by the railways of Belgium, the UK and France, operating direct high-speed trains from London (St Pancras International) to Paris (Gare du Nord) and to Brussels (Midi/Zuid). It takes 2 hours 15 minutes from London to Paris (via Lille) and 1 hour 51 minutes to Brussels.

InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents. There are several pass options. The Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children's tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064, in the UK; www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Eurailpass: offers unlimited first-class train travel in 25 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, one month, two months or three months. The Eurailpass Saver ticket offers discounts for two or more people travelling together. The Eurailpass Youth ticket is available to those aged under 26 and offers unlimited second-class train travel. The Eurailpass Global Pass allows travel in 20 countries for a period of 10 days to three-month period. The Eurail Selectpass is valid in three, four or five bordering countries and allows five to 10 travel days (15 for five countries) in a two-month period. The Eurail Regional Pass allows three to 10 travel days in a two-month period in one of 21 ‘regions' (usually two or more countries). The Eurail One Country Pass is valid in one of 18 countries and allows three to 10 travel days in a two-month period. The passes cannot be sold to residents of Europe, Turkey or the Russian Federation. Available from The Eurail Group (www.eurail.com).

There are numerous and excellent road links with all neighbouring countries.

Coach: Eurolines (tel: 0871 781 8177; www.eurolines.com) runs regular coach services from the UK to France. Passes: Travellers can buy a 15- or 30-day pass, offering unlimited travel between 40 cities. 

The Channel Tunnel: Eurotunnel runs shuttle trains for cars, bicycles, motorcycles, coaches, minibuses, caravans and campervans between Folkestone in Kent, UK, with direct road access from the M20, and Calais, with links to the A16/A26 motorway (Exit 13). All road vehicles are carried through the tunnel in shuttle trains running between the two terminals. The journey takes about 35 minutes from platform to platform and around 1 hour from motorway to motorway. Fares are charged according to length of stay and time of year and whether or not you have a reservation. For further information, contact Eurotunnel (tel: 0870 535 3535, in the UK; www.eurotunnel.com).