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Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France

© 123rf.com / Stephen Finn

Travel to France

Flying to France

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

Flight times:

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

Departure tax:

None.

Travel by rail

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: 0890 36 1010 or 3635 from within France; www.sncf.com) or Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064, in the UK; www.raileurope.co.uk). Eurostar (tel: 08432 186 186, 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.

Rail passes:

InterRail: InterRail Global Passes are valid for travel in up to 30 European countries. There are two InterRail Global Pass types to choose from: 'flexi passes' and 'continuous passes'. A flexi pass entitles you to unlimited travel on a fixed number of days during your trip. A continuous pass entitles you to unlimited travel every day of your trip. With a One Country Pass you can choose from unlimited travel on one, four, six or eight days of your choice during a month. Available from Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064, in the UK; www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Eurailpass: Offers broadly the same freedoms as the InterRail Passes, but is for sale solely to non-European residents. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, one month, two months or three months. Available from The Eurail Group (www.eurail.com).

Driving to France

Eurotunnel runs shuttle trains for cars, bicycles, motorcycles, coaches, minibuses, caravans and campervans between Folkestone in Kent, UK, and Calais. The journey takes about 35 minutes from platform to platform. 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: 08443 353535, in the UK; www.eurotunnel.com).

Getting to France by boat

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

Ferry operators:

La Rochelle (www.portlarochelle.com) for leisure boating.

Boulogne (www.portboulogne.com) for leisure boating and cross channel services; Calais (www.calais-port.com) for cross-channel services; Le Havre (www.havre-port.net) for scheduled services and cruise lines to national and international destinations.

The popular Channel passenger services connect the English port of Dover with Calais. Major operators include P&O Ferries (tel: 08716 645 645 10p/min 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.

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