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A. Air Travel - National and International There are two major airports in Paris : Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly. The majority of international flights go to and from Charles de Gaulle Airport and most domestic flights from Orly, although there are exceptions, so check with your travel agent.
The airport is situated 23 km (approx. 14 miles) from the centre of Paris. - By car : Take the North motorway in the direction of Lille
(Autoroute du Nord A1).
Situated 14 km (approx. 9 miles) from central Paris. - By road : take the south motorway in the direction of Lyons
(Autoroute du Sud A6). Further information on flights can be obtained from the Minitel, CODE : 3615 HORAV or ADP Airports Access :  B. The Train Network (SNCF) The French rail network is very efficient. For example, with the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) it is now possible to travel from Paris to Lyon in two hours and from Paris to the South of France in under five hours. The TGV serves most of the large population centres in France and also runs a service to Geneva, Brussels and London. When you take a train in France you must always stamp (composter ) your ticket at the small stamping machines on the platforms, before you get on the train. This validates your ticket and prints the date of travel, if this is not done you are effectively travelling with an invalid ticketand you will be fined. There are six main stations and six main lines (Grandes Lignes) which cover the whole of France and which all radiate out of Paris. These stations also serve a dense and efficient suburban service in the Paris region (Réseau Banlieue). - Gare du Nord : North of France (Eurostar to London) SNCF offer special prices for passengers under 26, over 60, large families, couples, etc. You may also obtain good discounts by purchasing your ticket ahead of time (one month, one week, etc.). Further information on rail travel can be obtained from the Minitel, CODE : 3615 SNCF C. Paris Public Transport (RATP) Paris public transport system (RATP) consists of the "métro" (underground), a large number of bus routes and the RER suburban express railway which interconnects with the métro inside Paris. The métro runs daily from 5.30 am, with the last train leaving end stations at 0.45 am. The individual lines are numbered, with each direction named after the last stop on the line. Follow the orange "correspondance" signs to change lines. Pick up a free map at any métro station. The RER runs from 5.30 am to 0.30 am. It is designed to connect the center of the city to some of its most distant suburbs. The four RER lines (A,B,C,D) are also designated by their two terminus stations. On each platform is an illuminated panel indicating which stops are served by the next train. Buses routes are numbered from 20 to 96 within Paris. Bus stops are identified by small round signs painted red and yellow, marked in the center with the route numbers of the buses that stop here. Bus routes with three-digit numbers cover the suburbs. The PC (petite ceinture) is a circular route which runs around the city and stops at all the gates (portes). Bus maps are available at métro information stands. The "Carte Orange" : You can buy individual tickets, but it's more economical to buy a "carnet" (a block of ten tickets). If you intend to travel every day by public transport, "carte orange" is even better value. You can buy weekly or monthly coupons. The cost of the "coupon" varies according to the number of "zones" covered (from 1 to 5). As the carte orange can only be used by the card-holder, the first time you purchase one you will need a passport-size photograph to attach to the card. Don't forget to write your card number on each new coupon. Paris Metro Map :  Paris RER Map : 
D. Taxis The following are numbers of taxi firms in Paris : Tipping taxi drivers : roughly 10% (assuming he or she has been moderately convivial).
If you have an EU driver's licence, you can drive in France. If you come from a Non-EU country, you may drive with a valid foreign driving licence for one year only from the date of validity of your first carte de séjour. Then, depending on the international agreements, you may either exchange it for a French licence without having to take any test or be obliged to take a written exam on the highway code, followed by a driving test, to acquire a French licence. Drivers from the following American states are also exempt from taking a French test : Illinois, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan, New Hampshire and South Carolina. The first step is to apply at the "Préfecture" (police headquarters) of your "département"(department), even if you qualify for a simple exchange.
If you move house to France on a permanent basis and you had been living outside the European Union for the last 12 months prior to your arrival in France, you may import your vehicle free of duty and VAT, provided you meet the following conditions : - you have owned it for at least 6 months prior to exporting it to
France You are then under strict obligation to apply for its registration under a French licence plate and to conformity checks by the local DRIRE (Direction Régionale de l'Industrie, de la Recherche et de l'Environnement). Almost all vehicles purchased outside France are not manufactured to comply with French standards and will require modifications, sometimes of an expensive nature. You are particularly advised, prior to shipping the vehicle to France, to check with the manufacturer in the country of origin the kinds of modifications that will be required to bring the vehicle in conformity with French standards. You have 4 months to apply for the registration ; after the expiration of the 4-month time limit, non-conforming vehicles may not be driven in France with foreign licence plates. If you are sent on secondment, the vehicle does not have to comply with the French safety and environment standards. Temporary admission is granted for a maximum period of 12 months. The application must be documented with Customs at the port of entry with the temporary employment contract.
We recommend that you purchase a new car to avoid complications. However, if you wish to purchase a second hand car, you need to bring the carte grise - i.e. the car registration papers of the seller - on which he has written VENDU and signed and dated it - to the Préfecture in your arrondissement or département. You also need to obtain, at the Préfecture or Mairie of the arrondissement where the car has been previously registered, a lettre de non-gage, which means that there are no debts on the car. For cars over five years old, the law requires that all such vehicles must undergo a technical inspection (contrôle technique). Plaques d'immatriculation (licence plates) must be changed by the new owner within 24 hours after the new carte grise has been issued. Attention : please note that in any case, import or purchase, when registring the car, the Prefecture will ask for your Residency Permit ("Carte de Séjour"). Be very careful that with the timing if you are importing a car.
- There is no right turn on red, unless specially authorized by a flashing orange arrow. - The car on the right always has the right of way, except when there are lights, stop signs, give way signs, or if the car is exiting from a driveway. - When entering a roundabout , you must give way to other cars. - Seat belts are mandatory for all car occupants. - Children up to 4 years old must be in special seats, and children under 10 must travel in the back. - Unless indicated otherwise, speed limits are as follows : "Autoroutes": 130 kph or if it is raining 110kph; other roads : 90kph; towns and densely settled areas : 50 kph; "boulevard périphérique" (the Paris ring-road) : 80kph.
Under French law, you must have in your car at all times :
In the event of an accident in France, it is usual practice for both drivers involved to fill out a constat amiable (amicable report). Your insurance company will provide you with several copies of this form together with your insurance contract. It is basically an accident report form and you should always keep one in your car. It records the details of the accident and serves as a claims declaration for the insurance companies involved. It is not obligatory to fill in the constat amiable following an accident, and if you do not have a good command of the French language it is best to decline to fill it in, rather than to agree to sign something that you do not fully understand. You also have the right to complete it in English if you wish. If you are able to fill it in, it is important to take a note of the driver's name, driving licence number and insurance company, together with the type of insurance he is covered by. There are a number of sketches on the constat amiable which describe
the circumstances of an accident. You should tick the boxes which apply
to your accident, add up the number of ticks and put the total in the
box at the bottom of the form. This is very important as the constat
amiable cannot be modified later. Finally, it is important to check
what the other driver has written before signing the form.
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