Most likely you will be getting to Paris by plane. The two main international airports are Charles de Gaulle (also known as Roissy because it is located in the northern suburb by that name) and Orly, the older if the two, located twenty kilometers south of Paris. Both are very well served by taxis, publics buses, and commuter subway lines called the RER. See the RATP ("Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens") website at http://www.ratp.fr/.

If you are flying into Paris from North America on a regular scheduled flight, you will most likely be arriving at Roissy in the early morning.

If you need to change money right away, proceed to one of the banks located on the arrival level near the exit.

n     One of the options for getting into Paris are buses. The Roissybus has continual service between Aéroport Charles de Gaulle (all terminals) and Paris Opéra. From Monday to Sunday, the travel time is 45 - 60 minutes. Bus intervals are about 15 minutes between 6 a.m. - 7 p.m. and 20 minutes
between 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. Signs around the Opéra métro station and Auber RER station are clearly marked for the Roissybus (the station at Opéra is at the angle of rue Scribe and rue Auber). You will need Euros to buy your ticket in the station. The bus will cost you 8.40 euros.

n     Another very effective and quick means to get into Paris is the RER commuter train (Direction St. Rémy-lès-Chevreuse), which can be easily accessed by a free airport shuttle bus which circles around all terminals. The price of a one ticket to any of the following Paris stations is 8 euros for adults: the Gare du Nord in the 10^th arrondissement, Châtelet-Les-Halles (the transportation hub for the RER and métro lines in central Paris), St. Michel (Notre Dame; Latin Quarter; Left Bank), Luxembourg Gardens, Port-Royal, Denfert-Rochereau, and Cité Universitaire (international student residences). From Monday to Sunday, the travel time is approximately 25 minutes to Gare du Nord and 45 minutes to Denfert-Rochereau. Train intervals are 10 - 15 minutes on weekdays.

n     The well-equipped and comfortable Air France buses take you to the aérogare at Porte Maillot, Etoile/Place Charles de Gaulle, or Gare Montparnasse. These can be picked up at the curb outside all terminals and are well-marked. Hours of operation are 5:45 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., with departures every 15 minutes, and travel time is about 45 minutes. A one-way ticket costs 12 euros for adults. Once in central Paris, it will be cheaper to take a taxi to your place of residence. Tel. + 33 (0)8 92 35 08 20. Website: http://www.cars-airfrance.com/ 

Note that Charles de Gaulle Airport has three main terminals, Aérogare 1, which handles most of the international carriers, Aérogare 2, which primarily serves Air France flights, and Aérogare 3, which mostly handles charters. Aérogare 2 is divided into 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D on one side, 2E and 2F on the other. So make sure you ask at and from which terminal you arrive and depart. Roissy/CDG Airport Information: +33 (0)1 48 62 22 80. For more details on the Aéroports de Paris (including Orly Airport), see the website http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/. 

n     The Orlybus serving Orly Airport is an effective and dependable means of getting to and from Orly. From Monday to Sunday, the travel time is 30 minutes approximately. Train intervals are about 15 - 20 minutes. This bus will cost you 5.80 euros. When you exit the arrivals terminal you will find the bus stops right in front of you. The Orlybus take you to the "Denfert-Rochereau" RER station. You can buy your ticket on the bus, or before getting into it, thanks to machines next to the bus stop.

n     You also find Air France buses. These run from Orly to the Gare Montparnasse and Invalides but will drop you off, if requested, at the Porte d'Orléans (14e) or Duroc (6e/7e) métro stations. Hours of operation are 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., with departures every 15 minutes, and travel time is about 35 minutes. A one-way ticket costs 8 euros for adults.

n     To get to and from Orly by train, you may take the OrlyVal line from Orly's main terminals, Orly West (national and some charters) and Orly South (international and many charters). The Orly - Châtelet connection takes 30 minutes and the price is 9.05 euros for adults. The OrlyVal's timetable is synchronized with the RER Line B: you will have to change at Antony-Orly which corresponds with "le Val d'Orly". The RER line from Orly serves the Gare d'Austerlitz, St. Michel, Invalides/Orsay, Pont de l'Alma, or Champ de Mars (Eiffel Tower). Save your tickets, you will need it to get out your desired station or to prove that you have paid if you are "controlled".

 

There are taxis to and from Paris to the Airport, although when the traffic is heavy, the RER is the fastest means to get in and out of town. First, you must wait your turn in the clearly marked Taxi Stand Line. Taxis in Paris always operate with set meters. A normal drive into central Paris should cost around 30 euros from Charles de Gaulle and 20 euros from Orly.

 

Most of the Hotels we suggest on our website are located around the Ecole Normale Supérieure de la Rue d'Ulm and the Sorbonne University, next to the Latin Quarter, on the Left Bank.

To get to the ENS-Ulm (45, rue d'Ulm F-75230 Paris cedex 05 Tel +33 (0)1 44 32 30 00 Fax. +33 (0)1 44 32 20 99):

- RER B: Luxembourg

- Métro: 2 stations on Line 7, "Censier-Daubenton" and "Monge"; 1 station on Line 10, "Cardinal-Lemoine"

- Bus stop at "Feuillantines", Lines 21, 27

See the location on the webpage http://www.ens.fr/ecole/plan.html

For any journey inside Paris, see the Itinerary-guide website: http://www.mappy.com

 

With the RATP ticket "t", you travel via:

n     The whole metro network

n     The RER (RATP and SNCF) within Paris

n     The RATP

n     The Optile network, which gathers together private bus companies located in the greater suburbs area

For the bus and tramway lines within Paris and Ile de France region, one single ticket allows a one-way trip, without interchange, whatever the length of the journey (except on the lines Orlybus, Roissybus).

Fares apply from July 1st 2005:

- 1 ticket: 1,40 euros
- Carnet of 10 tickets full fare: 10,70 euros
In lieu of buying individual tickets, you may also use certain passes for the network. These include the "Paris Visite" Pass (1, 2, 3 or 5 days), and the weekly "Carte Orange".

"Paris Visite" is a pass to discover Paris and its region. Each coupon is valid for either a 1, 2, 3 or 5 day period (calendar days and not a 24 hour period). With the "Paris Visite" pass, you can travel freely within the zone area of your choice: 1-3, 1-5, 1-8 zones. This pass is on sale in all metro, RER and SNCF stations, the Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports and in certain Parisian hotels and many tour operators abroad. Such a pass is rather expensive: a 1-3 zones Pass for 1 adult and 1 day will cost you 8.35 euros; for 5 days, 26.65 euros.

 

This typically Parisian Pass allows you to use any bus or métro without limit of journey inside the zone area of your choice (Paris intra muros = zone 1-2). The user's name must be written on the pass and a photo is necessary. Before utilisation, copy the coupon number on the card, and also the pass expiration date. This weekly Pass is valid from Monday to Sunday. It is on sale until Wednesday for the current week, and from Friday for the week after. No weekly Pass on sale on Thursdays. Rates for a zone 1-2 weekly Pass: 15,70 euros.

 

Frédéric Fruteau de Laclos