Page 13 - (DK Eyewitness) Back Roads Travel Guide - France

Getting to France 11

DIRECTORY
Arriving by Rail Tournai and Lille (E17–A22 and E429–
For travellers from Britain, Eurostar A27); and between Mons and
AIRLINES
gives access to SNCF, the French rail Valenciennes (E19–A2). From
Air France
network. From Lille, passengers can Luxembourg the E25–A31 runs via
36 54 (within France); www.airfrance.fr
board TGVs bypassing Paris and conti- Thionville to Metz. From Germany,
American Airlines
nuing southeast to Lyon, the Rhône major border crossings include
1-800-433-7300 (US/Canada), 01 55 17
Valley and the Mediterranean, or south- Saarbrucken (E50–A6) and numerous 43 41 (France); www.aa.com
west to Brittany, the Loire Valley and links between the E35 and the A35,
British Airways
southwest France. Eurostar’s Paris desti- notably at Strasbourg and Mulhouse.
0844 493 0 787 (UK), 08 25 82 54 00
nation is the Gard du Nord; Thalys From Switzerland, the two most (France); www.britishairways.com
trains from Brussels, Cologne and important crossings are at Basel in Delta Airlines
Amsterdam arrive here too. Artesia the north (E60–A35) and Geneva 800-241-4141 (US/Canada), 08 11 64
runs trains from Rome, Milan, Turin, (E62/E25–A40/A41) in the south. 00 05 (France); www.delta.com
Florence and Venice to Paris and Note that many Alpine passes are Ryanair
Lyon. Riviera trains link Italian and closed in winter. The Mont Blanc 0871 246 0000 (UK), 0818 30 30 30
French cities along the Mediterranean tunnel connects Courmayeur in Italy (Ireland), 08 92 23 23 75 (France);
coast. A TGV route connects several with Chamonix in France (E40–A25). www.ryanair.com
west German cities to eastern France Further south, the Fréjus tunnel runs
FERRY SERVICES
and Paris. From Barcelona, Alicante between Bardonecchia and Modane
Brittany Ferries
and Valencia in Spain, high-speed (E70–A43). For visitors to the south of
0871 244 0744 (UK), 0845 828 828
Talgo trains run to Montpellier during France, the spectacular Riviera (France); www.brittany-ferries.com
the day, while their overnight sleeper, corniche roads link San Remo with
Condor Ferries
the Joan Miró, links Barcelona and Menton, Monaco, Nice and beyond
0845 609 1024 (UK), 02 33 88 44 88
Paris. Rail Europe sells a wide range (E74–A8 and others). The two main (France); www.condorferries.com
of passes for European train travel, crossings from Spain into France are at Corsica Ferries
including Motorail, a summer-only either end of the Pyrénées, and can 0845 609 1024 (UK), 04 95 32 95 95
service to transport travellers with get congested in summer. On the (France); www.corsica-ferries.co.uk
their cars from Calais to south ern Atlantic coast, the A8–A63 runs from DFDS Seaways
France. From Paris’s six stations, Spain to France near St-Jean-de-Luz; 0871 574 7235 (UK),
routes fan out to about 6,000 French on the Mediterranean side, the A7–A9 www.dfdsseaways.co.uk
destina tions. The main TGV stations crosses the border between La
La Méridionale
are Gare du Nord, Gare de l’Est for Jonquera and Le Perthus. As with the 810 20 13 20 (France);
Champagne and Alsace, Gare de other mountain ranges, mountain www.lameridionale.com
Lyon for Burgundy and southeastern passes make for an attractive, more
My Ferry Link
France and Gare Montparnasse for leisurely alter native, but are often 0844 248 2100 (UK);
Brittany, west and southwest France. closed in winter. For advice on road www.myferrylink.com
conditions and possible delays, P&O Ferries
Arriving by Road consult Bison Futé or CNIR (see p19). 0871 664 2121 (UK), 08 25 12 01 56
France’s autoroutes are fully (France); www.poferries.com
integrated into the European road SNCM Ferryterranée
network, and travellers are rarely Below far left Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport, 08 25 88 80 88 (France), 32 60 (within
stopped at border controls. From Paris Below left Ferry of SNCM Ferryterranée France); www.sncm.fr
Belgium, there are four major links: Below middle Ticket validating machine at a Transmanche Ferries/LD Lines
between Veurne and Dunkerque French station Below right High-speed TGV train 0800 917 1201 (UK), 08 25 30 43 04
(E40–A16); between Kortrijk and pulling out of Montparnasse station, Paris (France); www.transmancheferries.com
CHANNEL TUNNEL
Eurostar
0845 519 1523 (UK), 0892 353 539
(France); www.eurostar.com
Eurotunnel
0844 335 3535 (UK), 08 10 63 63 04
(France); www.eurotunnel.com
RAIL TRAVEL
Rail Europe
08448 484 064 (UK), 1-622-8600 (US);
www.raileurope.co.uk
SNCF
36 35 (within France); www.sncf.com