Airlines (www.continental.com)
Delta Airlines (www.delta.com)
Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com)
United Airlines (www.ual.com)
Delta and Air France also fly direct from JFK to Nice, which would be useful for those wanting to do the Provence tour (Route 5). It is also worth considering flying to other European cities from the US or Canada from where you can easily get connecting flights or trains – London or Frankfurt, for example. Visit www.travelzoo.com for good value flights available from the US and outside Europe.
From Australia and New Zealand
Although it is possible to fly direct to Paris from Sydney and other major cities in Australia, and Auckland in New Zealand, most people prefer to fly to London via Southeast Asia and from there to Paris. It is also possible to fly via the United States, but this is usually more expensive and the journey time is longer.
Getting from Paris airports to central Paris
Cycling into Paris from either of her two airports is not recommended. To reach central Paris it would be best to leave your bike in its bag and make use of the regular transport services mentioned below. Once in central Paris, you can then either reach the relevant railway station for your onward journey by taxi or on your bike. Air France buses go to Gare Montparnasse in central Paris from both airports.
Paris is served by two airports: Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly. The majority of international flights arrive at CDG, situated 23km northeast of the capital. It has two main terminals: CDG1 and CDG2, the latter split into five halls (2A, 2B, 2C, 2D and 2F). The much smaller terminal 3 (formerly T9) is used for seasonal charter flights only. All Air France flights arrive at CDG2, as well as some international flights including Air Canada and Delta, but the majority of international flights arrive at CDG1. The two main terminals are linked by a free bus shuttle service, and there is a train station at CDG2 with an RER line to central Paris. There is also a TGV station at CDG2, enabling you to bypass Paris altogether if you want to go to Lille, Lyon or Avignon. For TGV departures from the Gare Montparnasse in Paris you can take an Air France bus from CDG (1 hour), or for central Paris jump on a Roissybus (RATP service); buses leave from both terminals. Taxis cost about 40 euros to central Paris from either terminal. Air France operates a bus service between CDG and Orly airports.
Orly airport is situated 15km south of Paris and has two terminals, Sud and Ouest. Air France's domestic flights go to most French cities from Orly, with fewer routes from CDG. Some international and charter flights arrive at Orly Sud from where there are several options to reach central Paris. Air France buses (Door K) stop at Montparnasse en route to central Paris, and Orlybus (Door H) will take you to the metro/RER station of Denfert-Rochereau not far from Montparnasse. Buses leave every 15 minutes and the journey takes about 30 minutes. There are also shuttle buses (navettes) to the RER (suburban railway) station of Pont de Rungis (line C) from where you can take a train to Gare d'Austerlitz, or a shuttle train (Orlyval) which connects the two terminals with the RER station of Antony (line B) from where you can take a train to central Paris. Taxis cost about 35 euros. It is possible to walk from Orly Sud to Ouest if you are taking a domestic flight from the latter. Air France also operates a bus service between Orly and CDG. Visit www.adp.fr for more information about both airports.
Getting from Paris train stations to your destination
There are six principal train stations in Paris:
Gare du Nord: TGV Nord trains, and trains for northern France
Gare Montparnasse: TGV Atlantique trains, and trains heading west
Gare de Lyon: TGV Sud-Est trains, and trains heading southeast
Gare St Lazare: trains for Normandy
Gare de l'Est: trains for the east
Gare d'Austerlitz: trains for the southwest.
A TGV Est line is under construction. The whole railway network in France is run by the SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer).
If you have taken the Eurostar to Gare du Nord and you need to reach one of the other main stations in Paris you will either have to carry your bike in its bag and panniers on the Métro, or assemble your bike and cycle across the capital's centre. The latter option is far more interesting as you get to see some of Paris and don't have to worry about turnstiles, escalators and stairs. If, however, you need to get across Paris quickly to catch your next train, take a taxi that will accommodate you and all your gear.
The table above indicates which train station in Paris you need for the onward train journey to the start point of a given route. Further information regarding travel to the start points is also given at the beginning of each route description.
Bicycles on Trains in France
You can put your bicycle on most TER (regional trains), Corail and Transilien trains, without charge. There will either be a specific carriage/luggage van (fourgon à bagages) or a compartment with a designated area for three or four bikes (éspace vélo). The latter may involve hanging your bike from a hook in the ceiling. They are usually to be found near the end of the train, if not the last carriage itself. Double-decker trains usually do not have a designated compartment for bicycles, and you can just wheel them into any 2nd class carriage at the platform conductor's discretion. On older trains you need to look out for the luggage van with the metal roller shutter door which may be locked from the inside, so make sure you've introduced yourself to the platform conductor beforehand who should assist in getting it opened. I recommend taking the rear panniers off, as you may either have to get the bike through a narrow doorway or lift it up into the luggage van. If there are two of you, it's easier if one gets in the van and pulls the bikes up. Some trains have a bicycle symbol painted on the outer door of the designated carriage. Contacting the platform conductor is important as he or she often allows you to take your bike on a slow train that stops at every station but does not have a bike carriage or designated area.
If you pick up the relevant timetable leaflet at the station, check the top/bottom of each regional train column for the little bicycle symbol which indicates that you can take your bike on certain trains free of charge without having to dismantle it (transport de vélo gratuit). On some trains you may have to pay a réservation supplémentaire of 10 euros and travel in 2nd class, but still not have to dismantle the bike. This is the case with TGV Lyria trains between Lausanne, Zurich and Paris, as well as most Corail Lunéa and Corail Téoz trains between Paris and Clermont-Ferrand, Paris and Strasbourg, and Paris and Toulouse. Occasionally, in rural areas, a bus service (autocar) is used to connect certain stations at certain times – look for the bus symbol on the train timetable.
For TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) trains in general, and many daytime trains (especially between 7am and 9am) run by Corail, you will have to dismantle your bike and put it in a bike bag (housse à vélo) no bigger than 120cm x 90cm. There are designated luggage holds or racks on these trains, but it is a good idea to get on before everyone else, as there is nothing short of a rugby scrum as people try to get their luggage in the designated area before departure.
