|
|
|
|
FRANCE
- GETTING AROUND |
|
|
|
With the most extensive
train network in western
Europe, France is a
country in which to travel
by rail. The nationally
owned French train
company, the SNCF (Société
Nationale des Chemins de
Fer), runs fast, modern
trains. In rural areas
where branch lines have
been closed, routes are
covered by buses operated
by the SNCF. It's an
integrated service, with
buses timetabled to meet
trains and the same ticket
covering both.
The private bus
services that supplement
the SNCF services are
confusing and
unco-ordinated. Flying
within France has the
obvious advantage of
speed, but is only
recommended for those
short on time and long on
cash. Aside from Corsica,
which can also be reached
by air, France's islands
are serviced only by ferries
, some of which are
seasonal and not all of
which are equipped to
carry vehicles.
For a more private kind
of independent transport,
by car or bicycle
, you'll need to be aware
of a number of French road
rules and peculiarities. Hitching
is also an option, but is
not easy and is becoming
less and less popular. Walking
, on the extensive network
of "GR"
footpaths, is recommended,
as are the more specialist
realms of inland boating
and cross-country
skiing
, both of which have a
high profile in France.
Trains
The SNCF has pioneered
one of the most
efficient, comfortable
and user-friendly
railway systems in the
world. Its staff are,
with a few exceptions,
courteous and helpful,
and its trains - for the
most part, fast, clean
and frequent - continue,
in spite of the closure
of some rural lines, to
serve a vast part of the
country. For national
train information
, you can either phone (tel
08.36.35.35.35;
2.23F/?0.34 per minute)
or check on the Internet
at www.sncf.fr .
Pride and joy of the
system are the
high-speed TGVs (
trains à grande
vitesse ), capable
of 300kph, and their
offspring Eurostar
. The continually
expanding system has its
main hub at Paris, from
where a main line heads
northeast to Lille, and
two other trunk routes
head south: one reaching
down the east side of
the country to Marseille
and the Mediterranean,
the other down the west
to Bordeaux and the
Spanish frontier. Spur
lines service Brittany
and Normandy, the Alps,
Pyrenees and Jura.
Although the whole
service is much faster
than ordinary trains,
the special high-speed
TGV track, which alone
permits top speeds, at
the moment stretches
from Lille (with a
branch to the Channel
Tunnel at Calais) to
Paris, then southeast to
Valence and southwest to
Tours and Le Mans. The
only difference between
TGV and other train
fares is that you pay a
compulsory reservation
charge (from 20F/?3),
plus a supplement on
certain peak-hour
trains. It is easiest to
use the counter service
for buying tickets,
though if there are
language problems or
long queues the
touch-screen
computerized system
available in most
stations can be read in
English and is a good
way to check various
fares and times - if
need be, you can always
press the red annulment
button to cancel the
transaction before
committing yourself.
All tickets - but not
passes
- must be validated in
the orange machines at
station platform
entrances, and it is an
offence not to follow
the instruction Compostez
votre billet
("Validate your
ticket"). Train
journeys may be broken
any time, anywhere, for
as long as the ticket is
valid (usually two
months), but after a
break of 24 hours you
must validate your
ticket again when you
resume your journey. On
night trains an extra
100F/?15.25 or so will
buy you a couchette -
well worth it if you're
making a long haul and
don't want to waste a
day recovering from a
sleepless night.
After a spate of
terrorist bombings in
the late 1990s most
train stations closed
their luggage lockers
( consignes
automatiques );
these days a few have
reopened, and larger
stations have a manned
luggage check-in,
usually with limited
hours. Many stations
also rent out bicycles
, sometimes of rather
doubtful reliability.
Regional rail maps
and complete timetables
are on sale at
tobacconist shops ( tabacs
). Leaflet timetables
for particular lines are
available free at
stations. Autocar
or a bullet symbol at
the top of a column
means it's an SNCF bus
service, on which rail
tickets and passes are
valid.
Aside from the
regular lines there are
a number of special
tourist-oriented
raillines, usually not
part of the SNCF system
or covered by normal
rail passes, though some
offer a discount to rail
pass holders. Two of the
most popular are the
spectaular Train
Jaune which winds
its way up through the
Pyrenees, and the ATM
train, which heads up
into the hinterland of
Narbonne.
Buses
The most convenient bus
services are those
run as an extension of
rail links by SNCF,
which always run to and
from the SNCF station
and will access areas
not accessible by rail.
In addition to SNCF
buses, private buses can
be useful for local and
some cross-country
journeys. The most
frustrating thing about
them is that they rarely
serve the regions
outside the SNCF network
- which is precisely
where you need them.
Where they do exist in
rural areas, the timetable
is constructed to suit
working, market and
school hours - all often
dauntingly early. All
buses are, generally
speaking, cheaper and
slower than trains.
Larger towns usually
have a gare routière
(bus station), often
next to the gare SNCF
. However, the private
bus companies don't
always work together and
you'll frequently find
them leaving from an
array of different
points (the local
tourist office will
usually help locate
them).
Flying
Unless time is tight and
money is no object, you
will probably not want to
move around within France by
air (a possible
exception being to fly to
Corsica), though if you've
come from North America,
Australia or New Zealand
you may be able to get a
good deal on add-on
flights
. Air France operates the
most routes within the
country, although smaller
outfits like Air Liberté
and Air Littoral are also
options. You may also be
able to pick up an
internal flight on some of
the foreign airlines (such
as Lufthansa) whose routes
include intermediate stops
within the country.
Ferries
The majority of France's
coastal islands, which
are concentrated around
Brittany and the Côte
d'Azur, can only be
reached by ferry
. Small local companies
run routes whose
timetables vary
according to season,
some routes ceasing to
operate in winter
months, while in high
season booking ahead is
recommended on all but
the most frequent runs.
SNCM and Corsica Ferries
offer services to
Corsica
. For all ferries,
prices and schedules
vary by season, so it's
best to contact the
carrier before planning
your trip.
Driving
Driving in France
can be a real pleasure.
The network of autoroutes
is magnificent and often
provides huge, sweeping
views of countryside.
Congestion, because of
the size and shape of
the country, is much
less than in Britain.
This is equally true of
the older main roads of routes
nationales (marked
N6 or RN117, for
example, on signs and
maps) and the smaller routes
départementales
(marked with a D). Do
not shun these latter:
you can often travel for
kilometres across
country, seeing few
other cars, on a road as
broad and well
maintained as a major
road in Britain.
Of course, there are
times when it is wiser
not to drive: most
obviously in big urban
agglomerations, around
major seaside resorts in
high season and at peak
holiday migrations like
the beginning and end of
the month-long August
holiday and the
notoriously congested
weekends nearest July 14
and August 15. Cost of fuel
can also be a
discouraging factor
.
In addition, there is
a charge for the use of
the autoroutes
themselves (payable at
the frequent toll
gates or péages
). To give you an idea
of the costs involved,
the toll from Calais to
Reims is 103F/?15.70 and
from Calais to Paris
108F/?16.46, while Paris
direct to Marseille or
Nice is 277F/?42.23 and
360F/?54.88
respectively. A journey
from Calais to
Montpellier, taking in
three different toll
gates, would cost you
around 379F/?57.80.
Although autoroutes
are expensive, they are
the only realistic way
of covering large
distances in a single
day. If you have more
time and don't want to
travel on autoroutes
, the best way to avoid
them is to use the Bison
Futé map, free from
petrol stations, which
gives all manner of alternative
routes (often signed
as itinéraire bis
) across the country.
The costs of driving
can, however, be
amortized if your car
carries a full
complement of
passengers, and the
extra mobility and
carrying capacity make
it much easier to camp.
But, practical
considerations aside,
the great gain is the
freedom to explore
places that would
otherwise remain
inaccessible, in
particular the sparsely
populated upland areas
like the Massif Central
and the mountain ranges
of the Alps and
Pyrenees. Here, too,
many roads have been
constructed with the
motorist in mind, to
provide spectacular
views of otherwise
unviewable places -
roads like the Corniche
des Cévennes, the Route
Napoléon in the western
Alps and the high Alpine
and Pyrenean passes -
although you need to
remember that the
highest roads are
snowbound through winter
and spring (you get
plenty of notice from
information boards on
the approach roads).
All the major car
manufacturers have
garages and service
stations in France,
which can help if you
run into mechanical
difficulties . You
can find them in the
Yellow Pages of the
phone book under
"Garages
d'automobiles". For
breakdowns, look under
"Dépannages".
If you have an accident
or break-in, you should
make a report to the
local police (and keep a
copy) in order to make
an insurance claim. Many
car insurance policies
cover taking your car to
Europe; check with your
insurer while planning
your trip. However,
you're advised to take
out extra cover for
motoring assistance in
case your car breaks
down, costing around £45
for seven days. Look
into the RAC's European
Motoring Assistance (tel
0800/550055, www.rac.co.uk
), the AA's Five-Star
Europe cover (tel
0800/444500, www.theaa.co.uk
), or Europ Assistance (tel
0645/947000). In the US,
contact the American
Automobile Association (tel
1-800/222-4357, www.aaa.com
); in Canada, the
Canadian Automobile
Association (tel
1-800/267-8713, www.caa.ca
); in Australia, the
Australian Automobile
Association (tel 02/6247
7311, www.aaa.asn.au
); and in New Zealand,
the New Zealand
Automobile Association (tel
09/377 4660, www.nzaa.co.nz
).
Hitching
If you're intent on hitching
, you'll have to rely
almost exclusively on
car drivers, as lorries
very rarely give lifts.
Even so, it won't be
easy. Looking as clean,
ordinary and respectable
as possible makes a very
big difference, as
conversations with
French drivers soon make
clear. Experience also
suggests that hitching
the less-frequented D
roads is much quicker.
In mountain areas a
rucksack and hiking gear
will help procure a lift
from fellow aficionados.
Autoroutes are
a special case. Hitching
on the autoroute
itself is strictly
illegal, but you can
make excellent time
going from one service
station to another, and
if you get stuck, at
least there's food,
drink, shelter and
washing facilities at
most service stations.
It helps to have the Guide
des Autoroutes ,
published by Michelin,
which shows all the rest
stops, service stations,
tollbooths ( péages
), exits, etc. Remember
to get out at the
service station before
your driver leaves the autoroute
. The tollbooths are a
second best (and legal)
option; ordinary
approach roads can be
disastrous.
For major
long-distance rides, and
for a greater sense of
safety, you might
consider using the
national hitching
organization ,
Allostop Provoya, 8 rue
Rochambeau (on square
Montholon), 17009 Paris
(Mon-Fri 9am-7.30pm, Sat
9am-1pm & 2-6pm; tel
01.53.20.42.42, fax
01.53.20.42.44, pcb.ecritel.fr/allostop/welcome
; Mº Cadet/Poissonnière).
The cost comprises a
registration fee
(30F/?4.58 for a journey
less than 200km,
50F/?7.63 if less than
400km, 60F/?9.15 if less
than 500km and a maximum
of 70F/?10.68 if more
than 500km, or you can
buy a 180F/?27.45
membership card which is
good for eight trips
over two years), plus a
charge of 22 centimes
for every kilometre of
the journey.
Bicycles
Bicycles ( vélos
) have high status in
France. All the car
ferries carry them for
nothing; the SNCF makes
minimal charges; and the
French (Parisians
excepted) respect
cyclists - both as
traffic and, when you
stop off at a restaurant
or hotel, as customers.
In addition many
municipalities and départements
are actively promoting
cycling, not only with
city paths, but
comprehensive networks
linking rural areas
(frequently utilizing
disused roadways and
rail right-of-ways).
These days more and more
cyclists are using mountain
bikes , which the
French call VTTs ( vélos
tout terrain ), even
for touring holidays,
although it's much less
effort, and much
quicker, to cycle long
distances and carry
luggage on a
traditionally styled
touring or racing bike.
Restaurants and
hotels along the way are
nearly always obliging
about looking after your
bike, even to the point
of allowing it into your
room. Most large towns
have well-stocked retail
and repair shops
, where parts are
normally cheaper than in
Britain or the US.
However, if you're using
a foreign-made bike with
non-standard metric
wheels, it's a good idea
to carry spare tyres.
Inner tubes are not a
problem, as they adapt
to either size, though
make sure you get the
right valves.
The train
network runs various
schemes for cyclists,
all of them covered by
the free leaflet Guide
du Train et du Vélo
, available from most
stations. Trains marked
with a bicycle in the
timetable allow you to
take a bike as free
accompanied luggage.
Otherwise, you have to
send your bike parcelled
up as registered luggage
for a fee of
150F/?22.88. Although it
may well arrive in less
time, the SNCF won't
guarantee delivery in
under five days; and you
do hear stories of
bicycles disappearing
altogether.
You can normally load
your bike straight onto
the train at the ferry
port - as on the boat
train at Dieppe - but
remember that you must
first go to the ticket
office of the station to
register it. Don't just
try to climb on the
train with it, as both
you and your bike will
end up left behind.
Ferries either take
bikes free or charge a
maximum of £5 one way.
British Airways and Air
France both take bikes
free - you may have to
box them though, and you
should contact the
airlines first. Eurostar
allow you to take your
bicycle as part of your
baggage allowance
provided it is
dismantled and stored in
a special bike bag, and
the dimensions don't
exceed 120cm by 90cm.
Otherwise it needs to be
sent on unaccompanied,
with a guaranteed
arrival of 24 hours (you
can register it up to
ten days in advance;
book through Esprit
Europe tel 0800/186186);
the fee is £20 one way.
Bikes - usually
mountain bikes - are
often available to rent
from campsites, hostels
and gîtes d'étapes
, as well as from
specialist cycle shops
and some tourist offices
for around 80F/?12.20
per day; these machines
are likely to be more
reliable, though more
expensive, than those of
the SNCF. The bikes are
often not insured,
however, and you will be
presented with the bill
for its replacement if
it's stolen or damaged.
Check whether your
travel insurance policy
covers you for this if
you intend to rent a
bike.
As for maps ,
a minimum requirement is
the IGN 1:100,000 series
- the smallest scale
that carries contours.
In the UK, the Cyclists'
Touring Club, Cotterell
House, 68 Meadrow,
Godalming, Surrey GU7
3HS (tel 01483/417 217,
fax 01483/426 994, cycling@ctc.org.uk
), will suggest routes
and supply advice for
members (£25 p.a. or £12.50
for unemployed). They
run a particularly good
insurance scheme.
Boating
With some 7500km of
navigable rivers and
canals, boating
can be one of the best
and most relaxed ways of
exploring France. Except
on parts of the Moselle,
there is no charge for
use of the waterways,
and you can travel
without a permit for up
to six months in a year.
For information on
maximum dimensions,
documentation,
regulations and so
forth, ask at a French
Government Tourist
Office for their booklet
Boating on the
Waterways , or
contact Voies Navigables
de France, 175 rue
Ludovic Boutleux, 62408
Bethune (tel
03.21.63.24.24, fax
03.21.63.24.42, www.vnf.fr
), which has information
on boating throughout
France, and lists of
firms that rent out
boats. British companies
organizing boating
holidays include
Hoseasons (tel 01502/500
555), Crown Blue Line (tel
01603/630513, boathols@crown-blueline.com
) and Abercrombie &
Kent (tel 0171/730
9600). The most
attractive boats, based
on a scaled-down version
of real commercial
barges, are run by
French Country Cruises (tel
01572/821 330, fax 821
072), although Locaboat
(tel 03.86.91.72.72, www.locaboat.com
) also has good modern
vessels (expect to pay
between 5250F/?800 and
10,000F/?1500 per week,
depending on season, for
a 3-5 person boat)
. For a full list of
rental firms operating
in France write to the
Syndicat National des
Loueurs de Bateaux de
Plaisance, Port de la
Bourdonnais, 75007 Paris
(tel 01.44.37.04.00, fax
01.45.77.21.88).
The principal areas
for boating are
Brittany, Burgundy,
Picardy-Flanders, Alsace
and Champagne.
Brittany's canals join
up with the Loire, but
this is only navigable
as far as Angers, with
no links eastwards.
Other waterways permit
numerous permutations,
including joining up via
the Rhône and Saône
with the Canal du Midi
in Languedoc and then
northwestwards to
Bordeaux and the
Atlantic. The
eighteenth-century Canal
de Bourgogne and
300-year-old Canal du
Midi are fascinating
examples of early canal
engineering. The latter
completely transformed
the fortunes of coastal
Languedoc, and in
particular Sète, whose
attractive harbour dates
from that period.
Together with its
continuation, the Canal
du Sète à Rhône, it
passes within easy reach
of several interesting
areas.
The through-journey
from the Channel to
the Mediterranean
requires some planning.
The Canal de Bourgogne
has an inordinate number
of locks, while other
waterways demand
considerable skill and
experience - the Rhône
and Saône rivers, for
example, have tricky
currents. The most
direct route is from Le
Havre to just beyond
Paris, then south either
on Canal du Loing et de
Briare or Canal du
Nivernais to the Canal
Latéral de la Loire,
which you follow as far
as Digoin in southern
Burgundy, where it
crosses the River Loire
and meets the Canal du
Centre. You follow the
latter as far as Châlon,
where you continue south
on the Saône and Rhône
until you reach the
Mediterranean at Port
St-Louis in the Camargue.
|
