Getting there & Getting around

Getting there

France's Aéroport Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport is a sleek introduction to the country; it's a major international hub, so you can take your pick of flights in and out. The train system is also impressive, and will whip you quickly to most places in France; there are TGV services to Amsterdam and Brussels. You can get to Britain (and Ireland) by ferry, but Eurostar is perhaps the most chilled and luxurious way to get to Paris, and you can pop your car on board as well. Buses are fine for travel between Paris and other countries, but for the rest of France they're not so hot.

Getting around

The most satisfying way to get around Paris is on foot - just watch out for the pedestrian crossings, which cars tend not to respect - or on its famous, lovely and efficient Métro. Unfortunately, you're not allowed to take bikes on the Métro, and the city in general is none too friendly to cyclists. If you're in a hurry to get somewhere, don't take the river shuttles that ply the Seine - they are more meandering, sight-seeing affairs than A to B propositions - or the bus system, which is horrendously inefficient. However, there are night buses, which is handy when the Métro closes down.