FRANCE - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 180

Base City: PARIS
www.parisinfo.com
“Every traveler has two cities,” wrote Edna St. Vincent Millay, “his own and Paris.”
Besides being one of the most beautiful and captivating cities in Europe, Paris is
the center of one of the most interesting regions of France. Local people call the
area around Paris the Ile de France (Island of France), for it is here that the nation
began in the forested lands stretching out in all directions around Paris. The city is
not only the political capital of France; it's the country's industrial and commercial
center as well. To understand and appreciate it, follow the suggestion of British poet
and novelist Lawrence Durrell and watch it “quite quietly over a glass of wine in a
Paris bistro.”
Arriving by Air
Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport (Roissy-CDG), 17 miles (23 km) north of the
city center ( Tel: [phone]; €0.34/min.). Two major terminals; Terminal 2 is split
into six major sections with the recent completion of the newest terminal. The ma-
jority of flights from North America arrive at Terminals 2A, 2B, 2C, or 2D. Signs are
posted in both French and English, and information is available in other languages.
Money exchange: TRAVELEX just outside customs area in Terminal 2C.
Hours: 0730-1900. ATM at Sortie (Exit) 6.
SNCF (French Rail) office hours: 0730-1900. You can board a train to Lyon,
Avignon, or Nice without having to transfer to Paris.
Roissy-CDG Airport-City Links
RER (Regional Express Railway) Line B trains run every 7 to 15 minutes
0456 to 2356 to Paris stations Gare du Nord, Chatelet-Les Halles, Saint-
Michel-Notre-Dame, Port-Royal, and Denfert-Rochereau; journey time 35-45
minutes; fare €9.50. Plenty of luggage space. RER station is to the right of the
customs area, Terminal 2C.