PARIS - France 2014 - page 294

RER line B connects Charles de Gaulle and Orly but requires a transfer to the
Orlyval train. It isn't as easy as the Air France bus mentioned above, though it's faster
when there's traffic (€18, 5/hour, 1.5 hours). This line splits at both ends: Heading from
Charles de Gaulle to Orly, take trains that serve the Antony stop (direction: St-Rémy-les-
Chevreuse), then transfer to Orlyval shuttle train; heading from Orly to Charles de Gaulle,
take trains that end at the airport—Aéroport Charles de Gaulle-Roissy, not Mitry-Claye.
You can also connect Charles de Gaulle or Orly airports to Beauvais via train. Take
the RER-B to Gare du Nord, catch a train to Beauvais, and then a shuttle or local bus to
Beauvais Airport (see “Beauvais Airport,” earlier).
Three Val d'Europe (VEA) buses a day run between Beauvais and Charles de
Gaulle, en route to Disneyland (€16, http://vea-shuttle.co.uk ) .
Taxis are easiest, but pricey (about €80 between Charles de Gaulle and Orly, €115
between Charles de Gaulle and Beauvais, €135 between Orly and Beauvais).
By Train
ParisisEurope'srail hub,withsixmajor stations andoneminorone,andtrains heading in
different directions:
• Gare du Nord (northbound trains)
• Gare Montparnasse (west- and southwest-bound trains)
• Gare de Lyon (southeast-bound trains)
• Gare de l'Est (eastbound trains)
• Gare St. Lazare (northwest-bound trains)
• Gare d'Austerlitz (southwest-bound trains)
• Gare de Bercy (smaller station with non-TGV southbound trains)
All six main train stations have banks or currency exchanges, ATMs, train informa-
tion desks, telephones, cafés, newsstands, and clever pickpockets (pay attention in ticket
lines—keep your bag gripped firmly in front of you). Because of security concerns, not all
have baggage checks.
Any train station has schedule information, can make reservations, and can sell tick-
ets for any destination. Or you can save time and stress by buying train tickets or making
train reservations at an SNCF Boutique. These small branch offices of the French national
rail company are conveniently located throughout Paris, with offices near most of my re-
commended hotels and museums and at Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports. Arrive when
they open to avoid lines (generally open Mon-Sat 8:30-19:00 or 20:00, closed Sun). For a
complete list of SNCF Boutiques, see www.megacomik.info/boutiquesncf.htm .