26 L’avion, le métro, le bus, un taxi, le train, le TGV

Being able to use public transportation when you travel will allow you to enjoy so much more of the area you are visiting, and you can save a lot of money as compared to hiring a taxi or a private car service! We are going to look at a few different ways to travel. Options will vary from country to country and even from city to city. In this section, we will be focusing on travel in and around Paris as a model.

L’avion :

Paris has two major airports, Charles de Gaulle (Roissy) and Orly. When you land at the airport, you will want to already know how you plan to get to where you are staying. You can plan in advance by doing some scouring on the Internet, and you will want to look at three different options for getting around the city: le métro, le bus, un taxi.

Le métro :

If you have ever used a subway or a lightrail in the U.S., le métro urbain will be fairly easy for you to navigate. I recommend you get a metro map so that you can visualize the stops and where they are in the city. You can also use a smart phone and put the settings in the navigation device to search for public transportation options. Pro tip: use wi-fi when available to cut down on your costs. This will allow you to compare the different ways you can get around, se déplacer. If you haven’t ever used this type of travel before, you are in for a real treat (and sometimes, some discomfort). Lots of people use le métro for getting to work, getting around, getting to the aiport, getting to the train station, and more. It is crowded! It is also a prime ground for pickpockets, so keep your items close to you and in front of you where you can see them. Leave important items (ton passeport, l’argent en liquide, des cartes de crédit) behind in a safe place when possible. We will talk more about planning responsibly for travel in a different segment.

Le métro will take you between high-traffic areas, such as from the airport to a train station, to the center of the city, or to a variety of metro stops throughout the city. After you get off the metro, descendre, plan to walk a bit to get to your destination.

You will need to have a metro ticket in order to enter through the automated gate when entering the metro area. You can buy these at an automated distributer, un guichet, and it is generally cheaper and more convenient to buy un carnet, a pack of several tickets, than it is to buy them individually for each trip. Once you are inside the metro, you can switch cars and lines as many times as you need to in order to get to your destination without using another ticket; once you exit the metro, you will need another ticket to re-enter.

Le bus :

Generally, busses are a part of the transportation system that help people get to and from the metro when they are in an area that the metro doesn’t serve. Also, in some smaller towns, petites villes, the bus will be more frequently available than a metro.

Oftentimes, there are several bus stops in a certain neighborhood square, une place, and you will have to make sure you are on the correct side of the street and hopping on the bus going in the correct direction. There is

generally a chart posted at the bus stop for you to review, or you can see if the ville has an online schedule posted for you to use in your planning (and paying). Busses, like subways, use the end of the line stop to communicate the direction the bus is going. You will want to look at the map to ensure that your stop is indeed between where you are at and where the line ends.

Un taxi :

Sometimes, it is worth the extra money to get a taxi. If you are traveling in a group of three or four, sometimes a taxi or a private car service such as Uber (check that it operates in the country/city you are traveling to) will be more convenient and a similar price to public transportation if you split the cost with others. A taxi is particularly convenient to take from the airport to the place you are staying as you will likely be tired, unfamiliar with the public transportation system, and bringing luggage with you. If you are using cash, it is best to have exact change as some drivers will not want to break large bills.

While most places in France are walkable, many of the streets or walking paths are made of cobblestone. This is beautiful and lends a more artistic feel than concrete alone, but it is very difficult to pull your roller bags along on the cobblestone. Also, many metro stations have flights of stairs up and down with no alternate access, so if you are carrying heavy bags, multiple bags, using crutches, or using a wheelchair, be prepared to run into significant difficulties and budget to use a taxi if necessary.

Le train :

Train travel in Europe is a fantastic experience! You can travel to smaller towns and cities from the train station, la gare, and even into other regions and countries using les grandes lignes, major railways. Generally, trains will have internet service, a snack bar, and comfortable seating with room for your luggage. Most gares also have amenities such as restrooms (for a fee; keep a few euros on hand in cash), restaurants and snack options which are cheaper than the offerings on the trains (or TGVs), an ATM un distributeur automatique. Some larger train stations are huge and feel like a shopping mall with lots of stores!

In the vast majority of train stations, there is a person who runs the ticket counter who can help you choose the correct train and help you get the right price for your tickets, as prices vary based on age, identification, and peak or off-peak travel times. While you can purchase most tickets online, it is recommended to use this free service to ensure that you are purchasing the right ticket; if you do not have the right ticket, you can be charged a sizable fee as a penalty when the train master, le conducteur ou la conductrice, verifies your ticket as you travel.

Le TGV (train à grande vitesse) :

Certain trains are faster than others and have fewer stops along the way, making your travel time more efficient. These tickets tend to be a bit more expensive, but well worth it when you are traveling between countries or covering long distances. Again, it is worth it to talk with the person at the ticket counter in the local train station to ensure that you are making the right choice based on your travel needs.

Pro tip: Flights between European countries tend to be very affordable, so be sure to check flight options as well as train options.