France is the most visited country on earth — over 90 million international tourists per year — and reaching it is straightforward from almost anywhere. Multiple airports, the Eurostar from London, extensive ferry routes, and an open EU border make arrival painless. Here's what you need to know.
| Key Entry Points | Detail |
|---|---|
| Paris CDG (Roissy): France's main international hub, 25 km northeast of Paris | |
| Paris Orly: Second Paris airport, primarily European and domestic routes | |
| Eurostar: London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord in 2h15 | |
| Regional airports: Nice, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes all serve international routes | |
| Channel ferries: Dover–Calais (1h30), Portsmouth–Cherbourg/Le Havre/Caen |
By Air
Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
France's principal gateway handles 70+ million passengers annually. Three terminals — Terminal 1 (Star Alliance), Terminal 2 (Air France and SkyTeam, plus low-cost carriers in 2D/2F), and Terminal 3 (budget airlines). Connections to central Paris via RER B train (35 min, ~€11), Roissybus (60–75 min, ~€16), or taxi (fixed fare: €56 Right Bank, €65 Left Bank).
Paris Orly (ORY)
Closer to central Paris (13 km south), handling domestic and European flights. Connected by Orlyval automatic metro to RER B, or Orlybus to Denfert-Rochereau.
Regional Airports
For destinations outside Paris, flying directly to a regional airport saves hours:
- Nice (NCE): Côte d'Azur, Provence
- Lyon (LYS): Central France, Alps, Rhône Valley
- Marseille (MRS): Provence, Camargue
- Toulouse (TLS): Southwest France, Pyrenees
- Bordeaux (BOD): Wine country, Atlantic coast
- Nantes (NTE): Brittany, Loire Valley
Low-cost carriers (easyJet, Ryanair, Transavia, Vueling) serve many French regional airports from across Europe at competitive prices.
By Train
Eurostar
The fastest route from London: 2 hours 15 minutes from St Pancras to Gare du Nord. Also serves Lille (1h20), Calais (1h), and seasonal Disneyland and Alps services. Book early for the best fares (from ~£39 each way). UK passport holders need to clear French immigration at St Pancras before boarding.
Thalys/TGV INOUI from Belgium, Netherlands, Germany
- Brussels to Paris: 1h22
- Amsterdam to Paris: 3h18
- Frankfurt to Paris: 3h50
- Cologne to Paris: 3h14
TGV from Switzerland and Spain
- Geneva to Paris: 3h05
- Barcelona to Paris: 6h25 (direct TGV via Perpignan)
- Madrid to Paris: future high-speed connection planned
By Car
The Channel Tunnel (Eurotunnel Le Shuttle)
Drive onto the train at Folkestone, drive off at Calais 35 minutes later. Runs every 20–30 minutes at peak times. Book or just turn up.
Ferries
- Dover–Calais: P&O Ferries and DFDS, 1.5 hours, most frequent route
- Portsmouth–Le Havre: Brittany Ferries, 5.5 hours (overnight available)
- Portsmouth–Cherbourg: Brittany Ferries, 3 hours (fast) or 5 hours (cruise)
- Portsmouth–Caen (Ouistreham): Brittany Ferries, 5.5 hours
- Poole–Cherbourg: Brittany Ferries, 4.5 hours
- Plymouth–Roscoff: Brittany Ferries, 5.5 hours (for Brittany and western France)
Driving from Neighbouring Countries
France shares open borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Andorra, and Monaco. No border checks within the Schengen Area — just drive across.
Budget Tips
- Book Eurostar and TGV tickets 3–4 months ahead for the lowest fares
- Regional low-cost flights can be cheaper than the train for south/southwest France
- Ferry + car can be economical for families or groups with lots of luggage
- Consider flying into one city and out of another to avoid backtracking (e.g., into Nice, out of Paris)
On the ground
| Pin | Working note |
|---|---|
| Page | Getting to France |
| Desk | La Porte |
| First use | Read the pins, then one related page — not five |
| Confirm | Official site or ticket desk the week you go |
The useful unit is one place or one question, not a fourteen-day montage of France. Getting to France sits in a country that is easy to over-plan and easy to under-prepare. The travel layer is where visitors collect names. This page is the opposite: what to do first, what to skip, and which sibling guide holds the rest.
France rewards a slow unit. One arrondissement, one valley, one appellation, one park trail. The photograph of five landmarks in five days is a real holiday, and it is also a queue with a passport. If you only have three nights, spend two of them in the same bed. The third night is for a train, not a third hotel.
Working a visit
Practical France is sockets (Type E/F, 230 V), tap water that is safe, pharmacies that are the real clinic for minor trouble, and a lunch hour that still closes a village. Cards work in cities. Cash still opens some park kiosks, some island boats, and some market stalls that have never seen contactless. A lightweight adapter belongs in the personal item, not the hold.
We will not write as if every reader is on a gap year, or as if every reader is in a palace hotel. We will not flatten 'the south' into one climate. We will not treat a strike day, a jour férié, or a Tuesday museum closure as a personality quirk of the French. They are calendars. Check them. Then use Getting to France as a pin, not as scripture.
Cross the five guides instead of cloning them. La Porte holds trains and the first week. La Terre holds weather and park gates. L'Esprit holds museum Tuesdays and the Revolution. La Table holds the market morning and the wine list. Le Moteur holds the Tour, the working week, and why August is empty in Paris and full on the coast.
Across the five guides
- La Terre — Landscapes, parks, and seasons
- L'Esprit — History, arts, and landmarks
- La Table — Food, wine, and the meal
- Le Moteur — Economy, sport, and work
On the ground
| Pin | Working note |
|---|---|
| Page | Getting to France |
| Desk | La Porte |
| First use | Read the pins, then one related page — not five |
| Confirm | Official site or ticket desk the week you go |
The useful unit is one place or one question, not a fourteen-day montage of France. Getting to France sits in a country that is easy to over-plan and easy to under-prepare. The travel layer is where visitors collect names. This page is the opposite: what to do first, what to skip, and which sibling guide holds the rest.
France rewards a slow unit. One arrondissement, one valley, one appellation, one park trail. The photograph of five landmarks in five days is a real holiday, and it is also a queue with a passport. If you only have three nights, spend two of them in the same bed. The third night is for a train, not a third hotel.
Working a visit
Practical France is sockets (Type E/F, 230 V), tap water that is safe, pharmacies that are the real clinic for minor trouble, and a lunch hour that still closes a village. Cards work in cities. Cash still opens some park kiosks, some island boats, and some market stalls that have never seen contactless. A lightweight adapter belongs in the personal item, not the hold.
We will not write as if every reader is on a gap year, or as if every reader is in a palace hotel. We will not flatten 'the south' into one climate. We will not treat a strike day, a jour férié, or a Tuesday museum closure as a personality quirk of the French. They are calendars. Check them. Then use Getting to France as a pin, not as scripture.
Cross the five guides instead of cloning them. La Porte holds trains and the first week. La Terre holds weather and park gates. L'Esprit holds museum Tuesdays and the Revolution. La Table holds the market morning and the wine list. Le Moteur holds the Tour, the working week, and why August is empty in Paris and full on the coast.