France is a very popular country among travelers, because in addition to Paris, it has towns and cities that are well worth visiting.
Next year, Paris will host the Olympic Games, however, other cities will host some competitions so that more travelers and locals can be part of this sporting festival.
If you plan to go to the Olympic Games, knowing what mobility is like in this country will be of great importance; or even if they don’t go, it will be very helpful if they plan a trip to this destination.
France’s transportation network stands out for being the densest in the world, with 146 km of roads and 6.2 km of railway lines every 100 km.2.
So on this occasion we share with you some of the transportation that you can use to get around France.
Public transportation
Metro
The Paris metro is one of the most developed transport systems in the world, it has 14 operational lines and another four are under construction. It operates until 01:00 a.m. on weekdays, and until 02:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. After these hours, the service of a network of night buses is offered.
Lyon also has four metro lines and Marseille has two lines. Light rail service is offered in Lille with two lines, Toulouse with two lines and Rennes with one line.
Train
The rail service in France is very efficient, comfortable and well developed.
They will find trains TGV (high-speed train) that link large cities, TER (regional express trains), and Intercités, which serves smaller stations.
Tickets can be purchased online or directly at the stations, although we recommend doing so online and in advance, especially for the TGV.
You will also find night trains with sleepers and tourist trains to admire the landscapes; some are Le Train des Merveilles from Nice, the Trinichellu in Corsica, the Panoramique des Dômes in Auvergne or the Mont-Blanc Express in the Alps, luggage has no extra cost. If you buy your tickets in advance you could find better prices.
In Paris and nearby cities, the night service is provided by Noctilien, in Bordeaux TBM provides service at night, with a frequency of 15 to 20 minutes. The Ligne d’Azur network in Nice has five night lines that operate until 5 in the morning.
Each city has a public transportation website where you can review routes and schedules.
Trolley car
Several cities in France have modern tram or light rail networks, such as Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Montpellier, Saint-Étienne, Strasbourg, Nantes, Lille and Marseille.
Bus
The operation of the bus is very similar to that of the metro, as it also uses the ticket and pass system. The simplest for a traveler is the T +. You must purchase your ticket in advance and keep in mind that these services may be limited on weekends.
In most cities the service runs from 6:30 am to 8:30 pm, with the exception of Paris, which has the Noctambus service, which is a night-time passenger transfer system.
Two large bus companies operate in France. FlixBus has regrouped Isilines and Eurolines buses, and offers the largest European long-distance bus network, with 2,500 destinations, including 120 French cities. Ouibus and BlaBlaBus have merged to form BlaBlaCar Bus offering 400 destinations in France and Europe.
Bicycles
France has developed an extensive network of cycling routes and greenways, in Paris the Vélib’ Métropole system offers a fleet of almost 20,000 bicycles serving more than 1,400 stations in Île-de-France.
Auto
Renting a car is perhaps one of the best options, since you go at your own pace and it can be more comfortable.
- In order to rent and drive a car in France, as travelers, you need:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Valid driver’s license from the country of origin
- An International Permit to Drive Abroad (PIC), which can be obtained at the National Automobile Association.
Read also: How to process the International Driving Permit?
It is also important that they know the speed limits.
- On the highway the maximum speed is 130 km and 110 km in rain.
- On urban roads and paved roads separated by a median: the maximum speed is 110 km and 100 km in rain.
- On national roads without medians the maximum speed is 80 km and 70 km in rain.
- In the city the maximum speed is 50 km.
- The use of a seat belt is mandatory, the use of electronic devices when driving is prohibited, for safety reasons, it is mandatory to carry a reflective safety vest and a warning triangle in the vehicle.
Taxi
This is not the best option, due to the high vehicular traffic that you may encounter in large cities, such as Paris, but if you travel in a group or have mobility problems it may be a good choice.
Taxi rates in Paris depend on the day, time, distance to travel in kilometers and area in which they are located.
- Rate A: trips in the urban area on weekdays and holidays between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at 0.96 euros/km
- Rate B: trips in the urban area on weekdays and holidays between 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. at 1.21 euros/km
- Rate C: urban area on Saturday nights and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. at 1.47 euros/km.
shared taxi
This service, developed by the G7 taxi company to face competition from VTCs, brings together users who go to the same place. The price is set in advance and remains unchanged: regardless of the final number of people in the taxi, you pay the set price.
Without a doubt in France you will find various options to move between cities. Remember to plan well to avoid setbacks and download applications to better orient yourself.
*With information from the National Automobile Association
The post How to get around in France first appeared on Alan x el Mundo.
The post How to get around in France appeared first on Alan x el Mundo.
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