Travel Guide > Paris

Population:
2.15 million in the city; 10.5 million in the Île de France (the suburban area around Paris)

Elevation:
27m (90ft)

Time Zone:
Greenwich Mean Time plus one hour: Time in Paris is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in New York.(7 hours ahead of central time in Chicago, etc.)

Area:
105 sq km (41 sq mi)

International Dialing Code:
All numbers for Paris and the outskirts of the city begin with 01 and have 10 digits. The country code is 33. (use the country code only when calling to Paris from another country). Calling cards can be purchased at tobacco stores, post offices and at main métro/RER stations in Paris to use in placing calls from public or private phones. To call the operator: dial 13. For directory assistance, dial 12.

Average Temperatures

Local Seasons

Paris is at its best during the temperate spring months (March to May), with autumn coming in a close second. In winter, there are all sorts of cultural events to tempt the visitor, but school holidays can clog the streets. August is usually hot and sticky, and it's also when many Parisians take their yearly vacations, so businesses are likely to be closed.

Emergency:
police: 17
fire: 18
ambulance: 15
Emergency calls are free from phone booths.

Currency
Currency is the Euro (EUR). The notes are in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5 euro. The denominations of coins are 2 euro, 1 euro, 50 euro cent, 20 euro cent, 10 euro cent, 5 euro cent, 2 euro cent, and 1 euro cent.  The easiest method of securing cash at the best exchange rate is to make withdrawals using a US credit card from the ATM machines found at the major banks and stores.

Customs Regulations:
Telephone: 01 43 12 22 22 for information Mon.-Fri. 9-3.

National Holidays:
Jan. 1 New Year's Day
Easter Monday (dates vary each year - Mar. or April)
April 30 Great Prayer Day
May 8 VE Day
July 14 Bastille Day
August 15 Feast of the Assumption
November 1 All Saints' Day
November 11 Armistice Day
December 25 Christmas Day

Public rest rooms:
Restrooms are not difficult to find in most places. There is a small fee to use the facilities in train stations.

Electricity:
220 volt A/C). Most hotels have 110V shaver outlets. Plugs have 2 round pins or sometimes 3 pins in a vertical row. American appliances will need a plug adapter and will require a transformer if they do not have a dual voltage capability.

Visitors with disabilities:
Ease of access is improving. A well researched guide called Access in Paris is available at no charge from Access Projects, 39 Bradley Gardens, London W13 8HE. It deals with all aspects of travel and sight seeing.

Children:
Children under 4 travel free on French railways. Admission is free to museums for those under 18.

How to get around:
Paris is well equipped in the area of public transport, which is administered by the state owned company RATP. The easiest way to get around Paris is by the metro (subway) which runs daily from 5:30am-12:30am. Transportation maps are available at subway stations. Tickets can be purchased singly or in books of 10. They are available at the stations and from tobacconists and must be validated before boarding. It is also necessary to have the ticket available at the end of the journey. The best buy is a Paris Viste ticket which is valid for 1-5 days and can be used interchangeably on the subway, bus and rail service to some destinations. Buses run daily from 6:30am-8:30pm.
For information in English: 08 36 68 41 14.
 

Balabus

A special tourist bus(the Balabus) operates on Sundays and holidays from April-September, circling the main tourist sites.

Batobus

From May-September the Batobus takes passengers on sight seeing trips on the Seine. This boat runs between the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame daily from 10-7 with stops at the main attractions: 01 44 11 33 44.
Taxis can be hailed from the street or from one of the 470 stands around the city. An illuminated light on the roof indicates that the cab is available.

Air Travel
Flights arrive at either Roissy-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) (01 48 62 12 12 ) or at Orly (01 49 75 15 15). Most visitors arrive at CDG which is 14 miles north of Paris. Buses run frequently (every 12 minutes) and trains every 15 minutes from the airport to the city.
The same schedule of trains and buses operates from Orly airport, which is 8 miles south of Paris. A bus also runs every 20 minutes in both directions between the two airports. Metro, RER, Bus. RATP Information: 08 36 68 20 20
Note: Traffic drives on the right side of the road in France. Pedestrians should exercise extreme caution. Drivers assume the right of way and often do not look for pedestrians.

Additional Transportation Information
The preferred route from Britain to France is the Channel Tunnel (or Chunnel) between London (via Folkestone) and Paris (via Calais), a trip that takes only three hours. TGV services also link Paris with Amsterdam and Brussels.
Hoverspeed runs bus-boat-bus combos from London, but the convenience of the Channel Tunnel has a great advantage over the water route.. There are also ferries and hovercraft between Ireland and France. Euroline buses run from Paris to cities all over Europe.

Railway:
Train (SNCF) information
08 36 35 35 35
Paris is equipped with 6 major railway stations each of which is in charge of a particular area of France.

Limousine
International Limousines Tel : 33 1 53 81 14 14
Prestige Limousines Tel : 33 1 42 50 81 81
Executive Car Carey Limousine Tel : 33 1 42 65 54 20