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Travel Tips...
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I will try to improve this page day by day. Your questions will be answerd through updates of this page or I will answer you directly if it is very specific and if time permits. Visitors to this day   
Questions and comments
Visa : you just need a passport to travel to France if you are american. You do not need a visa. Weather : mild even in the summer, when the temperature gets in the high 70's. Air conditionning is seldom used. Check www.meteofrance.fr Luggage : travel light. In the summer you might need a sweater for evenings and for unluckily cold summers. Dress code : sneakers and baggy clothes will identify you as an american tourist. Locals wear jeans, dark clothes and leather shoes. Going to the opera, you an be dressed or casual. Language : contrary to popular belief, most french now know some English, to the point that exchange students now complain they can't learn french. Everyone they talk to replies in English! Older people generally don't understand English, so don't bother asking them when you need help, look for young ones. Service : it has improved but it is not a French skill. My personnal belief is that it is an heritage of the French Revolution. At that time the french freed themselves from the servitude to the aristocrats. Since then, being at the service of someone has become demeaning, and people in a service job, will pretend not to be at anyone's service. They need to keep their self respect. Subway and bus in Paris : From airport Charles de Gaulle to Paris : the suburb train, called RER, located in the airport, will take you directly to the Center of Paris in half an hour, count an extra hour to go anywhere else. There is also a bus service, Roissy Bus that takes you to the center or to the west side (Porte Maillot). Taxis to Paris cost about 50-60 Euros. They will sometimes take you for a ride, but the price difference should not be greater the 20%. From Orly airport o Paris : The Orlyval metro will connect you to the RER that will take you to the Center of Paris in half an hour 8 Euros. The alternative is Orly Bus .Taxis to Paris cost about 150-200 Francs. Within Paris : take the weekly metro pass (www.ratp.fr) called "carte orange hebdomadaire 2 zones". You need a passport size photograph (photomaton machines can be found in the subway), but is cheaper than the tourist version sold that gets you the same service. Another deal is the Paris Visite card that gets you into museums too. Transportation : Trains : www.sncf.fr a good way to travel. Cheap if you take the Eurail Pass only available in the US. If you plan to go to the south of France and do not have a rail pass, it is almost the same price to fly. Car rentals : same companies as in the US. It is cheaper to reserve from the US. Most cars have a manual stick shift, and air conditioning is optional. Reserve early if you need an automatic. Planes : most flights within France are made by Air France ( www.airfrance.com ). They are not cheap. There are cheaper companies, Air Lib of the same group, but they are now in a financial trouble, and the flying licence of the first one was almost revoked. Ryanair is also a cheap company that can take you to Ireland. Check www.ryanair.com . Bicycle : northern european countries are better equipped for bycicle riding, and drivers more respectfull. I would avoid personnaly, but it is done. Places to go to : around Paris Castle of the Loire Valley : must see : Chambord, a fairy tale castle,.....Tours are organized from Paris. It will be cheaper if there two of you to rent a car. Deauville : the Parisian beach, two hours by train or car. Do not head this way by car on the week-end, since everybody goes there. Yours two hour trip might turn, into four. It is not too far from the D-day beaches. Reims : for Champagne lovers
Elsewhere Nice : why go there? unless you want to spend some time on the beach, an even then, choose some place else : the Riviera (Côte d'Azur in french) is vast. For the same price go to Rome or Venice. Corsica : everyone says it is beautiful. But service is awfull, even the French complain about it. Some terrorist but they have the good sense of not bothering their main source of income. You can get there by boat or plane. The plane sounds more reasonable, since there are seasonal strikes on the shutlle boats. Gorges du Tarn : beautiful deep and narrow canyon in the south of France. Lubéron : sorry , never been there.
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