Something To Declare: Cheap French flights; French trains; Parisian pickpockets
Published: 14 January 2006
Bargain of the week: is the future Orange - or Turquoise?
Considering France has roughly the same population as Britain and is an area more than twice its size, it is surprising that there has never been a thriving low-cost domestic aviation market. From Paris, the orange aircraft of easyJet (0905 821 0905; www.easyjet.com) serve Basel-Mulhouse (in French territory, on the Swiss border), Geneva (ditto), Nice and Toulouse; and from Nice, it serves Basel and Geneva. These routes open up the possibility of constructing a two-or-three centre holiday by air in France, combining the capital with the Midi and the French Alps.
A modest alternative is offered by Air Turquoise (00 33 820 60 7000; www.airturquoise.com), a small airline based in Reims. It currently links the Champagne capital with Nice, Marseille and Bordeaux, but there is talk of a new link with London to replace the now-abandoned Ryanair service from Stansted.
Destination of the week: Gare de Republique?
SNCF, France's state-owned railway, is proving just too successful. Its high-speed operations are so popular that the three main stations - Gare de Lyon, Gare Montparnasse and Gare du Nord - are close to full at busy times. They were built for another age; Gare du Nord celebrates its 140th anniversary this year.
Furthermore, unlike rival Continental capitals such as Amsterdam and Berlin, Paris has no through-line allowing a more efficient use of rolling stock for long-distance trains. So SNCF is proposing a brand-new station at Place de la Republique, about halfway between Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon. This would, in theory, allow Eurostar passengers easy transfers to other fast trains.
Despite the French appetite for excellent rail infrastructure, the price tag for the project - over £1bn at present prices - means there is little enthusiasm so far for the plan.
Warning of the week: voleurs à Paris
The US State Department warns "Gangs of thieves operate on the rail link (RER) from Charles de Gaulle Airport to downtown Paris, where they prey on jet-lagged, luggage-burdened tourists. In one common ruse, a thief distracts a tourist with a question about directions, while an accomplice steals a momentarily unguarded bag. Thieves also time their thefts to coincide with train stops so they may quickly exit the car." The State Department suggests taking a bus or taxi from the airport into the city. Once there, you are urged to beware of pickpockets operating on Metro line 1.
by Independent.co.uk
