SAS'01: travel, transportation and practical information

Paris Currency Tourist offices Subway Taxis Airports Airlines Trains Car rental Car parks Weather Doctor/physician Credit cards Change Telephone Post office Electrical adapters Paris Time Food Tipping Messages Internet Religious services

• Paris, the capital of France, is a city of over two million people covering 460 square miles of northern France. It is on the River Seine at the center of the Ile-de-France, the region that is home to ten million people, around one-fifth of the French population. An important European business and cultural center, it is the focus of activity in the north of France.
• Currency: The currency in France is the franc (FRF). The euro (EUR), which is exactly 6.55957 FRF, will be the official currency in France on January 1st, 2002. See today's exchange rates. There are numerous banks and bureaux de change. The best exchange rates are often available from the widely available automated teller machines, which typically accept all major credit cards, as well as bank cards on all of the major ATM networks.
• Tourist Information: There are seven tourist offices in Paris, one at each of the five main SNCF railroad stations, one at the Eiffel Tower, and one on the Champs-Elysées (Paris Tourist Information Office, 127 Champs-Elysées, 75008 Paris, tel: 33 (0)1 49 52 53 54). All offices provide maps, information, and brochures. They also offer last-minute hotel reservation services.
• Subway: the métro and RER ("Réseau Express Régional" / "Regional Express Railway") are interconnected subways managed by the RATP ("Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens") for which you need a unique ticket within Paris (Fares: 1 full price metro or RER ticket is 8 FRF, a book ("carnet") of 10 tickets is 58 FRF, on sale in all metro and RER stations). These tickets are valid wherever you go within Paris. These tickets are also valid for RATP buses (one ticket to travel through two sections). If you plan to take the metro/bus several times a day or for several days, you might consider bying the Paris visit pass or Mobilis 1 day pass or the weekly card (carte hebdomadaire). Information on métro, RER and buses by telephone: +33 (0)1 36 68 41 14 in english and +33 (0)1 36 68 77 14 in french, by minitel: 3615 RATP and on the web. Here is a route finder.
• Taxis: the taxi ranks close to La Sorbonne where taxi can also be ordered by telephone:
  • Place Saint Michel, 29 quai Saint-Michel, 75005 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 43 29 63 66;
  • Place Maubert, 75005 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 46 34 10 32;
  • Place Edmond Rostand, 26 rue Soufflot, 75005 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 46 33 00 00.
• Airports: Paris has two airports, Roissy-Charles de Gaulle, 30 km North of Paris and Orly, 20 km south of Paris.
  • The RER B directly goes every 15 mn from Roissy, terminals 1 & 2 to the ``Luxembourg'' (or ``Port Royal'') station in about 35 mn for 49 FRF / 7.32 EUROS.
  • From Orly, terminals west & south, the ``Orly VAL'' goes to the ``Antony'' station in 8 mn from which the RER B is direct to the ``Luxembourg'' (``or Port Royal'') station in about 25 mn. The total cost is 57 FRF / 8.69 EUROS;
  • The RATP ``Roissy Bus'' goes every 15 mn from Roissy 1 & 2 to ``Opéra'' in 45 to 60 mn for 48 FRF / 7,32 EUROS (next use the RATP RER C to ``Chatelet'' and then RER B to ``Luxembourg'' or ``Port Royal'' or a taxi).
  • The RATP ``Orly Bus'' goes every 10 to 15 mn from Orly West & South to ``Denfert Rochereau'' in about 30 mn for 35 FRF/5.34 EUROS. ``Denfert Rochereau'' is then one RER B station from ``Luxembourg'' and two from ``Port Royal'';
  • A taxi from Roissy to central Paris is about 300-350 FRF; from Orly, 250-300 FRF;
  • More information on transportation from Paris to international airports or vice-versa.
• Airline offices in Paris:
  • Air Canada, 10 rue de la Paix, 75002 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 44 50 20 20, fax: +33 (0)1 42 60 99 99.
  • Air France, information: +33 (0)1 44 08 24 24, reservation: +33 (0)1 44 08 22 22, agencies:
    • Jardins du Luxembourg, 4 place Edmond Rostand, 75006 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 43 25 73 95;
    • Invalides, Esplanade des Invalides, 2 rue Esnault Pelterie, 75007 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 43 17 20 21.
  • American Airlines, 109 rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, 75008 Paris, information: +33 (0)1 45 63 61 15, reservation: +33 (0)1 69 32 73 07, fax: +33 (0)1 45 63 62 94.
  • Bristish Airways, 13 - 15 boulevard de la Madeleine, 75009 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 47 78 14 14
  • British Midland, BP 10783 95727 Roissy CDG Cedex, tel: +33 (0)1 48 62 55 65.
  • Delta Air Lines, 92052 Paris La Défense, reservations & information: +33 (0)1 47 68 92 92.
  • Qantas Airways, 13 boulevard de la Madeleine, 75001 Paris, reservations and information: +33 (0)1 44 55 52 00, fax: +33 (0)1 44 55 52 12.
  • TWA, 95700 Roissy, reservations & information: +33 (0)1 49 19 20 00, fax: +33 (0)1 49 19 20 09, minitel 3615 TWA.
• Trains: SNCF ("Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer" / french state railway), information by telephone in english: +33 (0)1 36 35 35 39, german: +33 (0)1 36 35 35 36, italian: +33 (0)1 36 35 35 38 & spanish: +33 (0)1 36 35 35 37.
• Car hire agencies:
  • Avis: 18 rue de Dunkerque, 75010 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 42 85 55 08, fax: +33 (0)1 48 74 05 38;
  • Budget France: 71 boulevard Gouvion Saint Cyr, 75017 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 45 72 11 15, fax: +33 (0)1 45 72 30 28;
  • Citer Eurodollar: 165 bis rue Vaugirard, 75015 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 44 38 60 00, fax: +33 (0)1 40 56 08 80;
  • Europcar Interrent: Aérogare Invalides terminal Air France, 75007 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 45 51 21 11, minitel: 3615 EUROPCAR;
  • Hertz France: Carroussel du Louvre, 99 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 40 20 06 76.
• Car parks:
  • close to La Sorbonne:
    • Gefiparc, 21 rue École de Médecine, 75006 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 43 29 61 38
    • S.E.A.T. Parking, 20 rue Soufflot, 75005 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 43 26 15 54
    • Parc Maubert Saint Germain, 38 boulevard Saint Germain, 75005 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 43 26 97 01
  • a bit farther:
    • Parking Mazarine, 27 rue Mazarine, 75006 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 43 26 41 39
    • Parking Saint Sulpice, place Saint Sulpice, 75006 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 43 25 45 57
    • Parc Polytechnique, rue d'Arras 75005 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 46 33 42 57
• Weather:
  • Paris normally enjoys pleasant summer weather in July. Days are warm (18--25° C i.e. 65--77° F) but nights may be cool (15° C i.e. 60° F). Short rains are unlikely but possible.
  • Weather forecast (in French) and meteorological image of the day.
• Doctor/physician:
  • A general practitioner from "S.O.S. medecins" can be called 24 hours daily for a private hotel room visit: tel: +33 (0)1 43 37 77 77 or 47 07 77 77, fax: +33 (0)1 45 87 13 47; S.O.S. dentist: tel: +33 (0)1 43 37 51 00.
  • Closest public hospital: Groupe Hospitalier Cochin, 27 rue Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 42 34 50 09.
  • Private foreigh hospitals:
    • American Hospital of Paris, 63 boulevard Victor-Hugo, 92200 Neuilly sur Seine, tel: +33 (0)1 46 41 25 25, fax: +33 (0)1 46 24 49 38;
    • Centre Hospitalier Franco-Britannique, 3 rue Barbès, 92300 Levallois Perret, tel: +33 (0)1 46 39 22 22.
• Credit cards:
  • AE: American Express;
  • DC: Diners Club;
  • MC: MasterCard (Eurocard);
  • VI: Visa (idem CB: Carte Bleue).
• Change: after-hours bureau de change close to La Sorbonne: Ancienne Comédie, 5 rue Ancienne Comédie, 75005 Paris, Tel: +33 (0)1 43 26 33 30, Open 9am-9pm daily.
• Telephone: Paris area telephone numbers +33 (0)1 nn nn nn nn:
  • From Paris: 01 nn nn nn nn,
  • From the Province: 01 nn nn nn nn,
  • From outside France: +33 1 nn nn nn nn (note that the zero is omitted when calling from outside France),
  • Foreign calls from France: 00 country-code tel-number;
  • Emergency numbers: 15 (SAMU i.e. hospital emergency), 17 (police), 18 (firemen);
  • Phone book;
  • French pay phones usually take plastic telephone cards (telecartes) that can be bought at all post offices and "tabacs" (tobacconists). To call abroad, dial the local access code (00), the country code, then area code plus local telephone number in the destination country. For example, to call the United States simply dial 00-1 then area code plus local telephone number.
• La Poste (postal service)
  • next to La Sorbonne, 8am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat: 13 rue Cujas
  • next to the École Normale Supérieure, 8am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat: at the intersection of the rue d'Ulm and the rue Claude Bernard;
  • open 24 hours daily: 52 rue du Louvre, 75001 Paris, tel: +33 (0)1 40 28 20 00, fax: +33 (0)1 42 33 63 54
• Electrical Adapters: The voltage in France is 220 volts. Plugs have two small round pins; heavier-duty ones have two large round pins. 220-to-110 volt adapters can be bought at many electronics and appliance stores such as Radio Shack, as well as department stores in Paris such as BHV.
• Paris Time: Paris is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, six hours ahead of New York, and eight hours behind Tokyo.
• Food:French-English mini-dictionary of common French food words
• Tipping: At restaurants, the tip is usually included in the bill ("tout service compris", or simply S.C.). It is customary to leave some change at the table, but generally a tip is not expected. For taxis, no tip or a small one is customary. For exceptionally good service anywhere, however, it is considered good manners to provide a gratuity.
• Messages: in the event that you need to be contacted at the conference, messages can be left by email with rcousot@lix.polytechnique.fr and by phone to Joëlle Isnard, at the Computer Science Department of the École Normale Supérieure: +33 (0)1 44 32 20 34 (Joelle.Isnard@ens.fr).
• Internet: EUnetTraveller (Mobile Internet connectivity throughout Europe).
• Religious services.