How to travel
Paris is a very well-connected city: getting there is easy. Once you're there, getting around is easy too. Paris has a brilliant public transport system with frequent services. You can get about on the urban metro, the RER (suburban express trains), buses, or trams.
The conference venue, the Maison Internationale at Cité Universitaire, is only 150 meters from the Cité Universitaire station on RER line B. This is on the southern edge of central Paris, and a short journey on the metro will get you to any part of the city.
Getting to Cité Universitaire, Paris
Paris has two main airports: Orly and Charles de Gaulle (often abbreviated to CDG). Both airports have direct public transport links to the centre of Paris. Paris is at the heart of a high-speed rail network that connects it to most of the major cities in Western Europe, including London, Amsterdam, and Cologne to name but a few. International bus connections such as the ones provided by Eurolines offer a relatively cheap means of reaching Paris from virtually everywhere in Western and Eastern Europe.
From Charles de Gaulle airport
Charles de Gaulle has two stops on RER line B, one for each terminal. For terminal 1, you'll need to take a shuttle to get to the station. For terminal 2, the station is within walking distance. Take RER line B direct to the Cité Universitaire. Trains run just under every ten minutes, and the journey will take about 50 minutes.
From Orly airport
Orly airport has its own express mini-metro called Orlyval taking you to the station Antony. Here, take RER line B in the direction Charles de Gaulle/Mitry Claye, and alight at Cité Universitaire. The whole journey from Orly will take slightly over half an hour.
By train
High-speed TGV trains arrive at different stations in Paris depending on where you're travelling from.
- Gare du Nord (Northern Europe including the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands): take RER line B in the direction Robinson/Saint-Remy-les-Chevreuse and alight at Cité Universitaire.
- Gare de Lyon (Southern Europe):take metro line 14 in the direction St-Lazare. At Chatelet, take RER line B in the direction Robinson/St Rémy and alight at Cité Universitaire.
- Gare de l'Est (Eastern Europe): Gare du Nord is a short walk from Gare de l'Est. Once there, take RER line B in the direction Robinson/St Rémy and alight at Cité Universitaire.
By bus
The Eurolines Coach Station is near Gallieni on metro line 3.From Gallieni, take line 3 in the direction Pont de Levallois-Becon to Reaumur-Sebastopol. Here, take metro line 4 in the direction Porte d'Orleans to Les Halles. Finally, take RER line B in the direction Robinson/Saint-Remy-les-Chevreuse and alight at Cité Universitaire.
Visas
Citizens of other EU countries, the USA, and Canada do not need a visa to enter France for a short stay. For further details of whether you need a visa to enter check this French governmental site.
Getting around Paris
Paris boasts one of the world's safest, cheapest and most efficient public transportation systems. Metro station's are numerous, often taking you to the door of your chosen destination. Spot them by looking for the big yellow M sign. Pick up one of the underground network maps which can be found everywhere.
Metro lines are clearly signposted and identified by a number, and the RER (regional express trains) by a letter. Take note of the terminus station you are heading towards to get to the right platform. The RATP (the Paris transport authority) has a journey planner on its site. The standard ticket the 't+' is valid for 90 minutes and for one continuous journey on the metro, bus, trams, and on the RER within zone 1. You can buy a single ticket, a carnet of ten (which is cheaper), or get a three or five day pass. Beyond zone 1, where the RER passes outside the Paris city limit, fares depend on distance and you'll need to buy a ticket from the Paris central zone to your specific station. This includes the airports, and some popular destinations, notably Versailles.
Another option is the 'velib' the green alternative to get about Paris. These sturdy grey bikes are picked up and dropped off from the Velib parking areas found outside 300 Metro stations. Payment is made using the on board secure card reader using a bank or credit card.
