Although we have uploaded some info here, this section is not completed yet. Please check for updates regularly!
• Airports: travel from / to airports
There are 2 airports in Paris:
- Orly, in the South of Paris
- Roissy Charles de Gaulle, in the North of Paris
For European participants, you might also arrive in Beauvais airport, which is situated at about 1:30 drive of Paris. Please contact Anaïs Gabaut if you need info about this airport.
a) From / to ORLY Airport
OrlyBUS: Runs every 10 minutes from Terminal South or Terminal West
The ticket costs 6.10€. Thank you for buying yourself a ticket, we will reimburse you at registration.
You can purchase the ticket directly from the bus driver or at a selling point inside the airport (but there is often a long queue for it there…)
The bus will take you to the centre of Paris, at the metro station “Denfert Rochereau”. The trip lasts about 30 minutes. From there you can catch the metro/RER that will get you anywhere in Paris. Please mind that, for this second part of your journey, you will have to buy a second ticket, which will be reimbursed as well.
There is also a possibility to take another transportation from the airport to Paris city centre, which is called OrlyVAL. However, it is more expensive and more complicated as it is a suburban train and one suburban train goes to different directions, so we ask you to come by OrlyBUS.
For your departure, you can take the OrlyBUS back from Denfert Rochereau station, and travel in the opposite way!
b) From / to CHARLES DE GAULLE Airport
RER B goes straight from the airport to the centre of Paris. The first station in the centre of Paris is “Gare du Nord”, and it takes a good 40 minutes between the airport and this station. Then, if you get off at this station, you can get the regular metro.
The ticket costs 8.20€. Thank you for buying yourself the ticket and we will reimburse you when you register on Sunday.
You can purchase the ticket from cashiers or from automats (coins+notes+bank cards) accepted at the airport. One ticket will work on the entire metro netro, for one single trip.
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PLEASE NOTE : you will need some money to pay your transportation ticket from the airport to Paris, even though we will refund you. Accordingly, you might want to change some money into €uros before your departure (it might be a bit cheaper than changing it at the airport)
• Info about Paris
Paris is the capital city of France. It counts 10 million inhabitants.
a) Local transports
Paris has a big transport network: bus, metro, RER (suburban trains, which also run inside Paris) and tramway.
You can have a look at the website of the transport company: www.ratp.fr and visit it in English. Then if you like you can print out a map of the transports network before your arrival, that might ease your journey from airport to hotel / registration place.
b) Tourism
For those of you who are willing to spend some free time in Paris before or after the training, you can visit the tourist info desk’s website on: http://en.parisinfo.com/
The list of places and things of interest to see in Paris is incommensurable. However, I could subjectively advise to spend some time in:
- Palais and Pyramides du Louvres + Jardin des Tuileries: very romantic buildings and garden. The “Palais du Louvre” is a former Royal palace and is today one of the richest museums in the world (a whole day is not sufficient to visit it completely!).
- Cimetière du Père Lachaise: the biggest cemetery inside Paris. You can have a long and peaceful walk there, and enjoy the work of art of certain graves. If you are curious, you can look for famous people’s graves! (Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf…) http://www.pere-lachaise.com/
- Of course, the inescapable Eiffel Tower… but watch the long queuing hours if you want to climb up the top!
- For other ideas, you can check:
http://www.aboutparis.info/13/73/travel-to-paris.aspx
• General info about France
a) Electricity, plugs and outlet…
Electricity in France is 230 Volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second. If you travel to France with a device that does not accept 230 Volts at 50 Hertz, you will need a voltage converter.
There are three main types of voltage converter. Resistor-network converters will usually be advertised as supporting something like 50-1600 Watts. They are light-weight and support high-wattage electrical appliances like hair dryers and irons. However, they can only be used for short periods of time and are not ideal for digital devices.
France Plug Adapters and Outlet Shapes
Outlets in France generally accept 1 type of plug
Two round pins:
If your appliances plug has a different shape, you may need a plug adapter.
b) Weather… in December!
France has a temperate climate. December is in the middle of the winter. It can then be quite cold sometimes. There could be rain as well as sunshine, but still the temperatures usually are close to 0° Celsius. So don’t hesitate to bring warm jumpers and shoes!
c) Language
French is the language spoken, and although French people are very bad at speaking English, you can find a lot of people who will be able to help you in shops and public places, as Paris is visited by thousands of tourists each year.
If you would like to learn some basic words in French before coming to Paris, you could visit this website, which will give you tips for free:
http://french.about.com/library/begin/bl_travel.htm
d) Medical concerns and emergency numbers
For any serious medical incident, dial 18, from any public phone.
If you need to call the police, the number to dial is 17.
You can go to the pharmacy to get the number of a doctor close to where you are. In France, all pharmacies have a green cross on the top of the store: 
If there is anything you would like to be sure about, call Anaïs on:
0033 (0)6 7971 6868.
e) Time zone
Please click here if you need to convert time zone: http://www.timezoneconverter.com/cgi-bin/zonehelp.tzc?cc=FR&ccdesc=France
f) Currency
The type of currency used in France is the European money Euro: € (used in 13 countries of the European Union).
1€ = 1.45 USD approximately
To convert your own money into euro, please check: http://www.xe.com/ucc/
g) Food
France, I believe, is quite popular for its delicate food. Actually, it can be a hell for vegeterian people, as French people are mostly all-eating, and not vegetarian. So if you are vegetarian and are going to the restaurant, we recommend that you check the menu before getting seated!
All the teams of organisers are wishing you a very pleasant stay in France, and will remain at your disposal for any question.
