I was replying to the above comment's reference to connections. It is fairly easy to fly into Paris and take a train to Lyon, for example, without having to go into Paris proper first.
Meanwhile the entire world, France included for Nice-Paris, study flying taxis and "cars"... Oh, but such moves are not made to push some cohort of peoples out of traveling while pushing others to do so...
Your statement really confuses me. You say Gare Du Nord because presumably you've been taking the Eurostar. Do you then take a rental car either way? (from GdN or from the airport). Seems like a nitpick to excuse your behaviour: that the traffic is bad in one specific area of Paris (as if it's bad only around there), so it means you'd have to take the plane...
As a French citizen, I'd like to object vigorously to the notion that Paris (if you mean Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris' main airport) is one of the "better" airports.
If I believe wikipedia, Heathrow is actually Europe's busiest airport (CDG is next).
Ah France's crown jewel (along with the atomic bomb perhaps?). I remember doing Le Mans/Paris in TG every week day for a year to commute to work. Mind you, I actually saved (a lot of) money on rent compared to the cost of commuting via high speed rail... let's not even get started about the price of renting a 3 room apartment in Paris...
But I suppose the majority of overseas travelers coming into France by air with the intention of connecting to a smaller city do so via Paris or Lyon. As European travelers seem to enter by car or go directly to their destination. At least that’s my impression from reading a few articles about tourism in France.
Heh, in Paris, went to Ste-Chapelle, which is connected to the supreme courthouse. Happened to be during the terrorist bomber trial.
Maaaaaassive security. CRS everywhere, out of town Gendarmes there, airport style security to get into the church, police questioning every non-white person on the street.
And there it was, inside the courthouse compound, some low-end 80s Peugeot bicycle double locked to an interior fence.
That area (North side of Paris) is interesting and very important, I think.
First that's where CDG airport is. This is the second largest airport in Europe by passenger traffic and the main gateway into Paris for tourists (not least Chinese tourists).
Second, that's where Paris' Gare du Nord is. This is the largest train station in Europe by traffic, where trains from CDG airport arrive, and the start of high speed trains to London, Brussels, Amsterdam.
So to me it's not surprising that this virus arrived there early.
But it also means that the area should be monitored closely, not only by French authorities, but by British ones, etc. as well because any highly contagious disease that shows up there will be around Europe in no time.
Most people fly into Chambery airport and get a coach. Mainly just the oligarchs that use the altiport. :)
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