Getting There

From North America

By Plane -- The Major U.S. Carriers -- All major airlines fly to Paris from the U.S. cities listed below. Once you fly into Orly or Charles de Gaulle, you must take Air France (tel. 800/237-2747; www.airfrance.com), to reach your destination in Languedoc, Provence, or the Riviera. From Orly and Charles de Gaulle, there are 20 flights per day to Marseille and to Nice, 16 to Toulouse, and 4 from Monday to Friday and 2 Saturday and Sunday to Avignon.

American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) offers daily flights to Paris from Dallas -- Fort Worth, Chicago, Miami, Boston, and New York. Delta Airlines (tel. 800/241-4141; www.delta.com) flies nonstop to Paris from Atlanta, Cincinnati, and New York. All these flights depart late enough in the day to permit transfers from much of Delta's vast North American network. Note that Delta is the only American airline offering nonstop service from New York to Nice.

Continental Airlines (tel. 800/231-0856; www.continental.com) flies daily nonstop to Paris from Newark and four to seven times a week, depending on the season, from Houston. US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com) offers daily nonstop service from Philadelphia to Paris.

The French National Carrier -- Air France (tel. 800/237-2747; www.airfrance.com) was formed from a merger combining three of France's largest airlines. The airline offers a daily nonstop flight between New York and Nice and also offers regular flights between Paris and such North American cities as Newark; Washington, D.C.; Miami; Atlanta; Boston; Cincinnati; Chicago; New York; Houston; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Montreal; Toronto; and Mexico City.

The Major Canadian Carrier -- Canadians usually choose the Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262 in the U.S. and Canada; www.aircanada.com) flights to Paris from Toronto and Montreal that depart every evening. Two of Air Canada's flights from Toronto are shared with Air France and feature Air France aircraft.

From Paris

By Plane -- From Paris, if you're heading for the French Riviera, your connecting flight will probably land you in Nice's international airport, Aéroport Nice -- Côte d'Azur. There are also airports at Avignon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nîmes, and Toulouse.

By Train -- The world's fastest trains link some 50 French cities, allowing you to get from Paris to just about anywhere else in the country in hours. With 39,000km (24,233 miles) of track and about 3,000 stations, SNCF (French National Railroads; www.voyages-sncf.com) is fabled for its on-time performance. You can travel in first or second class by day and in couchette by night. Many trains have dining facilities.

Information -- If you plan to travel a lot on European railroads, get the latest copy of the European Rail Timetable. This 500-plus-page book documents all of Europe's main passenger rail services with detail and accuracy. It's available online at www.raileurope.com.

In the United States: For more information and to purchase rail passes before you leave, contact Rail Europe (tel. 877/272-RAIL [7255]; www.raileurope.com).

In Canada: Call Rail Europe at tel. 800/361-RAIL [7255].

In London: SNCF has offices at Rail Europe, 179 Piccadilly, London W1V 0BA (tel. 0870/584-8848).

In Paris: For information or reservations, go online (www.voyages-sncf.fr) or call tel. 36-35. You can also go to any local travel agency. A simpler way to buy tickets is to use the billetterie (ticket machine) in every train station. If you know your PIN, you can use a credit card to buy your ticket.

France Rail Passes -- Working cooperatively with SNCF, Air Inter Europe, and Avis, Rail Europe offers three flexible rail passes that can reduce travel costs considerably.

The France Railpass www.railfrance.com provides unlimited rail transport in France for any 3 days within 1 month, at $293 in first class and $250 in second. You can purchase up to 6 more days for an extra $45 per person per day. Children 4 to 11 travel for half-price.

The France Rail 'n' Drive Pass, available only in North America, combines good value on both rail travel and Avis car rentals, and is best used by arriving at a major rail depot and then striking out to explore the countryside by car. It includes the France Railpass and use of a rental car. You have 1 month to complete your travel on this pass that grants 2 days of unlimited train travel and 2 days of car rental with unlimited mileage in France. Prices for an economy car begin at $350.

The best deal if you're traveling in France with a friend -- or even three or four friends -- is the France Saverpass, granting 3 days of unlimited travel in a 1-month period. The cost is $249 per person first class or $215 second class. For travelers age 60 and over there is the France Senior Pass, which allows 3 days of unlimited first-class travel within 1 month for $268. Up to 6 more additional days may be purchased at $40 per day. There's also a France Youthpass for travelers 25 or under, granting 3 days of unlimited train travel within a month. The cost is $217 in first class or $186 in second class.

Eurailpass -- The Eurailpass permits unlimited first-class rail travel in any country in western Europe except the British Isles (good in Ireland). Passes are available for purchase online (www.eurail.com) and at various offices/agents around the world. Travel agents and railway agents in such cities as New York, Montreal, and Los Angeles sell Eurailpasses. You can purchase them at the North American offices of CIT Travel Service, the French National Railroads, the German Federal Railroads, and the Swiss Federal Railways. It is strongly recommended that you purchase passes before you leave home as not all offers are available in Europe; also, passes purchased in Europe will cost about 20% more. Numerous options are available for travel in France.

The Eurail Global Pass allows you unlimited travel in 18 Eurail-affiliated countries. You can travel on any of the days within the validity period, which is available for 15 days, 21 days, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, and some other possibilities as well. Prices for first-class adult travel are $700 for 15 days, $907 for 21 days, $1,127 for 1 month, $1,590 for 2 months, and $1,962 for 3 months. Children 4 to 11 pay half-fare; those 3 and under travel for free.

A Eurail Global Pass Saver, also valid for first-class travel in 18 countries, offers a special deal for two or more people traveling together. This pass costs $539 for 5 days, $770 for 21 days, $956 for 1 month, $1,351 for 2 months, and $1,673 for 3 months.

A Eurail Global Youth Pass for those 12 to 25 allows second-class travel in 18 countries. This pass costs $455 for 15 days, $588 for 21 days, $733 for 1 month, $1,034 for 2 months, and $1,278 for 3 months.

Eurail Selectpass: The pass offers unlimited travel on the national rail networks of any three, four, or five bordering countries out of the 22 Eurail nations linked by train or ship. Two or more passengers can travel together for big discounts, getting 5, 6, 8, 10, or 15 days of rail travel within any 2-month period on the national rail networks of any three, four, or five adjoining Eurail countries linked by train or ship. A sample fare: For 5 days in 2 months you pay $425 for three countries.

Have a Seat -- Remember that a train ticket does not guarantee you a seat; it merely gets you from one place to another. On crowded trains and during busy times, you'll have to make a seat reservation (and pay for the privilege) if you want to be sure of sitting somewhere other than on top of your luggage. Seat reservations cost 10€ per person.

From Elsewhere in Europe

By Ferry from England -- Ferries and hydrofoils operate day and night in all seasons, with the exception of last-minute cancellations during storms. Many crossings coincide with the arrival and departure of trains (especially those btw. London and Paris). Trains let you off a short walk from the piers. Most ferries carry cars, trucks, and freight, but some hydrofoils take passengers only. The major routes include at least 12 trips a day between Dover or Folkestone and Calais or Boulogne.

Hovercraft and hydrofoils make the trip from Dover to Calais, the shortest distance across the Channel, in just 40 minutes during good weather, while the ferries might take several hours, depending on the weather and tides. If you're bringing a car, it's important to make reservations because space below deck is usually crowded. Timetables can vary depending on weather conditions and many other factors.

The leading operator of ferries across the channel is P&O Ferries (tel. 0870/598-0333; www.poferries.com). It operates car and passenger ferries between Portsmouth, England, and Cherbourg, France (three departures a day; 4 1/4 hr. each way during daylight hours, 7 hr. each way at night); between Portsmouth and Le Havre, France (three a day; 5 1/2 hr. each way). Most popular is the route between Dover, England, and Calais, France (25 sailings a day; 75 min. each way), costing £25 one-way; children 4 and younger go free.

If you plan to transport a rental car between England and France, check with the company about license and insurance requirements and drop-off charges. Many forbid transport of their vehicles over the water between England and France. A better idea is to ask about a car exchange program (Hertz's is called "Le Swap"), in which you drop off a right-drive car and pick up a left-drive vehicle at Calais.

By Plane -- From London, Air France (tel. 0870/142-4343; www.airfrance.com) and British Airways (tel. 0844/493-0787; www.britishairways.com) fly frequently to Paris, with a trip time of 1 hour. These airlines operate up to 17 flights daily from Heathrow. Many commercial travelers also use flights originating from the London City Airport in the Docklands. A ballpark figure for rates is London to Paris £29 one-way.

Direct flights to Paris also exist from other U.K. cities such as Manchester, Edinburgh, and Southampton. Contact Air France, British Airways, or British Midland (tel. 0870/607-0555; www.flybmi.com). Daily papers often carry ads for cheap flights. The highly recommended Trailfinders (tel. 0845/058-5858; www.trailfinders.com) sells discounted fares.

You can reach Paris from any major European capital. Your best bet is to fly on the national carrier, Air France, with more connections into Paris from European capitals than any other airline. From Dublin, try Aer Lingus (tel. 800/IRISH-AIR [47474-247]; www.aerlingus.com), with the most flights to Paris from Ireland. From Amsterdam, the convenient choice is NWA/KLM (tel. 800/225-2525; www.klm.com).

If you don't want to go to Paris before flying to the south of France, you'll find a number of British flights going directly to the Nice -- Côte d'Azur Airport, the Marseille-Provence Airport, and the Toulouse Airport. Daily flights are offered by British Airways, Air France, British Midland (www.flybmi.com), and easyJet (www.easyjet.com).

By Train -- From the U.K., most passengers arrive in Paris before going the rest of the way by train to Provence.

The south of France is connected to both Spain and Italy by rail. Travel time by train to Montpellier from Barcelona, Spain is 4 1/2 hours; from Milan, Italy, to Nice is about 5 hours. Check the timetables on the SNCF website www.voyages-sncf.com, and the websites of the national railways of Spain (www.renfe.es) and Italy (www.ferroviedellostato.it).