France is one of the easiest countries in the world to reach. It sits at the crossroads of Western Europe and has excellent connections by air, rail, and road.
By Air
Paris has two main airports. Charles de Gaulle (CDG) is the main international hub, handling most long-haul and intercontinental flights. Orly (ORY), south of the city, handles many European and domestic routes. Both connect to central Paris by RER train (roughly 30-45 minutes). Beyond Paris, Nice, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, and Toulouse all have international airports with direct connections to European cities.
By Train
The Eurostar runs from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord in around 2 hours 15 minutes via the Channel Tunnel — faster and more central than flying when you factor in airport time. Eurostar also runs to Lille with connecting services south. Standard class is comfortable and reasonably priced if booked ahead.
From elsewhere in Europe, high-speed Thalys trains connect Paris to Brussels, Amsterdam, and Cologne. TGVs run to Geneva, Zurich, and Barcelona. The SNCF website (sncf-connect.com) or Trainline handles bookings for most cross-border services.
By Car and Ferry
If coming from the UK, you can drive through the Channel Tunnel on Eurotunnel's Le Shuttle (Folkestone to Coquelles, 35 minutes), or take a ferry. The main ferry routes are Dover to Calais (DFDS, P&O; about 90 minutes), Portsmouth to Cherbourg or Caen, and Plymouth to Roscoff. The longer overnight ferries land you deep in Normandy or Brittany, which makes for a useful starting point when touring western France.
France's autoroute network is excellent but expensive — tolls add up quickly on long journeys. Budget for them or plan alternate routes via national roads.