From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Île-de-France may refer to:

• Île-de-France (province), the historical province of France
• Île-de-France (region), the modern French administrative région
• Île-de-France (European Parliament constituency), a constituency in the European Parliament
• Île-de-France (sheep), a breed of sheep originating in the region
• Île-de-France, a public square in Paris, France, on the island Île de la Cité
• Île de France, a former name of Mauritius while under French control in the 18th century CE
• The SS Ile de France, a French ocean liner built in Saint-Nazaire for the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique
• Ile-de-France is a sector of Planoise (Besançon), Doubs)
• Ile-de-France is a small island off the eastern coast of Greenland

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

From Wikitravel

Map of Île-de-France

The Île de France [1] is the compact region immediately surrounding the capital of France, Paris. As such, the region includes the now far-flung suburbs of the Paris metropolis, together with several large surrounding towns that form part of the larger conurbanation. All is not urban sprawl, however: the region is also known for its natural beauties, in the form of parks, forests and river lands.

• Essonne
• Hauts-de-Seine
• Paris
• Seine-Saint-Denis
• Seine-et-Marne
• Val-de-Marne
• Val-d'Oise
• Yvelines

• Paris - the capital of France and focus of the region
• Versailles - to the west of Paris, site of the famous chateau of Louis XIV
• Fontainebleau - to the south of Paris
• Saint-Denis
• Marne-la-Vallée

• Disneyland Paris - the European version of the famous American theme park

Get around

By bike

There are many cycle lanes on routes into Paris, but be careful as you also share the road with motorbikes and cars which can be inconsiderate.

By car

There are several free Autoroutes and 4 lane roads for getting round Île-de-France, however on weekdays there is a lot of congestion between the hours 8 - 9:30 AM and 17:30 - 19:30 PM, and it is really not advisable to travel then. This congestion becomes a lot less worse the further away from Paris you are.

The speed limit is 110 km/h.

• Le boulevard périphérique: a road ring which marks the limit of "Paris will intra muros". This is essentially a motorway as there are no roundabouts or intersections, however it is famous for its obstructions. Be careful though, as the cars entering onto the road from the right have priority.
• A13 : (direction Rouen) Western Autoroute
• A6 : (direction Lyon) Southern Autoroute
• A5 : (direction Lyon) South eastern Autoroute
• A86 : Very useful road that nearly completely circles Paris. The final missing segment is currently under construction near to Versailles and when completed will connect the circle.
• A14 : Toll road, fairly expensive.
• N104 : La Francilienne. A half circular road around the eastern side of Paris. As it is further out than the A86, there is considerably less congestion.
• N118 : Connect western Paris to A10 and N104.

Map of central part of RER network

A network of regional trains (RER) takes you in and out of Paris. The RER has 256 stops in and around Paris, and runs on over 587 km (365 miles) of track. There are 5 lines, (A, B, C, D and E) that cross Paris, connecting suburbs on opposite sides. The stations are marked with blue signs with a white RER.

It is usually cheaper to purchase a daily ticket than a return ticket for most journeys, but check when purchasing.

Trains run from 4.45 AM to 1.30 AM, and smoking is not allowed whilst in stations or on the trains.

Sign for the RER

• Le Musée Fragonard (L'Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire), 7, Avenue du Général de Gaulle (Métro : line 8 (Balard - Créteil) - Station : Ecole Vétérinaire de Maisons-Alfort), ☎ 00 33 1 43 96 71 72, [2]. Closed in August Wednesday & Thursday : 2 - 6PM Saturday and Sonday : 1 - 6PM. This is a hidden gem. A veterinary museum that doubles as natural history museum. A lot of medical oddities, mostly of animals, but also include real human specimens. Move over Bodyworlds, this museum holds Fragonard's original human preservation (wax- not plastic) including the famous "horseman of the apocalypse." Adults 7 €.  edit