With all eyes on Paris for the Olympic Games, Qantas has also seized the day – launching direct flights from Australia to the French capital.
The first of the marathon flights took off from Perth last weekend, landing at Charles de Gaulle airport 17 hours and 20 minutes later.
“With these new flights, our customers can depart Perth in the evening and arrive in Paris in time to enjoy brunch overlooking the Eiffel Tower,” Qantas boss Vanessa Hudson said.
The flights are part of Qantas’ Project Sunrise and add to Rome and London as non-stop destinations in Europe for the national carrier.
It is the first time Qantas has flown to Paris in 20 years, and shaves three hours off the current fastest flight time from Australia to France.
“There is a lot of excitement among our customers and crew that Qantas is returning to Paris and that it’s a non-stop flight between Perth and Paris,” Hudson said.
“In recent years we have seen a significant increase in customers wanting to fly direct on long-haul routes and avoiding stopovers wherever possible. Our direct flights from Perth to London and Rome have some of the highest customer satisfaction on our international network.”
🇦🇺Welcome to Paris Region🇦🇺
So happy to see @Qantas QF33 land at @ParisAeroport CDG from @PerthAirport , Australia.
First non-stop flight between 🇦🇺 and 🇫🇷.@visitparisreg @GroupeADP @ChooseParisReg pic.twitter.com/DNYM9cHIiK— Christophe Decloux (@christophedecl) July 15, 2024
There will be four flights a week during the busy European summer and Olympics and Paralympics, dropping to three from mid-August.
Qantas said the new route would add an additional 75,000 seats between Australia and Europe each year.
Source: Qantas
Travellers will fly on one of the Flying Kangaroo’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, specially designed for long-haul travel.
It promises large windows, high cabin humidity and relaxing mood lighting to help passengers feel more refreshed when they land.
Heading to Paris for the Olympics or just some summer sightseeing? Whether flying direct or with a stopover, there’s more you should know before heading to the City of Light. Here’s four of our top tips.
QF33 to Paris starts today.
Got the swag which is tres chic on the way to somewhere else. pic.twitter.com/F7OVIVWekq
— Nicky Williamson 🌏✈️💚💛 (@NickyWill100) July 11, 2024
1. Accommodation (and everything else) is pricey
The influx of additional visitors for the Olympics will make for a tight fit; even university student housing has been requisitioned to house security personnel, public servants and volunteers for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
With such high demand for rooms, prices have soared.
In January, it was reported Paris’ hotels had tripled prices to more than €1000 ($1618) on average for Friday, July 26 – the opening night of the Olympics.
To make your choice, you should consider availability, price, amenities, access to public transport, and proximity to locations you’d like to visit – such as the main Olympic stadium, Stade de France, which is north of Paris in Saint-Denis.
And it’s not just accommodation where costs are soaring.
Paris’ Metro has revealed the price of tickets on the city’s public transport will nearly double from Saturday. Fortunately, the hike is only temporary – though it is likely to be just one more example of travellers having to dig a bit deeper.
PSA: if you are visiting Paris before 8 September, whether for the Games or (like me) to transit, buy your Métro tickets now to avoid the temporary massive price hike. A carnet of 10 tickets bought today is €17.35. On Saturday, it will be €32.
Fair play to RATP for the alert. pic.twitter.com/sFrgTs32qn— Political Animal (@politic_animal) July 17, 2024
2. Beware of pickpockets and scammers
Every year Paris receives millions of visitors, who in turn provide a ripe feeding ground for thieves and scam artists.
Last year, insurance comparison website Quotezone.co.uk ranked European countries by risk of theft – with France coming in second thanks to 283 pickpocketing mentions for every million visitors.
The danger zones are likely to be in crowded tourist hotspots, such as the area around the Eiffel Tower, museums, and train or subway stations.
Anything from phones to jewellery are at risk, so be sure to research preventative measures you can take.
It is also worth researching some of the more popular scams. These range from being given a rose or cheap friendship bracelet before the scammer demands an exorbitant price, to being asked to donate money by fake charity collectors.
Major French department store Galeries Lafayette offers some good tips here.
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A post shared by Paris France 🇫🇷 Travel | Hotels | Food | Tips (@paris.explore)
3. Public transport abounds
Paris has an extensive public transport system, which usually works well.
The quickest way to get around will probably be through the metro or Réseau Express Régional; the difference is the metro (lines identified by numbers) primarily services the city, while RER (lines identified by letters) run from the city centre to suburbs and airports.
Paris also has buses, trams, taxis, and tourist-geared boat shuttles.
Most tickets and day passes are available on mobile apps, so you won’t have to worry about losing a slip of paper or a card.
Keep in mind the Olympics means disruptions to regular public transport schedules, and some closures of stations, especially on opening night.
And don’t forget that temporary ticket price hike.
4. Brush up on French language and culture
Parisians may be notorious for being snobbish towards tourists, but that does not give you a free pass to not put in any effort.
Learning French greetings, goodbyes, and basics, such as asking for the toilet or ordering food, could help smooth your journey and show the locals you’re trying.
It could also be useful to learn some saltier language so you know when you’re being cussed out, fairly or not.
For some basics, here’s a good start.