PARIS: BEYOND STROLLING

We have booked a package to Paris for the week commencing June 3 , the second week of the French Open. We are staying at the Mercure Versailles Parly 2 Hotel and plan to book a few tours. We have no idea how far this hotel is from the city.

What are our transport options and what can we expect to pay? — Thys Kemp

Your hotel is in an area called Le Chesnay, which is in the western suburbs of Paris, about 16km from the city centre. Your transport options include car hire, public transport and taxis.

I would not recommend car hire unless you are comfortable with hectic traffic, daredevil driving and having to find parking. It’s also expensive.

Paris has a comprehensive public transport system, which includes the Métro (underground) and the RER, a suburban train service which interlinks with the Métro, buses, night buses and trams.

There is also the Transilien, the suburban rail network operated by SNCF, the national rail operator.

It appears the closest stations to your hotel are stops on the Transilien “L” line at Celle St Cloud and Vaucresson — both around 3km from the hotel — and Versailles-Rive Droite, a branch of the “L” line.

All Transilien services run to Gare Saint-Lazare in central Paris.

The nearest RER station is at Gare Versailles Château Rive Gauche — about 3.5km from your hotel — which is on the RER’s “C” line. I have used this line to travel between central Paris and Versailles and it is a quick and easy trip. It also has a small bonus in that you get a fine view of the Eiffel Tower just before the train goes underground as it enters Paris.

I would lean more towards using the RER, as it is a busy system with a high frequency of trains and it interconnects well with Métro, bus and tram stops across Paris. Its main hub is also