Getting to France, Le Mans, and the Conference

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1) Flying into France

>> The best way to come to the Du Maurier conference by plane is to land at either of Paris' airports. Your choice of airplane company usually determines which airport you will land at. The two Parisian airports are:

• Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle ("CDG"), the busiest French airport, lies approximately 23 kms northeast of Paris.
• Paris-Orly ("ORY") is situated around 10 kms south of Paris.

>> Airports in other cities (e.g., Bordeaux or Nantes) run international flights. Bordeaux lies around 450 kms (or 280 mi) away from Le Mans while Nantes is situated much closer (180 kms, or 110 mi).

2) Getting to Le Mans After Landing in France

>> If you're landing at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG), the easiest way to travel to Le Mans is to take a TGV train (Train à Grande Vitesse, or High-Speed Train). There are DIRECT TGVs to Le Mans leaving right from CDG airport. In other words, you do not need to go to Paris' city center to catch a train to Le Mans when you land at CDG: simply walk from your CDG terminal to CDG's TGV station. It usually takes 80 mins to reach Le Mans from CDG's train station.

>> If you're landing at Orly airport (ORY), the easiest way to travel to Le Mans is to take a Le Bus Direct bus to Gare Montparnasse (Montparnasse Train Station). Le Bus Direct runs a direct line (Line No. 1) from Orly to Montparnasse, with buses departing every 20 mins. In other words, at your Orly plane terminal, simply look for Le Bus Direct signs, and board the first bus that's available. Once in Montparnasse, take a TGV (High-Speed Train), and you'll reach Le Mans in under an hour.

>> You should buy your TGV tickets online, as early as possible. All TGVs can be reserved online 3 months ahead, at https://www.oui.sncf/.

• Note: A few TGV trains are called OUIGOs. A OUIGO is a low-cost version of a TGV train, running at the same high speed but with rules of its own. For instance, you will need to (1) print your ticket yourself or download it into your OUIGO telephone app; (2) show a piece of ID before boarding; (3) board your train 30 mins before departure, etc. No refreshments are sold onboard. On the other hand, fares start at a mere €10, but will vary depending on how many pieces of luggage you are taking with you. In other words, this is cheap – but do read the fine print!

>> Le Bus Direct tickets (from Orly to Montparnasse) can be bought on boarding the bus. They can also be bought (and printed from) here: https://www.lebusdirect.com/en/. They are valid 1 year, and do not specify which bus you'll be taking.

3) Getting to the Conference Once in Le Mans

>> The two hotels in which we have reserved rooms are situated in the Le Mans city center. They are: Hôtel Levasseur (5 Boulevard René Levasseur, 72000 Le Mans) and Sélect Hôtel (15 Rue du Père Mersenne, 72000 Le Mans).

>> Both hotels are very close to a tram stop, either "Leclerc-Fleurus" (Sélect Hôtel, Tram Lines 1 and 2) or "République" (Hôtel Levasseur, Tram Line 1).

>> To attend the conference, simply board a T1 tram heading for "Université," and get off at the last stop. Please refer to the campus map available from the Conference website for details on how to get to the Espé (École Supérieure du Professorat et de l'Éducation, or College of Education) where the conference will be held. Walking from the Université tram stop to the Espé is a matter of a few minutes only.

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