Rugby World Cup 2007 - Travel Information

England will be defending their Rugby World Cup title later this year in France and as fans are now starting to look at how to get to the various stadiums, towns, airports and booking accommodation etc.,  I thought it would be a good idea to start putting together useful travel information.

If anyone would like to add information to this article please send it to either Kath or Patrick at the following email address:-  englandRWC2007@gmail.com

England are in Pool A Check out all the details of dates and times here  they will play USA in Lens,  South Africa in Saint-Denis,  Samoa in Nantes and Repechage 2 will be in Parc de Prince.

Information on Hotels in France:  

French hotels are approved and checked by official authorities, and classified into six categories:   No star, 1*, 2*, 3*, 4* and 4*Luxe (Luxury). All must display their rates (VAT inclusive) both outside the hotel and in the rooms. In general rooms provide double or twin beds. Supplements can be charged for an additional bed and for breakfast.   As well as independent hotels, there are also dozens of hotel chains from 1* to 4*L spread throughout the country.

To book your room, ask at the Tourist Information Offices, or at booking agents for the hotels chain. It is advisable to make an advance booking when planning to travel during the peak tourist season, from beginning of July to the end of August and for special events such as the Rugby World Cup 2007.

Discount hotels - reservation services from HotelClub. Lowest hotel rates and exceptional customer service: www.hotelclub.net/hotel.reservations/France.htm. Also give a good selection of accommodations.  France Hotel Reservations

Guest houses in the centre of Paris:  

Alcôve & Agapes have affordable accommodation, more congenial than a hotel, with an atmosphere of camaraderie for both guests and hosts. The rooms are in hausmaniens apartments, houses with a garden, artists' workshops... Some have magnificent views of Paris, Eiffel Tower, Montmartre... Others offer suites, private lounges, terraces or private gardens. And sometimes some of our Parisian Hosts offer guests small independent furnished apartments. Hosts - singles and couples, are aged between 25 and 70 yrs. Most speak good English.   Information and reservations, everyday except Sunday. No registration fee applicable. 

E-mail: info@bed-and-breakfast-in-paris.com www.bed-and-breakfast-in-paris.com

 

Town of Lens:   - Not really a tourist destination and I suspect many hotels here will already be booked! Fans might stand more chance in Lillie and I believe that the SNCF train service runs around every 30 mins but this would need to be checked via SNCF  Information/Bookings - General information on access:-

 

Stade Félix-Bollaert:  The Racing Club Lens’ football stadium is one of the most electrifying in France

By train: TER or TGV (5 min from the stadium)
By plane : Aéroport de Lille-Lesquin (30km) or Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle (180km)
By car: Autoroute A21

Town of Saint-Denis:  The first bishop of Paris, Saint-Denis, was martyred and beheaded by the Romans around 250 AD. According to legend he walked north with his head under his arm, crossing the Montmartre district to expire at the site of the basilica erected in his honour.

Stade de France - The Cathedral of Light,  Capacity in rugby configuration: 80,000,  2 giant screens of 120 square metres
45 kilometres of stands, 162 private boxes and 7 ,500 square metres of reception area

By train: Gare Saint-Lazare, Montparnasse, Gare du Nord, Gare de Lyon and Gare de l’Est thn public transport
By plane: Aéroport Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle or Orly
En voiture : Autoroute A10 depuis Paris
Autoroute A62 depuis Toulouse
By car: Autoroutes A1 (Sortie n°2 Stade de France ) and A86 ( Sortie n°9 Saint Denis - La Plaine Stade de France )
Public transport : RER B La Plaine Stade de France
RER D Stade de France - Saint Denis
Metro : Ligne 13 Saint Denis - Porte de Paris
Bus: Lignes 139 / 153 / 173 / 255 / 350

Subway and RER networks drawn up by the RATP.    &    Subway Stations.

 

City of Nantes:  The Venice of the West as it has been called because it sits on the confluence of the Loire, Erdre, Sèvre, Chézine and Cens rivers, has heltered in its castle the Dukes of Brittany and notably the duchesse Anne of Brittany before the region became part of France in 1532.

La Beaujoire Stadium:

By plane: Aéroport Nantes Atlantique
By train: Nantes Gare (TGV)
By car: Autoroute A11
By tramway : Ligne 1

Paris:  The beautiful city of Paris a city of romance and culture. The Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Elysées boulevard, the Arc de Triomphe or Notre-Dame Cathedral plus no fewer than 150 museums, at the head of which can be found the Louvre.  The visitor is spoilt for choice in Paris.  I would recommend a sightseeing trip on the around the city via the Bateaux Mouches.  Sightseeing Cruises  “La Traversée Capitale” : treasure moments of discovery of Paris and its unforgettable monuments and its History. Several departures every day from 11:00 A.M. until 9:00 P.M. during winter, and until 11:00 P.M. during spring and summer.

 

For more information on - BATEAUX MOUCHES Pont de l'Alma Rive droite Port de la Conférence 75008 PARIS Metro : Alma Marceau Bus : 28, 42, 49, 63, 72, 80, 83, 92 telephone number : 01 42 25 96 10 fax : 01 42 25 02 28 mail : info@bateaux-mouches.fr www.bateauxmouches.com

 

Parc de Princes

For a quarter of a century, from 1972 to1998, the Parc de Princes was the national stadium for the French football and rugby teams.

By plane: Aéroport d’Orly (10 km)
Aéroport de Roissy Charles de Gaulle (18 km)
By train: RER ligne C, station Boulevard Victor
By metro: Ligne 9, Porte de Saint-Cloud
Ligne 10, Porte d’Auteuil
By car : Boulevard périphérique, exit Porte d’Auteuil or Porte de Saint-Cloud
By bus: Lignes 52, 22, 62, 72, PC

Flights:  There are so many low cost airlines nowadays and travel companies the best way at the moment I have found is to use something like the Travel Supermarket just using some rough dates I came up with the following prices as at 24/1/07.  Please note this site is not promoting any company in particular and obviously the prices below may change or become full.  So my advice to everyone would be to book  as quickly as you can for flights and accommodation.  Also please do not forget to take out Travel Insurance.  

Package Holidays

Again many companies to choose from  - the RFU's Official Travel Company  England Rugby Travel, others are Gullivers Sports,  Travelscope.