You will hear a conversation about different options for travelling to France. First you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5.
[Pause the recording for 30 seconds]
You will see that there is an example that has been done for you. On this occasion only, the conversation relating to this will be played first.
F= Travel agent M= Student
F:Good morning!
M:Hi.
F: How can I help you?
M:I'm looking for information about travelling to France. I'm studying in Nice next year and needto go there in September.I'm thinking of driving, so I guess it's either through the Channel, or by ferry.
Urn.... I think the ferry's a lot slower, isn't it?
F:Indeed it is; it takes around nine hours from London to Paris, including the overland bits, and usually its more expensive too,unless you book well ahead of time; then sometimes the ferry's moreaffordable.
The answer is "September" so the time of travel has been filled in for you. Now we shall begin. You should answerthe questions as you listen because you will not hear therecording a second time. Listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.
[REPEAT]
M: How much does it cost?
F: Well, when you take the train and the ferry now, you must buy your tickets separately ...
M: Actually I'd prefer to take the Chunnel. How much does that cost?F:That depends on your travel date and availability of tickets, butyou can expect to pay about 50 pounds each way for the car, inaddition to your passenger fares.
M:It's not cheap.
F: No; will you be using your car a lot while you're in France?
M:Uh, not really, but I'll have a lot of luggage, so it seems like the easiest way. Besides, I hate flying.
F:Driving is never the easiest way to get from the UK to France, I'm afraid! And of course, your steering wheel will be on the wrongside when you get there! If you're not going to need your car whenyou arrive, may I suggest leaving it at home and travelling by train? It's much faster, more affordableand you can take asmuch luggage as you need,there aren't limits.
M:Oh, I didn't know that about the luggage - that's good. It would certainly be more relaxing, I suppose. Ok, tell me about the train.
F:It's definitely the most popular option these days. Eurostar has
now captured over 70% of the London to Paris market from the airlines, and maybe this has something to do with the fact that 92.4% of Eurostar trains run on time, against just 65% of flightson the same routes. From central London to central Paris, Eurostar isfaster than flying as well.
M:And the Eurostar is ... what exactly? A train company?
F:Oh, sorry! The Eurostar is the high-speed passenger train that runs from London to Paris via the Channel Tunnel. Eurostar canreach 186 miles per hour, and the journey takes just 2 hours 15 minutes.
Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 6 to 10.
[Pause the recording for 30 seconds]
Now listen and answer questions 6 to 10.
M:All right, so it's easy to get to Paris, but what about Nice? It's a fair bit farther.
F:Yes, but it couldn't be easier. There are two main options; you can leave London at seven twenty-seven in the morning, thentransfer in Paris to catch the TGV train at eleven forty-six. whichtakes about five and a half hours, and be in Nice in time for anevening meal. Or, you can take any Eurostar to Paris in time tocatch the twenty-two twenty-five from Paris,which arrives in Nice ateight fifty-four. It's a longer journey, but many people prefer theconvenience of travelling overnight.
M:Yes, that appeals to me. About how much does the overnight journey cost?
F:The example I've pulled up on the computer now costs a hundred and thirty-five pounds return, but sometimes it's lower; as low as 97pounds. I'll write down a couple of website addresses for you, andyou can search for various times and fares on your own.
M:Thanks, that's great... oh ... one more thing. I'll need a single fare, because I won't be returning for a while. Is that going to bemore expensive?
F:No, don't worry. Singles areapproximatelyhalfof thereturn fare,though this wasn't true several years ago, when it wasn'tuncommon for a return to be cheaper than a single.
M:Ok, this sounds good, but what about flying? Is that an option?
F:If you aren't going to opt for taking the train, flying is another good option. While the train's the fastest way to travel from Londonto Paris, you can actually save time by opting to fly from London tothe South of France.
M: I guess there's an airport in Nice, isn't there?
F:Yes; the Nice Cote d'Azur Airport. It's about 7km from the centre of Nice. Since it's the third most important airport in France afterCharles de Gaulle and Orly in Paris, there's no shortage of flights.
M:Do you know exactly how long it takes?
F: Two hours.
M:That's quick!
F:Yes, but you need to consider that you'll lose time checking in and waiting to collect luggage and such. And of course, there's a baggage allowance.
M:True. All right, thanks very much for your help, I've got a lot to think about now.
F:No problem at all! Feel free to come back if you have more questions.
That is the end of Partone. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
[Pause the recording for 30 seconds]
Now turn to Parttwo.