What’s New in France and Switzerland for 2018
France and Switzerland are two of Europe's most appealing destinations, but they're constantly changing, so I've gathered these new items for your 2018 travel planning.
In Paris, prices at the Eiffel Tower are up nearly 50 percent to help fund a 15-year renovation, including a bulletproof, eight-foot glass wall around the tower's base. It now costs about $30 to ride the elevator to the top, $19 for just the two lower levels, or $12 to climb the stairs to the first or second level.
At two other major Paris sights — Notre-Dame and Sacré-Cœur — a modest dress code is now being enforced; visitors with shorts or uncovered shoulders may be turned away. Renovations continue at the Carnavalet, a museum dedicated to the history of Paris, keeping it closed through 2019.
After facing legal challenges, Uber in Paris is no longer much cheaper than taxis, and may cost more than taxis at peak times. And when considering Uber, note that private cars (including Uber's) don't enjoy the privileged access that taxis do in the town center.
Last summer, Paris' regional transit authority announced plans to drop the term "RER" and instead use "train" for commuter rail lines A through K. And the French railway is changing the name of its nationwide network of high-speed trains from "TGV" to "InOui."
Thanks to deregulation, inter-city and international bus service from Paris is improving. Ouibus and Flixbus are cutting costs drastically and amping up onboard comfort with Wi-Fi and more spacious seats. For example, Flixbus runs direct and cheap bus service from Paris to the island abbey of Mont St-Michel.
It's now also easier to travel from Paris to the Dordogne River Valley, an area known for its prehistoric cave art. A new high-speed train between Paris and Bordeaux has reduced travel time to two hours. Your best bet to see prehistoric caves there is to reserve ahead for a tour of the new, high-tech Lascaux IV, a replica reproducing all of the original Lascaux cave art. (The original replica, Lascaux II, representing fewer paintings, remains open for smaller, more in-depth group tours).
Sound-and-light shows employing new laser technology are trendy these days, and a highlight at several French châteaux. In Auvers-sur-Oise, Château d'Auvers' new show incorporates sound, light, and video to teach visitors about the Impressionist painters (such as Van Gogh and Cézanne) who left their mark on this area. In the Loire Valley, renovation is complete at the island château in Azay-le-Rideau, and its sound-and-light show is back on. At the Château Royal d'Amboise, the dramatic sound-and-light show — complete with lavish costumes, battle scenes, and fireworks — now comes with an English audioguide so overseas visitors can follow the narration.
To the south in Provence, several new sights have popped up. Arles' LUMA Foundation — a 180-foot-tall Frank Gehry–designed aluminum tower — houses a resource and exhibition center for artists. In Nîmes, the Roman World Museum is slated to open this summer in a futuristic building across from the Roman arena. It will feature an archaeological collection from the seventh century B.C. to the Middle Ages, and a rooftop garden with city views.
Next door, in the French Riviera, a new tramway line will soon link Nice with its airport (running parallel to the Promenade des Anglais a few blocks inland); service should start by the end of 2018. And Nice's Russian Cathedral is still looking after a two-year, $23 million renovation (completed in 2016), which included finishing frescoes untouched since World War I.
To the east, Switzerland offers its own set of new scenic treats. The Diablerets summit, at the eastern edge of the French-speaking Alps, now features the "Peak Walk" suspension bridge, which stretches 350 feet from the top of the lift to the mountain's highest point.
In my favorite corner of Switzerland — the Berner Oberland's Lauterbrunnen Valley — those ascending the Schilthorn peak can stop at the midpoint cable-car station of Birg and try out the Thrill Walk, a 600-foot-long see-through catwalk bolted to the cliff side. Adventurous travelers can also tightrope across a cable bridge (don't worry; there's a net), cross a section of glass flooring, or crawl through a chain-link tube — all with views to the valley below. Also, those traveling with a Swiss Travel Pass can now use their rail pass to cover the whole trip up to the Schilthorn summit.
Part of the joy of Swiss travel is its wonderful train system, which is continually being improved. One of the heavily marketed scenic rail journeys, the William Tell Express, is now called the "Gotthard Panorama Express." (It's still the same trip, half by boat and half by train, from Luzern to the Italian-speaking region of Ticino.) And passenger trains have started using the new Gotthard Base Tunnel, the longest railway tunnel in the world. At 35 miles long, it cuts about 30 minutes off the travel time between Zürich and Milan.
In travels to France, Switzerland, and beyond, plan ahead and travel with up-to-date information to make the most of your trip.
Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at Dit e-mailadres wordt beveiligd tegen spambots. JavaScript dient ingeschakeld te zijn om het te bekijken. and follow his blog on Facebook.