Travelling to France Listening Practice Test with Answers

Transcript for Travelling to France

Woman: Good morning.

Man: Hi

Woman: How can I help you?

Man: I'm looking for information about traveling to France. I'm studying in Nice next year and need to go there in September. I'm thinking of driving, so I guess it's either through the channel or by ferry. I think the ferry is a lot slower, isn't it?

Woman: Indeed it is. It takes around 9 hours from London to Paris, including the Overland bits. And usually it's more expensive too, unless you book well ahead of time. Then sometimes the ferry is more affordable.

Man: How much does it cost?

Woman: Well, when you take the train and the ferry now, you must buy your tickets separately.

Man: Actually, I'd prefer to take the channel. How much does that cost?

Woman: That depends on your travel date and availability of tickets, but you can expect to pay about £50 each way for the car in addition to your passenger fares.

Man: Ah, it's not cheap.

Woman: No. Will you be using your car a lot while you're in France?

Man: Not really, but I'll have a lot of luggage, so it seems like the easiest way. Besides, I hate flying.

Woman: 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 wrong side when you get there. If you're not going to need your car when you arrive, may I suggest leaving it at home and travelling by train? It's much faster, more affordable, and you can take as much luggage as you need. There aren't limits.

Man: Oh, I didn't know that about the luggage. That's good. It would certainly be more relaxing, I suppose. Okay, tell me about the train.

Woman: 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 flights on the same routes. From Central London to Central Paris, Eurostar is faster than flying as well.

Man: And the Eurostar is what exactly? A train company?

Woman: Sorry, the Eurostar is the high-speed passenger train that runs from London to Paris via the Channel Tunnel. Eurostar can reach 186 miles per hour, and the journey takes just two hours, 15 minutes.

Man: Alright, so it's easy to get to Paris, but what about Nice? It's a fair bit farther.

Woman: Yes, but it couldn't be easier. There are two main options. You can leave London at 727 in the morning, then transfer in Paris to catch the TGV train at 1146, which takes about five and a half hours, and be a Nice in time for an evening meal. Or you can take any Eurostar to Paris in time to catch the 22-25 from Paris, which arrives in Nice at 854. It's a longer journey, but many people prefer the convenience of travelling overnight.

Man: Yes, that appeals to me. About how much does the overnight journey cost?

Woman: The example I've pulled up on the computer now costs 135 pounds return, but sometimes it's lower, as low as 97 pounds. I'll write down a couple of website addresses for you, and you can search for various times and fares on your own.

Man: Thanks, and 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 be more expensive?

Woman: No, don't worry. Singles are approximately half of the return fare, though this wasn't true several years ago when it wasn't uncommon for a return to be cheaper than a single.

Man: Okay, this sounds good, but what about flying? Is that an option?

Woman: 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 London to Paris, you can actually save time by opting to fly from London to the south of France.

Man: I guess there's an airport in Nice, isn't there?

Woman: Yes, the Nice Côte de Zua airport. It's about seven kilometres from the centre of Nice. Since it's the third most important airport in France, after Charles de Gaulle and Orley in Paris, there's no shortage of flights.

Man: Oh, do you know exactly how long it takes?

Woman: Two hours.

Man: That's quick.

Woman: 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.

Man: True. Alright, thanks very much for your help. I've got a lot to think about now.

Woman: No problem at all. Feel free to come back if you have more questions.

Questions for Travelling to France Listening Test

Questions 1-10

• Complete the notes below.
• Write no more than two words or a number for each answer.

NOTES: travelling to France

Example

Time of Travel - September

Advantages of travelling by train

1 __________

2. __________

3. take as much __________ as you need

The Eurostar:

Runs on schedule 4 __________ of the time

Can reach speeds of 5__________miles per hour

Two options from Paris to Nice

Catch the TGV train at 6__________

Catch the TGV train at 7__________ and travel 8__________

Single tickets cost approximately 9__________ the return fare.

Flying from London to Nice takes 10__________