Welcome on the site of the ICP

How to get to the Catholic University of Paris?

Open a bank account

Get a French mobile phone number

Financial aid for accommodation

Travelling around Paris on public transport

Meeting French and international students

Going Out

Useful websites

How to get to the Catholic University of Paris?

From airports...

• From Orly

- Orlybus this bus takes you from Orly Sud or Ouest to "Porte d'Orléans" and "Place Denfert Rochereau". Departure approximately every 15 minutes. From either stop take the metro line 4 direction "Porte de Clignancourt" and get off at "St Placide".

- Orlyval this shuttle takes you from Orly Sud to the RER B (Antony station), from where you can go to: Denfert Rocherau (12 min), Châtelet-Les Halles (15 min), Charles de Gaulle-Etoile (25 min), Gare du Nord (28 min). It runs from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm every day. There is a shuttle up to every 4 min at rush hour. To go to the ICP, get off at Denfert-Rocherau and take the metro line 4 direction "Porte de Clignancourt", leave at "St Placide" station.

- Air France buses link the airports of Paris to different point of the city. From Orly airport take the one which goes to "Gare Montparnasse", from there you can go the ICP with the Metro line 12 to "Porte de la Chapelle", and get off à "Rennes", or line 4 direction "Porte de Clignancourt" and get off at "St Placide". You can also walk: from Montparnasse tower, walk down "Rue de Rennes" and when you cross "Rue d'Assas", take it on the right (15 min walking from Gare Montparnasse). The Air France buses from Orly also goes to Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport, Gare de Lyon, place de L'Etoile and place des Invalides.

• From Roissy - Charles de Gaulle

- RER line B, take any train, they all make the central Paris stops: "Gare du Nord" (25 min), "Châtelet-Les-Halles" (28 min), "Denfert-Rochereau" (45 min). Get off at "Châtelet les Halles". Then, take metro line 4 direction "Porte de Clignancourt" and get off at "St Placide".

- Roissybus, this bus takes you from Terminal 1, 2, 3 to the "Opéra". Departure approximately every 15 minutes. Get off at "Opéra (rue du Scribe)" and take bus n°94 ou n°95, get off on stop "Rennes". Please note : buses only stop if requested, you need to press the red button.

- Air France buses link the airport and several places in Paris. Take the one which goes to "Gare Montparnasse", from their take either the Metro line 12 direction "Porte de la Chapelle", and get off à "Rennes", or the line 4 direction "Porte de Clignancourt" and get off at "St Placide". You can also walk: from Montparnasse tower, walk down "Rue de Rennes" and when you cross "Rue d'Assas", take it on the right (15 min walking from Gare Montparnasse). From Roissy - Charles de Gaulle, Air France buses also goes to Gare de Lyon, Orly Airport, Place de l'Etoile and Porte Maillot.

From train stations...

Gare d'Austerlitz, take metro line 10 direction "Boulogne" et get off at "Sèvres-Babylone"

Gare de Lyon, RER line A direction "La Défense", and get off at "Châtelet les Halles". Then, take metro line 4 direction "Porte de Clignancourt" and get off at "St Placide".

Gare du Nord or Gare de l'Est, take metro line 4 direction "Porte de Clignancourt" and get off at "St Placide".

Gare Saint Lazare, take metro line 12 direction "Mairie d’Issy" and get off at "Rennes".

Gare Montparnasse, take the Metro line 12 to "Porte de la Chapelle", and get off à "Rennes" or the line 4 direction "Porte de Clignancourt" and get off at "St Placide". You can also walk: go behind the Montparnasse tower, then take "Rue de Rennes" and when you cross "Rue d'Assas", take it on the right (15 min walking from Gare Montparnasse).

Open a bank account

You can open a bank account at "BNP Paribas" or "Société Générale" and get the following free :

- a visa card
- a chequebook
- free access to your account on the Internet
- insurance for your card and chequebook

Agencies located close to the Catholic University of Paris will give you a tailor-made welcome:

Agence BNP Paribas Assas
Bruno Somodevilla
109 rue de Rennes - 75006 PARIS
Phone : +33 (0)1 53 63 43 01

Agence BNP Paribas Rennes
Jean-Baptiste Guieu
169 rue de Rennes - 75006 PARIS
Phone : 33 (0)1 53 63 42 01

Agence Société Générale
Aude Albertin
28 rue d’assas 75006 Paris
Phone : +33 (0)1 42 22 26 56

More informations on www.bnpparibas.net and www.societegenerale.fr

Get a French mobile phone number

You can get a French mobile phone number directly from one of the numerous operators' shops or from a shop that presents all operators such as :

The Phone House
149 rue de Rennes
75006 Paris

More information and rates on www.phonehouse.fr or at the following phone number 0 825 07 8000 (from France)

Get financial aid for your accommodation

Depending on the type of housing and your marital status, you can get financial aid for your accommodation: "Aide personnalisée au logement" (APL).

This financial aid is granted upon the following conditions :
- Low income
- Compliance with the rental's minimal standards of comfort and surface (at least 9 m2 for one person)
- A valid "Permis de séjour" (Residence card) for foreign students (except for citizens of European Union and Switzerland)

You need to complete your application as soon as you move in the accommodation directly from the "Caisse d’Allocations Familiales" website: www.caf.fr.

If you share a flat with several people, each tenant needs to make a seperate application. The amount of the aid granted will be calculated depending on income and rent.

The university's Accommodation Office helps students to get in touch with privated and/or institutions that offer studios, apartments or private rooms in host families or "foyers".

Travelling on public transport

Bus and Metro

The public transport corporation of Paris is the RATP. The RER (train going through Paris to the suburbs) and suburbs train (only leaving from train station) are governed by the national railway corporation (SNCF). The RERs share the network with the RATP and have the same fare inside the city.

If you take public transport regularly, you might consider one of the weekly, monthly or yearly passes that are cheaper than single tickets.

For students who are less than 26 years old

For others

Cost and useful information regarding transport
It is preferable to buy tickets in books of 10 rather than a single, ask for "un carnet". Metro and Bus network map are available in every metro station.

The RATP website proposes to establish your detailed route on public transport.

Vélib'

A new bicycle self-service has been put in place in the capital and a few neighbouring suburbs.Tickets to get a bicycle can be made with a credit card from any of the automatic machines by the bicycle stands. You must return your bicycle within 30 minutes to another stand, if not you will be charged extra fee in addition to your rental ticket. Information, fares and how to subscribe to this service on the Vélib' website.

Maps

To consult maps or some detailed route of the city and/or the country, you may consult the websites Mappy (detailed route) or the Geoportail ( satellite image of the country and precise maps from the Institut National de Géographie).

Meet French and international students

If you want to make new friends in an international atmosphere, share your experience, join in the activities and discover other cultures, meet us at the "Club International des Jeunes à Paris"!

The CIJP offers monthly excursions to different regions and other various activities: language workshops, tours around Paris, visits to museums, exhibits and shows, parties...

You can also meet french speaking people worldwide through the website of the Contacts Francophones association, for linguistics and cultural exchange.

Going Out

Paris is a city with a very active cultural life, so active that you often don't know where to look and what to look for. The websites 75.Agenda Paris and Sortir à Paris give the program of kinds of all cultural events (concerts, exhibitions, cinema, celebrations). If you like dancing check out the Tribu de Nuit website that has all the disco parties around the country.

Since 4 April 2009, all national museums and buildings are free for all E.U citizens under 26 years old. Here is the list of the places concerned.

The Paris Tourism Office website has plenty of usefull information on Paris. They also have an online Guidebook that you can download to organize your different tours around the city.

The Fuz'o association promotes the different world cultures and the traveler's spirit through the organization of artistic-cultural events.

Useful websites

www.etudiantdeparis.fr
In the section called "étudiants étrangers" you will find information regarding your stay in Paris in English and Spanish. The website gives you everything you need to succeed in your studies in the capital city.

Studyrama and Campus France websites also offer some practical tips and informations to have a nice stay in France as an international student.

You may check the website of the Cité Universitaire International de Paris which hosts several thousands international students in 40 different houses gathered around a park of 34 hectares. The housing accomodation are mainly for doctorate and some master degree students. It is also a place with a lot of cultural activities (theatre, concerts...) and sports infrastructures.

The city of Paris' official website : www.paris.fr
Culture, sports, parks and gardens, education, administrative procedures: everything the French capital has to offer from the rollerblade parade to the latest exhibit at the new museum Quai Branly.

Radio: here is the list of all FM radio stations in Paris

If you are looking for a shop or any professional's address and phone number (eg. restaurant, plumbering work, shoe maker, etc.) you can use the Pages Jaunes. If you are looking for a private's postal address or phone number use the Pages Blanches.

For your different trips, it is also possible to organise a car-pooling with the website covoiturage.