From France to Tibet, first you need to apply for a tourist visa from the Chinese embassy in your country (if it’s not a “L” tourist visa, you need to provide relevant certificates and ask our professional travel consultant for instructions). With the proper visa and your Tibet travel permit, you can fly to Beijing, Shanghai and then take a flight or a train to Lhasa. Another option is to fly to Nepal and then go to Tibet from Nepal. In this case, you need to apply for a Chinese group travel visa at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal. The Tibet permit is also needed. You can also fly directly from Kathmandu to Lhasa or take a bus from Kathmandu to Lhasa via the Geelong port. As an experienced Tibetan travel agency, we are dedicated to provide you with a variety of quality Tibetan trip services. Here are the traffic tips from France to Lhasa:
How to travel from Paris, France to Tibet? Traffic tips from France to Tibet:
1. Fly from Paris to mainland China first, and then take a plane or a train to Lhasa
2. Fly from Paris to Nepal via Hon Kong and then take a flight or a van from Kathmandu to Lhasa.
Way 1 to enter Tibet: France -- Beijing / Shanghai/Xi’an -- Lhasa
There are many flights From Paris (the capital of France) to Beijing, Shanghai or Xi’an. There are several different airlines, so please pick a departure airport which is more convenient for you. If you’re going to fly from Paris to Beijing, the least expensive airlines is Air China CA876(12:30-04:45). The direct flight costs about $900, and it takes about 10 hours and 15 minutes. When arriving in Beijing, you can take either a plane or a train to Tibet:
1. Flight from Beijing to Lhasa
There are three flights from Beijing to Lhasa every day. They all take off from Beijing Capital International Airport T3. Their departure time are 07:35, 08:15 and 14:50. The price of a single trip ticket is $480. Adding the $10 airport construction fee and fuel cost, the total fare is $490. There is barely any discount throughout the year. Please click here for more information on Beijing-Lhasa flights.
2. Train from Beijing to Lhasa
The train from Beijing to Lhasa runs once a day. Train Z21 (20:00-12:40) arrives in 40 hours and 40 minutes. Since the soft sleeper has only one compartment of 36 beds, the train from Beijing to Lhasa during the tourist season is very difficult to book, especially during the busy season. The price of a train soft sleeper from Beijing to Lhasa is around $170. Please click for more Beijing-Lhasa train information.
If you are flying from Paris to Shanghai, you can take Air China CA834 (12:15-05:35). The cost is about $760 and it takes about 11 hours and 20 minutes. When arriving in Shanghai, you can take a plane or a train to Tibet:
1. Flight from Shanghai to Lhasa
The plane from Shanghai to Lhasa only has two shifts a day. The morning shift Tibet Airlines TV9882 (16:45-23:25) takes off from Pudong Airport T1. And the afternoon shift Tibet Airlines TV9882 (16:45-23:25) departs from Hongqiao Airport T2. The one-way ticket price is $490, Plus the airport construction fee and fuel fee is $10, it’s $500 in total. For more information, please check the Shanghai-Lhasa flights.
2. Train from Shanghai to Lhasa
The train from Shanghai to Lhasa runs once a day. Train Z164 （20:10-19:30） arrives in 47 hours and 20 minutes. The price of a train soft sleeper from Shanghai to Lhasa is around $190. It is also very difficult to book the train from Beijing to Lhasa during the busy season. Please click here to view more Shanghai-Lhasa train information.
If you are flying from Paris to Xi’an, you can take Hainan Airlines HU7908(13:00-05:35). The cost is about $680 and it takes about 10 hours and 35 minutes. When arriving in Xi’an, you can take a plane or a train to Tibet:
1. Flight from Xi'an to Lhasa
There are many flights from Xi’an to Lhasa every day. The morning shift Air China CA3904（06：00-14：05）takes off from Xianyang Airport T2. The one-way ticket costs $332, Plus the airport construction fee and fuel fee is $10, it’s $442 in total. For more information, please check the Xi’an - Lhasa flights.
2. Train from Xi'an to Lhasa
The train from Xi’an to Lhasa runs twice every day. Train Z265（09:45-16:19）arrives in 30 hours and 34 minutes. The price of a train soft sleeper from Xi’an to Lhasa is around $143. It is also very difficult to book the train from Xi’an to Lhasa during the busy season. Please click here to view more Xi’an -Lhasa train information.
Way 2 to enter Tibet: France -- Hong Kong – Mainland cities -- Lhasa
The best way to Tibet from France is to fly from Paris and then transfer from Hong Kong to China. The average cost from France to Hongkong is $850. Cathy Pacific is one of the Least expensive airlines from Paris to Hong Kong. You are recommended to book tickets online ahead of your trip to have a better flight. The flight trip from Paris to Hong Kong is about 12 hours. It takes 5-6 hours to fly from Hong Kong to Chengdu and the cost is averagely about $500 per person.
Way 3 to enter Tibet：France – Hong Kong – Kathmandu -- Lhasa
Since there is no direct flight from France to Kathmandu, you need to take a transfer flight from Hong Kong. The cost varies from $500 to $700. It’s popular to travel from Nepal to Tibet. There is no train from Kathmandu to Tibet yet. However, when arriving in Hong Kong, you can take a direct flight to Kathmandu and then fly or take our van to Tibet. Kathmandu is the only city that has the direct international flight to Lhasa, Tibet.
Flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa
Kathmandu is the only city that has the direct international flights to Lhasa. It costs about $275 and the 600-kilometer trip only takes one and a half hours. There are 2 shifts flying from Kathmandu to Lhasa everyday：CA408 (12：10-16：00) and 3U8720（11:30-15:10）.Both the flights can be checked and booked ahead of time online.
The overland trip from Kathmandu to Lhasa:
Compared with flying, the road trip from Kathmandu to Lhasa is more favored by many tourists. Our staff will transfer you to Gyirong port (the Sino-Nepalese border). After you pass the customs, our Tibet tour guide will pick you up at the other side of Tibet. As the altitude increases, you will stay in Gyirong County to adapt to the environment, and gradually go east to visit Tinry, Everest Base Camp, Shigatse, and finally to Lhasa. This classic route has many stunning sceneries, Himalayas, magnificent Buddhist temples and sacred mountain lakes, as well as unlimited opportunities to meet local Tibetans to explore their exotic cultures and customs.
Tibet Permit Tips for French People
1. From mainland China to Lhasa
Foreigners are required to present Tibet Permit and valid passports when boarding a plane or a train. Therefore, French tourists need to send us the valid passport and visa photocopy 30 days in advance of entering Tibet (if it is not an “L visa”, in addition to providing the passport and visa, a work certificate or invitation letter is also required). Under normal circumstances, the letter of entry can be processed 7-10 days in advance.
If you take the train into Tibet, we will send your scanned Tibet Permit copy to your mailbox. You can print it out and board the train with the photocopy.
If you fly into Tibet, we will send the original Tibet Permit to the domestic city where you are flying from and deliver it to you. The original Tibet Permit is required for flying to Tibet.
2. From Nepal to Tibet
A group tourist visa and a Tibet Permit are required if you are entering Tibet from Nepal. (If you enter Tibet from Nepal, regardless of whether you have applied for a Chinese visa before, it is regarded as invalid. You must apply for a group travel visa – a group visa to enter Tibet from Nepal.) Our travel agency can help you with the required documents.
So if you enter Tibet from Nepal, the foreigner only needs to provide a passport. Our company will help you get ready the Tibet Permit and the tourist invitation letter in advance and send it to our staff in Nepal. Once you arrive in Kathmandu, our staff will help you to get a tourist visa from the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. Although it is called a "group visa”, you don't need to be a group to get it. The specific process is as follows：
Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu, our staff collect your passport and help you fill out the application form.
Day 2: The staff will send the original passport and group visa back to you.
Day 3: Go to Tibet with Scanned Tibet Permit photocopy, group visa and original passport.
