Let $\Theta=(\alpha,\beta)$ be a point in $\bR^2$, with $1,\alpha, \beta$ linearly independent over $\bQ$. We attach to $\Theta$ a quadruple $\Omega(\Theta)$ of exponents that measure the quality of approximation to $\Theta$ both by rational points and by rational lines. The two ``uniform'' components of $\Omega(\Theta)$ are related by an equation due to Jarn\'\i k, and the four exponents satisfy two inequalities that refine Khintchine's transference principle. Conversely, we show that for any quadruple $\Omega$ fulfilling these necessary conditions, there exists a point $\Theta\in \bR^2$ for which $\Omega(\Theta) =\Omega$.

We give a two dimensional extension of the three distance Theorem. Let $\theta$ be in $\mathbf{R}^{2}$ and let $q$ be in $\mathbf{N}$. There exists a triangulation of $\mathbf{R}^{2}$ invariant by $\mathbf{Z}^{2}$-translations, whose set of vertices is $\mathbf{Z}^{2}+\{0,\theta,\dots,q\theta\}$, and whose number of different triangles, up to translations, is bounded above by a constant which does not depend on $\theta$ and $q$.

Continued fractions associated with $\GL_3 (\mathbf{Z})$ are introduced and applied to find fundamental units in a two-parameter family of complex cubic fields.