transit

We will be in transit through Paris and have about 6 hours between flights. Is that enough time to go into the city or a bad idea? What would be the best way from De Gaulle airport and where?

mauld

Assuming you'll need 60 min on either side for check in, and another 90 min min round trip from the airport into the city (on a good day)-- that leaves you with about 2 1/2 hours in Paris. Which from my standpoint is fine. While yes, you'll not get to tour the city-- but you could walk across the Pont Neuf, view the sights from the bridge, stop in a cafe on the left bank for a bite to eat, then back to the airport. While others may say you'll be too rushed, I say go for it. What's your option, sitting in the Airport at a Mickey D's???

hiiiii

transit:<BR><BR>i think mauld answered your question in great depth already but if you need more info, try doing a text search. Just type in &quot;3 hours in paris&quot; and it'll take you to similar topics. Have a wonderful 6 hours in paris!!!

janis

Well first of all 60 mins &quot;either side of check in&quot; is no where near enough. Most international carriers require 2 hours minimum for check in and some recommend 3 hours. Most international flights begin boarding 45 min prior to scheduled take off. How long it takes you to go through customs and immigration on arrival will depend on the time of day, number of flights landing near the same time, etc. That can take from 30 to 90 mins. (And it is just possible French immigration will not let you leave the airport if your onward flight is that close). 90 mins R-T into Paris is about right IF you make all connections and traffic is OK (both are BIG if's).<BR><BR>So in a best case scenario, your 6 hours will leave you about 1 hour actually in Paris.<BR><BR>Save the aggravation and stay at the airport.

Mitch

Nonsense! I just did the exact same thing in London 3 months ago with only 4 hours between flights. I had a blast. I'd never been to London before and just experiencing the train stations alone made it worth it. We walked out into a typical London day at the Westminster station and walked around for an hour or so. We arrived back at the airport about 1 hour before our flight and many people showed up to board after we were there. Just make sure you're prechecked in and check all your luggage or be prepared to put it in a locker. The deciding factor is how long it takes to clear immigration. Ours actually took 30 minutes more than I had estimated, but UK immigration didn't bat an eye when they asked us how long we were going to be there and we responded, &quot;Two hours!&quot;<BR><BR>Travel is supposed to be an adventure! Go for it.

Davidx

To avoid traffic queues totally why not get by metro to any of the Batobus stops and then take the full cruise - with on-off tourist tickets for a day. They are not that dear and you will see a lot.<BR>http://www.batobus.com/english/index.htm

c

We were going to check our bags through all the way to our final destination. That should save some time.<BR><BR>Also, I was only going to do it if immigration was relatively quick. thanks for all the answers!. Anyone taken the Air France shuttle before?

Karen

Forget the air shuttle and take the RER, with no luggage it should be a breeze and its by far the fastest way into the city, the cheapest way as well, and its simple to use! Have fun!

Grasshopper

I say do it but just be very sure you get on the correct RER when you return to Charles deGaulle. Just the right direction isn't enough. We ended up on the wrong one and had to run like heck for our flight.

Christina

I have taken the Air France bus several times and it is very easy and convenient, so I think that could be a very good alternative. In theory, the RER would be faster and a little cheaper (the AF bus isn't very expensive, though). However, if you haven't been there before and don't speak/read French, I probably would recommend the AF bus (none of the problems mentioned above about getting on the wrong line, trying to figure out the metro system, etc).<BR><BR>Just go to the AF bus stop station and buy a ticket, you get on it right there. There are two lines, the one you want would be to Porte Maillot and then Arc de Triomphe, I imagine. (The other one goes to Gares de Lyon and Montparnasse.) The one to the Arc leaves every 15 minutes and the fare is only 17 euro roundtrip. YOu can get it at gate 6 (on either side of Terminal 2) or gate 7, arrival level in Hall 2F.<BR><BR>The trip takes about 45 minutes one-way. I've never had any problems with it being held up or taking a long time, but some unusual traffic jam could always happen. If so, you could just stay on it and go back, I suppose.

Paris

You're making a mistake to risk a traffic jam by taking the Air France bus instead of the efficient and user-friendly RER B. But either way, you should definitely make a trip into the city. I'd probably head for Charles de Gaulle Etoile (the Metro stop, not the airport) and climb to the top of the Arc du Triumph (won't have to wait long like you might at the Eiffel Tower) for a great view, and then take a stroll along the Champs Elysees. A couple of hours will be plenty of time. Enjoy!

lynn

I'd go for it.<BR><BR>We did the same thing in Tokyo last year. Landed at 7am and plane home didn't leave until 4pm. Paid $50 each to take the fast train into town, had some noodles, mushroom soup, walked up the Ginza, and headed back. We were only &quot;in&quot; Tokyo for about 2.5 hours but it was glorious!<BR><BR>These are the types of adventures life is made for. DO IT!

transit

If I do take the RER, which train from CDG to the Arc, and which back? I do not speak French, and it would really help knowing befrehand!<BR><BR>Since, its on a Saturday, the AF bus might not be bad either. Does it stop pretty close to the Arc?

Eye Spy

Check out the Parisian Transit Authority at www.ratp.fr. Click on &quot;English&quot; at the top right hand side of the home page.<BR><BR>The AF bus stops right at the Arc de Triomphe. If you are arriving late morning at CDG, I've never had a problem with traffic jams at that time. If you are in a real hurry, you may want to splurge and get a taxi. You may save some time instead of waiting 15 minutes between buses in the event you just missed one.<BR><BR>I think a lot of the advice on this post is great. This is an adventure. You have to do this. Stay close to a main attraction so you know how to get back to CDG. The RER B will be fast too but you must make sure you are on the correct one on your way back to CDG. Some of them are express and don't stop at every station. Check out the RATP.FR website for more info.<BR><BR>Hope this helps.

transit

Is it easy to get between terminal 1 and 2 at CDG?

Eye Spy

Yes. Very very easy. There's a free shuttle bus. Don't worry about it. Check out CDG-Roissy at www.adp.fr<BR><BR>YOU ARE GOING TO BE FINE! Don't worry.<BR>

Christina

I think you would be making a mistake to take the RER myself, given you want to go to the Arc, are arriving on Sat. and have never been to Paris and don't know French. The RER goes directly to the Arc and stops right there, is about the same price as the RER, and will take about the same time (perhaps even less). There can be problems on the RER, also, such as breakdowns, strikes, etc. and you will probably wait just as long for a train on that system as the AF bus (which is only minutes as it leaves every 15 min. to that location).<BR><BR>If you want to go to the Arc by taking the RER, you have to go from CDG to Chatelet/Les Halles (a huge transit connection stop) and then change trains to the RER A which goes to the Arc (CDG/Etoile stop). There is no easy way to take the RER and then the metro to the Arc (in distinction to the RER A) because the metro line to the Arc (line 1) does not have an RER B stop on it. So, you would have to walk all the way from the RER stop to the Chatelet metro stop.<BR><BR>So, taking the RER may sound quick and fun but tromping around Chatelet/Les Halles, Chatelet and CDG/Etoile stations, changing trains and figuring out the metro vs. RER, tickets, right trains, etc., isn't something I would recommend myself to someone for convenience or to save time who didn't know the system already. I just think the AF bus is easy and comfortable.

Christina

you could probably figure this out, but I made a mistake in one sentence above near the beginning which should be: <BR><BR>The AIR FRANCE BUS goes directly to the Arc and stops right there, is about the same price as the RER....<BR><BR>

ann

After you clear passport control at CDG go to the main entrance of the terminal. There will be a big &quot;Relay&quot; store, some eating places and a big Information desk. Walk around BEHIND the Info desk to a bank of elevators. Take it to the level with the shuttle bus. (It says on a sign). When you get to that level walk out the door and there will be a cross walk to a bus stop shelter. That's where you wait for the free shuttle. It drops you off right outside the RER station. Go in, buy your round trip ticket and go down the escalator to the platform. <BR><BR>It's very easy once you know what you want to do. I had essentially these directions (from Rick Steves book) but somehow I missed the elevator part and went outside on the level of the info desk and got mildly lost. No big deal but since you are pressed for time you might as well do it right the first time.

iluvparis

I think you have plenty of time. When i got to paris i took the RER to a connector stop on the metro and it took about 25 minutes in total. Even if you do not have enough time to see the big sites just being there is worth the trip.