Any shuttles to CDG to NOT use?
 

We only need a shuttle from the 7th to CDG on a Saturday morning in July. Any that I should stay away from? The 3 names I have are Bee Shuttle, Bluvan, and Paris Shuttle. Thanks for any input!

If by "we" you mean at least 2, it is almost a wash to take a taxi instead of a shuttle.

-- Sorry - 2 people will be leaving first and perhaps 2 hours later, the additional 5 will leave. So, I guess the 2 could take a taxi directly and the 5 of us would use a shuttle.

Thanks for the clarification -- didn't even think about that!

gretchen, is that true? there are 2 of us and we just booked blue van. i have no idea how much a cab would cost (we are staying in the 7th) but just figured the van would be cheaper.

The van can be about the same cost as a taxi, with longer travel times. I know two of the times I have used a shuttle, we were going to a hotel in the 14h Arr, near Raspail and Montparnasse. We went via Arr 16.

We were the last passengers dropped off at a hotel. I swore then I would never use a Paris shuttle again unless my party filled the whole vehicle.

The marginal cost is not worth the extra time for me.

The first time, I was somewhat engrossed with the city itself. The second time, it was an old story.

Do you have a price quote for the shuttle? A taxi will be about 50 euros, plus a couple of euros for the luggage.

The better question would be "recommended" shuttles.

For five, your hotel can easily arrange for one suitably sized taxi vehicle a day ahead.

Our family of 5 needs to travel from CDG to the 7th (in July). As we are staying in an apartment there is no one to order a taxi for 5. I would assume these are not common and perhaps require some pre-booking. What is the least expensive method for 5 people to travel this sort of distance and is it much of a saving on a taxi? We are travelling relatively lightly, but arrive about 6 pm so don't want to spend too long going from A-B

For a shuttle service, try http://www.airport-connection.com/ They charge 110 euros for a private van (not shared with anyone outside your party) to or from CDG and any point in Central Paris.

However, when you are arriving at the airport, a shuttle service will take more time than a taxi as you will probably have to call them, then make arragements to meet them somewhere--which can be difficult if you are unfamiliar with CDG. For about the same cost as the private shuttle, you should be able to take two taxis to accommodate your party of five.

Bottom line: For a party of five arriving, take taxis. For a party of five departing, take a private shuttle.

I had a terrible experience with Bee Shuttle in Sept/05.

We used BluVan and they are excellent.

The day we were coming home was the day of the national transit strike!!

He called at our hotel and told us to be ready earlier than arranged so that he could get us to CDG on time :-B

For the 5 people, take a taxi also. You can arrange for it yourself even from an apartment. Ask the rental people to help you.

Thanks Gretchen, Luisah, djkbooks and twk for your comments on taxis. The Apartment people recommended a shuttle (Airport connection- same as twk) but when I multiply by 5 I'm up to about E100 minimum for a shared shuttle,and when I do the Australian dollar conversion (always a painful experience) I get to Aus$160 very quickly. For me that's a lot of money, but I had just assumed that taxis capable of taking 6(including driver) would be very expensive and rare so I really didn't look into it. Does anyone know a taxi company who has an English language website? I can read a bit of French, but not enough to get around a website. What did you decide luvparee?

blue van (bluvan.fr) takes reservations ahead of time, where on their website, you can enter your flight arrival time, so that they'll have someone there, and your hotel, so they can look it up to know where it is if they don't already. I plan on using them in Sept.

Hi

We took a taxi from the airport to the 7th (Ecoile Militaire). Cost us (2)€60. Paris Shuttle was €38 for the return journey from memory. The driver was very courteous.

On our way into Paris, Bee Shuttle delayed us two hours at the airport. They kept driving from terminal to terminal supposedly looking for other passengers.

On our way to CDG for the return trip, we got a scenic tour of Paris and they were unable to take our credit card. There was no problem taking a credit card on the trip to Paris.

Our trip to the airport took considerably longer due to traffic jams. Our price did not increase while it probably would have in a taxi.

Recommendations for a solo traveler? I used Paris Shuttle previously, but didn't enjoy the scenic route to my hotel. Probably no way to avoid that unless I take a taxi!?

RER 8€ (incl Métro)
Roissybus 8.40€
Air France Étoile 17€ r/t
Air France Montparnasse 19.55€ r/t

RER is nice for single travelers, but only if you are truely travelling light, and can easily tote you bags and
place them on your lap. the RER is also used by Paris commuters, and can fill up quickly, so if you have a big rollable suitcase, you'll be in serious trouble, plus you have to manuever through turnstyles. Not recommended for a family.

There are certainly a plethora of transportation options available between CDG or Orly Airports and the city of Paris, its suburbs, and the Disneyland area. Poring over dozens of opinions in many different forum threads (Fodor's, Rick Steves, etc.) can be rather time-consuming and even a little confusing to the neophyte traveler visiting France.

Furthermore, after reading a number of these threads, one notices that they can sometimes degrade into a pitched battle, with certain regular fodorites defending their personal preferences to the death! (Well, almost. No blood has been shed, to my knowledge.)

There <b>is</b> a helpful and fairly objective web page which offers a comparative analysis of travel options to, or from, CDG and Orly. The URL is:

http://www.discoverfrance.net/France...s_Paris1.shtml

The site offers details on fares, schedules, pick-up and drop-off locations (both at the airports and in Paris), and the relative convenience for travelers of differing ages, family sizes, disabilities, or proclivities for bringing mucho luggage. &lt;grin&gt;

It covers taxis, private shuttle services, limousines, Air France buses, RER (train), and other public transport (such as Roissybus and city buses).

There are also helpful links to airport shops, car rental services, hotels, intra-airport shuttle schedules (between terminals, train station, &amp; parking), FAQs on transportation rules and labor strikes, metro passes, regional &amp; route maps, the French national railway system, etc.

Just to clarify some of the earlier posts in this thread:

(1.) No one has yet mentioned that calling a taxi to your address in Paris will mean that the meter starts running from the point where the taxi is dispatched (unless there is a taxi rank just outside your building). In other words, the time or distance to your location will already be on the meter when it picks you up. Do not be surprised if that amount is already 7-10 Euros -- plus the travel to CDG (50-75 Euros from the Left Bank, depending on traffic). Additional surcharges: 2.70 Euros per passenger after the third; 1.00 Euro per item of baggage (generally 5kg or more) after the first.

(2.) Some sample minivan shuttle fares (from one of the aforementioned companies) for a transfer from Paris to CDG: 27 Euros for 1 person, 42 Euros for 2 people, 15 Euros per additional person (shared shuttle). 75 Euros for 1-3 pax, 110 Euros for 4-6 pax, 132 Euros for 7-8 pax (private shuttle). Free luggage up to standard airline allowance: 2 check-in bags, 1 carry-on, and 1 personal item (purse, laptop computer) per person.

(3.) Expect about a 1% &quot;non-performance&quot; record from practically any form of transport. This could mean a no-show, late pick-up, etc. Causes may run the gamut: traffic tie-ups, accidents, vehicle breakdowns, scheduling issues, drivers who call in sick, passengers/customers who are late or no-shows, etc. In the case of public transportation (buses &amp; trains), this is usually due to the infamous French labor strikes, which are strategically timed for the busiest tourist season.

Final analysis: no transport option is totally error-free. Pick your method of travel based on your budget, health, weight of luggage, size of family, available time, relative patience, and comfort tolerance. &lt;grin&gt;

Helpful hints, if you lean toward taking a shuttle or limousine:

Current passenger fares should not be your only consideration when choosing a shuttle company (remember the maxim &quot;you get what you pay for&quot;?).

* Does the outfit seem professional?
* Do they disclose their transportation license?
* Are their policies clearly stated?
* Do their drivers and reservations agents speak English?
* Do they also offer transfers to Paris suburbs, Disneyland, and/or between airports (such as CDG-Orly, for connecting flights in Europe)?
* Do they offer a range of vehicles for different-sized groups?
* Do they provide child seats for toddlers and infants?
* Is their booking form on a secure server (&quot;padlock&quot; appears in web browser, and &quot;https:&quot; in URL)?
* Can you instantly confirm a reservation online, and print out your itinerary?
* What about word-of-mouth recommendations from your francophile friends, or customer testimonials?

There are roughly half a dozen established shuttle companies in and around Paris, with varying sizes of fleets, plus a dozen or more recent arrivals on the shuttle scene with only one or a few vehicles. Generally, one can get a pretty good sense of their professionalism and experience by browsing through their web sites.

Public records can also reveal a lot about the history and character of any French company, including shuttle providers. For instance, the former PariShuttle was liquidated on 11 December 2003, and replaced by Airport Van (under new ownership) which now uses the parishuttle.com domain name and trademark. However, it's not clear whether the ownership change is a positive or negative result for customers.
(Source of data: http://siren413201724.societes.org/)

Hopefully, you will find these tips helpful. Enjoy Paris to the max! &lt;smile&gt;