Basic Questions...
 

I am leaving for my trip to europe next week and i am looking over all my traveling plans and im a bit confused. I live in Los Angeles and have no experience when it comes to trains or subways. When my plane lands in CDG airport.. I need to take a train to get close enough to my hotel. Is their a train station in close proximity to the airport? How will i get to the train station? Can someone please explain this to me... Please excuse my ignorance.

Also i have heard mixed things on this board about what to wear.. Are Jeans Not a good idea? They are all i really wear here in LA, but i do have dickies and dockers.. Would those be better?

Does ANyone know approx how much it costs to have lunch in the eiffel tower? i heard there is a restraunt at the top, is it expensive, would u recommend it?

Lastly, from Paris we are going to Nice. Im a little unfamiliar with the area and what there is to do. Being that i will be in France in Jan. i cant imagine doing a great deal of beach activities... Please recommend something for a couple of adults in their early twenties.

Thank You so much!

The RER line B (tel: (08) 9268 7714) runs every 4-15 minutes from the TGV station of CDG 2 to the Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les Halles, St-Michel and Denfert-Rochereau, where there are métro stations (journey time approximately 30-45 minutes; cost: €7.70). Roissybus (tel: (08) 3668 7714) departs from the three terminals to rue Scribe, métro Opéra (journey time ? approximately 45 minutes; cost: €8). RATP buses depart from CDG 1 (gate 26, departure level); bus 350 stops at Gare du Nord and Gare de l?Est; bus 351 at the Porte de Bagnolet and Nation (cost: €1.30).

Air France coaches (tel: (08) 9235 0820, information line in English) depart from CDG 1 and CDG 2: to place Charles de Gaulle (journey time ? approximately 40 minutes; cost: €10) and to Paris-Montparnasse, rue du Commandant Mouchotte, Gare de Lyon and to boulevard Diderot (journey time ? approximately 50 minutes; cost: €10).

The Airport Shuttle is a door-to-door airport minibus service, often cheaper than a taxi. Places must be reserved at least two days in advance (tel: (01) 3011 1300; fax: (01) 3011 1309; website: www.airportshuttle.fr). The journey lasts approximately 75 minutes and costs €14.50 per person (cheaper for groups of up to eight). A taxi to the city centre costs around €36 and takes approximately 60 minutes; the Airport?s chauffeur-driven limousine service (tel: (01) 4071 8462) costs €100.

Also, your age, everyone wears jeans. In Jan., it should be really cold, so you'll want to make sure you have a good scarf and overcoat or jacket (leather will do). You can get a good fringy wrap around scarf at Forever 21 or Urban Outfitters or Express for about $12.

Get a copy of Time Out Guide Paris (Brentanos or Walden Books), which has more info than you'll ever need, plus a nifty metro plan, RER plan, easy to read map and arrondisement plan.

Lunch in the Eiffel Tower (Jules Verne) is expensive, but good. I would instead go to a little bistro or for sort of cheap eats and a view of the Eiffel Tower, there's a cafeteria at Galleries Lafayettes. There also is a brasserie on the 1st level. Cheaper than Jules Verne.

A few basics. If you have never taken a train before, I personally don't think arrival time in Paris to get to your hotel is the best way to start doing that. You didn't say where your hotel was for you to think that is the best way -- maybe it is, hard to say. I just don't think after a flight from LA after so long with jet lag that is the best thing to do.

However, the train from CDG is called the "RER" . This is an acronym for Reseau Express National (national express network). It is really light suburban rail, a beefed-up metro ("subway") line. To get there in the airport, you should see signs directing you to the RER station. Depending on where your plane lands, it is possible you can walk to it (I think you can from some points in Terminal 2), but it may be you need to take an airport shuttle bus that goes around the airport to that stop. I would suggest if you really want to do that that you print out and examine the airport maps on www.adp.fr for Roissy (CDG) airport. The RER station should be marked on there.

Then, you will have to go to the ticket window and buy a ticket into central Paris. That should cost about 8 euro. There are various transportation passes that could cover that route and last more than one day, but that's a whole other subject.

If you do that and get on the train, you need to watch outside the windows for the stops (signs on the wall) and get off when you reach the one you want. You need the ticket to put into the turnstile to get into the quay (platform) area for the train. Keep your ticket in your pocket for the entire trip, as you are required to be able to show it if you were asked by ticket agents. Don't throw it away until you are completely out of the station of your arrival.

Those are the basics. As I said, I wouldn't do that if I were you given your situation.

Lots of people wear jeans in Paris all the time, it depends on what you are doing. If that is all you really wear, definitely take a pair for your casual and daytime activities. You can even wear them to casual eating places. I would suggest you take one pair of nicer trousers. You'll be able to see what you feel comfortable with more when you get there and see others.

YOu won't be on the beach in January, that's for sure. The Nice beach isn't very nice anyway, not like in LA; it is mainly small rocks, not sand. There are still beautiful views of the sea in Nice. Nice has some lively clubs in the old quarter section and is known for jazz. Get a good guidebook and prowl around there, you won't be at a loss. There are a couple very nice museums in Nice also (good displays of Matisse and Chagall works).

Do you have a guidebook? I think it will help you with some ideas of what to do in Nice.

I used to live in LA many years -- haven't you ever taken that new subway line or the train to San Diego? you should try some of those things.

Here's the Eiffel Tower web site.
http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/

There are two restaurants - the Jules Verne and Altitude 95. Jules Verne is quite expensive and it may be too late to get a reservation for next week. Phone/fax numbers are posted for reservations.

There are a great many things to do in Nice and the area. I'm perplexed about why you're going there if you don't have any idea what's there and what you'd like to see. Nice has many museums and a lovely "old quarter." Also a beautiful seaside promenade. The rest of Nice is a large, noisy city but you can get busses and trains to many hill villages or to other towns along the coast. The beach at Nice is rocks rather than sand. Perhaps you should buy a guide book and read it before you go so you have some idea where you're going and what you're doing.

I'm sure jeans are fine. There's always a big debate about jeans/no jeans. When I was in my 20s I wore jeans all the time, even in Europe. The drawback is if you wash them they take forever to dry.

If you feel unable to cope with the trains from the airport, just grab a cab. Follow the "taxi" signs and stand in line for one.

Don't forget to get some Euros as soon as you get into the airport terminal.

bonne route!

On Nice: stay in old town and a great place to prowl around is in the pedestrian zone (rue Massena, I think) -- kind of like 3rd Street Promenade with a French flair. Lots of street musicians and entertainment in the day and evening.

If you are still in Nice Feb. 13th, that is the start of Carnival -- and the streets are thumping with revelers, parades, all sorts of fun.

The answer(s) about train from CDG seems pretty complete, so...

There are two restaurants in the Eiffel Tower... Altitude 95 might be a choice you will want to consider; it's on the first level (thus 95 meters up), and has menu choices that would allow lunch for two at 60-90 euro, which might include one glass of wine... or more expensive, of course, depending on how much you want to spend on wine. On the second level is Jules Verne, which often requires reservations of 4-6 weeks in advance for lunch and 2-3 times that for dinner. And double or triple the prices. Worth it (in 1992, my last time there, when the prices were considerably lower) in my estimation, and that of many other people, but perhaps not what you are seeking.

As for what to do in Nice, you really owe it to yourself to get some kind of guidebook for both Paris and the Cote d'Azur (Riviera) area, which souurounds Nice. Nice is often a central jumping-off point for many nearby places, both on the sea and in the high mountains that rise up, straight out of the Mediterranean, directly behind Nice. In the city of Nice, the Cours Saleya marketplacee - - for everything, but especially antiques (Mondays?) is a good place to start. Monaco/Monte Carlo is a short (15-20 mins?) train trip away, and might appeal to you for a day or for an evening. Keep in mind that "The Casino" is quite a dress-up and sedate scene, quite UNlike any casinos you may have seen in the US. You MUST have your passport on you to get in, and jeans are NOT appropriate. St. Paul de Vence or Gordes or Biot are just some of the must-see nearby hill towns, renowned for their artist colony atmosphere, world-class restaurants, galleries/museums (for example, Fondation Maeght), chic shopping and charm.

There isn't really much beach AT Nice (not a sandy one, anyway), and the weather will not be "beach-appropriate" anyway - - yet still the coastal towns of Antibes or Cannes or St. Tropez (much further west) have their own unique appeal, also.

Few of "us" who call ourselves "regulars" here on this forum think that jeans are a good choice for traveling; they're bulky, impossible to wash - - and especially DRY - - if you were to find that necessary, and they look (somewhat) more "American" than they do "European". But make no mistake - - no one is going to think that you are European based on what you wear. You won't be "targeted" because you wear jeans, and you will see plenty of Europeans - - especially twenty-somethings and younger - - wearing them and "American fashion" of every description. In fact, sometimes it feels difficult to buy "European-looking" clothes, because "American-looking" styles are very trendy and popular, particularly in shops that cater to the young.

You're going to have your eyes opened, but you will surely have a great trip, and it will prepare you to go back for more.

Best wishes,

Rex

I'm from the LA area too. You should try the MetroLink in LA. We use it all the time. It's a great little train. Sure beats driving in the nasty traffic!

Follow signs to the RER at CDG. There are automatic ticket booths but you can go into a ticket area and talk to a "real" live person. That might be easier the first time.

Don't worry about jeans. Many young people wear them. I'm not young so I don't. Guys and gals both wear wool scarves to keep warm (and look very chic) so either take scarves or get them there. Leather jackets are very "in" too so if you wear one here, take it with you.

You'll have a great time. Enjoy your trip.

Jeans plus long-underwear, it is cold! Silk or a poly are good. Is Danmart still in business? Gloves..Ear muffs..

Just so the OP doesn't think the French are particularly stupid, the RER is the Réseau Express Régional not the Reseau Express National as Christina suggested. If there was such a thing as the Reseau Express National, I'm sure the French would use the acronym REN.

Hi airo,

You will find a good map of the CDG airport at
http://adp.fr/webadp/[email protected]

You can find the website for the Jules Verne restaurant if you search that name at www.google.com

Enjoy your trip

you are right of course, Ron, I made a slip of keyboard when writing that, I guess my mind was thinking of two different things.

Other than the occasional typo;) I really like the way Christina thinks about peoples' questions as if she were in their shoes. I've been thru CDG a few times, rode the Metro/RER a "few" times, and I think it's very true that it could be frustrating and confusing for a first-timer to travel into the city that way. I find that Christina very often responds to inquiries by giving a better answer than the one the poster asked for...so... thanks!

How long is the trip by RER from CDG into the city? I'm thinking of doing the same thing when I touch down in Paris on April 2...but I'll have had rested in London first so the jet lag is not a big deal.

Melissa - Go for it. I can't say I've ever timed it, but I take the RER into the city from CDG every trip. Of course, I am a carry-on packer only, so not like I'm loaded down when I have to hike it to the platform. And I'm always jet-lagged, but just don't feel like an expensive taxi ride would help that in any way. Also, wear your sunglasses so you can discreetly people watch during the ride. I have seen some sights to behold! LOL