CDG Airport Hotel Advice!
 

Hello,
There will be three adults flying out of CDG airport in Nov.
We want to stay in a nice clean hotel near the airport the night prior to our flt home with a "reliable" free airport shuttle.
I would greatly appreciate specific hotel recommendations.
Many Thanks!
DK

In late Sept it took us only about 30 mins by taxi at 6am to get from our hotel in the Montparnasse area of Paris to the United terminal at CDG. How much less time is an airport shuttle going to take???

Last year we actually spent some time visiting Fountainbleu & other chateaux southeast of Paris (so we never went into Paris), and we stayed at the Sheraton at Terminal 2 at CDG - but had to take the "little train" (about 10 mins) to Terminal 1/United.

About 3 time in the past we've taken the TGV to the Gare de Lyon in Paris and stayed in Paris for a one-nighter before taking the taxi to CDG the next morning. We stayed at the Terminus Lyon hotel across the street from the Gare, and dined at the "eye-popping" Train Bleu restaurant for our last meal in France.

Stu Dudley

Stu Dudley

check reviews on booking.com but ht eIBIS is right "there.. and so many others are all connected with a scheduled shuttle. you can always stay at the Sheraton attached to the terminal or get up earlier and leave from the city as mentioned by Stu. The Marriott.. Pullman, Novotel and Spa hotel are all connected with a huge shuttle bus that goes to many hotels, so it does take a while. The Ibis does not need a shuttle as it is next to a tram that goes to terminals.

>>The Marriott.. Pullman, Novotel and Spa hotel are all connected with a huge shuttle bus that goes to many hotels, so it does take a while<<

>> or get up earlier and leave from the city<<

You may not need to get up any earlier if you stay at one of the above CDG hotels and it takes 40 mins or more ("door to door" including wait time) to get you to your CDG terminal. The taxi will also load & unload your bags for you.

Stu Dudley

If I recall correctly, there may be three Ibis hotels at/near CDG. We stayed at the one nearest one of the terminals and easily walked (no shuttle needed) from the hotel to the terminal. The hotel was bare-bones but clean. Heads up if you're going from the center of Paris to CDG by RER after dinner prior to your night at the hotel. Not all the metro trains go to CDG later in the evening.

This may be the hotel where we stayed:

http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-...rt/index.shtml

Bon Voyage

There is a Sheraton in Terminal 2 and an Ibis, Novotel, Hilton, and Citizen hotel at CDG connected to the terminals by a free, 24 hour shuttle train. None of these hotels is farther than 10 minutes from any terminal.

Look at Stu's ideas--especially staying in Paris for the last night!! Where will you be coming from that day that you want to spend it at the airport.

The amount of time and the cost of a taxi out to the airport obviously depends on where IN Paris you are staying. Be aware that if you call for a taxi to come to your hotel in Paris the meter starts as soon as the taxi departs and heads towards your hotel to pick you up and not after you get into it.

Here's a link to the site with information about courtesy airport shuttles from CDG hotels as well as a list of hotels from which you can walk to one terminal or another.

I remain mindful of your statement: "We want to stay in a nice clean hotel near the airport" and I am sure if you wanted alternatives you would have ASKED for those.

>>Be aware that if you call for a taxi to come to your hotel in Paris the meter starts as soon as the taxi departs and heads towards your hotel <<

We never call for a taxi ourselves to take us to CGD - we have the hotel do it. It is more dependable if the Hotel does it. Hotels have already weeded out the dependable and not dependable services. If a specific service is flaky - the hotel won't go through them.

We've taken early morning taxis to CdG about 10 times - never a problem. Two weeks ago from the Montparnasse area in Paris the cost was about 65E with tip. Driving through Paris in the dark at 6am is a joy - Paris waking up!!!!

About 15 years ago, we called a taxi ourselves to take us to a train station in Paris. He was 30 mins late & we were sweating.

Stu Dudley

PS - the taxi 2 weeks ago was actually 20 mins early. He arrived and went inside the hotel and exchanges salutations with the desk clerk at the hotel.

Stu Dudley

I would call for a taxi personally. Do it the night before you want to be picked up. Allow at least one hour en route to the airport, longer if you anticipate rain. Any of the three main taxi dispatch companies work well, i.e. Taxi G7, Taxis Bleus, or Alpha Taxi.

The English speaking operator for Taxi G7 is 01 41 27 66 99. Dialing 17 636 will connect you to the next available dispatcher (in French).

Taxi drivers are not tipped. However, I usually round up the fare to the nearest 5€ increment.
_____

<i>PS - the taxi 2 weeks ago was actually 20 mins early. He arrived and went inside the hotel and exchanges salutations with the desk clerk at the hotel.<\i>

It would be interesting to know what you paid for the approach fee (the fee on the meter when leaving the hotel). If it were anything more than 4€ to 6€, I would be very suspicious. Drivers have been known to bump the approach fee and share part of it with the hotel. This is a way for drivers to reward hotel personnel, responsible for calling the taxi, for sending an airport fare their way. The driver typically enters the hotel and passes cash to the individual who made the call.

Again, I would make the call to the taxi company personally.

>> If it were anything more than 4€ to 6€, I would be very suspicious.<<

I checked - it was around 4.50E.

Again - the only time we personally called for a taxi a day in advance - he was 30 mins late.

Stu Dudley

<i>I checked - it was around 4.50E.</i>

A 65€ tip included cab fare to the airport and your approach fee was only 4.50€? You must be a very big tipper.

>>You must be a very big tipper.<<

I usually am - and in this case I tipped high because:

- We had been "stuck" in Paris for 2 extra nights because of the AF strike. I know - "stuck" in Paris is not tough.

- I was quite nervous about missing perhaps the only flight that would get us home in the next week. I queried several desk clerks at our hotel about the reliability of the taxi service they called for us.

- The taxi arrived 10 mins early

- He would not let us load our bags (I wrenched my already-bad back loading/carrying our bags on the train trip to Paris).

- I felt joyous when we arrived at United 3 1/2 hrs before the flight.....

Stu Dudley

Sarastro
You may be able to answer this question:

About 10 years ago we took a taxi very early in the AM from the Gare de Lyon area to CDG. When the desk clerk took our request to book a taxi, she told us about several options to CDG. She also said that taxis charge a little more in the early morning (5-7AM???). Do you know if this different rate in the am is true??

Actually, I think now that the taxi fare was around 65-68E without tip & we gave him 4 twenties (didn't want to search for 5s & 10s - we were just glad to be at the airport early).

Stu Dudley

When we were in Paris in May, we spent our last night out at CDG at the Marriott. They do have their own shuttle, didn't use a multi-stop bus as someone else mentioned. Next time, though I probably wouldn't bother to move to the airport for the last night. No airport hotel is likely to be as nice as where you stayed in Paris, and the dinner options are... terrible.

We have stayed at the Novotel several times (most recently two days ago) and it's fine. It's clean and the restaurant is very good. The airport train will get you to either Term 1 or 2 in about 5 mins., and it's a short walk to Term 3. The train stop is literally right next door to the hotel. (It is a bit of a walk from the train stop at Term. 2 to some of the checkin counters.) My one complaint about this hotel is that their elevators get busy when everyone is trying to check out in the morning.

My experience with staying in Paris and taking a taxi to CDG in the morning, which we've also done many times, is that it's fine if you leave super early (like 6:00) but can be a nail-biter if you leave later and wind up in heavy traffic, which is not uncommon. I agree that having the hotel line up the cab is the way to go.

Like Betsy, another vote for the Ibis at CDG, our last one night stay was this past Sunday. Rooms are very minimal, tiny but clean and so convenient. Wouldn't want to stay more than one night but find it very convenient for an overnight for early flights. There is a cafe in the lobby, Cie & Co, do not order the pizza, made this mistake again, just horrible. We were tired from a travel day but the food is pretty pathetic however, it fills a void. We have also stayed at one of the Holiday Inn hotels located close to the airport and while the room was nicer the shuttle bus offered was a joke. There are many hotels in this area and many rely on the same shuttle bus(es) so it takes a while to get to CDG due to crowds, waiting for the next bus due to being full, never again, will take the starkness of Ibis.

<i>About 10 years ago we took a taxi very early in the AM from the Gare de Lyon area to CDG. When the desk clerk took our request to book a taxi, she told us about several options to CDG. She also said that taxis charge a little more in the early morning (5-7AM???). Do you know if this different rate in the am is true??</i>

For metropolitan Paris, there are 3 different taxi rates: A, B, and C as well as 3 zones of operation from central Paris to far outside of Paris. The rate being charged at any given time is indicated on the meter and by the illumination of one of the letters (A, B, or C) which are located on the bottom of the taxi sign attached to the top of the car. These rates vary by one's location and by time of day.

Taxis operating inside the périphérique, or the ring road around Paris, charge rate A from 10h00 to 17h00 and the higher rate B from 17h00 to 10h00. On Sundays, taxis in Paris charge the highest rate C until 07h00 and rate B from 07h00 to 24h00.

If you were subject to a rate change at 07h00, you were most likely traveling on a Sunday morning.

I remain mindful of your statement: "We want to stay in a nice clean hotel near the airport" and I am sure if you wanted alternatives you would have ASKED for those.

Maybe, but just maybe they think they "have" to because it is so early to depart. That is one reason I asked WHERE they are coming from (maybe Paris!!)--and to look at Stu's ideas. Personally I LOVE leaving from Paris, even early in the morning, if I can. It isn't difficult.
AND I would always have the hotel arrange for the taxi--but I'd also be ready early (as in the cab coming early--that meter IS running).