CDG to Paris (and back) With 3 Children
 

The Problem: I need to get from CDG to Paris (and back) with three children (ages 6 and 4) and we are not bringing our car seats (booster for 6yo). This is our first trip to Paris, so I'm not braving the metro.

Question is, can anyone recommend a shuttle service that provides car seats? Are car seats needed for their ages? The shuttle services I've found (recommended on Fodor's) mention car seats for babies or don't mention car seats at all. I emailed a few companies directly several days ago, without a response.

The apartment we're staying at says they can arrange a private car at about 130E each way. But that seems a bit pricey.

Thanks!
Myra

Cabs are not subject to car seat regulations. If you feel comfortbel doing this without car/booster seats is up to you. (If you took the train or shuttle bus there woudl be no child/booster seats).

Typically you can arrange a service in advance with thes eats you would need - but expect to pay for a large vehicle and a premium for each of the seats.

Better to brave the metro. You won't regret it, unless you are traveling with steamer trunks.

Car/booster seats are required by French law for children under a certain size. Now maybe taxis are exempt, I don't know, but I'm just saying they do have regulations in France. Also, there are regulations regarding whether they sit in the front or not (young children cannot). This is what one UK website says about France:

<<France: Children under 10 years of age are not allowed to travel in the front seat of a car unless they are a baby, that is 9 months old or under and weigh less than 9kg, but they must be in an appropriate baby seat (rear facing) unless there is an airbag fitted, when they are not allowed on the front seat at all. In the rear seats all children under 10 must be in the right restraint, if their weight is between 9 and 15kg a child seat and over 15 kg's a booster type seat.>>

130 euro each way is absurd, I agree. It wouldn't be quite as bad if it were roundtrip, although still a bit on the high side.

This place is around 69 euro and clearly says they have infant/booster seats: http://www.greyshuttle.com/

This company also states they have those seats at no extra charge, I think they charge 90 euro
http://www.parisconnection.fr/paris_..._transfers.php

http://www.airport-connection.com/shuttle.html
also says they have booster/infant seats and are around 90 euro for five people. YOu can check the type of child seat you want.

I have no experience with any of these.

I have very successfully used Shuttle-Inter for two round trips now, and I think I saw a car seat in the back of the car our last trip. You could email and ask them.

www.shuttle-inter.com

The Metro with 3 children and luggage of ANY kind. YOU have GOT to be kidding Kerouac!!

Just head for the taxi queue. The drivers are expert with matching travelers to vehicles. You'll likely get a mini-van and the kids can use the seatbelts.

Returning, have your hotel phone the day before, or phone English G7 yourself, 01-41-27-66-99, so they can send the appropriate sized vehicle.

Or, this taxi service provides car seats

http://www.taxi-paris.net/page52.html

Taxis and their passengers are indeed exempt from any child seat requirements. However, if you ask in advance, many taxis can provide them for you.

It would be extremely unlikely that you would find a cab with two child seats and a booster - or that a regular cab would hold that plus 2 adults plus luggage for 5.

If you want the child/booster seats you realistically will need to arrange it in advance and pay extra. I've never been in exactly that position so I don;t know what's a good price. I would google around and see what you find.

The people who own the apartment have given you some guidance as to what a full price might be (I'm assuming part of the cost is the 3 child seats and the larger size.)

WHERE are you going in Paris? I suggest looking into one of the bus services or the RER: http://tinyurl.com/24p9rq or http://tinyurl.com/mpfgxd.

I know this may be politically incorrect, but seat belts are a relatively new item, as are car seats. Using seat belts for the children should be adequate for these two trips. I know I wonder how I grew up, and MY kids ever grew up, riding around as we did.

Seat belts won't be ideal because they're lap/shoulder belts, so not really proper for small children. You may have to tuck the shoulder strap behind them, but at least you'd have the lap belts to secure them in case of a sudden stop or slowdown.

Thanks for all the responses -- I've been trying to recover from a cold and absent from the computer yesterday.

We're staying in the 1st Arrondissement. The Roissy bus might also work since it's last stop is the Opera, about a 15 min. walk from the apartment (says google map -- not sure how accurate that is.)

The RER would drop us at the Chatelet stop (which a friend just told me is huge). We'd have to connect to line 1 and then walk to the apartment.

The taxi option is tempting and I know my daughter would be fine but I would worry about the boys. I tend to think worst case scenario.

This morning I did get an email back from inter-shuttle, which said they would have car seats and charge 80E (75E to return) -- but I think they based that price on 3 adults, not 3 children, perhaps the price would be slightly less.

It's the most expensive option, but so far, the easiest.

I can't believe you won't take the metro will all those kids and baggage (which I agree), but would take the Roissy bus and then walk 15 minutes with all that. Chatelet is a nightmare.

80 euro isn't too bad, I think the sites I gave had one for 70 euro, I forget. The ones I showed clearly stated there was no extra charge for the child seat (I know a couple did, if not all).

I thought you had five people, not three -- 3 children plus two adults. Some of those websites would charge less for four or fewer people, the 70-90 euro was for five people.

I'm sorry. This is a first trip to Paris. She has 3 small children who cannot carry their share of luggage. She may have a spouse, but it is still a lot of luggage.
A taxi or a shuttle is the only sane possibility for transport. If it is expensive then it is the cost of going, and needs to be factored in.

My opinion...

My wife and I find the RER between CDG and Paris really easy...but we are two adults, no children, only carry-on luggage, and with multi-trip experience.

With three small children (so there likely is a good amount of luggage) and a first-timer? Not on your life!

SS

More opinion, again, for Kerourac (whom I respect greatly for his expertise on Paris):

My wife just came in as I was posting my last message, and she reminded me something I seem to have forgotten, since our kids are grown:

"Small kids ARE luggage!" :-)

SS

mebe--I would rethink a taxi. We have never had a problem with taxis, including when our kids were little. We did use (or try to use) Shuttle Inter last summer (June 2009) and it was a mess. They were not there upon arrival and it took 3 phone calls before they showed up. We reconfirmed our departure with our driver once we arrived at our apartment, and I also reconfirmed via email during the week. I am sure you can guess where I am going with this, lol, but yes, they were a no show. Not fun trying to scramble to get to a taxi so you don't miss your flight! We were very lucky and found a taxi after we had waited for quite a while for the shuttle to show up. The part that really annoyed me was that they had the nerve to email me and say their driver was there. I replied with the facts and they never replied back, no apology, nothing. To me, that says it all. I would not risk it, especially since traveling with kids takes a bit more effort.

"Small kids are luggage" Yes, running luggage. :)

Christina -- yes 5 people; two adults and three children. Shuttle Inter quoted me for three adults and two children.

mms -- thanks for sharing your experience. What bothers me about Shuttle Inter is the lack of information on their site.

My concern about using a taxi is not having the two 4yr old strapped into car seats. It would be probably be fine....but I'm hesitant.

Another option is Paris Shuttle.

Back when dinosaurs were roaming the earth (really just when car seats were common equipment but booster seats were not yet standard) the way to determine if your child could ride safely in the adult belt was to take them out to the (parked) car and sit them in the seat with the belt on and see what it looked like. The shoulder belt should sit on the shoulder and not be across the face or neck, and the lap portion should fit across the hip and not press on the abdomen. Also the child should not look loose or wiggly when the belt is properly tightened. Some fours will pass this test, others will not, depending on height and build.

And while I wouldn't deliberately repeat this experiment, my then 5-year-old DS (who passed this test, and was way too heavy for the seats then on the market) was a lap-belt only wearing rear seat passenger in a somewhat scary collision on the Garden State Parkway, and was absolutely unscathed. The State Troopers definitely felt that we had escaped injury due to our all wearing seatbelts, and the only casualty was the 1985 Escort we were riding in. An EMT did take a look at DS to make sure he was fine, but he was more upset by that (and missing a shore trip) than the actual accident.

Hi Myra, not long now - is everyone getting excited?

When I first went to Paris I was on my own with my two girls, it wss jsut before their 7th and 5th birthdays. I also had what would now be considered a large suitcase.

We took the Air France bus to the Etoile (Arc de Triomphe) and then a taxt for the shortish journey to our hotel just off Rue de Rivoli. You are staying just a bit further along.

I am pretty sure there were lap seat belts on the Air France bus, but you could find out here - there's a number to call...

http://www.linkparis.com/air-france-buses.htm

In the taxi we just used the normal seat belts.

I found this company which looks quite good, they do disneyland transfers and have cheaper charges for children so I would imagine they supply car seats as well.

http://www.yellowvanshuttle.com/

See you soon!

Kerouac - thanks for my morning smile. Remember this:

"Why do people always have to say they know better? Some of them mean well, I know (not everyone!), but why always assume that the person needs additional advice about what to do and not to do."

Yes Julia the kids are excited and it's infectious!

Not sure why I'm waffling on such a simple decision.

I'll email soon!
Myra

I would vote for a taxi... we took the Eurostar from London - got in the taxi line. When they saw we were five, we had to let about 5-8 groups go in front of us until a larger van came through the line that could accommodate us. Ours were a little older (ages 6,8,10), but they were fine for the short trip without a booster.

Heads up... know the approximate cost - while we were standing there, a number of private vans parked to the side came over to us and wanted to take us (and could accommodate all of us). They would have charged about double what a taxi cost. I'm glad I knew the approximate cost and asked first!

I dug back and found my email - we should "Shuttle Inter" - from the 1st (Palais Royale) to CDG, they charged us 80 Euros. email is [email protected]. I found the recommendation on here originally. Here is their website:

http://www.shuttle-inter.com/

We requested pickup at 8:30am on a Sunday morning for 5 people. They were on time and waiting downstairs. (As a bonus, our checkout apartment person waited until they came to make sure we were all set to get to the airport). I think they had a booster that my 6yo sat in (although it wasn't necessary, he was safer).

good luck!
(are you doing a Fat Tire Bike Tour ? It was one of the highlights of our kids' trip)

Your "vans parked nearby" are gypsy cabs and NEVER take them. ONLY take a vehicle marked "Taxi Parisien". Doesn't matter if you know what it "should" cost or not. The man at the taxi queue will take care of getting the cab. Never take one from someone that comes up to you in a station or airport. You might get there and they want even more.

surfmom -- we're also staying in the Palais Royale. Did you write a trip report?

I'm going to try belting the boys into my car and see where the seat belt hits them on the shoulder. Since they're almost at the booster age, perhaps taking a cab wouldn't be unsafe as I assumed.

mebe, I haven't written a trip report from this past trip : ( I will, I promise.

We loved staying in Palais Royal. Where are you staying ? We've been at 2 different apartments there - one on rue de Richelieu and this past time at rue Montpensier (we actually opened onto Palais Royal). The kids loved coming 'home' to the black and white structures and jumping on them at the end of the day.

Here is a trip report from 3 years ago :
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ttle-girls.cfm

Ironically, the kids were closer in age to 3 years ago than my kids now.

We did some different things this time you might thing about:
1) jardin du Luxembourg. Loved renting the sailboats - there is also a great playground there (although need to pay for it)

2) Jardin d'Acclimitation - this was a fun last day activity.

3) Paris Muse tours were great. Did both the "Buildings can talk" and Louvre tour.

How are you for your plans ?

surfmom -- I remember (and thoroughly enjoyed) your trip report in 2007; I read it on slowtrav years ago.

I do have some questions and would love some input on our daily plans. If you have a spare moment -- would you mind emailing me? hadbee3 at yahoo dot com.

Getchen, you need to chill out a bit. but seat belts are a relatively new item?? Really?? Relative to what?