smilinsnoboarder

Hello,
I'm working on the details of my trip for this coming March...
Last time, I flew into ORLY...we are flying into D'Galle.
Is this airport very simple to navigate? We need to get to the train "RER-B" and then take metro line 5. I was thinking about buying the 5day metro pass, would the RER-B be included if I buy this pass for zones 1-3?

Robespierre

The 5-day <i>Paris Visite</i> pass is rarely the best deal. Please refer to this article:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34630342

Charles <b>de</b> Gaulle airport is in Zone 5 and therefore not covered by a 2- or 3-zone pass.

Tell me what <font color="blue">day</font> you arrive and depart and the <font color="blue">ages</font> of the people in your party, and I will try to suggest a transport strategy for you.

smilinsnoboarder

22 y.o. and 28 y.o. going from D'Galle March 16 (Thurs) to Gare du Nord, to pick up metro...returning to airport 21st (Tues) ThANKS

missypie

If you can afford it, take a cab or a shuttle. It was fairly easy to buy the RER tickets (couldn't figure out the machine so I stood in line at the ticket office), a bit more difficult to actually FIND the train. So then we got into town fine...then had to get ABOVE GROUND with our luggage...so when we got to an escalator that was turned off, we had to haul our luggage up the stairs. Then we had to roll our luggage about 5 blocks from the metro station to our flat. The cobblestones broke off the plastic part on the bottom of my luggage that makes the suitcase stand up. All that to save a few bucks. I wished we had taken a cab.

smilinsnoboarder

I am traveling light--with a large backpacking bag that I used last summer throughout Europe. ALso, this is a budget trip for me, so I take the cheapest route. I took RER last summer from ORLY to the metro, but I don't know if I bought the cheapest ticket then.

bob_brown

CDG is my pet abomination of all the airports I have been in, except possibly for Atlanta. I know that airport well, so my problem is less than when I fly to CDG.

I think you would better off taking a cab into town if you have a lot of luggage.
I have tried the van service three times and found it less than satisfactory because we were always the last ones dropped off, thus compounding the long flight over by having to take circuitous route to our hotel.

The RER/Metro system in Paris is to me very user unfriendly particularly if you have the normal amount of luggage for a 7 to 14 day stay in Europe. I suppose if all you had was a 15 pound carry-on it might be different.

If you are young and strong, it might make no different. When I was 22 I had more brawn than brains and more brains than money. So I took the Metro.
Today, some 50 years later, I am not about to fight the Metro with the luggage I need for a 23 to 25 day stay in Europe.

rocny

Hello Robespierre,
I need to tap your expertise. There will be 3 adults and 2 children, ages 14 and 15 arriving at CDG on Tuesday 2/21/06 at 4:30 pm. We will be staying in the 12e area and the metro stop is Porte Doree, zone2? We will be leaving on Saturday 2/25 back to CDG at around 11:00 am. 2 adults staying till Monday 2/27/06. Is it best to reserve a shuttle to the hotel and what is the best options for transportation, all day pass, carnet on several days, wkend pass, etc.

Michel_Paris

I've taken the RER and the Roissybus to central Paris. Both are more economical, with the RER you can pick your exit point (Gare Du Nord?), then transfer to the Metro to complete your trip. With the Roissybus (shuttle bus), you get dropped off at Opera Garnier. From there you walk across street to Metro station and on your way. Cost..8.4 euros + a metro ticket. There is also the Air France bus that lets you off at Place Charles de Gaulle/Etoile (Arc de Triomphe). Cost is 12E + 1 metro ticket. Once again, exit and walk to nearby metro.
Hope this helps,
Mike

Robespierre

smilinsnoboarder

Thursday: a single RER ticket (8&euro from Charles <b><font color="blue">de</font></b> Gaulle will get you all the way to your hotel, as the M&eacute;tro is included. Maybe a <i>carnet</i> ticket or two if you want to go further than the hotel neighborhood.

Friday: either <i>carnet</i> tickets or a <i>Mobilis</i> pass each.

Saturday, Sunday: a <i>Ticket Jeunes</i> is probably the most economical for the 22yo.

Monday: same as Friday.

Tuesday: same as Thursday.

(Unfortunately, Thursday is the <u>worst</u> day to arrive from a public transport perspective.)

Robespierre

Hi, rocny

Anyone planning to ride the bus or M&eacute;tro more than 14 times between Tuesday and Saturday should get a 2-zone <i>Carte Orange</i> for the entire week. The teens are too old for any price reductions that apply to your situation.

A shuttle to the airport will cost about 17&euro;pp, but a group discount may apply. It will take you to your front door.

For your situation, perhaps the Air France bus to Gare de Lyon and the M&eacute;tro from there would be a good compromise between cost and comfort (it would require two M&eacute;tro legs). The bus is 18&euro; <i>round trip</i> with a 15% discount for 5 passengers. So one trip for one person would be 7.65&euro;.

If you want to brave the train system, the absolute cheapest way to go would be to buy tickets from CDG to La Plaine Stade de France and your <i>Cartes Oranges</i> at the airport. The single tickets will get you to Zone 2, where your passes will take over. You can buy a <i>carnet</i> of ten of these tickets for 53.20&euro;, thus each trip would cost 5.32&euro;. The folks who stay until Monday would need tickets from Porte Dor&eacute;e to La Plaine, at 2.05&euro;.

To get to the hotel, ride RER B from the station in Terminal 2 to Gare du Nord, M&eacute;tro Ligne 4 to Strasbourg St-Denis, and Ligne 8 to Porte Dor&eacute;e.

PalQ

If you land at terminal 1 at CDG then you must take the free &quot;navette&quot; shuttle bus from that terminal to the actual RER station. There is an RER station in terminal 2 in case you land there.

smilinsnoboarder

What are the mobilis and ticket Jeunes, and how much do they each cost? The 28 y.o. would need to purchase which? What would be the difference between the mobilis, jeunes, and a visite pass?

arce

I have a similar question. How to get from CDG to the Republique area without taking a taxi. There are 7 of us. Thanks

Robespierre

Details of the various options are here:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34630342

Prices are here:

http://www.ratp.info/informer/tarif.php

Robespierre

arce, read this: 02/13/2006, 01:39 pm

Robespierre

smilinsnoboarder

There is one other way to get from CDG to the city, one that takes lots of time but not much money.

The N&deg; 351 bus will take you from the airport to M&eacute;tro Gallieni for two tickets. This would be the cheapest if you can justify a <i>Mobilis</i> for Thursday, as that would get you the rest of the way at zero incremental cost.

Gretchen

For the family of 5, take a taxi--it will be cheaper than the shuttle.
For the 7, take 2 taxis. It will still be cheaper.
Taxi to Republique is about 35-40&euro;.