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From CDG to central Paris
Is it worth it to spend the 50 euro on a cab from the airport to central Paris or should I take the RER to the Metro?
Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks. |
Take the RER at least to the Gare Du Nord at a fraction of the cost. U do not even have to leave CDG building. Train staff(and passengers) are very helpful.
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You can take a shuttle for about 40...
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All things being equal, my first choice would be RER. Save your money for food & wine. And shopping!
But what is the address of your hotel? There may be a better way that costs about the same. Here's a map showing all the choices: <b>http://www.vacations-paris.com/image/m_3.gif</b> The Roissybus costs €8.30 Air France buses are €12 (€18 round-trip) |
No one can say what anything is worth to someone else! To me the cab is worth the 40-50 Es ..just like having a couple 100 E's is worth it to ME instead of looking for an ATM.
Do what you are comfortable with! |
We are going from CDG to Hotel Muguet.
Please help with options. If I took the Air France shuttle, where would we get off. How much for a cab from there to Hotel? Merci Dave |
From CDG to Hotel Muguet will be closer to 40E-45E than 50E :)
It is worth every penny to me to take a cab and not have to think or worry about a train or walking, after getting off of that overnight flight! |
i totally agree with jody and scarlett! of course, it depends on your situation...but it is soooooo worth it to me to spend the bucks on a taxi and be whisked away in semi-luxury after a long flight to my special place in paris.
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There have been so many posts on this topic, but I STRONGLY agree with those that choose a cab. When I arrive in Paris, I want to get to my hotel and start seeing Paris. There are those that don't mind taking a shuttle all around town or like saving euros and take the RER. BUT, I've seen newly arrived vacationers on the verge of tears arriving at the same hotel but waaayyyy more than an hour later frustrated with finding their way, negotiating an unfamiliar city in an unfamiliar language, etc. That extra hour in the city and NO STRESS is well worth the extra $$$ (or euros) to me.
But, different strokes for different folks. I could NOT abide waiting 45 minutes for a pre-arranged, pre-paid shuttle...but there are Fodorites that don't mind. I like walking out the door at CDG, grabbing a cab and starting my vacation in ease. |
starsville.........YES!
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Even if you take the RER or Air France Shuttle into central Paris, then take a cab to your hotel, you're going to save signficant $$$. Traffic on the Peripherique can be very bad, and you can get stuck in the cab way longer than you expect. The Air France bus is about 10 euro, air conditioned and very comfy. The RER is about 7 or 8 euro and avoids all traffic, and you can take it to stops on the right bank or left bank, whichever is closer to your hotel. From there, you probably won't spend much more than 7-10 euro on a cab.
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Would you suggest a family of 5 take a taxi (arriving @11am on a Sunday) to our hotel Le Clement in Latin Quarter? If so, could you tell me approx cost and how we'd go about arranging for such a cab/van at CDG (arriving on Continental Airlines)?
Shuttle services want between 80-90E for everyone. Their vans only hold 6-8, no? Might have it pretty much all to ourselves. :-? Thanks, in advance, for any advice. @};- |
After a very long flight to Paris it is well worth the money to take a cab to your hotel. I stayed in France for a month so I had a very large suitcase to lug around. On top of the fact that it isn't much fun to navigate while jetlagged you make yourself a target on the metro or RER as a tired American with all of your luggage.
My friends who went to Paris several months after I did asked me the same question and I told them to take a cab. They didn't. A guy stuck his hand in my friend's pocket for his wallet. Luckily, my friend was aware of the situation and didn't become a victim of thievery in his first hour in Paris. Every time we go out to dinner they laugh at themselves trying to maneuver through the train station with luggage to save a couple of bucks. They can't believe all their luggage still has wheels. If it is your first trip to Paris... take a cab!!! |
I have used a shuttle service three times with indifferent results. The rates were less than a cab, but so was the delivery service.
If you select a left bank hotel, you will probably be the last one dropped off. Each time I have tried it, something took place to delay our arrival. Once it was traffic and a meandering route to the last stop on the journey, my hotel. The driver let us out across the street, and we had to get across Rue de Rennes with luggage!! Once, the van met his buddy and they stopped for a chat enroute. Then we went to the 14th via the 16th. Last time, the driver, who purportedly spoke English, could not understand that my last name was Brown and he kept telling me that I was not on his list. I finally got a peek at the list and the name Robert Brown was right there. Even looking at it in print did not enable him to make the association. I even showed him my passport and pointed to my name in print on his list. Finally he called the dispatcher and got clearance. Then he could not find easily Boulevard Raspail and Boulevard Montparnasse. So all this jabbering reinforces the above posts: If you have the strength, take the bus or the RER, or take a cab all the way. The marginal cost of the cab is not all that much, and the service is a heck of a lot better, unless you get a driver like one I had once who started chasing some pretty girl in a big fancy car. Only in Paris. |
I took the shuttle the first time I went to both London and Paris from the airport because I was unfamiliar with the metro/tube system. Now that I have been there, I would take the train. I took the tube from Heathrow to London the second trip without any problem and saved lots of $$$. But it's important that your trip goes well and you feel comfortable with how you're getting from place to place, so if a cab or shuttle works better for you I would take that.
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Just do what most here have suggested ... except do not heed one by paying a ridiculous amout of 40 Euro for a shuttle.
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billy_boy, I'm guessing that 40 for a shuttle was referring to two people.
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40 for 2 is still a rip-off.
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So, how much for a cab 2 adults & 2 kids & 4 bags & carry-on's from the airport to Central Paris.
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You could take the Roissy Bus from the airport. It takes about 40 minutes to 50 minutes to get to The American Express building across the street from the Opera station of the Metro. Cost is about 8 Euros each, lots of room for luggage, and you can see where you are going.
As the Opera Metro Station is a large one with connections to a huge # of lines, it is pretty easy to do if you don't have too much luggage, have a physical impairment. I carry a rolling 23" suitcase with a carry on strapped to that and am able to get up the stairs quite well. Usually have more than one gentleman trying to assist me (and sometimes I let them, sometimes I don't). The bus is caught outside the terminal and comes frequently. |
<b>reidschwabach</b>
Figure €50 and you won't be disappointed. |
In February we took the RER to Chatelet and got onto the metro and went a few stops to our neighborhood over near Canal St. Martin. It was cheap. The RER was an express and didn't stop until Gare du Nord although it did go slowly in some areas of the tracks. It is easy to get to any line in the metro. We had carry on luggage, one suitcase and small bag each. I have also done a shuttle and prefer the RER when it is only the 2 of us.
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To the original poster. If there are two of you (or more) take a taxi. It will be, as has been said, about 45E. In order to take the RER, you will have to make two changes with many stairs in order to get to the Muguet.
To the family of 5, take a taxi. It will be about the same price as above, with small supplements for the extra people over 3. You may have to wait a bit for a larger van at the taxi queue but it will be possible. Do NOT take any offered ride within the terminal or anywhere but the taxi queue. |
Would you consider flying into London and getting from the airport to Paddington on the Heathrow Express (exorbitant cost aside)?
Taking the RER from CDG to Paris is just another train ride. Think of downtown Paris as a rail destination like Brussels or Bayeux, and using the regional express to get downtown comes into a different perspective. Think of it as flying into a town in France called Roissy. You then travel from Roissy to a nearby city, Paris, which has numerous train stations where you can alight: Gare du Nord, St-Michel Notre-Dame, Denfert-Rocherau, and so on. From one of these stations, you can get to your hotel by walking, riding public transport, or taking a taxi (your choice depending on distance and luggage). You can even transfer to <i>another</i> train (as you might make a connection at Lyon) to get closer to your neighborhood. It's no more complicated than getting off the TGV in Lausanne and going to the platform where your SBB train takes you to Bern. Best of all, the trip all the way from CDG to your ultimate stop is included in the price of the RER ticket. |
I think one important factor to consider is if it's a traveler's first trip to Paris - or even to Europe. Within that, is public transportation (subways, trains, buses) something one has experience with or is THAT a new experience? (In my neck of the woods public transportation is not an option at all for some and not a viable option for many). Is the traveler comfortable with the language or concerned about a language barrier? Is the traveler traveling with others that are less comfortable in new situations?
These factors come into play. I suppose that's why there's not a "one right answer" but a lot of input helps one make a decision. I've taken a bus into NYC from Newark. I've grabbed a taxi from JFK and LaGuardia. I've used town cars as well. Most of the time, I will splurge and arrange a town car into the city, especially if my mother or a friend who has never been to Manhattan is traveling with me. Upon arrival in Paris, I will gladly spend the 50 euros to travel to my budget 2* hotel in Paris for a smooth, uneventful arrival with luggage. There are those that are happy taking the shuttle tour (don't understand THAT if there is no savings) and those who don't mind jumping on a train and then catching a cab later to the hotel. So, Somer56, to answer your question - Yes, it is well worth it to me to spend the 50 euros to take a cab from CDG. |
I'll share my experience. First trip to Paris, grabbed a cab. Bad accident up ahead... traffic severely delayed and the ride was 90e's.
Second trip to Paris took the easy as pie Air France bus, got off at The Galleries Lafayette stop (I think that was it, first stop anyway) ... grabbed a cab there to St. Michel on the left bank. About 10e's (maybe, less I think plus I tipped). my cost then was about 20 euros. You have lots of options. I don't think the shuttle services are 40e's |
It just occurred to me that the decision should be based strictly upon one's personality type. There is a "public transport" type and a "taxi" type*.
Do you adapt readily to situations you've never been in before? Or do you have a low tolerance for ambiguity and unfamiliarity? Are you convinced you'll never be able to read the signage because you don't speak French? Or do you figure "Direction La Défense" or "Luxembourg" mean pretty much the same as in English? blondiepopo said above, "...it's important that your trip goes well and you feel comfortable with how you're getting from place to place..." - and that's the bottom line. * Price factor aside. Obviously, taxis are preferred if the cost is split 4 ways. |
Robespierre, I agree with your most recent post. I think the biggest factor is the amount of prior experience one has. I would guess that a person would be more willing to venture into the less familiar on their second or third trip to an unfamiliar locale.
Someone scoffed at an earlier post when the OP asked someone to walk them through the TGV train experience. I would guess the scoffer has had experience with city trains or buses and the OP has had none. It would be helpful for all of us to remember that we all come with different life experiences. There are competent and successful adults that have never been on a subway or a train - because there are none to use where they are from! |
I disagree (but not much). Whether or not an individual will try that <u>first</u> time unassisted is the personality difference I'm talking about.
The first time I ever saw a subway was the Paris Métro, and I went into the experience without even thinking about whether or not I could master it. I just assumed I would. Someone else might not. <b><i>If you think you <u>can</u> do something, or you think you <u>can't</u>...you're absolutely right.</i></b> |
Hmmmm.... I don't think it boils down to an adventurous spirit. I've traveled solo near and far (including Costa Rica and Ecuador), but I travel differently depending on who is traveling with me and why. Years ago I fearlessly tackled the Tube in London with no subway experience at all, did in fact go the wrong way and the elderly gentleman that "rescued" us in a delightful story in itself.
But my adventurous spirit does not come into play in a decision on transportation from CDG to central Paris. The next time I arrive in Paris with luggage and traveling companions with luggage I will willingly, happily, and without any regrets grab a taxi. It is not fear of any kind, nor whether or not "I THINK I can". It is, in fact, convenience, and my priorities while on vacation. Interesting exchange of thoughts though. Thanks! |
Thank you all so much for your answers to my question.
I do agree that the cab would be the easiest, but I would hate to get stuck in traffic and pay an outrageous cab fare before I even get to our hotel. Therefore it makes sense to take the RER and take a short cab ride. Would I get off at a shorter distance to Hotel Muget than Gare du Nord. I don't know if Chatelet or Luxembourg or Port Royal would be better? Would I have to transfer? Also I beleive I have to take the shuttle to Terminal 2 to catch the RER. Thanks again everyone for your comments. Dave |
RER B serves CDG T1 and T2.
If you don't feel like walking at all, you could take RER B to St-Michel Notre-Dame, and a taxi from there. Zero train changes. At St-Michel, you could also transfer to RER C (Direction Viroflay-Rive Gauche) to Invalides and taxi or walk 1 km from there. One train change. Or take RER B to Gare du Nord, Métro Ligne 4 (Direction Porte d'Orleans) to Strasbourg-St-Denis, to Métro Ligne 8 (Direction Balard) to La Tour-Maubourg, and walk 100 yards. Two train changes. |
We arrived in Paris at CDG March 14th in morning rush hour (traffic! big traffic) and our total fare from CDG to an apt near Rue Cler in the 7th was 45E.
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A year or two ago, I was looking online at city bus options in Orange County (because we were visiting Disneyland). They have an FAQ section on their site about how to ride a bus. I was taken aback, but I guess there really are people who don't have experience with this, and might need instruction.
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To Robespierre. Thanks for your advice.
I'll go to St. Michel and take a cab. It will be easy, fun and cheaper and I won't be worrying about an excessive cab fare. (Hi Scarlette. Only 45E! That worked out well for you) Dave |
I always take a cab, but this is just what I prefer to spend my money on, so it's worth it to me.
I don't think the RER is the best for you, although you could do it. Port Royal would probably be the stop I'd choose if I did that, but I don't think it's as easy to get a cab there. If I were you, I'd take the Air France bus to Montparnasse Tower which is right next to that train station. There are a lot of taxis there for that reason, easy to get. That is closer to your hotel than these other options, and the Air France bus is only a couple euro more than the RER (about 11-12 euro to that stop). Taking the Air France bus is easier than the RER. If you want public transportation |
WillTravel,
I would guess that at least 90% of my territory has no public transportation options (including buses) and that most of the non-traveling public have never been on a bus. The only exception would be a school bus - and that's no practice for bus routes, fares, transfers, etc. I remember schools complaining that a national standardized test had a question about escalators...and none of the students had ever seen one. About 40 years ago it was a big deal when a bank built a new building with two stories and put an elevator in it. Lots of folks came to just ride the elevator. That same county has been in the top 5 fastest growing counties in the US for the past seven years - and some years has been #1 -exceeding Clark County, NV in growth. |
Christina, why Port-Royal? You've overshot the latitude of La Tour-Maubourg by a mile (besides the taxi issue).
If an airport bus is involved, my choice would be Roissybus to Opéra and Ligne 8 to the hotel. And if I were alone, I'd take RER B to Luxembourg and bus 82 to Place Vaubin. It's a very picturesque ride past my old student neighborhood (XIV). |
To Christina,
Robespierre has suggested getting off at St. Michel Notre Dame and take the cab from there. You have offered another alternative by taking the Air France shuttle bus to Montparness Tower and taking a cab from there. I think both are good suggestions. The RER B won't be as scenic but wouldn't get stuck in traffic so one could argue either way. Thanks again to all of you. DAve |
Dave, regardless of how you get there, I am sure you will have a wonderful time :)
Bon Voyage~Scarlett |
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