Lea_Gillette

Hi everyone, I've done this countless times, weirdly, and every time I forget how long this exchange takes, miss my train, and beat myself up for it afterwords.

I'm landing in charles de gaul (with any luck) at 9:05 am, and i have a train ticket form Gare de Lyon to Dijon booked at 11:57am. 2 hours and 52 mintes. Will I make it without crying and stressing myself to death like usually happens?

i guestimate 30 minutes to get off the plane.. 9:35am
an hour to get luggage and go through customs - 10:35am
another hour to get to Garde de Lyon via the rer - 11:35am
leaving me a fabulous 22 minutes to flee for my train. I kinda know this station so I should manage. Maybe.

What do you guys think?

Dukey1

I think you might consider taking a taxi unless you also think the traffic will be SO bad that even that won't work.

30 minutes just to get off the plane??? or are you talking 30 minutes from wheels down?

Lea_Gillette

I'm trying to estimate high! I just checked some of my old failed trajectories and turns out 3 hours didn't cut it the last time, but my plane was probably late? I've never tried another method aside from the RER. is taxi faster?

StCirq

If you have to collect luggage, 30 minutes may not be enough. It can be almost that much time between the moment the plane lands and the time you're actually in the terminal - those planes seem to taxi all over the place, and slowly, once they land! Then possibly another half-hour or more to get your luggage. And by 9 am, the lines for immigration can be daunting. In my experience, 3 hours usually cuts it (though I'm normally heading out from the Gare Montparnasse or Austerlitz, but it should be about the same). But I don't take the RER, either. I usually take the Air France navette (which goes to the Gare de Lyon) or a taxi.If you can give yourself even another half-hour, I think it would be better.

Cathinjoetown

Well, as you've already booked your train ticket, your only option is to try to make it.

I try to avoid CDG at all costs because, IMO, baggage claim can be a zoo and take forever as can the plane's taxi to the gate which St Cirq mentioned.

If all goes smoothly, you may make it, if not, there's always another train so just take deep breaths and hope for the best.

TimS

If you take a taxi, you will have to allow time to wait your turn in line at a taxi rank. Air France bus #4 goes directly from CDG to Gare de Lyon, but the buses run every 30 minutes. If you just miss one, you'll have to cool your heels waiting for the next one. Then there is the possibility of traffic slowing you down.

IMO, the fastest route would be to take the RER B to Gare du Nord, transfer to the RER D, and take it to Gare de Lyon.

Bonne chance!

Sarastro

If you take the RER B, you´ll still need to walk to the RER station, buy a ticket (even the machines can have lines), wait for the next departure, and then make the big train change at either Gare du Nord or Châtelet. I should point out that the Gare du Nord to RER D is a good suggestion IF you know in advance exactly where to find the correct RER D train but if you are in a hurry and not intimately familiar with Gare du Nord, it´s also easy to become disoriented and lose valuable time.

The quickest way to depart CDG is undoubtedly taxi. Taxis do not wait at the taxi queue near the terminal exits, they are called to that point from the huge taxi holding area on the lowest level of Terminal 2. You´ll never wait long at all for a taxi, the big question will be traffic. Usually it rolls along smoothly but in spite of the taxi lanes along A1, if there is an accident somewhere along the way, a taxi or bus may not be the fastest way into the city.

As a general rule, I never attempt to catch a train with less than 3 hours of scheduled ground time at CDG (and I never check luggage). Scheduled aircraft arrival times are based upon averages, they are not guarantees. Maintenance problems, weather concerns, and other unforeseen events can easily extend your actual arrival beyond that which is scheduled. Additionally, I alway add at least one hour for the trip into Paris if I leave from Gare de Lyon or Montparnasse.

For a train connection from CDG to Gare de Lyon, give yourself no less than 4 hours unless the fact the you could easily miss your train allowing less time does not bother you.

StuDudley

I would consider taking the TGV from CDG to the Lyon Pt Dieu station, then changing trains for Dijon.

There is a CD departure at 11:58 that arrives in Lyon at 14:00.
Leave Lyon at 14:20 arriving in Dijon at 16:19

We lost at least 30 mins at the Paris Nord station trying to locate our RER connection. Note Sastro's comment about this connection - it happened to us.

Stu Dudley

parisian

The easiest RER transfer is in Chatelet: You get out RER B and walk 10 meters across the platform and you wait for the next RER A for 1 station to GdL

Christina

I think your estimates are pretty good, actually. 30 minutes to get off the plane from landing doesn't surprise me (a bit high, but at least 15-20), on those big planes no one gets off the plane for a while and then it can take forever.

Generally it doesn't seem to take an hour for me to get luggage and through "customs" (which I never go through, so that is zero time, but you do have to go through passport control), but not too far from it.

Lea_Gillette

Thank you everyone- I was initially going to take the 11:58 train directly from CDG, but stuff has come up and i need to be home in Dijon earlier. I'm trying to have someone pick me up in Paris and drive me to the station, which I guess would be fastest- otherwise I have to count on my plane touching down on time or early. If I'm late I guess the best emergency plan B would be to get a taxi?

Michael

The line for getting a ticket for the RER can be horrendous (30+ minutes), and I am not sure that American credit cards work in the vending machines.

Sarastro

Yes, the lines at the ticket windows can be 30 minutes plus but the ticket machines at CDG will accept magnetic strip credit cards. These are about the only machines in Paris that will.

StuDudley

>> These are about the only machines in Paris that will.<<

I would not expect that to last very long - more and more machines are becoming "chip only".

Stu Dudley

kerouac

If you take the RER (RER B to Gare du Nord and then RER D to Gare de Lyon), it will take you about 45 minutes. Nothing to worry about.

If you take the Air France coach direct from CDG to Gare de Lyon, it should still take less than one hour.

Nothing to worry about. Apparently, American cards now work in the ticket machines at CDG.

Christina

Don't the ticket machines at CDG take cash? They do in Gare de Lyon. I always have some euro on me anyway from prior trips, but most people like to get some at the ATMs.