Marnie

Does anyone know the easiest and least expensive way to get from Roissy airport to Gare l'est? Also our plane is hopefully landing at Roissy at 10:55 am on a Saturday and our train is leaving Gare l'est at 3:45 pm.....will this be enough time or will we be rushed? Thanks for your help <BR>

Joan Doyle

Dear Marnie: Unless your flight is VERY late arriving at CDG, you hould have more than enough time to get to the Gare de l'Est in time for your train. How you get there would depend (in my book) on how much luggage you have. Personally I'd take the Air France bus into the Place de l'Arc de Triomphe and catch a taxi from there. Good trip. Joan

Bob Brown

Joan is right. How you go is a function of how much luggage you have. The Metro is not very luggage friendly. <BR>I found lots of steps and darn few escalators. Besides the Metro always seems to be crowded. <BR>The cheapest and easiest then may be a set of conflicting conditions as dictated by how much you are carrying and your physical condition. <BR>If you want to do it by train and Metro, the way to do it is to go to the RER B line at Charles de Gaulle Airport. <BR>Try this web site to see a map of CDG: <BR>http://www.adp.fr/webadp/a_cont01_an.nsf/$$Affich?ReadForm&cle=X500 <BR>You will see a link to airport maps. <BR>The map is a large one and it will show you how to locate the RER station. <BR>Take RER B to Gare du Nord. Then you will change to the Metro. The map of the metro <BR>http://www.ratp.fr/Pla_q_eng/f_pla_eng.htm <BR>shows that lines 4 and 5 come through Gare du Nord and go to Gare de l'Est. <BR>Take line 5 in the direction of Place de Italien or take line 4 in the direction of Porte d'Orlean. <BR>It is very important that you go in the right direction as indicated by the end station on the route. Maps are easy to find, so just make sure that you are going the right way. <BR>Gare de l'Est is the next stop down, so you get off about the time the doors shut good! The two stations are quite close, but those tunnels and steps can be a maze. <BR>The RER cost is 49 francs; the Metro cost is 8 francs regardless of distance. <BR>I like Joan's suggestion frankly because you will be above ground. It might cost a little more. But last year I never got on the wrong train, but I carried a map with me at all times and double checked the end station before boarding. <BR>And when you board the train, watch out for anyone looking up at the subway map posted over the door. A favorite ploy of pickpockets is to spot you coming, move into you as you board, and see what they can take. The movement into you is the distraction. Keep your passport, ticket, and credit cards under your shirt -- money belt or a billfold that hangs around your neck.

Marnie

Thanks for all of the information....especially the web links to the sites with maps -that will come in handy. I also like the taxi idea since we will have quite a bit of luggage, but we will be traveling with four adults and I read somewhere that the taxis only hold max of three adults? Once we get to gare l'est is there an obvious spot to meet up with one another if the need to take two separate taxis arises? Also what about pre-arranged shuttles...I read that that is possible also -have you ever done that? Once again, thanks for your help

Bob Brown

http://www.paris-anglo.com/clients/ashuttle.html <BR>The above is the van shuttle service I used last year to get from Roissy - Charles deGaulle Airport to a hotel in the 6th Arr. You prepay by credit card. When you get off the plane, you calla toll free number and the person answering tells you where to wait for the van after you get out of passport control and customs. We had a short wait. But we got to observe fender benders Parisian style. No law officers came up; but there was a lot of shouting. <BR>The van worked out ok. Our driver barely spoke English, but he knew Paris. The person who answered the phone spoke good enough English. <BR>If you have luggage, I would take the van. It is 89 francs per person. <BR>But the van can hold it. We had 6 in my group. I have read suggestions that one of you take a taxi with the luggage and the other take the RER. <BR>But trying to regroup in a strange place is not easy to do. I understand the need for economy, but I am not sure the risk of someone getting lost is worth it. You are talking about $15 per person, which is a small fee for a key part of your trip.

carol

I agree with Bob. The van is definitely the way to go. You shouldn't be rushed.

Marnie

Thanks again for your helpful responses. I am definitely going to go with the van. I think the stress of being on a flight for seven hours and then trying to cram into the metro with all of our luggage will be too much to handle. The van sounds much more relaxing and worth the money. One question......do we tip the driver? Actually two questions.....when we arrive back in Paris at Gare l'est will their be taxis there to take us to our hotel or would you recommend arranging for a van again?

Bob Brown

The van service I used advertised itself as the Airport Shuttle. I guess you email them and ask them. I had several exchanges with them, so I know there is email. <BR>But taxis cluster around big train stations. Best source of revenue they can find is my guess. <BR>Given the long tunnels and many steps you find in Metro stations, I think you made the right decision. If you are strong and can walk for 300 yards or more carrying two big suitcases before you have to put them down to rest, then you might do it.

Bob Brown

PS I did tip the driver. <BR>I think I gave him 20 francs on a 180 franc bill. But that was all I had other than a 200 franc note; we had just gotten in.

Jean-Pierre

Take RER line B to "Gare du Nord" (30 minutes). <BR>Then, you can walk (10 minutes) or take a taxi (less than 1 kilometer)