just got back from paris and it was pretty great.

first day--
flying into CDG airport. there are some logistics about the airport that are not obvious. First, there are a number of different terminals from which international flights leave and land.. Continental did not do a good job of clarifying that they leave from terminal 2a. (I could swear we landed in terminal 2b, but i was pretty wiped out.) so, i would encourage you, before you leave the terminal when you land, to verify where you need to return to catch your flight home. otherwise you can have a nervous breakdown trying to figure out where to get off the bus (if you are taking a bus).

getting into paris. the simple but very expensive solution is a taxi. I was more into the bus. one bus is called the "Roissybus". there was no information about the roissybus that i could see at the airport. here is what i discovered. the bus stops at every terminal. to find the stop, go outside the arrival area and look for the sign for the roissybus. one comes every 15 minutes or so, and costs 9 euros or so. the roissybus takes you to the back of the opera gaurnier, next to the american express office. the air france buses cost a bit more and go to somewhere else--i think the etoile.

another way in is the RER--I have never tried to navigate this option..

i am pretty familiar with the 5th arr., so i stayed at the hotel sully and the hotel claude bernard on the rue des ecoles. i got into paris at about 1PM and went to the sully, where my room was ready. i got an interior room, which was nice and quiet for a bit of a nap. it was not tiny, not huge-- room for a double bed, desk and a shower. got a fairly good price on the internet--79 euros for a 3 star single, w/o breakfast..

after the nap i went to notre dame and took a few pictures.

i was surprised at how busy paris was-particularly the tourist places--i expected it to be much less crowded.

I'm surprised that YOU were surprised by how crowded Paris was. It is always crowded at tourist sites all year round...

I'm scheduled to be in Paris on April 7th - I'm planning on taking the RER; I hear that it is much faster into the City. As a newbie for Paris - I hope that I make all the right decisions as to not look like an American tourist, watch for pick-pockets, make sure no one is following me to my apartment and be alert on the Metro. I'm pretty well traveled, but all this advice that I'm getting off of these threads makes me nervous as to what to expect in the City of Lights.
Let me hear how your trips is going ~ an on the spot report would be helpful.
Enjoy!

mychoneys--

i have sporadically heard about crime-pickpocketing in paris but have never really seen it. i did keep my money, credit cards and my passport in my front pockets of my jeans.

the metro was fine--but i didn't go into the teeth of the rush hour on the busiest of lines.

i hav heard that the RER doesn't do to all terminals--so you would have to figure out where it leaves from. the RER stops in paris do seem very convenient.

So excited to read of all your adventures. We leave for Paris May 9th for a week.

Can't wait to hear more about your trip...

hi youngtom2910, i need to ask you this cause we are also travelling thru Continental Airlines and we dont want any hassle especially we are carrying our 2 y/o active baby boy, you meant you landed on terminal 2b and then left at terminal 2A?? so less trouble let the shuttle drop off where the terminal you leaving right, i dont want to get lost hehehe