Is it safe to take train from CDG by 10 PM?
Sep 23rd, 2016, 02:20 PM
#23
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Well Paris and virtually any European city is no doubt much safer from a physical standpoint than large American cities, taken as a whole- what 800 +killings in Chicago alone this year so far or something absurd like that?
Yet your chance of being pickpocketed, etc in Paris is probably higher than in large American cities - especially in downtown areas.
So it depends on what safer means?
Yet your chance of being pickpocketed, etc in Paris is probably higher than in large American cities - especially in downtown areas.
So it depends on what safer means?
Sep 23rd, 2016, 02:46 PM
#24
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Jeez! This is so simple. I live in France, speak French, have flown into CDG airport at least 100 times, maybe 200 times, and it would never occur to me, no matter what time of day or night, to do anything other than take a taxi. Just DO it!
Sep 23rd, 2016, 03:18 PM
#26
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I've been to CDC maybe 15-20 times and I have never taken a taxi nor ever will - I like being green and using public transports and making my own way in on RER- seeing the ubiquitous Romani accordion players - the self-acclaimed deaf mutes with a maudlin written messages about needing money, etc. Seeing the locals - especially on a local stopping train CDG to Gare du Nord- the many immigrant types that can swarm aboard at Alnay-sous-Bois, etc.
It's always an adventure and that's why I love traveling.
But arriving late at night after an all-night flight in a city you're not familiar with and yes more seedy types riding the metro at that time IME is different- smart there to nab a cab I think and for two people it's not that much more than the RER/metro.
In daytime take the RER/CDG as most locals do - like kerouac - go Green.
It's always an adventure and that's why I love traveling.
But arriving late at night after an all-night flight in a city you're not familiar with and yes more seedy types riding the metro at that time IME is different- smart there to nab a cab I think and for two people it's not that much more than the RER/metro.
In daytime take the RER/CDG as most locals do - like kerouac - go Green.
Sep 24th, 2016, 02:57 AM
#27
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Would say That security is very secondary concern to reliability. It is quite frequent that train would leave you at a station en route, driver advising that traffic is stopped for "durée indéterminée". Then, the real adventure begins looking for plan B ! With buses going through Cités to bring you to another station.
I am so used to it that I dont care at all, always prepared for the unexpected.
But, for all kinds of reasons, I would recommend taxi for first comers, especially from Paris to CDG (you would not like to miss your flight)
I am so used to it that I dont care at all, always prepared for the unexpected.
But, for all kinds of reasons, I would recommend taxi for first comers, especially from Paris to CDG (you would not like to miss your flight)
Sep 24th, 2016, 04:25 AM
#28
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Please define 'quite frequent'.
I have taken RER about 1000 times and whilst it is true that I have heard about all kind of announces, I have never ever had to take a bus to bring me to another station.
I have taken RER about 1000 times and whilst it is true that I have heard about all kind of announces, I have never ever had to take a bus to bring me to another station.
Sep 24th, 2016, 06:36 AM
#29
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In any case Paris has a huge pollution problem-largely from vehciles so unless totally inconvenient take public transit and do your part to help out - go green. Yes a taxi is easy but do your part too and the RER is so so easy to do and with metro tie in takes you within a few blocks of many hotels.
Sep 24th, 2016, 09:01 AM
#31
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Chez Rouelan
J'aimerais quand même que vous quantifiiez le nombre de fois que l'on est obligé de prendre le bus parce que le RER B est complètement interrompu pour une longue période. Vous écrivez que c'est fréquent, ce que je mets en doute. Que cela arrive et que cela soit une galère, je n'en disconviens certes pas.
'Quite frequent' is a huge exxageration.
J'aimerais quand même que vous quantifiiez le nombre de fois que l'on est obligé de prendre le bus parce que le RER B est complètement interrompu pour une longue période. Vous écrivez que c'est fréquent, ce que je mets en doute. Que cela arrive et que cela soit une galère, je n'en disconviens certes pas.
'Quite frequent' is a huge exxageration.
Sep 24th, 2016, 10:45 PM
#34
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Stat lovers may want to check the RER unofficial blog.
For August Août 2016 : 22 jours ouvrés : 45% de jours à problèmes
Honestly, RER is ill designed for tourists, which of course does not mean they should not consider it (I think its share is 30%).
France would not have chased 1.5 billion Euro for years to build the CDG express, now due for 2023. Decidors
consider Paris will not win the 2024 olympic bid if there is no CDG express
For August Août 2016 : 22 jours ouvrés : 45% de jours à problèmes
Honestly, RER is ill designed for tourists, which of course does not mean they should not consider it (I think its share is 30%).
France would not have chased 1.5 billion Euro for years to build the CDG express, now due for 2023. Decidors
consider Paris will not win the 2024 olympic bid if there is no CDG express
Sep 24th, 2016, 11:56 PM
#35
Does the unofficial blog give figures for just the RER B or does it include the highly troubled RER D?
And how does it compare with the traffic situation on the A1 autoroute, which probably has about 350 days of "problèmes" every year?
And how does it compare with the traffic situation on the A1 autoroute, which probably has about 350 days of "problèmes" every year?
Sep 25th, 2016, 02:53 AM
#36
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Yes 45% de jours à problèmes - meaning what ? delays of 10 min ? When I don't even know what the real schedules are and I just get the first RER that goes by ?
Meaning there is a strike and you arrive at Gare du Nord on the upper tracks (la belle affaire) ? Meaning ???
My questions was : how many times did YOU have to take a bus to another metro station due to RER failing down.
I said that I took the RER B about 1000 times and never experienced such a thing.
You said you take the RER daily for the last 20 years, which means : 220 working days * 20 years * 2 (back) = 8800 trips.
So for me : 1000 trips : 0 'galère'
for you : 8800 trips : ? galères ?
Again, your post gives the impression that tourists WILL encounter problems since it is so frequent.
Again, I disagree. I know it is a trend in Paris to say that RER B is badly managed but ...
Meaning there is a strike and you arrive at Gare du Nord on the upper tracks (la belle affaire) ? Meaning ???
My questions was : how many times did YOU have to take a bus to another metro station due to RER failing down.
I said that I took the RER B about 1000 times and never experienced such a thing.
You said you take the RER daily for the last 20 years, which means : 220 working days * 20 years * 2 (back) = 8800 trips.
So for me : 1000 trips : 0 'galère'
for you : 8800 trips : ? galères ?
Again, your post gives the impression that tourists WILL encounter problems since it is so frequent.
Again, I disagree. I know it is a trend in Paris to say that RER B is badly managed but ...
Sep 25th, 2016, 03:45 AM
#37
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Hi Kerouac,
Stats are for RER B
http://rerb-leblog.com/
Additional details on type of incident.
I am not good enough in maths to estimate probability to be affected by incident (need to factor duration of incident, level of seriousness).
Of course, the Most serious one is "accident de personne" which will imply "personnes dans les voies" because commuters are suffocking on a train middle of nowhere.
Most time, i am Lucky enough to know about the situation and find some colleague who will give me a lift from CDG. But last month, I was unlucky to get stuck in Villepinte. Caught a bus through les 4000 to Aulnay then tram T4 to Bondy, then RER E.
I would make a différence between road A1 A3 and train. Travel time is highly variable on road (and yes, at some time of the Day, it Is a serious problem) but quite predictable (You Can check on Google map). Train travel is less variable but probably more difficult to predict. And, if There is a serious problem on road, chances are high You Can reroute. With the train, it Is not the case.
All in all, for my daily commuting, as opposed to several colleagues, I still keep green (but I am not in a position where I MUST report by a given time).
When I go to CDG to catch a flight, especially when I have heavy bags, I prefer to take a short bus ride to Opéra or Etoile and take a bus. From CDG to Paris, depending on bags and time of the Day, I would take bus or RER.
Rarely taxi except when I Fly the famous Tokyo CDG That arrives before any public transport has resumed.
After, I fully understand décision to take such or such transport dépends on a lot of factors.
Stats are for RER B
http://rerb-leblog.com/
Additional details on type of incident.
I am not good enough in maths to estimate probability to be affected by incident (need to factor duration of incident, level of seriousness).
Of course, the Most serious one is "accident de personne" which will imply "personnes dans les voies" because commuters are suffocking on a train middle of nowhere.
Most time, i am Lucky enough to know about the situation and find some colleague who will give me a lift from CDG. But last month, I was unlucky to get stuck in Villepinte. Caught a bus through les 4000 to Aulnay then tram T4 to Bondy, then RER E.
I would make a différence between road A1 A3 and train. Travel time is highly variable on road (and yes, at some time of the Day, it Is a serious problem) but quite predictable (You Can check on Google map). Train travel is less variable but probably more difficult to predict. And, if There is a serious problem on road, chances are high You Can reroute. With the train, it Is not the case.
All in all, for my daily commuting, as opposed to several colleagues, I still keep green (but I am not in a position where I MUST report by a given time).
When I go to CDG to catch a flight, especially when I have heavy bags, I prefer to take a short bus ride to Opéra or Etoile and take a bus. From CDG to Paris, depending on bags and time of the Day, I would take bus or RER.
Rarely taxi except when I Fly the famous Tokyo CDG That arrives before any public transport has resumed.
After, I fully understand décision to take such or such transport dépends on a lot of factors.
Sep 25th, 2016, 04:12 AM
#38
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Woinparis, i dont think That RER is badly managed. Problem is, when You transport almost 1 million pax a day, priority must be given to restore asap nominal operations when There is a serious problem, way before any commercial consideration. So RER Ops control has a very différent philosophy than an airline OCC. And RER OCC Will pay no attention to pax That are stranded en route because they need the train to go back to Paris asap.
The key problem is lack of investment, because lack of money.
Things are improving a bit with the RER Bplus and revamp of some cars.
But everybody is too happy now to see ADP take the lead on CDG express and imposing a new tax to finance it (well almost everybody happy, not the Airlines)
For a good example of funny bashing of RER, you probably remember satirical journal informing That Felix Baumgatner was attempting the ultimate challenge after his 36000' free fall dive: It was to survive the entire ride from StRemy to CDG. Mind You, not many were giving him a chance to make it! ��
The key problem is lack of investment, because lack of money.
Things are improving a bit with the RER Bplus and revamp of some cars.
But everybody is too happy now to see ADP take the lead on CDG express and imposing a new tax to finance it (well almost everybody happy, not the Airlines)
For a good example of funny bashing of RER, you probably remember satirical journal informing That Felix Baumgatner was attempting the ultimate challenge after his 36000' free fall dive: It was to survive the entire ride from StRemy to CDG. Mind You, not many were giving him a chance to make it! ��
Sep 25th, 2016, 07:33 AM
#39
I am like Woinparis. I worked for an airline based at CDG for 34 years and never experienced having to leave the train in the middle of nowhere. I have absolutely never been stranded anywhere by the RER B.
The CDG Express is going to cost at least 24 euros, which is much too expensive for not much of a gain of time and even less convenience, since Gare de l'Est is not as convenient as Gare du Nord -- although I do understand that one of the main points of the project is to take pressure off Gare du Nord, the busiest train station in Europe. The only way I would approve of the project, though, is if they install airline check-in counters directly at Gare de l'Est so people can be relieved of their baggage before they get on the train. That's the way they do it for the Hong Kong express rail service.
You are a very unlucky person, rouelan.
The CDG Express is going to cost at least 24 euros, which is much too expensive for not much of a gain of time and even less convenience, since Gare de l'Est is not as convenient as Gare du Nord -- although I do understand that one of the main points of the project is to take pressure off Gare du Nord, the busiest train station in Europe. The only way I would approve of the project, though, is if they install airline check-in counters directly at Gare de l'Est so people can be relieved of their baggage before they get on the train. That's the way they do it for the Hong Kong express rail service.
You are a very unlucky person, rouelan.
Sep 26th, 2016, 02:51 AM
#40
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Maybe unlucky but not the only one to get in such a situation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gw4wptwY4A
You are right : it is very very rare that passengers are "formally" stranded middle of nowhere. When faced with announcement "traffic stopped for an indefinite period" or "traffic wont resume before 2 hours", you can always chose to stay onboard.
Most frequent situations for CDG bound trains are trains stopping in CDG1 (passengers asked to wait for next train or take the Val), in Aulnay, less frequently in Parc des Expos.
For Paris bound trains, in case of serious problem between Aulnay and Paris, SNCF will operate trains till Aulnay where you get tram T4 to reach RER E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gw4wptwY4A
You are right : it is very very rare that passengers are "formally" stranded middle of nowhere. When faced with announcement "traffic stopped for an indefinite period" or "traffic wont resume before 2 hours", you can always chose to stay onboard.
Most frequent situations for CDG bound trains are trains stopping in CDG1 (passengers asked to wait for next train or take the Val), in Aulnay, less frequently in Parc des Expos.
For Paris bound trains, in case of serious problem between Aulnay and Paris, SNCF will operate trains till Aulnay where you get tram T4 to reach RER E
