Paris: Basilica Saint-Denis from CDG - timing/logistics
 

I'm planning on a day in Paris between a flight and a train on the 25th. My flight should arrive at CDG at 11 and my train leaves from Montparnasse at 6.

I was thinking of taking the RER from CDG to Denfert-Rochereau and leaving my suitcase in the lockers at Montparnasse, then taking the metro back out to the Basilica. That has the advantage of having my suitcase back where I need it to be for the evening, but looks like it might add a lot of extra time on to my trip going all the way across Paris three times.

Is there any chance I could get off the RER at Stade de France or La Courneuve-Aubervilliers and walk? Google gives it as about a half-hour walk from either stop, which is fine, but I'm a bit worried about getting lost or sticking out like a sore thumb in that neighbourhood. Obviously it will also be a pain hauling the suitcase with me, but it's only a cabin bag after all. Would I be allowed in the Basilica with it though?

I'm hoping to meet up with a friend around 4-4.30 near Montparnasse before my train but not sure if I'll have time if I go into Paris and out again. Thanks for your help!

Throwing ideas around...
I might consider taking a taxi from CDG to Sant Denis, with your luggage.

From there, I would use charm/contribution to the Basilica to see if I could park my luggage at the counter OR perhaps have lunch at local cafe and see if could store there.

Is the Basilica your only interest for the day?

By the time you clear CDG it will be after 12. If taxi to SD, there after 1.

You need to get to Monparnasse by 4:15, say. So you need to op on RER by...3:45.

So you have, maybe, around 2 hrs?

Not much time to be going back and forth on RER.

Hi gwan,

i've been looking at getting from St. Dennis to the RER at the stade de france, but with the idea of going to see St. Dennis before a rugby match.

it's not very far i think, but I'm not sure I'd want to do it with luggage.

I'm afraid that there are only 2 practical options - get a cab from CDG to St. Dennis, or get the RER straight to Montparnasse and spend your time there. what about the tower? a meal? a wander round that area?

you don't actually have that much time, and you don't want to miss your train!

The RER station in St.-Denis is a bit of a hike from the basilica. The St.-Denis Basilique Metro station (Line 13) is very close and that line will also take you direct to Montparnasse.

It didn't even enter my mind to take a taxi from CDG, I guess I'm a lot cheaper than you lovely people :) I also live in France, so it's not a "one shot" sort of a deal, but it's something I would quite like to do & I only end up going to Paris to catch planes, so I always have these problems with timing and luggage.

It has also been suggested that I drop my stuff at Gare du Nord, but again that builds an extra couple of trips into the itinerary, and potentially leaves me stressed coming back in the afternoon.

Hmmm, should have gone with a later train, but I don't like getting back home too late. I might just see what time I get out of the airport and then make up my mind - if the flight's on time it shouldn't take very long with only hand luggage and I'm signed up to the scheme that lets you skip passport control, so that's a time-saver (although last time I came through CDG that lane was closed off, grrr).

agreed, I have only taken the metro there, the RER station isn't close to the basilica. Don't do that (take the RER and walk miles around St Denis with your luggage).

You cannot take the RER straight to Montparnasse because it doesn't go there.

I don't think you can do this by RER. If you got to Montparnasse by 12:30 (landing at 11), then you'd be back out to St Denis by maybe 1:30 by metro? Something like that, at least the metro from Gare Montparnasse goes right there. And you'd have to leave around 3 pm, if you just want to see the cathedral, that is doable, the metro station is right near it.

Take the Air France bus from CDG straight to Gare Montparnasse, that's what I'd recommend. Don't be so cheap as to try to save a euro or two by taking the RER plus metro transfer.

Denfert-Rochereau is on the RER line just around the corner from Montparnasse, I would just walk.

Under broadly reversed circumstances, I hired a car in Paris, drove to a meeting in Cergy-Pontoise, drove to St Denis, found a meter, visited the basilica then dumped the car at CDG.

Can you return a car near Montparnasse? Since you live in France, you'll know how overblown the hysteria on this site is about driving in the centre.

Oh no, I would have hysteria driving a car anywhere in France - never driven on the right, can't drive a manual car, can't parallel park and haven't driven at all for 2 1/2 years heh heh :)

Well, there's nothing else I really want to do in Paris. I might just see how the day unfolds and go to the Musee d'Orsay or something if it looks like I'm running a bit behind. I don't really like impressionist art, but whatever.

Thanks for your input!

Oh - or where's the place I always get mixed up with Les Invalides? Where a lot of famous people are buried? I might go there.

(That would be the Pantheon!)

Invalides has some guy called Napoleon there, as well as some of his generals

Yep, been to the Invalides and I *still* get them mixed up.

The RATP journey planner gives this suggested route: RER B from CDG to La Plaine-Stade de France, then a 12-minute ride on bus 153 from there to Basilique de Saint Denis-Hotel de Ville-Metro-Tramway.

"Invalides has some guy called Napoleon there, as well as some of his generals"

as well

This site has its problems.

I was about to say, "As well as his son, the Roi de Rome, who would have been Napoléon II, had he lived."

I'm not sure what you're looking for at the Basilique, but since you're meeting someone in Montparnasse, the cimetière de Montparnasse is rather interesitng.