Paris cab: accommodate 4 people and bags?
 

I am looking for the best way to get way from deGaulle airport to the Latin Quarter (Place Monge) on a Friday about 3pm.

There are 4 adults, with a total of 6 bags.

I suppose a cab makes the most sense, but can we fit everyone in a standard sized taxi there? Would we need two cabs, or perhaps do they SUV/van type cabs that we would need?

Any suggestions on the best way to get from to the Latin Quarter? I don't mind public transportation as long as it didn't take more than 50% longer than a cab.

Thank you.

I would be very hesitant to take public transit with that much luggage - assuming you mean real bags - not small carry-ons.

Yes, there are plenty of larger cabs that can take you and your luggage. Not sure public transit is much cheaper for 4 people.

I'm pretty sure they have the larger SUV type vans available. You can even book some online or at least price it. Keep in mind that each bag adds a charge to your total. But with that much luggage, I would definitely take a taxi. I took the RER to CDG once with a big suitcase but it was mostly empty so it was fine but the train is usually pretty crowded so for you, I wouldn't chance it.

We had a driver in a van last time. (Arranged ahead of time). One time we tried to do the public transportation all the way and it was a pain, albeit cheaper.

It depends on the size of the bag which was not stated. When I travel as 4 adults with 8 bags, we could easily fit in any taxi.
However, we travel light. We only carry 20" carry-on plus day/tote bags.

Lots of SUV vans available.

Stu Dudley

Go to the official taxi stand and wait your turn. A mini-van will show up shortly, costs the same as the regular-sized taxis. Don't let yourself be pulled out of line by anyone who approaches you and don't let anyone but the driver handle your luggage.
Hand the driver the complete printed address of your destination, postal code included - not all of them speak English. You'll be charged 1 EU per item in the trunk, plus 3 EU each, if there are 4 passengers or more - all this in addition to the metered fare (about 60 EU). Not all taxis will accept credit cards, so it's a good idea to have sufficient cash with you.
If you're coming from the US, you'll already have been in transit for over 12 hours - why tempt fate? Take a taxi, get where you're going - you can tackle the public transportation system after you've gotten over jet lag.

Place Monge isn't even a convenient place to go to, if you were going some place right on the RER line, it would be different. That involves 2 transfers, really -- from the RER to two differen metro lines as the line place Monge is on doesn't connect to the RER B. So you'd trasnfer at St Michel to line 10 and then transfer again 3 stpos later to line 5, which is what Monge is on. Or, you'd get out at Chatelet/Les Halles aned walk to Chatelet stop to the line 5. They are connected underground, I think, but it is quite a distance.

Or you can walk from Gare du Nord to Gare de l'Est to get on line 10.

Take a cab, even if you need two, unless you like to walk and change trains a lot. That will be close to rush hour, also, some people can barely get on the metro at that time of day, let alone 4 adults with 6 bags, if you are talking about landing at CDG around 3 pm.

I used both public transport and pre-arranged shuttle last year. For solo travelers , there can be a big price difference ( unless shared shuttle) but for 4 people with bags it is worth considering.

This way, you know the cost up front and don't have to worry about whether you will have to take one or two cabs or traffic (which will certainly increase the cost).

There is also the convenience of door to door transport with luggage after long flight and not having to worry about carrying luggage up and down stairs at metro/ RER stops

I used Paris Shuttle but other companies have been recommended as well on this site