A friend and I will be leaving for Paris in a few weeks and I have a few details I want to iron out so I’ll be more comfortable. <BR> <BR>I’ve decided to take the RER from CDG. Our hotel is in the 5th near the Monge metro line. What would be the best route from the RER to get to the hotel? Should we take the metro, or take a taxi for the short distance? Luggage will be light. <BR> <BR>A few days into the trip, we’ll be going to Normandy for the night. I’ve reserved a rental car at Versailles. What is the best route to get from the 5th to Versailles? And the estimated cost involved? <BR> <BR>Thanks for any help you can provide. Tammy

You can't get there from here; that being said, best route is RER to Denfert, change to #6 line to Place d'Italie then change to #7 line to Place Monge. What might be easier is to take the RER to Gare du Nord, and get a cab from there. There's a cabstand where you can wait; you could take the RER to St Michel or Luxembourg, but then you'd have to hail a cab. By taking the cab, he'll drop you at your hotel (if you get out at the Mo stop, you'll be searching around for the hotel and after several thousand hours on an airplane, you really don't want to do that) and you can figure out the Metro without bags at a later time. <BR> <BR>To get to Versailles, pick up the RER at the St Michel stop - it's the C line. Depending upon where the car rental place is, you'll want either Versailles Rive Gauche or Versailles Chantiers (two different trains - the toteboard on the track will tell which train is coming). One way is maybe $5?

I'm pretty sure there's a cab stand at St-Michel. Probably also the Luxembourg stop, but if not there are a couple large hotels near there (ie the Select) where you can usually get a cab, there might be a cab stand across the street in front of Luxembourg Gardens also). As long as you're taking the RER I wouldn't get out at Gare du Nord for a cab as, depending on traffic, it can cost about US$25 to take a cab from Gare du Nord to place Monge, it's way across town (I have done it in middle of day, so I'm not exaggerating on cost). If you were going to do that, I think it might make more sense just to take the Air France bus to Montparnasse Tower (same price as the RER) and then a cab from there to place Monge, which isn't that far from Montparnasse--there are tons of cabs in front of Montparnasse station, the AF bus is easy and convenient and the same price as RER. If it were me, that's what I'd do and forget the RER/metro or RER/cab thing. If your luggage really is VERY light (ie, a duffel bag) and it's not during a weekday when metro is full (ie, NOT during 8 am to 7 pm M-F, sometimes it gets lighter in middle of day), then I'd take the RER and metro.

I recently stayed in the 5th and took the RER from CDG. The easiest and cheapest RER/taxi combo for you will be to take the RER to Luxembourg (on the B line that goes straight from CDG). Make sure you exit the station on the end near rue Soufflot/Place Edmond Rostand. The taxi stand is normally right at rue Soufflot/Blvd. St. Michel, but because of construction at that corner, it had been moved up one block toward the Panthéon. There was a sign indicating where it was relocated to; the construction may be complete by the time you are there. It will be just a short hop to the area near the Monge metro station, and will cost just a few dollars in cab fare. This will be the quickest way as well, because you won't be in traffic for long, or on any of the major routes.

Thanks everybody !!!! I feel a lot better about getting from the airport to the 5th. I'm just counting down the days....

Where's the cabstand at St Michel? The hotel at which I usually stay is right at the Seine/Boul' Mich' exit and I don't remember a cabstand within view.

Elvira, according to my Paris Pratique, the closest taxi stands to Boul' Mich'/Seine are at the intersection of Blvds. St. Germain and St. Michel, and--a little closer--at Cloitre Notre Dame and rue d'Arcole on l'Ile de la Cité.