Gigi

A friend and I are staying at the hotel Champs du Mars in the 7th arr. in February. We are wondering based on your experience how best to get from CDG to our hotel. Do we spring for a taxi, take the metro or take the Air France bus? I am only taking a small carry on bag, but she is taking a large suitcase and a tote bag. Please advise. Thanks much in advance!

Paul J

Hi Gigi: I'm sure you'll get all kinds of opinions, but my vote would be to spring for the $35-40 for a taxi. If you've been there before it might be different, but for a first timer it's a lot less hassle. Just resign yourself that it costs that much and enjoy the whole Paris experience. Regards, Paul J

Lee

Gigi: Save your money, take the Metro. My wife and I returned from Paris on Jan. 13th and we took the Metro everywhere and never got lost. It's easy. Here's what you do: At CDG, leave by gate (exit) #28 and get on the bus "RER" as it takes you right to the Metro station and it's free. At the station, buy two tickets for "RER - B" and get a Metro map. It's all color coded for each route. The "white" circles indicate transfer stations. I'd call or fax the hotel asking for the CLOSEST Metro station (or if you know, then great) and then just go. I'm betting that you can take the "RER, B" to La Chapelle and then get on the "Blue" to Ch. de Gaulle-Etoile. The name on the Metro line indicates the LAST stop on that line. Your map will show all of the stops in between. I had been to Paris a couple of times 10 years ago, but hadn't rode the Metro, while my wife had never been to Paris and we got around fine. It's easy. BTW, thw Metro "RER-B" ticket will cost FF47 each (under $8.00), so use the money you save on dinner. Have fun and have a good trip!

robinson

How about from the train station 'Paris Nord' to a hotel in the 7th? 2 adults, 2 children - would a taxi be cheaper than the metro? Thanks

joelle

The taxi cost between Gare du Nord and the 7th arrondissement should be between 60 and 80 FF, depending on the time of the day and the number of luggage pieces. Please be warned that many Parisian taxi drivers do not accept four persons at the same time! They sometimes accept a family with two small children, but if you have a lot of luggage, this is not guaranteed. Considering the hassle and the cost for train or bus tickets for four people from Roissy to central Paris, it should be better to try and catch a cab from the airport. Price varies between 200 and 350 FF again depending on the time of the day and wether this is a Sunday or a public holiday. Another important point : should you arrive in Roissy in the morning (between 7 and 10 AM), traffic jams to get to Paris are awful... So it could be quicker to take the train and then the metro.

Gigi

Thanks to all who responded. What do you think about taking the Air France bus to Etoile ( I have no idea where that is, but I read it was one of the stops) and then a taxi to our hotel in the 7th? How much money do you think we would save over just taking a taxi from the airport. I honestly am trying to discourage my friend from the metro idea as I don't want to lug our bags up and down the stairs and through the turnstiles.

joelle

It is a good idea to take the Air France bus to Place de l'Etoile/Charles de Gaulle but bus is rather expensive (maybe FF 55 per person) and then a cab will cost you again 50 to 60 FF to get to the 7th arrondissement. And the bus will also be stuck in the traffic in the morning to get to Paris.

Joel

Gigi, I think both pwassen and lee gave you good advice. Business takes me through CdG a number of times per year and I have to make the same choice. I'd be the last person to knock the Metro, it's by far the most efficient and lowest cost means of travel in the city, but from the airports I wouldn't recommend a first-timer try the Metro. It's a bit complicated. More than that, it takes a while to get to the RER, figure things out, buy the tickets, etc. All in all, I would guess a cab would put you on your hotel doorstep, before you get seated on the RER. That's why I stopped using the Metro from CdG and switched to taxi. But if you're adventuresome and the $50.00 is a lot to you, why not try the Metro? One last thing, if you take the RER, contrary to lee's route, I would suggest you take the RER-B line to the "St. Michel-N. Dame RER station, change there to the RER-C line to Invalides station, change to the Metro green line labelled "BALARD" and get off at Ecole Militaire. You'll be a few hundred yards from your hotel. Bon voyage.

Christina

I would not recommend anyone ever take the metro
from the airport to a hotel if they have any luggage
at all. Not only are you going to be tired and
you'll have to figure out the ticket/metro system
(I'm assuming you don't read/speak French and
haven't been there before), but it is a BIG
hassle to get bags of any size around the metro
system (and it is very crowded during rush hour and
the middle of the day)--you're talking
about making your life miserable to save a couple
bucks. If you have 2 people you can share
a cab--cab fare+tip should only be about $40-45 from
CDG to the 7th arr. (or $20 per person). Bus fare
will be about $10-12 plus then you'll have to pay
for another cab from the bus stop to your hotel.
If you do take the Air France bus, which is the best
non-taxi idea, you can take it to the Montparnasse Tower
bus stop rather than the Etoile--it's closer to the
7th. arrondisement. The metro fare is about $7-8
per person, I think, but then you'll need a cab
or something to get from the metro stop to your
hotel.

JOAN DOYLE

Dear Gigi: I think Christina is right--especially if your friend is carrying a large bag. There are STEPS up and down at every Metro station. I person-
ally would not want to try to negotiate the Metro in the rush hour (AND have to change twice at that). Take the cab--and bon voyage! Joan