111op

Hi, I've never taken the buses before, so I'm reading about them here to prepare for arrival on Thursday.

If the strike is still going on, it looks like the Air France bus could be the only one running. Does that sound right? It goes to Arc de Triomphe?

I've read that it runs every 15 minutes, but I can't find a webpage the confirms this on the AF website. Does someone know for sure?

Looks like the Roissy bus to Opera is run by RATP, so it's potentially more unreliable. Does that sound right to people?

I'll only be in Paris for a few hours. I'll return to CDG around 4-5 pm. Does the bus still take about an hour during rush hour?

I assume that the bus driver will provide change?

Thanks!

Travelnut

http://www.cars-airfrance.com/

There are 2 lines from CDG (also one from Orly, and one that only goes between CDG/Orly).

You can take an AF bus to these 4 locations, depending on which line you choose:
-Porte Maillot
-Arc de T
-Gare de Lyon
-Gare Montparnasse

You can buy a ticket at a kiosk or from the driver. I believe the above website will tell you basic timetable info.

On your way back to CDG, I'd be at the AF stop earlier than normal, b/c I imagine there are a LOT more customers than normal.

111op

Thanks Travelnut. I found that link before I posted. If you click on "Lignes" and then "Horaires" (for #2), the info doesn't say how often the bus runs -- just that it runs between 5:45 and 23:00. The English link works the same way.

TimS

I just checked the RATP site. It says that Roissybus service currently is "quasi normal." Since a few days ago the site said service was "1 in 2," meaning every 30 minutes rather than every 15 minutes, I assume "quasi normal" means that service is nearly back to every 15 minutes.

111op

Thanks, I noticed that as well. I'll check again before I go, but I'm thinking the AF bus is the more reliable one in the event of a strike.

Roissy bus link in case people need it:

http://www.ratp.info/informer/anglai..._roissybus.php

Travelnut

http://www.discoverfrance.net/France...s1.shtml#AFbus
..... says departures every 15 minutes

http://www.easycdg.com/pages/cdg_air...oachespag.html
..... says every 20-30 minutes

111op

Great, thanks!

Travelnut

I'm picturing tourists hanging off the boarding door and out the windows, kinda like the San Francisco street cars...

111op

I hope not. The situation is supposed to be improving I believe. At least that's what I'd like to think. I certainly wouldn't want to spend my few hours in Paris worrying about getting to and from the airport.

kerouac

I took the Roissybus once during a strike. I saw one pass by that was totally jam packed, so I merely investigated exactly where the starting point of the line was at CDG and got the next one at that point. (No I don't remember where.) I felt very clever after about 3 stops and no one else could get on.

111op

Right now the ratp.fr webpage has the following for Roissy bus:

Roissybus: 3 bus sur 4

What does this mean? It's running at 75% i.e. 3 runs out of 4?

For Metro service, what does the word "rame" mean? For example 1 rame toutes les 5 min. I'm guessing it's a "run" also but Google is translating this differently.

Should be interesting.

I studied a Paris map today in greater detail. I think I need lines 1 and 12 to run. Line 12 is not really running at the moment.

TimS

I'm with you in guessing that "3 bus sur 4" means 75% service--or three/hour rather than 4/hour.

According to my French dictionary, when referring specifically to rail service, "rame" means "train."

111op

I'm studying the bus maps in more detail.

Thanks to Robespierre, who posted a map for Roissy pickup spots in CDG on an earlier thread:

http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan...issybus&fm=pdf

Do people know if pickup is separate from getting on? The map makes it seem that way. It looks like the first CDG stop to get on is 2BD, then 2AC, then 2EF, etc.

I'm flying AA, so it uses 2A.

For AF bus, the route seems different (based on what the map I looked at). It looks like you get dropped off in Terminal 1 first, then 2AC, 2EF, 2BD.

I want to minimize the time I sit on the bus, but I also want to study the stops just in case I need to use a different stop.

On the CDG map 2ACE are lined one side and 2BDF are on another. Do you know how I can cross over from AC to BD? Is there an underground passageway of some sort? Or do I cross the street (I don't think so)?

Thanks again.

111op

I've another question -- how are these strikes "scheduled"? Let's say I take the Roissy bus on Thursday when I arrive. Is it fair to assume that it will most likely still be running later in the afternoon when I need to return to the airport?

I know no one has a crystal ball, but do they sort of stick to their initial strike plan for the day, or can they strike randomly?

Last, is it ok to assume that AF bus always runs?

Christina

As for Air France, you can't assume the AF bus always runs, because their workers go on strike sometimes, also. I don't think that has anything to do with the current strikes, though, but any and all workers in France that work for large companies, have unions or are civil servants often strike some time or other.

I'm not sure of the exact details of how a strike could possibly change during a day, or if one can be 100 pct sure of anything == but I wouldn't assume a bus running early in the day means you'll be able to easily get a bus later in the day. They schedule runs to make use of the workers they have to the best extent, so maybe later in the day, they think it's not so busy and they cut the schedule in half or stop early or something. Rame does mean a metro train. Strikes sometimes are not for an entire day, either, they can be scheduled for half a day.

I don't think the strikes are just random, though, they do have plans some time in advance and it isn't that one hour some workers just decide to do something that they want. All of these workers are organized.

111op

Thanks. Well I'll have to make some decisions for Thursday and will probably need to make some assumptions -- that need not to be true in general but just apply for Thursday.

Obviously I'll continue to check ratp.fr to see how the strike unfolds tomorrow. But once I get on the plane and arrive, it's unlikely that I'll be able to get further news (except to experience the strike first hand).

Well is there a foolproof method to get to the airport if both the AF bus and Roissy bus stop running in the afternoon? Maybe stop by a hotel lobby to see if I could get help? Any other suggestions?

So far it seems like Roissy looks ok. It's my first choice. But I'm obviously researching other options just in case.

Travelnut

You can always take a taxi.

Ranks and Tel numbers:
http://www.taxi-paris.net/page41.html

TimS

Besides the maps you've already looked at, check out the ones at www.easycdg.com.

Underhill

A few years back we landed at CDG the day of a massive transportation strike. Because of that we couldn't fly from CDG to Nice and had to go to Orly for the second part of our flight. The AF supervisors/management were handling the bus, and everything went well. However, getting to and from the planes on the tarmac was an adventure.

kerouac

I just arrived back at CDG this morning. The RER B is still not running. I presume that the other transportation methods are running, but I had a rental car waiting for me. It took 45 minutes to get to the northern edge of the city (where I live), so I would count an hour or more to get to the center. Keep this in mind if you take a taxi -- the meter can be unforgiving in a traffic jam.