Kay_SD

We are flying American to CDG. According to our itinerary, we arrive at AEROGARE 2 TERMINAL A at 9:30 AM. I would like to attempt taking the RER B into Paris since our apartment is 0.4 km from the St. Michel-Notre Dame stop.

Could someone please tell me how we get to the RER at the airport? Also, are there elevators or escalators at CDG and St. Michel? We will probably have 2 suitcases and 2 small carry-on bags.

ira

Hi K,

The RER station is at CDG 2. See
www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/

Hagan

Hi Kay - We are also staying in an apt. several blocks from the St. Michel stop and will also be taking the RER B into the city. We've done it once before and it's really very simple. We're flying Air France this time, so I believe we're arriving at a terminal that has direct access to the train. However, last time we flew AA, and we had to walk to a shuttle bus that took us to the train.
Just check out the website Ira provided for you and follow their directions. Also, you will need to get in line and purchase the train tickets in person, your credit card will not work in the automatic booths they have for this. Really, it is very easy, just follow signs at the airport and ask if you get confused.

One thing I would recommend is that you write on a piece of paper the letters "RER B", as the last time I kept pronouncing it wrong and nobody had a clue what I was talking about!

As I recall, there are escalators at the airport that take you down to the train. I don't think there are any elevators or escalators at St. Michel, but I could be mistaken about that. I seem to recall using steps, but not a terrible amount.
There are several exits you can use to come up from the St. Michel station, so maybe you could ask the person/agency you're renting from which one you should use. We're staying on Rue St. Andre des Arts, and I'm thinking we just follow the signs to St. Michel Place, but that's one of the things I need to check on before we leave. Our trip is 3 weeks from today! When are you going?

Kay_SD

Ira, thanks for the link. It looks like we need to catch the shuttle at gate 8 of terminal 2A.

Hagan, writing "RER B" on a piece of paper is a good idea. I may have to do that quite a bit in France. I am learning a few words, but my pronunciation will probably be terrible.

We leave in about 8 weeks, and are also staying in an apt. on Rue St. Andre des Arts. Are you renting through Vacation in Paris?

PalenQ

you can take the shuttle but you can also walk thru sprawling terminal 2 to the RER station that is inside terminal 2 right by the TGV station. Could be quite a walk but luggage carts make it OK and won't have to deal with bus transfer, which i believe takes you to a different RER station not in terminal 2.

hanl

"RER B" in French is pronounced like "air-euh-air bay" - helps if you can do the French "r", of course.

Robespierre

In addition to the "r" you have to know how to pronounce "euh" before you can master this.

carolyn

We also walked, with our luggage, to the RER B ticket counters. After sitting through such a long flight, it felt good to walk. We have no French and had no trouble.

I think it was by divine intervention that we came up out of the San Michel metro stop at the right place to walk directly to our hotel. I did have a little map printed from the internet with me showing the streets.

Robespierre

Hey, everybody!

When you buy your first RATP ticket, ask for the "Grand Plan de Paris" and you won't have to screw around with little tiny maps.

If you want a <i>really</i> tiny map, here it is: http://www.ratp.info/picts/miniplan/metro120x84.pdf

(Set scale to 100% to see it in all its wallet-sized glory.)

Michel_Paris

There are 2 stops for the RER at CDG.

As for pronunciation, saying each letter individually instead of as a word is the way to go.

Travelnut

Except &quot;R&quot; is more like &quot;ayre&quot; and I can't pronounce the &quot;E&quot; properly. How 'bout just write down what you want..?

kathcoll

I just got back from Paris last night after a great 1 week trip. We took the RER B from and to CDG.

While the system is easy to use and not a problem for non-French-proficient travelers, I think the problem you experience may have more to do with your luggage than with your ability to use the public transport. Dragging a suitcase and a carry-on through public transport is not easy. We travel light - one carry-on each - and that is as much as I would want to be dragging around.

Since we arrived on a monday and left on sunday the Carte Orange week long zone 5 pass allowed us to make one purchase (I copied the request that Robespierre had given me so that I didn't have to worry about my lack of proper pronounciation.) We used the rer and metro for all travel all week. Including 2 trips to Versailles (how do people see everything in half a day? There's not &quot;just&quot; a palace and unbelievable gardens - but also quite a lovely town)
It is a marvelously easy system to use - even for those of us who speak no French!

Hagan

Kay, our apartment is through perfectplaces.com, and is at 59 Rue St. Andre des Arts. I'm really looking forward to staying in this location. I'll post a report when we return, which will be before your depart for you trip. Hopefully, I'll have some tips!

kerouac

And I will say once again for people using the Saint Michel-Notre Dame RER station: if you want to get out at Place Saint Michel, it is at the front of the train; if you want to get out at Notre Dame, it is at the back of the train.