Reservation with Bee Shuttle, Paris
 

Can anybody think of any reason why I'd want to reserve Bee Shuttle ahead of time (now?) for a June trip? We will need them for CDG to Paris and then Paris to Beauvais on the way out. Thanks.

How many of you are there? And how much is it? Cheaper than a taxi? What do you have to do, call them when you arrive and then they come pick you up? I have yet to "get" why people like most of the shuttles I've seen or heard of over a taxi.

The most significant reason I've heard is that you can be assured of a set cost, whereas there's a bit of a gamble if you get in a taxi that hits enormous traffic, etc. Plus the reported costs are slightly cheaper for a shuttle vs. a taxi most of the time.

For Paris to Beauvais, a taxi would be very expensive indeed. Not sure about a shuttle. Have you ruled out the Ryanair shuttle bus?

Patrick: I'm thinking a shuttle because there are four adult sized people (well, parents + 2 teenagers). Don't you think that's the best plan? I really can't see us all in one cab. I'd never do it in NYC, and I presume the cabs are smaller in Paris? Thanks.

willtravel: I've sort of ruled out the Ryanair shuttle because it leaves from a train (or some kind of) station that looks like it is quite far from our apt. in the 5th. Our flight is very early (9:00 AM). What do you think? Thanks!

Bee Shuttle costs 58 euro for four people with an unknown number of extra stops enroute. I can't imagine a taxi being that much to central Paris. There are numerous mini van taxis in Paris. You merely need to wait a few minutes for one at the airport. But someone else needs to say if those are large enough or not for four of you.
Meanwhile, if you want to be guaranteed a maximum of two other stops with Bee Shuttle, it costs 80 euro.

If a regular mini van taxi holds four, I'd go for that any day over contacting a shuttle and waiting for them, plus making detours on the way to the hotel when you're tired.

wliwl, there's been some discussion of how to get to that Ryanair shuttle bus on previous threads. I believe it leaves from Porte Maillot, which is in the northwest area of Paris.

I don't know when the metro starts running in the morning and if that would allow you enough time to get to the bus from the 5th, but you could take a taxi to the Ryanair shuttle bus location. Whether that will save you money in total is hard to say.

Hmmm...I was unaware of the taxi "mini van." I'll post a question about that seperately. I would much rather take a cab - especially when we get in. Last time I was in Paris we took the train into town. It was a pain even with small luggage.

Hi wl,

The cab stand at CDG has a dispatcher, who will find you a cab for 4. You will probably have to wait a (short?)while.

If you have a reservation with Bee Shuttle, you call as soon as you arrive at the luggage area. The driver will be waiting for you when you clear Customs.

Occasionally you will find a driver who claims that he doesn't have the credit card machine and will want you to go to an ATM to get cash. Do not accept this. Insist on his calling the office to authorize the charge.

This trick is not limited to Bee.

((I))

To me, the obvious "advantage" to using a shuttle would be the set price regardless of the time and regardless of the traffic. People often pick this option because "the money" issue is the most important one.

If someone would be standing there when the taxi leaves and could guarantee that it would cost no more than a shuttle then I suspect the shuttles would all go out of business pretty fast.

Bee shuttle was actually really cheap for us compared to a cab--there were 2 of us..and you get a discount for using them on the way back.

Also there was only the 2 of us in the van which surprised me. I thought we'd be overflowing going by some of the posts on this forum.

CAVEAT-there was NO ONE waiting for us outside baggage claim as promised!! We had to find a phone and call the toll free number. THREE TIMES AT LEAST. Then the guy argued with me about where to meet.

He kept telling me to follow the instructions in an email I received earlier that week. I kept telling him that's exactly where I was--he kept saying if I was there, then the driver would be there too!! Like an Abbott & Costello routine.

Finally (45mins later) we saw the driver pull up outside--see? told you he wasn't where we were!!

The driver was great though..he even let us use his cell to call our apartment.

So, just be prepared I guess is all I'm saying. Good luck and happy travels!

Hi lucy,

We had the opposite experience.

My sister was supposed to call when she arrived, because her plane landed after ours.

She forgot.

We called after we had all of our baggage.

The van arrived within 15 min.

Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose.
((I))

I hate to beat a dead horse (why would I want to do that?), but to those who keep talking about the price being better for a shuttle than a taxi, will you please read and see that we are talking about FOUR people here, not TWO. That doubles the price of the shuttle from two people and it is a very safe bet that a taxi WILL be CHEAPER. The shuttle price is now 58 euros -- hard to believe a taxi would ever be that much. Add stories like that 45 minute wait (or even a 15 minute one), and the taxi sounds like a more attractive alternative all the time.

Patrick has it exactly right. Take a taxi.

OK Patrick, I think people get it...they're just exploring all options. Careful or you'll pop a vein.

Arggg...I just know this is the beginning of the fun of travelling in a party of four! (I'm trying to picture sharing a little tiny cafe table with my 2 boys, one at 6'3" and the other at 6'5", and my 6'2" husband - gee do ya' think anybody will suspect we're Americans??? HA!)

Anyway, now I see a lot more horror stories about Bee Shuttle on here. I got a response from "paris.shuttle-airport.com" that the trip in from CDG for all 4 of us will be 85€ and the trip to Beauvois will be 155€. I will happily pay that 155€, but they sure as hell better show up on time to get us there for a 9:00AM flight!!!

Perhaps the bottom line is, do you think I'm better off pre-planning this or should I just deal with it at the airport?

P.S. to Patrick - Sometimes I take a shuttle (preferably those BIG buses outside Grand Central!) in NYC rather than a cab because it feels a little safer and if I'm not in a rush it is worth it, although I am, admittedly, perhaps more fearful than the average person of scary cab rides.

Hi wl,

>...do you think I'm better off pre-planning this or should I just deal with it at the airport? <

Depends upon how phlegmatic you and your family are.

((I))

There is another way to get to Beauvais. I think you take the Metro to a place and then a bus for like 10E. And since we took all our adult children and their spouses to Paris last fall, they fit around cafe tables quite well. Still can't figure out why you won't take a taxi. They are vans--price will be about 50E.

"Author: lucygirl
Date: 03/18/2005, 11:26 am
Message: OK Patrick, I think people get it...they're just exploring all options. Careful or you'll pop a vein."

Huh? You think all the people really do "get it"? Even those who still said that "for two the cost of a shuttle will be less than a taxi?"
No vein popping here, just was aware that obviously some people were missing the four people bit. Sorry that somehow caused you to get in a tizzy, lucygirl. Talk about vein popping!

lucygirl,
I can't believe you actually waited the 45 minutes. I would've taken a cab after 10.

Patrick, huh? I think you read too much into what people say. No tizzy here, frankly that's what I thought you were doing. My bad.

Patty, you're right. I was just concerned they would charge me anyway b/c they had my credit card # for reservation. Or maybe I'm just that stubborn... :)

Oh by the way Patrick, at the time I went to Paris, and going by what I learned here re: taxi costs, the cost of the shuttle really was more affordable.

Wow, interesting point lucygirl. Mind telling us which shuttle firm was "more affordable" for four people than a taxi? That would be good information to have.

Patrick: "Even those who still said that "for two the cost of a shuttle will be less than a taxi?"

Like I already said there were 2, two, deux of us. For Bee Shuttle. I never said 4. Geez, like I said we get it. You are talking about 4, four, quatre people.

If there's anyone here who got up this morning and thought "hey, I feel like irritating Patrick today on Fodor's, raise your hand". ;)

Take a taxi.

A suggestion for lucygirl - " Careful or you'll pop a vein. "

Surely I'm not the only traveler that factors time wasted needlessly on vacation as valuable as actual currency.

When I consider how many hours I had to work to "earn" the time to travel, those minutes on vacation are very valuable to me.

When I am making the decision on whether to redeem flight miles or hotel points I factor in how long it took to accumulate those points vs. the currency saved by redeeming them for "free" flight or nights stay.

45 minutes waiting for a pre-arranged shuttle is a stupid way to start my trip in Paris. I don't care how much $$$/EEE it might save.

That's my value system.

But to belabor the pros and cons of taking a shuttle when the shuttle will cost MORE than a taxi and you still have to deal with possible waits and the stops and starts while the shuttle deliveries the other passangers to their hotels....weil, I would be out of my skin with frustration if I knew I had made THAT choice.

Hi wliwl,
We just returned from Paris, we take the taxi that is waiting at the airport. They have station wagon and mini van taxis waiting in line at the airport.
We took a regular Renault taxi- 2,two,deux :) of us cost 44E.
On the trip back to the airport to come home, we called a private taxi- this time we got a big Mercedes, it cost us 40E..don't ask me why, I wasn't going to debate that with the driver :D

Starrs may veins are fabulous, thank you for your concern. Oh wait..maybe that was "stupid" to say? :)

For two of us, we have taken the shuttle in the past from and to CDG. The wait has been minimal when arriving and as scheduled on the return. The most stops we have made outside our own is 2, two, deux, zwei, due. We enjoy the little excursions and the chance to compare notes with the other passengers.

Last November after staying in the same hotel twice before, we realized the Air France Montparnasse bus stop was two blocks away so we used that for $30 (dollars) each way. It would have been cheaper had we bought round trip tickets and will do so next time.

On the evening of Nov. 10, the road into Paris was packed with traffic, at times a complete stop, so were were glad we didn't have a meter ticking.

Scarlett:

Did you pay 40E for Mercedes car from apartment to the airport with Victor? He quoted me 60E each way. Thanks.

I haven't read every word but in case no one answered your question, it is best to reserve ahead of time from the US. The shuttle I use requires prior reservations, how else do they know to send the driver in anticipation of your call? We use http://www.parishuttle.com. And actually I like being driven through Paris rather than directly to my hotel. Takes all kinds, right?

OK, guess I'm just a slow learner. So when someone asks about the best way for FOUR people to travel, it is perfectly reasonable that other people should say the shuttle is cheaper and leave it at that, because when two of them went it was --even though they don't clarify that there were only two rather than four, and they aren't really answering the specific question for the original poster, but just giving general information.

And when someone asks about a good restaurant in Paris, it is perfectly fine for someone to respond about a really good restaurant in Rome because that's where they had a good meal and it might apply to others as well. Never mind if it has anything to do with the original question or not, someone will find it of interest.

OK, NOW I got it. By the way, I only seem to see one hand raised.

That Bee Shuttle experience by lucy would hardly make me want to reserve with them, but in any case, I think the OP also wanted to know if there was a reason to reserve three months ahead of time.

I sure wouldn't, can't imagine why that would be necessary, even if you use them. In fact, I'd say the odds of things getting lost iof you reserve 3 months ahead for a car are much higher.

Scarlett, I don't understand your comment about debating things with the driver nor what you meant by a private taxi vs. one at the curb. A taxi is a taxi unless you mean a private car or driver that isn't an official tax. Taxis don't have flat rates, the fare depends on time and distance and also time of day and day of week can matter. There's no reason a taxi to/from the airport should be the exact same rate to the euro. In fact, I'd be surprised if it were.

40 euro to the airport from Left Bank near rue Cler is pretty good, though, I don't think I've ever had a rate quite that low for that distance, more like 45-50 euro.

I think Scarlett is saying they got a deal and weren't going to look the gift horse in the mouth. I really hope the OP has gotten the message that a taxi is better--probably for BOTH trips. She needs to check with the airline leaving from Beauvais about transportation to that venue. Otherwise she is going to 'way overpay.

Patrick, you are absolutely correct and if I thought you were referring to me I would be offended.

Thanks Gretchen, that is exactly what I meant :)
The Mercedes was not Victor, he was 60E..there was someone else that was on vacation, I called G7 I think the name was.
He arrived in a nice black Mercedes and whisked us away!
Coming into Paris in rush hour was a pain but getting to the airport was a breeze..I wish I were there now :)

Why not take the Roissy Bus? It's about 8 Euros each, they have lots of room for luggage, it comes around frequently, and it lands near the Opera Metro.

If you don't have a lot of luggage it works fine. Then just take the metro to your stop. Takes about 40 minutes.