l&dlady

We're a family of five staying in an apartment in Paris for a week in Oct. Taking the Eurostar from London but flying home from CDG. Just read that taxis will only take four people to airport, but we are 2 adults and 3 kids. Are there U.S. style airport shuttle services that will take us all or do we need to call two taxis to take us to CDG when we depart? Thanks.

Jane

There are several shuttle services. WE, a family of four, used Paris shuttle which we reserved ahead of time. I think that's the one with a U.S. phone number. Do a search here and you'll probably come up with lots of options.<BR>Jane

matt

We tried the paris shuttle & were very happy with the outcome.<BR>Do a search for Paris shuttle or the boss Mark Harris as we did for more info.<BR>If you contact him direct & mention fodors he will give you a discount of a couple of euros each.<BR>

Vincent

Frankly, if you consider the overall cost of your stay, plus the fact that the shuttle charges you per person, getting two cabs might prove to cost you only $ 20 or 30 euros more than a shuttle, and you won't have to go through a grand tour of Paris before arriving at CDG.

grand

surely if you are a tourist a grand tour is part of the fun , a great way to finish your stay with a final look at paris sharing stories with other travellers rather than a grumpy taxi driver who wouldn t give you the time of day.<BR>

jeanne

We will arrive mid-day at CDG Terminal 2 (Air France) and wouldn't mind taking the RER into Paris, but I have a question.<BR><BR>We want to end up at the St Sulpice metro. Will we have to haul our luggage up and down stairs in order to get on the right metro from the RER? <BR><BR>If so, it might be better to take the AF Shuttle to Monparnasse and catch the No. 4 (?) from there.<BR><BR>What do y'all think?

Robert

Just returned from Paris, and it is possible to get a cab for 5. At the airport we had to wait in line, until a minivan became available, at the hotel, they called a taxo, and requested a minivan (VW). They charged extra for the 4th and 5th kids, but overall it was the least expensive alternative. $60 to CDG.

Beth

Check out the PariShuttle because the more people, the lower the rate (and then there's Mark's discount), and with five you most likely won't get the "grand tour" because you will fill the van. Besides, what's wrong with a ride around Paris? Isn't that why you are there?

amy

I want to address questions from both posters, l&dlady and Jeanne.<BR><BR>First, l&dlady: You can get minivan taxis for five, so size of party is not a problem. There's a caveat. We had had great luck reserving our taxi 24 hours with our hotel before we left. This has worked 6 out of 7 times without a hitch.<BR><BR>Then, one Monday morning, it poured down rain. We waited patiently until we could wait no more. The concierge (a dear, dear boy) rang the service until he could do no more. It seems that taxis just don't reliably honor reservations on rainy Monday mornings! (I think this is our one and only negative experience with France; I have heard similar tales since from other tourists--and other concierges, for that matter). Luckily for us, the Air France bus had a stop right up the street. We hauled the luggage up there, barely made the coach, and made it to the airport on time. We were pleasantly surprised and like having this backup.<BR><BR>Does this mean I'm recommending the Air France bus instead of a taxi. No. If your hotel is near an Air France bus, it's a great way to go. No hassle. Cheap (10 euros per person). Guaranteed (they have customers on their planes, they've gotta get there!). However, if an Air France stop is not within a reasonable walking distance, then I think you would be wise to reserve Mark Harris at ParisShuttle as a "sure" and very comfortable thing. $15 per person is not going to break your bank.<BR><BR>Now to Jeanne: You've named a plausible alternative. If you had suggested the RER into town, I would have told you "no, no, no." We did it once; we were so mad at ourselves. It was exhausting, and so much really could have gone wrong. Have had friends ( and numerous people on this board) who were robbed on the RER from the airport. Jet lag is a thief's best friend. Just ask the American Embassy where most people lose their passports!<BR><BR>However, I think if you don't mind lugging luggage, you have a reasonable alternative. We like the Air France bus (although we've had great experiences with taxis into town). If there are only two of you travelling, then AF really makes sense.

jeanne

Amy, thanks. I guess that settles it....we'll take the AF shuttle to Montparnasse. I take it you feel the metro is a good option to our hotel? It looks like we just catch the #4 at Gare Monparnasse. Hope I don't disappear for all time!

amy

Jeanne: My constant worry after having done the RER from CDG once is metro stairs/correspondances. We don't want start of your trip to be agony not ecstasy.<BR><BR>I also want to make it clear that while escalators and elevators do exist in Paris, they're never where you need them to be! We travel light, we live on the metro whilst in Paris, and we still balk at using it for arrival/departure.<BR><BR>So I want to make sure you don't have to walk one mile underground to get your ride up the street. I'm going to look up some better resources, but in the meantime, here is the RATP's "Plan du Quarter" page:<BR><BR>http://www.citefutee.com/orienter/plan_paris_pdf.php<BR><BR>It tells you what the area is like around each metro stop. You can scroll down to Montparnasse-Bienvenue in the second scroll box (hit "go") and you can check out St. Sulpice in the third scroll box. If you look at the Montparnasse map, it indicates where the Air France bus stop is (the Montparnasse station covers a large territory) and this pinpointed site can at least give you an idea of what side of the streets, etc. you would be on when you arrived.<BR><BR>I want to see where the exact entrance is to line 4 (on the map, you can see at least two Montparnasse listings, which indicates a correspondance). Will post back shortly.

Patrick

If not too late, here's another suggestion. We just used a taxi service -- metered and same rates as regular taxis, but this taxi is a van that takes 5 people with lots of room for luggage. You can even reserve and book by email.<BR>Taxi Philippe: email: [email protected]<BR>or phone number is the same as the email numbers. Philippe even speaks perfect English!!

Jeanne

Amy: You're very sweet...your input has made me feel confident about the choice to take the AF Shuttle. <BR><BR>But I took one look at that map and have decided to take a cab from Montparnasse to our hotel. I couldn't even locate the Air France dropoff site. <BR><BR>Shouldn't be a problem getting a cab nearby, should there?

amy

Jeanne: that's a solution--or you can just take a taxi/shuttle from the airport, for that matter. <BR><BR>If you want to take a taxi from the Gare Montparnasse, you of course need to find a taxi stand. I don't know your experience with Paris--I might be talking to someone who's lived there for four years--so forgive me if I sound in any way condescending. I'm assure you I'm just trying to be informative, not patronizing. I suggest you go back to the PDF map of Gare Montparnasse (http://www.citefutee.com/orienter/plan_paris_pdf.php), scroll down to the bottom and you'll see the little Air France ensigna on the bottom. The street the Air France drop-off/pick-up is on is Rue du Cdt. Rene Moutchotte. Right in that area (you can spit to it) is the Meridian Montparnasse hotel. There will be a taxi stand there (and there will be taxis there even in rain, I think!). Or just do that magic words with the bus driver (excusez-moi pour vous deranger, est-ce que vous pourriez me dire ou se trouve un taxi, s'il vous plait?").<BR><BR>Another option is just to walk toward the Seine from the drop-off. You'll head toward the Tour Montparnasse (that tall office building in the middle of nowhere), taking the aforementioned Rue du Cdt. Rene Mouchotte, bearing left onto Avenue du Maine for just a smidge, bearing right to Rue du Depart, and eventually crossing over Blvd. Du Montparnasse to Rue du Rennes. There's a taxi stand right in the middle there called Place du 18 Juin 1940. If you have no luck, press onward on Rue du Rennes until you reach your hotel a pied.<BR><BR>Need more info on taxis in Paris? Here's a rather good summary:<BR><BR>http://infotaxiparis.free.fr/pages/en/en_presentation.htm<BR><BR>I reiterate that I have had no problems using a taxi (it's mindless) except that rush hour does drive up the cost a bit.<BR><BR>Have fun, Jeanne!<BR><BR><BR>

jeanne

Amy: Most helpful, as always. If it eases your mind, I've NEVER been to Paris! I will look for the cab a "spit away" from our dropoff point. If it's raining, we'll take a cab from CDG.<BR><BR>My French is almost as elementary as my knowledge of the city, but I understood what you said, except for...."...est-ce que vous pourriez me dire...". Can you tell me? Is the pourriez the proper form of the verb "pouver" (can)? The two r's in the middle threw me off.

amy

You're not off base. You can certainly use "pouvez" (can)if you like. "Pourriez" (could) is considered just a bit more polite, but the French tend to be forgiving of any error made by someone attempting to speak their language. As another option, using the phrasing "...pourriez-vous (or "pouvez-vous") me dire..." might be a bit easier to roll off your tongue that ol' "est-ce que vous pourriez (pouvez)..." <BR><BR>Don't be put off if the AF bus driver is grumpy. They don't tend to get tips (shuttle drivers do), yet tourists unrealistically expect them to act as personal tourguides on the way in. These guys may understand some English, but they tend only to speak French (in self defense, I think). Again, we have no tales of horror.<BR>

Danielle

I have to disagree with all the praises for Mark Harris's Paris shuttle service.<BR><BR>I used his old shuttle service and had no problems. <BR> http://www.parisairportservice.com/Shuttlegb.htm<BR><BR>I was instructed to call a toll free phone number when we collected our bags and would be told what door the van would be meeting us. I happened to go to the ATM machine after the call and the driver was already in the door looking for me. There were a few people also in the van and no problems other than the usual morning Paris traffic from the airport.<BR><BR>This experience varies greatly to the Mark Harris shuttle. We called the toll free number we were given only to reach a recorded message. by chance we met other people waiting for the shuttle outside. We waited about 45 minutes more (now over an hour after arrival) and headed into the Paris traffic.<BR><BR>I thought I'd give the service another try and so I made a reservation for my son and his wife last week, they were going to Paris on their honeymoon. They waited about 1 hour for a van and when the driver showed up the van was full. They sent another van (another 30 minutes) and then the 2 hour ride in traffic to Paris.<BR><BR>Needless to say, this was Mark Harris's last chance with me. I cannot be the only one who experienced such bad service.<BR><BR>Are all the praises coming from Mark Harris himself? I wonder. <BR><BR><BR><BR>

cheryl

I was under the impression that a shuttle would be better than a taxi. However, I have found that a taxi is more efficient and believe it or not the fare from CDG to the city center was the same as Parishuttle's fare for 3 with the Fodor's discount.<BR><BR>Plus the hotel can reserve a taxi for your trip back to CDG the night before you depart. Much much convenient than sharing a shuttle. That can cause a delay in catching your flight.

roissybus

The Air France bus is not the only alternative to shuttles and taxis. The Roissybus, run by the RATP (Paris public transport service) is fast and cheap, and reliable. It runs between CDG and Rue Scribe, which is just next to the Opera house. It costs 8 euros per person each way, is direct non-stop to the airport, and stops at every terminal at CDG. There are large baggage storage areas on the bus (so you can keep an eye on your bags). Also, as the buses leave every 15 minutes (from 5.30am) they are rarely crowded.

Michael

Jeanne, I don't see how you avoid stairs by going from the street in Montparnasse down to the m&eacute;tro. Morevoer, Montparnasse is a monster station and should be avoided with luggage. I think that St. Sulpice is on the Porte d'Orl&eacute;ans line, so take the RER to Denfert-Rochereau and then the m&eacute;tro to St. Sulpice. Or take a taxi from Montparnasse.