Xport from CDG to Center of Paris - Train
 

I am confused and I think unnecessarily so but I can't figure it out.

I have always taken cabs from CDG to my hotel in Paris. I'd like to take the train in this time but am struggling a bit.

I had thought that I would take the RER B from CDG to Paris but when I go to the CDG website I see references to both the RER B and something called the CDGVAL, with more information being provided on the latter.

In looking at one of the guide books (um, Fodors) there is plenty of information on how to get to the RER from Terminal 2, but I believe I will be coming in to Terminal 1...US Airways...at least according to the map on the CDG website.

Can someone point me to a site that helps me figure out how to get from my Terminal to the train station, then what train station to take to what train station in Paris?

Where is your destination address in Paris? The RER may or may not be your best option.

CDGVAL is the new free rail shuttle between terminals. You would still be taking the RER to Paris.

See the link. I have not made this exact trip myself but will be doing it in May, and have some hope that this is clear enough that I will be able to do it without any trouble. I have always taken a shuttle, but decided that I am a big girl and can follow this. Besides, I want to save the money a taxi or shuttle would cost.
Good luck.
http://parisbytrain.com/airport-to-paris-terminal-1/

From Terminal 1, you would be taking the CDGVAL to the Terminal 1 & 3 RER station to get the train to Paris.

Wow Cynthia...that site is absolutely amazing!

MD - when are you going? I hope you have a chance to report back and confirm that it is in fact as easy as it looks.
My only concern is that when I exit at St. Michel Notre Dame, there may be stairs that are difficult with luggage. I always plan to pack light, but fail miserably!

You shouldn't have to worry about that at St. Michel.

I've not been to the Les Halles / Chatelet station...is there a taxi stand outside the station or would I be better off jumping off at Gare du Nord for a cab?

I am heading to Paris in two weeks...just shy of that actually.

Md you never did say where you are staying. That would help a lot before giving any further advice.

I'm staying two blocks from Place de la Concorde. The closest metro stop to where I am staying is Tuileries. I know I could take the metro from Les Halles to Tuileries but am thinking a short cab ride might be better than lugging luggage around Les Halles as it looks to be a pretty big station / stop.

The trouble with Châtelet-Les Halles is that it is in the middle of a big pedestrian zone, so the taxi station is underground in the big Forum des Halles shopping mall. I suppose that there are signs to point you in the right direction, but it might turn out to a traumatic experience. Better your taxi from Gare du Nord, or else take the Roissybus to Opéra, which would make a much shorter taxi ride to Tuileries.

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll just hop off at Gare du Nord and taxi in from there. I should still come out ahead in terms of cost and possibly even time since our flight gets in at 8:00 a.m.

There are 5 stops on the CDGVAL shuttle train system at the airport. The stops are T1, Parc Pr (parking), T3, Parc PX (another parking), and T2. You can take the CDGVAL to either the T2 or T3 stop as there is a train station at both terminals The T2 stop is the TGV station but the RER B trains to Paris use this station also and the T3 terminal train station is RER B trains. There is no train station at T1.

Larry J

Although there is no RER B station at the T1 stop on the CDGVAL shuttle the RER B trains still use the name CDG T1 as the name for the train station at T3. This is because the RER has always had two stations at CDG airport (Terminal 1 and Terminal 2) They have not as yet seen fit to rename T1 to T3 to be consistent with the CDGVAL system. Confusing I know but then everything about Airport CDG is confusing.

Larry J

Since Roissybus stops at <U>all</u> the CDG terminals, you could get to your hotel in possibly one hop instead of three. This would be a lot easier in terms of lugging bags and finding loading areas/platforms, and if your hotel is sorta towards Place Vend&ocirc;me, you might even be able to walk it from Op&eacute;ra.

ttt

Since I started it I will post what we did.

On arrival we hopped the little automated tram right outside Terminal 1 and took it to the second stop (first was for a parking deck only), hopped off, got in line to buy tickets since we had no coin, made our way down to track 22 as I recall and took the RER B to Les Halles - Chatelet. We went outside the station and caught a cab to our hotel. The fare ended up being less than the minimum so we paid the minimum fare (7 euro as I recall) when we got to the hotel. Total time from getting out of the airport was about 40 minutes.

On the way from the hotel to the airport we decided to take the metro to Les Halles-Chatelet instead. I did have to carry our bags up and down a few flight of stairs but we didn't have much luggage so no big deal. We used the special turnstyles in the metro and train station for wheelchair bound pax. We had two remaining metro tickets from our last carnet so that factored into our decision. The total journty time from the time we hopped on the metro until we got to CDG was again about 40 minutes but we got lucky on timing all around since both the metro and the RER B was waiting for us as we approached the tracks.

I would do this (the latter) again with the same amount of luggage (two roller carry on suitcases, two carry on bags). I wouldn't hesitate to take the RER B to one of the main train stations and then cab it on from there either.

So from my hotel to the airport cost two metro tickets plus 16.80 for the RER tickets.

From the airport to the hotel the cost was 23.80 including the cab fare. My records show that on my last trip (2008) we paid 40.70 plus a tip for a cab ride from CDG to the same hoel.

I'm glad that it turned out well and that you didn't find it complicated.

<i>So from my hotel to the airport cost two metro tickets plus 16.80 for the RER tickets.</i>

As information for others who might do the same thing: Any metro attendant can sell you a metro + RER ticket as a single ticket. It can be purchased at any time, but if purchased ahead of time, it should be placed somewhere in the wallet where it will not be confused with regular tickets.

What Michael said, except that it isn't a case of "an attendant <U>can</u>" sell you a combo ticket - it's automatic. You don't have to ask for it.

Every RER ticket to CDG is valid from any M&eacute;tro or RER station in Paris to the airport - the <I>correspondances</i> between the two networks aren't even gated. This is equally true of tickets from Paris to Versailles and Disneyland.

But the issue is going from Paris to CDG.

More clarification on the combo ticket...it isn't a combo actually.

Buying a ticket for the RER gets you access to the metro on that same journey. No need to ask, it just comes w/ the ticket.

mdtravel,
<i>it just comes w/ the ticket.</i>

Not from Paris. My impression is that you purchased two tickets--a metro ticket and a ticket for the RER. You could have purchased only one.