Hello all. We%26#39;re arriving at Charles de Gaulle at 5 p.m. on a Friday. I%26#39;m not sure how long customs will take, but we%26#39;re guessing we%26#39;re still facing significant rush hour traffic for our trip into Paris. We had planed to do the RER/Metro combo, but with bags during rush hour, we%26#39;re debating. What%26#39;s the best option? Shuttle? Air France shuttle? Taxi? We%26#39;re not looking for necessarily the cheapest method, but the easiest given the time of our arrival. Merci!
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In terms of ease with luggage as well as Cost is the Shuttle and it does drop you at your hotel. You can schedule a pick up on line from the CDG Web site. Taxi would be next in terms of ease but Cost is higher.
Customs does not take long..waiting for baggage about 30 minutes.
Bags during rush hour on the RER/Metro particularly during rush hour after a long plane ride is not something I would do again. Locating RER, figuring out how to buy the metro passes and then figuring out the metro with stairs.
I use Air France bus and you can take a taxi or metro once you get to the drop off one of which is Gare de Lyon.
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rush hour here is later than in the US, so you will be heading out at the very beginning of it. A taxi could get very expensive at rush our, a shuttle would be fine, but if you are traveling light (ie, one rolling bag/person %26amp; small carry-on) you may still want the RER, as this is the fastest option at high traffic times.
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Personally, I have never waited more than 20 minutes to get through passport control and I have been to Paris 4x in the last 12 months. And, I believe CDG is quite empty at about that time of day, so it may take you even less time.
If you have heavy bags, I don%26#39;t recommend the RER. Lots of stairs and walking. You might want to consider the Roissybus instead, which takes you right into the middle of the city at the Opera Garnier where you can take a taxi, metro or bus.
Where will you be staying?
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My spouse works at CDG and drives into eastern Paris 5 days a week. You dont say where in Paris you are staying but I can tell you that you can expect 1 hour to 1.5 hours to get into Paris via roadways barring wrecks etc. The longest it ever took was 4.5 hours due to a problem with a joint in the road that lead them to drop one of the interstates down to 1 lane.
So if you dont mind the amount of time it will take then I would go for the Air France or Roissy bus / taxi combo. Depends on where you are staying exactly as to what the best option is.
If you dont want to deal with the huge amount of traffic and are able to manage your bags on stairs and through turnsites then the RER is the way to go. You may want to consider a RER/taxi combo, but that again depends on where your hotel is. If you chose to take the RER, then take the %26quot;express%26quot; one that makes it%26#39;s first stop at Gare du Nord in Paris. This will cut down on the number of people in the train before you get to Gare du Nord where you can expect the masses to pour in.
Have a great trip!
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The RER B-3 train transfer at that hour should not be all that busy at the CDG-end of the ligne, where you will board. So using it to get into central Paris with luggage should not be a problem. Once at a Paris RER station, look around for the escalators which will take you (and your luggage) from train platform level up to street level. The problem arises once you arrive in Paris at the heart of rush-hour and try to make an onward Metro connection(s). Any of the surface transfer routes--taxi, airport shuttle, Air France Coach, Roissybus--will be subject to the vagaries of traffic. Your best bet will probably be to use a combination of modes of transfer--RER %26#39;B%26#39; train to Paris, then a taxi from the RER station in Paris to your hotel. For preference, it will probably be much easier to get a taxi outside of the Gare du Nord station at that hour. This combination method ofers you the best of speed, efficiency and cost.
In most instances, French Customs formalities, after you have collected your checked-luggage, iare usually no more than a %26#39;nod %26#39;n wave%26#39; as you pass through the control point at the Exit.
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We%26#39;re staying at the Hotel Champ du Mars, near Rue Cler. So it would be MUCH faster to take the RER into Paris, then a taxi from the train station? Or would the Paris Shuttle be a wiser (easier) choice? And if we were to do the RER/taxi combo, which RER line should we take and which station should we exit that is closest to our hotel? Sorry to be such a pain! And thanks so much for all the help. We can%26#39;t wait to get to Paris!!
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Hi again Couples,
There is only one RER line from CDG so you cant go wrong there. Upon arrival in Paris you could get off at Gare du Nord but that is on the opposite bank of the river from your hotel and the roads around gare du nord are under construction to add a bus lane. Its prone to heavy traffic right now. You might want to consider getting off at St Michel or Port-Royal. There is a Taxi stand at St Michel. When you are facing the river, the taxi stand is just around the corner to your right on the river bank. However, expect throngs of people at St Michel and there are some stairs to deal with.
Port Royal would be a much kinder station because it should have less people and is a less crowded area. It also allows a straight shot to the hotel on major blvds that tend to have decent traffic flow ( Blvd Montparnasse to Blvd Invalides). I personally would be inclined to get off here. The area is the most upscale of the stops as well which does make a difference if you ask me.
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%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;We%26#39;re staying at the Hotel Champ du Mars, near Rue Cler. So it would be MUCH faster to take the RER into Paris, then a taxi from the train station? Or would the Paris Shuttle be a wiser (easier) choice? And if we were to do the RER/taxi combo, which RER line should we take and which station should we exit that is closest to our hotel?%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;
There is only one RER ligne which runs from CDG into central Paris--the RER %26#39;B-3%26#39; ligne At that time of day, trains depart approx every 6-8 minutes. The nearest %26#39;B%26#39; ligne station to the Hotel du Champ de Mars will be SAINT MICHEL-NOTRE DAME. (travel time will be btwn 31-36 mins) But I still recommend getting off at GARE du NORD at that hour to make it easier to find a taxi at the regular taxi rank, just outside the main station doors (Friday-evening-get-away-for-the-weekend) There is also a regular taxi stand near the Saint Michel-Notre Dame RER exit...but at that hour of the day, taxis may not be waiting.
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You might want to look at the http://www.Bluvan.fr web site.
I have used them many times.
They have discount for two or more people. They are pretty reasonable. No charge for luggage. Tip the man ( usually English speaking) 1 Euro per bag. They drop you off at your hotel. I have always had a nice driver who pointed out sites as he drove. Nice little tour!
Customs, luggage and ATM stop will take about an hour depending on crowds. The shuttle service should be able to tell you more specifically. Give them your flight # and Airline name.
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