Paris... best way to get from the airport to the hotel and back again?
August 19, 2015 12:18 PM   Subscribe

I have never traveled outside the U.S. and am terrified about this specific part of the trip. I anticipate being at least a little jet lagged when I arrive, so I want to make sure I have a plan in place. Advice?
posted by LilithSilver to Travel & Transportation around Paris, France (33 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
If you tell us what hotel you're staying at (or its general location), people can probably give you more specific help.
posted by zachlipton at 12:22 PM on August 19, 2015


Where is your hotel? Most any hotel is within walking distance or cab ride from a metro stop. The rer train that goes from cdg to Gare de nord station is the way to go and then you transfer to the metro and take the subway to the stop closest to your hotel. Easy peasy. Just get a hold of the metro map online and use Google maps to chart the walking path from station to your hotel.
posted by TestamentToGrace at 12:23 PM on August 19, 2015 [3 favorites]


Every time I have traveled abroad (which is not that many times, really, but anyway) I just take a taxi from the airport to the hotel and back again. It's too stressful to figure out another way to do it. I am sure some taxi drivers have taken me WAY out of the way and overcharged me. I can think of one such experience in Madrid where it felt like the guy was just making up detours and taking his time. But we still eventually got there and paid the not so terrible fare and napped on the hotel bed.
posted by kelseyfrost at 12:24 PM on August 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


Seconding train from CDG to Metro to hotel. It's very easy.
posted by plinth at 12:28 PM on August 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


Just did this! We took the RER-B train from CDG Airport down to Saint Michel station which was right by our hotel in the Latin Quarter. The RER-B goes through some not-so-great neighborhoods, but it's no worse than, say, the LIRR from JFK/Jamaica to NY Penn Station. And there are racks for your baggage.

Here was my reference material for the trip and here's what the train looked like before it got slightly more crowded at rush hour en route.
posted by brownpau at 12:31 PM on August 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


Yeah, the RER B is pretty easy, as far as train-airport connections go. The station is right in the airport, with lots of signage, and any train you get on will take you to central Paris. It's comfortable, pretty fast, and not too expensive.
posted by theodolite at 12:36 PM on August 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


If you're at actual terror levels over this, print out the hotel address on a piece of paper and show it to a cab driver.

There's RER strikes to worry about, and just the getting-around-with-bags-and-French thing, I think it's money well spent if you're not up to dealing with a lot of variables. It won't be cheap, and it won't be fast, but you will have to get in the car and get out of the car, that's it.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:36 PM on August 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


I recommend the RER too. When I went in 2013, I travelled from CDG to Chatelet-Les Halles that way - this station is apparently a bit of a hotspot for pickpockets, but I made sure I knew exactly where I was going (I had to change at Chatelet-Les Halles to get to Nation) and didn't have any problems, either on the way there or the way back. Just make sure you're sufficiently on the ball - not sleepy or lost, as far as you can manage - and plan your route, and you should be fine.
posted by Rissa at 12:39 PM on August 19, 2015


I have never traveled outside the U.S...

A handy tip here: call your bank and let them know where you'll be travelling and what dates you expect to be out of the country. Some banks like Chase even have a page on their website to let you handle this.

If you try to get cash at an ATM at the airport, or use your card in an RER ticket machine, or pay for a cab and the card gets rejected for suspicion of fraud...well, that makes your morning in Paris a lot tougher.
posted by JoeZydeco at 12:45 PM on August 19, 2015 [3 favorites]


Also, note that while CDG is the larger Paris airport, international flights also land at Orly Airport, so, if you opt for public transit, make sure you are researching a route from the correct airport.

If you are nervous about public transit + jetlag, take a taxi.
posted by Caz721 at 12:49 PM on August 19, 2015


You can take the train for 10 Euros or you can take the Roissy bus for 11 Euros. The driver can give you change on the bus if you have cash Euros. I was able to buy some Euros from my bank before I left, but there are ATMs at the airport if you are not. In 2014, I was able to use ATMs in France even with non-chipped cards. I had one chip card that did not work in a chip-only ticket machine, but I think that was due to it being chip-and-signature vs. chip-and-PIN.
posted by soelo at 12:50 PM on August 19, 2015


Last year, I did an overnight flight to CDG and got the RER to Chatelet-Les Halles and even in my sleep-deprived stupor, managed fine! At one point, I think there was kind of a long walk to get to the station (or maybe it was a transfer?), but not a big deal.

I was really scared, too. And maybe it's just because I grew up in the sticks & we didn't have the money to travel -- but I felt *super proud* of being able to navigate that route successfully.

You will be totally fine, and everything is so well-marked on arrival that it'll be a breeze to find everything, I promise. Have the best time!
posted by crawfo at 12:52 PM on August 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


You can queue for a taxi or book one with Le Cab for reasonable pricing.
posted by ellieBOA at 1:05 PM on August 19, 2015


You can probably identify your hotel on google maps and let it do the navigation including public transit. Or you make sure you have your hotel details on you and take a cab. It's a lot easier but probably also a lot more expensive. Either way - it'll be fine.
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:06 PM on August 19, 2015


I just went to Paris in April. Here is what worked for me - on the incoming flight, we took a taxi from CDG to our hotel. We were tired, we had all our luggage, and we hadn't gotten the "lay of the land" when it comes to the Metro and RER trains. By the third day, we were metro experts and at the end of the trip when we were flying home, we took the RER to CDG.

i think that's easier to navigate than trying to handle a new city, jet lag, baggage, and a foreign language at what presumably will be the middle of the night for you. Once you get your feet wet and are confident on the metro (seriously, very easy to navigate - and definitely get the week long ticket - and don't be afraid to ask questions at the counter. I speak enough french to be understood, but not nearly enough to be fluent - and everyone was as sweet as can be, and super helpful) then you can take the train to Versailles, or Giverny, or back to CDG.

BTW - if you are not getting a cell phone while in Paris - here was my trick for navigating metro stops/connections/etc etc. When you are at the hotel on Wifi - google map your route using the "public transit option" when you leave the hotel, the google map instructions will still be on your phone and you can follow them as you start to use the Metro. It made me a MUCH more confident user in the beginning. Once you get the hang of it, you can know the color lines around your hotels, which direction is which, and what not.
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 1:07 PM on August 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


RER/Metro is easy, especially if your hotel is near a station. I've also used the AirFrance bus. There are two routes: Porte Maillot-Place de l’Etoile & Gare de Lyon/Gare Montparnasse. There's a ton of good info here.
posted by sixpack at 1:11 PM on August 19, 2015


Another Google Maps tip: if you search "Paris" or whatever on your phone, select something (anything really) and click the "..." symbol in the top right, then "Save offline map." It'll download the data for the entire area you have framed in the map so you can see where you are while walking around, even if you don't have an international data plan. GPS works even with no cell or wifi connection!
posted by theodolite at 1:15 PM on August 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


Get a one week Metro (Subway) pass!!!
Bring a pass-photo so you don't have to struggle to get one and get back in the cue again ;-)

Call your phone cellphone provider and get a rate for phone calls in France.

DISABLE DATA ROAMING in your smartphone or tablet
posted by Mac-Expert at 2:09 PM on August 19, 2015


I flew to Paris (Orly) in April.

In my experience-- If your credit card is anything BUT a chip-and-pin card (even a chip and signature card!!) You WILL NOT be able to use the vending machines for bus/metro tickets. Also they don't take bills (only coins) so even if you fly into France with euros, you will be out of luck until you get coins. Because of this I had to end up taking a cab from the airport-- but I saved up my coins throughout the trip and was able to take the bus to the airport on the way back.

I don't know if any American banks are currently issuing chip-and-pin cards, but it would have made my life *so* much simpler to have one, so I recommend trying to get one if you do find a bank that is issuing them.
posted by matcha action at 2:11 PM on August 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


I vote taxi. You've just arrived to a new place, you're trying to figure things out...you probably don't want to deal with figuring out the metro yet. Just make sure you get an official Parisian taxi to avoid scams. I always find it best to get to my hotel/homestay and set up a homebase before trying to get the lay of the land.

By the end of my 2-week trip to Paris I was able to navigate the metro like a pro, but I still took a taxi back to the airport. When you're tired and carrying luggage again, you just want to get home and a taxi will be like a godsend.

Hope you have a great trip!!
posted by sprezzy at 2:11 PM on August 19, 2015 [3 favorites]


When we visited France, we took taxis because we don't speak French. I carried a small notebook and wrote down our destination, tore out the page and handed it to the taxi driver with a big smile. It worked well for us.
posted by raisingsand at 2:21 PM on August 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


Nthing "taxi". If I've learned one thing from years of travelling, it's that the big adventure can always start the morning after you arrive. (That said, the advice above is great, and the Parisian public transport infrastructure is excellent and surprisingly user-friendly.)

My knowledge of Paris taxis is (a) several years out of date and (b) restricted to Charles de Gaulle (you might fly into Orly if you're coming from the US), but, for what it's worth: there's not a problem with sketchy taxis at the airport, cabs are marked and metered, and the journey into the city centre should set you back €50–80. I would consider it money well spent on my first landfall in Europe: I did exactly the same on my first trip to DC.
posted by Zeinab Badawi's Twenty Hotels at 2:51 PM on August 19, 2015 [2 favorites]


Paris has one of the best public transit systems. When we went (in June), we took the RER, and there was a stop fairly close to our hotel, so we just walked the last 15 minutes. My husband's cell phone is on T-mobile, which has international data for free, so we just followed the GPS.

We did not buy a subway pass because we stayed in the 2nd arrondissement, which was very central. We also like to walk. So we only took the subway one out of the 6 days we were there (other than to and from the airport) and to Versailles (which required additional tickets anyway).

But we do travel regularly to foreign countries and are quite adventurous. An easier but more expensive option is to call a taxi, like everyone else has said. CDG will have a queue for taxis, and you might have to wait in line for a bit.

Make sure you have several hundred EUR in cash before arriving. We just used our cards, as we have chip and pin cards. Beware that they don't typically accept American Express (even if it's chip and pin).

I have actually found the French to be very nice and helpful (yes, even in Paris!). I would learn how to say, "Bonjour. Excusez moi, parlez vous anglais?" Most of the time, they say yes, and will speak to you in English. (Or at least, learn to say "bonjour".)

Also, as a general travel advice: pack light. My rule of thumb is that you should be able to carry everything up and down stairs (at once). For me, this means one carry on and one backpack, with about one week's worth of clothing. (For longer trips, I just plan to do laundry.) If you do attempt to take the metro, this will make it much easier. The Paris metro in particular can have extremely long, narrow, and windy connection tunnels if you want to transfer lines. So it's good to be prepared to walk.
posted by ethidda at 6:23 PM on August 19, 2015


If this is your first trip out of the US and you're already stressed about this, totally just take a taxi. I travel internationally a lot (and speak mediocre French) and I always take a taxi from CGD to my hotel when I go to Paris because I HATE hoisting all my bags and whatnot on public transportation when I am jet-lagged and wiped out and just want to get settled. I always just queue up for them. It's easy and, for me, money well spent.

The public transport in Paris IS easy, and I use it a lot when I'm there, but I feel like it's something you guys can tackle once you've all settled into your hotel.
posted by Countess Sandwich at 6:27 PM on August 19, 2015


What time do you get in? If it's late at night, definitely taxi. If you getting in hours before hotel check in, you may as well spend that time working out the public transport. If you're getting in the afternoon, plan for both (print out ticket info, line info and maps of the walk to your hotel) and then and wait and see how you feel.

Unless you're travelling alone, and you can't carry all your luggage yourself. Then, taxi.
posted by kjs4 at 7:27 PM on August 19, 2015


Because of the way North America to Europe flights work---overnight---you're almost certainly going to arrive tired and strung out. Unless money is a primary concern, I'd take a cab. This is hard enough to do in that condition when you know transit and the city well.

Have 100 euro on your person, just in case. Do not accept any rides in the airport, get a cab from the official taxi rank only.

A second option which may or may not be cheaper is to call the hotel and have them arrange ground transport for you. Most hotels will do this.

On the way out RER is fine. You'll be less stressed, more used to the transit system and fresher. Again cab or getting the hotel to arrange transport is always an option too.
posted by bonehead at 7:54 PM on August 19, 2015


One other thought - getting the hotel to arrange pick up is good in theory, although not always very economical. But when it doesn't work and they either fail to show up or are 'hiding' in a not obvious spot and you can't find the person it is a lot more stressful. You are scrambling round for bits of paper or going through lots of emails to find the one with a phone number, you incur roaming charges and may be told to wait if they really didn't turn up and are not just standing somewhere you can't find them etc. So on balance I find looking for taxi signs and finding the taxi rank easier.

Source - 18 trips in the last 5 months, total of 12 countries, 9 languages I don't speak. People arranged 5 airport picks ups for me and two of these didn't work or didn't work without me having to call somebody. Taxi on the other hand worked every time, as did public transit and it's France, not China, so there is a reasonable number of people with a bit of English.
posted by koahiatamadl at 5:14 AM on August 20, 2015


I usually consult wikitravel for this sort of information: http://wikitravel.org/en/Paris#Get_in
posted by rubyrudy at 1:31 PM on August 20, 2015


If you are familiar with uber, they operate in Paris and have flat rate airport prices. Presumably you'll need phone data or access to wifi in the airport.
posted by rubyrudy at 1:40 PM on August 20, 2015


Uber is dicey in Paris right now, due to bad labor relations -- they've stopped their lower-price option UberPop, which is the equivalent of UberX in the US.

That said, I'd say cab. It will be pricey, but it will be easier than the train -- because many subway stops in Paris don't have escalators or elevators, and you will be dragging your luggage up and down many flights of stairs, especially if you have to transfer from the RER B to a different line at Gare du Nord or Châtelet. It's doable but kind of a pain in the ass. Ask me how I know -- I just flew back from Paris this afternoon!

When you're ready for public transit, download the "Paris Metro" app, which is an interactive metro map that you can use without a data plan. The metro system is pretty intuitive and signage is very clear. And if combined with the Google Maps offline trick mentioned above, you can pretty well get around wherever you want!
posted by Ragini at 11:03 PM on August 20, 2015


Best answer: I recently used this pre-paid taxi service to get to/from CDG, and the service was excellent. They have an english website where you can book everything in advance, and the in-car iPad was personalised with my name and destination when I got in. No need to worry about getting cash or handling payment with a french-speaking driver.
posted by amusebuche at 12:16 AM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: "Merci beaucoup" to everyone for the wonderful advice. I think I will try using the pre-paid taxi service that amusebuche mentioned.
posted by LilithSilver at 7:31 PM on September 21, 2015


Great choice, I use Le Cab on a regular basis.
posted by ellieBOA at 10:11 PM on September 21, 2015


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