Best use of 12 hours in Paris

June 12, 2007 4:56 PM

We land at CDG Paris at 8:15AM, and need to be back at CDG before 9PM for the next flight. What practical information do you have to help us make the most of the time?

Five of us have never been to France, it's been twenty years since I was there.
Given we only have 12 hours I'd like to be able to hit the ground running.
I think we need to take RER to get into central Paris, but what type of ticket is best? A Paris Visite, a Mobilis, a carnet of t tickets? Everything Google gives me contradicts everything else.

What else can I do in advance to maximize my time, and minimize expense?

posted by yetanother to travel & transportation (17 comments total)

When I was there, the carnet of 10 tickets lasted my about three days - I just liked being outside and walking, and the center of Paris isn't that huge.

I say you RER into town and rent bikes for the day from RATP - details here; €10/day/person. Circular bike tour along the Seine in a previous comment of mine (scroll down!) here.

Also: where are you putting your luggage? Is it checked all the way thorugh to your final destination?
posted by mdonley at 5:18 PM on June 12, 2007

No luggage issues other than small backpacks.
The bike tour looks like it could be a good idea.
posted by yetanother at 5:30 PM on June 12, 2007

Also - the Paris Visite zone 1-3 1-day pass is €8.50, but CDG is in zone 5. The Paris Visite zone 1-5 pass, which includes the trip to CDG, is €17.50. A one-way RER trip from CDG to central Paris (zone 1) is €8.10; you'd have to do this twice, bringing the cost of the airport trips alone to €16.20.

The Mobilis (which is only explained on the French RATP page...sneaky!) is €12.30 for one day's use in zones 1-5. This seems like the best deal. Also, you don't need a photo like you would with the Carte Orange.

So it seems like the Mobilis is the best deal.
posted by mdonley at 5:36 PM on June 12, 2007

If you plan to travel around Paris during the day, I'd suggest a day pass (Mobilis or Paris Visite), zones 1-5. Mobilis is cheaper (12,50 euros) but seems to have restriction on all airport connections (which would include the RER line to Roissy CDG). Paris Visite is 17,50 euros. On the other hand, a one way RER ticket from Roissy CDG to Paris is 8,50 euros (so 17,00 euros return). So Paris Visite seems the clear winner here, even if you decide to mainly walk once in the city. You can buy any of these at machines in the RER station, but you have to cash or with a bank card (which may or may not work, depending or your bank network). There is also a ticket booth (they might not accept credit cards either). All this info is from the RATP site (http://www.ratp.com/) and Paris visite site (http://www.parisvisite.com).
posted by bluefrog at 5:42 PM on June 12, 2007

You can buy a Paris Visite pass for just 24 hours. There is a self-serve ticket kiosk in CDG, although my Mastercard didn't work there, and I had to wait in line at the counter. Although, if you're definitely going the "bike tour" route, I'd just get a few carnets and split them up amongst your group.

You don't say what your interests are, but two interesting and off-the-beaten-path museums (i.e., no lines) are the Museum of European Photography and the Guimet Museum (Asian Art). They have weird days/hours, so check to make sure they're open before you spend the time getting there. Neither are expensive.

For people-watching and interesting boutiques, I like wandering around the Marais (which is also a gay-friendly neighborhood, if that applies) or the Latin Quarter, especially Rue Mouffetard, if you like street markets. There are plenty of sidewalk food vendors near Centre Pompidou, if you want to eat on the run. Finally, the area around Sacre Coeur offers great (free) views.
posted by desjardins at 5:46 PM on June 12, 2007

oh, and I'd like to add that I'M REALLY FREAKIN JEALOUS.
posted by desjardins at 5:47 PM on June 12, 2007

Just to make it clear again, Mobilis includes all transports lines in the selected zones, to the exceptions of all airport services (à l'exception des dessertes d'aéroports). Which includes Roissyrail, the RER service to CDG. I believe that the both CDG stations are somehow considered to be in a special zone of their own. In fact, Mobilis is probably not sold at CDG, since you could not take the RER (or Bus) from there with that ticket.
posted by bluefrog at 5:54 PM on June 12, 2007

One more thing: hit the ATM as soon as you get through passport control. Paying for everything in cash will be much faster. I'm assuming you have one of the travel wallet things for your passport + money, because your backpacks will make nice targets on the RER.
posted by desjardins at 5:57 PM on June 12, 2007

Ah, I didn't catch the exception for the airports on the Mobilis - good eye, bluefrog. In that case, then the Paris Visite looks better.
posted by mdonley at 6:25 PM on June 12, 2007

your backpacks will make nice targets on the RER

Um, if they're small and not like this, you're fine. And while crime happens everywhere, it's Paris, not a lawless refugee camp in a war zone. And it's only a half-hour ride into the city, not an overnight train. FWIW, I've used my normal wallet all over the world without incident, mostly because I keep it in my ordinarily-deep front pocket.
posted by mdonley at 6:33 PM on June 12, 2007

mdonley, if I (me, personally) am going to wander around Paris for a day, I am going to carry a big wad of cash, because for damn sure I'm going to find something to spend it on. Paris isn't any more dangerous than any other big city (in my experience), but I'm still going to take the same precautions I would in Chicago or New York.

besides, yetanother is going to have his backpack with him the entire day, not just for the half-hour train ride, so it could conceivably get swiped.

now that I think about it, I had some Parisian guy chase me for a block because I'd dropped my ($10) sunglasses.
posted by desjardins at 7:46 PM on June 12, 2007

Wow, really, desjardins? I guess I've just been unbelieveably lucky - no snark intended! Sorry to hear you had such a nasty run-in with the sunglasses dude.
posted by mdonley at 9:49 PM on June 12, 2007

Just got back from Paris about 10 days ago, and if you're thinking a bike tour, Fat Tire does some great ones.

Also, I can't recommend highly enough any of the guided walks by Paris Walks. I did the Paris Opera House walk (and I'm not really an opera fan), and it was so entertaining.

One last note, be sure to give yourself enough time to get back to CDG for your evening flight. That airport can horribly time consuming just getting around and through security - if you're in the city, give yourself at least 3hrs between hoping on the metro/RER back to CDG and your flight time.
posted by dicaxpuella at 11:35 PM on June 12, 2007

Perhaps, I'm quite dense (today?), was the guy that was chasing desjardins trying to return the sunglasses that desjardins had dropped?

That sounds like a good thing.
posted by rasputin98 at 7:01 AM on June 13, 2007

Just be careful.. if you slept poorly or not at all on the first flight you will crash mid-afternoon. The cold sweat feeling of having not slept and having no where to rest is pretty miserable. With a group of people you are more likely to have at least one person that will get very tired. Make sure everyone is on board, and don't be afraid to book a hotel room for the day, just in case.

If it were me I would book a day room at the CDG Sheraton and nap, but I'm a wimp. ;)
posted by cmicali at 7:07 AM on June 13, 2007

Before you leave for the city, make sure you know exactly where in the airport you need to be upon returning for your next flight. I find the international terminals especially confusing and generally pretty gross, so I applaud your decision to go explore Paris.

CDG is probably my very least favorite airport in the world -- long waits for shuttles, few people available to answer questions, poorly named and differentiated terminals, long lines, very long walking distances. I've had to fly through CDG four or five times, and without fail have encountered some sort of airport based trouble/confusion/frustration each time.

Some of this could probably have been avoided by better preparation on my part, but in general CDG is not a user-friendly place.
posted by chefscotticus at 7:10 AM on June 13, 2007

rasputin is right - he was giving back my sunglasses.

cmicali is also right - SLEEP on the flight. In fact, adjust your sleep schedule a day or two ahead of time to make sure you're tired by takeoff time. Don't drink alcohol or caffeine in flight, it will further mess up your body's schedule. You do not want to see Paris through droopy eyes.
posted by desjardins at 7:06 AM on June 14, 2007