One of the
funiculars that run to the top of Montmartre has reopened.
Both cabins have
been out of service (one for scheduled service and the other broke down).
How to travel between Paris and the Charles de Gaulle airport
Hint: have coins handy in case you want to buy your ticket
into Paris with the automatic kiosk instead of waiting in line.
American credit cards do not have the common "puce"/identity
square on their cards.
I have prepared a
scenario of what to expect when you arrive at Charles de Gaulle airport and
general information about transportation and the town of Roissy.
Click on "Airport access"-- map
shows how to get to the airport, click on "Airlines" for a list of airlines
and their respective terminal).
Look for the tabs: Access, Orly and CDG? Click on CDG.
New tabs open that say "Transport Modes".
You are given the choice of RER B, Roissybus, and Noctilien.
Click on each and you will receive further information: prices, times,
stops, etc.
The alternative recommended transportation is the
Air France bus
information above.
The distance between Paris
and Charles De Gaulle (CDG) airport is 20 kilometers (15 miles).
Roissy is located in Zone 5 – Paris center is zones 1
and 2 and the trip takes 30 minutes on Line B to Gare du Nord.
Frequent CDG flyers, buy
the 10-ticket carnet (book) for around 62 euros. It is essentially 10 tickets for the
price of eight.
HINT:
If you see two RER trains
waiting at the platform, one is a local and
the other is a direct train into Paris, with the first stop Gare du Nord. Direct
trains run depending on time of day and time of year.
Look
at the boards posted on the platform.
Bus
Terminals 1 and 2 are
also served by the bus lines 350 (Gare de l'Est - Charles de
Gaulle airport) and 351 (Nation - Charles de Gaulle airport).
These 2 bus lines run every day of the week, but not at night:
350 last
departure: 21:30 (3 metro tickets) 351 last departure: 20:20 (3 metro tickets)
Take theRER
into Paris. This RER B runs between 5 a.m. and
midnight on weekdays - every 15 minutes. Gare de Nord is the first stop on the
most direct train, Châtelet is the last stop on the right bank. St. Michel is
the first stop on the left bank.
Roissy is located in Zone 5 – Paris center is zones 1
and 2 and the trip takes 30 minutes on Line B to Gare du Nord.
The RER ticket is a combination ticket
and is good for one transfer onto a metro at any station. This ticket costs:
7,47 euro per person one way. Prices are subject to change.
Frequent CDG flyers, buy
the 10-ticket carnet (book) for 61,60 euro. It is essentially 10 tickets for the
price of eight.
If you plan frequent trips between CDG and Paris,
buy them in Paris at the metro ticket window or in the kiosks near the ticket
windows. They do not expire. Prices are subject to change.
If you see two RER trains
waiting at the platform, one is a local and
the other is a direct train into Paris, with the first stop Gare du Nord.
Look
at the boards posted on the platform.
SNCF/RERIf you are planning a day trip outside of Paris, the
SNCF/RER website enables you to find
out the times of departures and returns, how long it will take and how much it
will cost. Once in your village, you should be able to use your metro/bus
tickets from Paris if they are purple.
Visit my
Colleen's Paris page where I have provided a translation of the words and
phrases on the SNCF website and instructions on how to use it.
The
Paris
Visite website provides up-to-date prices. The travel card is also
good for discounts with a limited number of partners for reduced admission
prices, sightseeing, shopping, dining and shows.
"What is the
Paris Visite card?"
“Paris
Visite is a travel card pass that enables you to use all the public
transport services. It is a good way to get around Paris and its region! (If you
do not use the weekly card).
Paris Visite pass can be purchased in all Metro, RER,
Transilien SNCF stations, bus terminal ticket counters, RATP Boutiques, RATP
sales desks at Orly and CDG airports and Paris tourist offices.
At the airport, buy it at the TGV ticket office (Paris by train ticket counter
below the Sheraton hotel).
This
RATP website
lists the following locations to buy a Paris Visite, including their official
partner for the United States.
ParisVisite is on sale in all metro stations, RER
stations, commercial agencies, bus terminus sales windows, SNCF suburban train
stations, Paris airports and the offices of the Paris Tourist Office. Abroad, it
is on sale at travel agents and tour operators.
In France :
Metro stations, RER
stations, certain commercial agencies, bus terminus sales windows, SNCF suburban
train stations, Paris airports and in 150 Paris hotels
Bureau des Objets Trouvés
de la Préfecture de Police
36, rue des Morillons
Paris 15ème - Tel: 01 40 30 52 00
(on the corner
of rue des Morillons / rue de Dantzig)
Metro : Convention, Bus : 89
These offices are open from
8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday and Wednesday. 8:30am to 8:00pm Tuesday and Thursday
(8:00am to 5:00pm July/August). 8:30am to 5:30pm on Fridays. Closed Saturdays,
Sundays and bank holidays.
If you decide to ride around on a
double-decker tour bus for a day or two, the
Open Tour bus
operates seven days a week, and stops at many of the regular bus stops and will
cost 24 euros for one day or 26 euros for two days. It operates in cooperation
with the RATP (the Paris metro and bus system).
Go
to for maps and information on this double decker.
Planning
on staying in Paris and playing with the buses, ask for the
GRAND PLAN DE PARIS
(No. 2) at any metro ticket counter. On one side is an invaluable
bus map and on the other, the metro map.
TheAir France buses run between
Orly and downtown, Charles de Gaulle and downtown, CDG and Orly and CDG and Gare
de Lyon and Montparnasse.
Once on their website, click on "lignes"
for the route.
Click on the number in the circle
for hours (horaires), prices (tarifs), prices if you are in a group for four or
more, map and address, etc.
"Infos pratiques" informs you from
where the buses depart at the airports .
Buy your ticket directly from the
bus driver or you can buy them in advance.
This chart gives the basics on prices and information. Go to the
website for more details.
The
Air France bus website is available in English - at the top of
the page choose between French, English, German, Italian and Spanish.)
Click on “lignes” and choose your
destination to or from Charles de Gaulle:
Porte Maillot/Arc de Triomphe (line 2);
Orly airport (line 3) or
Gare de Lyon/Montparnasse (line 4).
/Air France Buses
Orly and Montparnasse/Invalides
6 a.m. to 11 p.m. leaves every 15 minutes and takes about 35 min
8
euros one way-12 euros round
trip (aller retour)
CDG and Porte Maillot
(Bd Gouvion St-Cyr)/Arc de Triomphe (1, avenue Carnot)
5:45 a.m. to 11 p.m. leaves every 15 minutes and takes about 45 min
12 euros one way -18
euros round trip (aller retour)
6 euros 2-11 years
CDG and Orly
6 a.m.
(7 a.m. weekends) to 11:30
p.m. every 30 minutes about
50 min
16
euros one way
8 euros 2-11 years
CDG and Gare de Lyon
and Montparnasse
7 a.m.
to 9 p.m.; leaves every 30 minutes and takes about 50 minutes
12 euros one way - 18 euros
round trip (aller retour)
6 euros 2-11 years
If you are flying with American Airlines, for example, you arrive
in Terminal 2A close to door (porte) 5. Ask your airline in which terminal
you arrive and the
website will give you more details as outlined
above.
From Charles de Gaulle to Porte Maillot and Arc de
Triomphe:
Terminal 2A, door 6
From Charles de Gaulle to Orly:
Terminal 2A, door C2 (which means Terminal 2C - walking distance
from 2A)
From Charles de Gaulle to Gare de Lyon and Montparnasse:
Paris
to Roissy Charles de Gaulle 2, Roissy Charles de Gaulle 1, and Terminal
3 :
Place de
l'Opéra (rue Scribe)
From 5:45 am to 11 pm*
Roissy Charles de Gaulle 2, Roissy Charles de Gaulle 1, and Terminal
3 to Paris :
From 6 am to 11 pm*
Frequency every 15 minutes (every 20 minutes after 7 pm*)
Roissy CDG 2
Terminals 2A and 2C
Exit 9 from Terminal
2A
Roissy CDG 2
Terminals 2B and 2D
Exit 11 from
Terminal 2D
Roissy CDG 2
Terminals 2E and 2F
Exit 5 on the
gallery
Roissy T3
in front of the air
terminal
Roissy CDG 1
-
exit 30 - Arrival
Level
Average trip time between Place de l'Opéra and Roissy Charles de
Gaulle : 45 minutes
Fare : 8,20 euros* (free for children under 5 years)
Eurostar
Use the United Kingdom for the largest selection of hotel + train combinations
(prices will be quoted in British pounds).
For some reason, the United States website does not provide the same hotel
options as the UK and French sites.
If you are not interested in hotels use the United States link for prices in
dollars. This will also be a good comparison tool to use with other rail
websites.
My recent round trip voyage from Gare du Nord was purchased through the Eurostar
website for 100 euros.
From Paris you leave out of Gare du Nord. British immigration takes place at
the Paris train station.
Things to consider:
You may come out ahead ordering from the States and receive 1st
class tickets instead of economy.
Using the Eurostar-UK website you can obtain combine train +
hotel packages.
I found a
seating map
on the UK website (it was not available from the US website)
Immediately on the
"Book Online" page of the
Eurostar homepage (UK) you can select the link "Wheelchair user?".
Passengers in wheel chairs can reserve a specifically-designated space in either
Leisure Select class or Business Premier class. One person may travel with you
at a reduced rate.
Seat
type (description, seat width and leg room)
Space for wheel chair - 665 mm (509 mm if the armrest is lowered)
Seat
reserved for traveling companion - 665 mm (509 mm if the armrest is lowered).
Legroom: 925 mm
Are
you in a motorized wheel chair?
Passengers wishing to take their motorized chair for the voyage are allowed to
keep them with you on board the Eurostar with any additional cost in the
Eurostar’s special baggage compartment.
Access to the trains and the platform are by ramp and lifts.
The
wheel chair should have a width less than 100 cm (1 meter).
In
order to assure that a special seat is available for your voyage, including
connections during peak periods and peak times (weekend, holidays, school
holidays), you are advised to notify Eurostar before your arrival by calling:
Eurodespatch at 0044 (0)8705 850850 daily between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Important information from the UK Eurostar website:
"Do you use a mobility scooter?
Travellers who require mobility scooters to be taken with them during their
journeys may carry them on board Eurostar without additional charge in the
special luggage hold on our trains.
In
order for the scooter to be able to access our platforms and trains via the
lifts and ramps, it should not exceed 100cm (1 metre) in width.
To
make sure that space is made available on busier services and during peak travel
times such as Weekends, Bank Holidays and School Holidays, you should advise
Eurostar in advance of your arrival by calling Eurodespatch (08705 850850 from
07:00 to 21:00 daily).
Please note:
If
you arrive unannounced at Eurostar terminals we cannot guarantee the required
space on your intended service.
Scooters that use combustible fuel cannot be carried on any Eurostar service
only battery-powered mobility scooters are allowed."
Seat map from UK website - The Eurostar website says that their trains are
larger than jumbo jets; they have counted the seats!
Are you planning a combination UK/France or London/Paris holiday
?
I found a UK website with getaway packages including either
Eurostar+hotel or renting a car in France+hotels.
Question:
"We are a family of 5
traveling to Paris in June. we are taking the Eurostar to Gare du Nord
from London. We have rented an apartment in Le Marais near St Paul metro.
What would be the best way to get to our apartment with 5 suitcases? We
arrive at 7pm on a Tue night so I guess it will be busy. Thank you.
DF"
Response:
Not knowing the ages in your group, mobility and finances, I have two
suggestions:
1. Take the metro from Gare du Nord to Bastille (line 5 direction Place
d'Italie) (10 minutes or less); change to line 1 (direction La Defense)
and go one stop to Saint-Paul. (Buy a carnet of 10 tickets at the
machine -- about 11 euros)
2. Take a G7 taxi to your hotel from Gare du Nord.
Here is the procedure:
Reserve a taxi
Driver meets you at the end of platform with a white sign and your
name on it
He/she takes you out to his taxi at the taxi stand in front of Gare
du Nord (a vehicle that accommodates up to 7 people -- a normal taxi
only takes four)
Cost is between 25 and 30 euros, according to the taxi driver with
whom I spoke, and should include passengers and luggage.
G7 is a regular taxi company that takes reservations and credit cards
(usually).
Due to an injury,
Karen was looking for a taxi service to shuttle her family around Paris. She
suggests using Taxi G7.
"I needed someone
who would come to my door and would speak some English on the phone....They have an
English-speaking telephone line (01 41 27 66 99). They have also been on
time when I have arranged for them to pick me up."
More taxi information:
G7 telephone in English 01 47 39 00 91 - for the
handicapped (limited mobility) to reserve a special car
G7 telephone in English regular taxi 01 41 27 66 99 or 01
47 39 47 91
Should
we pre-purchase train tickets for each leg of our train trip or should we buy
them as we go? If we rent a car it would be for only one day in or around Nice,
other wise it's the TGV train.
Pre-purchase:
The
earlier you order and pay for your tickets, the cheaper the price, the better
choice of seats and the better your route.
A
scenario:
This
question came in just as we had returned in May from Perpignan via the TGV and
renting a car.
We
bought our tickets in March and received first class Paris-Perpignan and second
class Perpignan-Paris and a direct TGV, choice of departure/arrival times, with
seats together.
If
we waited until the beginning of May to buy the tickets, we would have had to
connect through other train stations in order to get to our final destinations.
Rental car
Avis
has a partnership with the SNCF for train/car combinations and book the car at
the same time as we book the TGV tickets.
We
picked up our car at the train station and drove around for 5 days, brought it
back, parked it in the parking lot, leaving our bags in the car while we went to
a brasserie across the street from the train station, ate and drank calmly,
enjoying the moment. We picked up our bags from the car, turned in the car keys
and waited until our train time was posted 20 minutes before departure
(standard).
We
were not returning to Paris until 2030 (8:30 p.m.) so we ate our snacks on the
train.
Footnote:
The
next time, we may time it a little earlier and eat at Train Bleu at Gare de Lyon
-- a must if you haven't ever dined there -- it is sooo exciting because of the
images painted on the walls and ceilings.
A reader asked:
How much time do I
have to allow myself to actually catch the train?
One person told me a minimum
of 3 hours which sounds like a long time.
Response:
The departure platform
is posted 20 minutes before the doors close. You can come as early as you would
like to shop (especially downstairs at Gare de Lyon!) or dine (le Train Bleu) or
the café.
Ticket hints:
We ordered our tickets
on line and requested that they be mailed to us. After two months, we had not
received them. We were able to go the ticket office at the train station and
pick them up.
Before you board the
train, look for the yellow box before you walk on to the platform area.
Put your ticket into
the slot for your date/time stamp.
There
are are two different routes operated by the 350 service.
Can you
please tell me what hours during the day the heures creuses (rush hour)
are operated? I will be staying in the Parc des Expositions area. -- Paul
A downloadable schedule is available on the RATP website.
I am attaching a copy of the schedule and providing you with
links to their site if you need other route information.
Schedules for bus, metro, tramway, etc.
in French
(click on bus, give number and click on "tous les horaires")
in English (sometimes
the French pages provide more details).
"Your options
to visit Disneyland® Paris are to buy your ticket at the park, order on line
through the Paris Tourist Office or buy it at a metro station in Paris or
include the zone (5)
The Disneyland
Paris passport provides access for a day to a single park of your choice,
and to go in and out as often as you wish.
Buy your Disney pass as the same time as your travel ticket: that way you go
straight into the park without waiting!
The Disney Passport is on sale in the main Metro and RER stations.
Take the RER A in the direction of Marne-la-Vallee-Chessy (careful : in that
direction the RER A serves two destinations) and get off at Marne-la-Vallee-Chessy
(it's the terminus).
You'll be there in 35 minutes from the centre of Paris.
Remember to buy a ticket covering the whole journey."-- From the RATP
website
If you are staying at the Disneyland park and wish to travel back
and forth to Paris you have the option of any of the above or a Mobilis ticket.
The Mobilis unlimited travel fare for a day in 2008 is 5,60 euros
(Zones 1 and 2).
Visit my
handicap page for accessible
travel
information .
Paris Tourist
Office's On-Line Boutique
" 1 Day 2 Parks
Ticket
This Ticket is the ideal way to fully experience the magic of the Disney
Parks® as it allows total freedom of movement between both Parks as often as
you wish within 1 day.
Price Adult (12 and over): 56 € TTC
Price Child (from 3 to 11 inclusive): 48 € TTC
Free under 3
1 Day 1 Park Ticket
Ticket valid for 1 day either for Disneyland Paris® or the Walt Disney
Studios®.
Price Adult (12 and over): 46 € TTC
Price Child (from 3 to 11 inclusive): 38 € TTC
Free under 3
Combined 1 Day 1 Park Ticket + Train Tickets
Ticket valid for 1 day either for Disneyland Paris® or the Walt Disney
Studios® with return RATP transport from Paris and back.
Price Adult (12 and over): 59 € TTC
Price Child (from 3 to 11 inclusive): 44,50 € TTC
Free under 3" -- from the Paris Tourist Office on-line boutique
website (2007 prices)
Paris Tourist Office's On-Line Boutique
The Paris Tourist Office makes it possible to buy a
combination ticket (park
pass and round trip train (RER) ticket) on line.
They give you the option to either have it mailed to you or pick
it up at a tourist office in Paris
Paris Visite
card
The Paris Visite card is one
way to reach Disneyland Paris (zone 5). (17 euros for one day -2007).
But compare the cost with the
Mobilis - click on tarifs (12,50 euros) and the combined Disney + transport ticket.
The RATP's website provides complete details about the card.
Their three categories of help are
Presentation,
Fares and
Advantages.
Public transport in
Paris is ideal for getting around all night. The metro stops running at 1:15
a.m. during the week and on Sunday. (It starts running again at 5:30 a.m.)
Saturday evening and on the eve of public holidays it runs until 2:15 a.m.
The network also
adapts its running times to special events like the fête de la musique on 21
June and New Year’s Eve on 31 December when it operates all night long.
When the metro stops,
the Noctilien continues a transport service
with a fleet of nocturnal buses that circulate between 12:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m.
(for more details, see the article “Affordable Paris” special public transport
rates, in this newsletter).
The brand new Vélib’ bike hire system is another solution for getting around the
capital at night with ease.
Available 24hrs/24hrs
7 days per week, the stations are around 300 meters apart. These very safe bikes
have lights that illuminate as soon as the bike is in use, reflector strips on
the wheels, and bell for safe cycling in the dark.
And then, of course,
there are no less than 15,300 taxis throughout the capital. You can simply hale
one in the road (if its light is lit up), or go to one of the taxi ranks, or
ring a taxi service.
VÉLIB’
The first half-hour of each journey is free. Then 1 euro for the next half hour,
2 euros for the third half-hour and 4 euros for the following. Daily
subscription 1 euro; weekly 5 euros; annual 29 euros.
Thanks to the
Noctilien fleet of night buses, there is no need to keep checking the time: the
42 bus routes operate between12:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m.!
They are easy to find: the bus stops are usually the same as those used for
daytime buses and they may be identified by the letter “N” before the bus number
(for example N120).
Noctilien tariff: 1 ticket “t+” for the first two zones, then 1 ticket “t+” for
each additional zone.
The Noctilien network
is also accessible with the Paris Visite pass for journeys corresponding to the
zones valid for its ticket.
Between Charles de Gaulle/Roissy and Paris use NOCTILIEN N120 and N121
Night service from 12:30 to 5:30 a.m.
The route crisscrosses the major train stations: Gare de Lyon, Gare
Montparnasse, Gare Saint-Lazare, Gare de l'Est et Châtelet.
If you would like to
travel within France, the website
RailEurope
offers information about the French Railpass.
About.com has
an article about choosing the right train tickets. The problem one runs into
with these two sites is comparative pricing.
One alternative to do comparative shopping is to visit the
SNCF/Voyages-sncf.com website.
How to for comparative shopping:
If it is a train trip that you are interested in, click "Train
seul".
Au
départ de = departure city
A destination de = arrival city
Pick the date and time. If you checking one way only, just pick
anything for the return date and time, even the same day.
Let's experiment with Paris to Reims and pick any date after
today.
Valider cet aller = validate
Trajet direct
uniquement = non stop only
They will bring up the prices for the individual departures with
prices. Choose which time and validate.
The differences in price relate to conditions; the prices given
are all exchangeable. The cheaper will cost 10 euros to change; the other this
penalty is included in the price.
Allo France offers a wide variety of tourist opportunities
around Paris: theme parks, famous cabaret shows, cruising on the river
Seine, sightseeing tours, museums and places to visit, restaurant
bookings and Paris maps. They specialize in inexpensive travel tickets
and museum passes for Paris.
To find out more about
parking in Paris before your trip, visit three websites:
If you wish to reserve
a parking place contact
Parkings in Paris. This is not necessary since numerous parking garages are
located in Paris.
One of the largest
garage systems is
Vinci. The link that I have provided takes you right to the Paris map. Click
on the arrondissement number where you will be staying.
If you click on "6"
three alternatives are provided. Click on when which takes you to a new window
with a map and further information.
The
Saemes parking website
provides the map on its homepage. An alternative is to click on "localisation"
and then choose the arrondissement where you will be staying or parking your
car.
If you are staying in
the Sixth Arrondissement, however, Saemes only provides residential parking and
not public parking.
Vinci also rents
bicycles, umbrellas, baskets and shopping caddies.
May 2008
/Air France Buses
