This will be my 5th trip to Paris (my husband%26#39;s first!) but will be my 1st trip to fly into the city, as all the other trips were when my family and I lived somewhere in Europe.
My question is: getting from CDG to our hotel... which BTW is the Citéa Paris Tour Eiffel, in the 15th arrondisement, near the Eiffel Tower area. I have read many posts that recommend different things, and was wondering about people%26#39;s past experiences with any of the shuttle companies. I realize this may take longer than a taxi, but we are on a budget, and 50+ euro seems like a huge chuck of our spending money. Also, anyone take the RER into the city, and then take a taxi from there, instead of the metro?
I%26#39;m very comfortable on both, but my husband is a bit of an overpacker, and I know he will have SO MUCH luggage (we%26#39;re in Paris for 7 nights).
Any suggestions? Are the shuttles THAT unreliable? Should we just suck it up and just pay for the taxi? Thanks in advance!!
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The idea of getting a shuttle to one%26#39;s hotel from the airport seems to be more of a North American than a European thing. Could this have something to do with the public transport options available (or not available) in some US cities? For most Europeans the most obvious thing to do would be to take the train from the airport (eg the RER in Paris, The Tube or the Heathrow Express in London). There are some European cities where shuttle buses help fill a gap, but Paris is not one of them. I am sure some shuttle companies only survive because some US and Canadian travellers are simply unaware of the perfectly adequate and sometimes more reliable options.
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I completely agree with you, and on my 4 previous trips to Paris have always navigated myself through the RER and metro just fine to arrive at my hotel. However, in this circumstance I will have more luggage than I have had in the past (probably three pieces for the two of us, one particularly large suitcase at that) and can see this being very cumbersome, not to mention abnoxious to fellow train passengers. So, OTHER than the RER and the metro, would there be another form of transportation into the city that would work relatively well, without costing me upwards of $70 each way?
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%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;Any suggestions? Are the shuttles THAT unreliable?%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;
The number of reports of the unreliability of shared airport shuttle pick-ups tend to be greatly over-magnified....and perhaps at least some of the fault may lie with the passengers not understanding the way the system worked...or providing the shuttle dispatcher with inaccurate or wrong information. The fact that thousands of passengers use these services every month, without the least problem of mishap tends to get lost in the shuffle. But there%26#39;s no denying the fact the no sistum are purphekt. My own airport transfer %26#39;..horror story..%26#39; involves a nearly two hour trip in a Taxi Parisian, stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the auto-route, between exits, on a hot morning in July, with no A/C, breathing exhaust fumes and having my ear drums assaulted by middle-eastern music blaring from the driver%26#39;s portable radio. But...based on this, I certainly wouldn%26#39;t would extend it so far as to consider Taxi Parisian airport transfers to be %26#39;..unreliable..%26#39;.
The way most of these shared shuttle services work is that you pre-arrange with a shuttle company for a pick-up, providing your airline flight information. You provide them with a credit card number for billing purposes and they provide you with instructions and a toll-free telephone number to call when you actually arrive at your CDG arrival terminal. When you telephone, the dispatcher takes your information, tells you where to meet your shared shuttle van outside of the terminal building. Most large shuttle operators will have several shuttle vans %26#39;..circulating..%26#39; through the airport at most times of day and evening. So in most cases, when you arrive at the pick-up location, there%26#39;s usually a shuttle waiting at the curb...or one will arrive in a few minutes. Depending on the drop-off locations in Paris of the other passengers, your destination may not be the first stop in Paris that the shuttle makes en route.
If you pre-book a round-trip shuttle transfer, you get the best rates..anywhere from 14,50€-to-18 € per person. There is no additional surcharge for luggage...and no tip is included for the driver...and tipping is at your own discretion (anywhere from nothing thru 1 € per passenger or bag...to approx 10% of what the fare would be...whatever your own individual custom %26amp; practice may be. For two(2) passengers, r.t. shuttle fares usually work out to be approx. 1/2 what Taxi Parisian fares would be.
For the return pick-up, it%26#39;s usually a good idea to telephone the shuttle company the day before your intended departure to re-confirm your pick-up details and information.
Two shared-shuttle operators that we%26#39;ve used (and recommended to friends and acquaintance) without problem or mishap---the shuttle vans have arrived at our hotel on time or a bit before...and we got to our ORLY or CDG departure terminals without problem---are--
BLU VAN--
paris-blue-airport-shuttle.fr/index_en.php
PARIS AIRPORT SHUTTLE--
http://www.paris-airport-shuttle.com/
Bear in mind that there are a few shared-shuttle companies operating in Paris with names SIMILAR to or using the words, %26#39;..Paris..%26#39;, %26#39;..Airport..%26#39; and %26#39;..Shuttle..%26#39; in them and all are NOT equal.
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For our arrivals in Paris, we usually use the RER %26#39;B%26#39; ligne to GARE du NORD and then come up to streetlevel and take a Taxi Parisian from the regular taxi rank there the rest of the way to our hotel. We could take the RER ligne closer to our hotel(s) on the Left Bank...but we simply enjoy the mini-tour of Paris as we make our way %26#39;cross town. We usually travel with two normal-sized, wheeled suitcases and totes. Neither of us has ever been recruited for an eastern-European weightlifting team and we somehow manage the RER without difficulty.
But though I%26#39;ve absolutely no compunctions about riding the RER %26#39;B%26#39; ligne with luggage...I personally draw the line at riding the regular Metro when encumbered.
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We were in Paris in June and used the Air France bus from Orly to Invalides. Our luggage was handled for us and we were very satisfied with the service and the price. From Invalides the taxi fare to our hotel was only about 5 Euros. I think the same service is available from Charles de Gaulle Airport into the city. A round trip ticket costs about 18 Euros and takes about 45 minutes. If you are cost conscious and have luggage then this is the only way to go in my opinion.
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Hi
I went to Paris in December 06 and we used Blu Van. They were great. We actually stuffed up and waited at the wrong gate and missed the van so we called and they resent out the van at no charge!! It was completely our fault. We were the only ones in the van. When we got to our hotel he had to park down the street as we were staying on the Rue Cler and you cant have cars on there. He took all our suitcases for us. Which was great as we were to distracted cos it started to snow!!!
We also used them on our flight out and they were on time and great. I am going back in December and have booked them again. For the price you cant beat it and at least you get dropped off at your hotel.
Heres there website just incase
paris-blue-airport-shuttle.fr/index_en.php
I highly recommend them!
Have fun!!!
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Just a question with the taxis, do you flag them down by waving at the driver or are there taxi ranks right where the Air France shuttle drops you off? Or is there a number that you call if you want a taxi? Thanks.
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There is a taxi stand right where the Air France bus drops you off at the Invalides. I don%26#39;t know about the other bus stops but it is to presumed that a taxi stand is close. At the Invalides I never saw taxis lined up but they go by all the time. We even got one late at night! You%26#39;ll just need to hail one.
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