Transportation in Paris

Barbara, that is an expensive cab ride, not sure how much but others will know. If sharing cost with another traveler or two then it's not so bad. Arriving at Orly, we rode the Air France bus to Gare Montparnasse station, where we then took a cab a few km to our hotel. We were off the bus and in a cab in about four minutes. It was very easy, nice modern bus too. I believe there is a cab stand there at Gare Montparnasse. The bus has three or four stops in central Paris.
I imagine the same basic trip can be done from CDG as well.

Have fun,
Dave

It's easy to walk out of the terminal and get a cab. It's about $100 from CDG to central Paris.
Car service will be pricey as well...only difference is that they'll already know where you're going. No language barrier but I have never found language to be an issue when communicating with cab drivers. I guess it's a little less stressful to hire a car service but to me it's easiest just to get a cab.

$100 seems high. Fifty euro is probably closer for a taxi.

And 50 Euros equates to about $70

A lot depends on where "hotels" are and when you are doing this? Rush hour costs more then a lazy Sunday afternoon for example. Not to mention Paris is a big city with lots of "hotels"

'Point Zero' , out in front of the main entrance to Notre Dame, is the official center of the city.

La Defense or someplace else way the heck and gone is not 'central Paris'.

We have paid about 40-45 to the 17th or 18th from CDG - about 50-55 to the Latin Quarter. There are buses that go to Opera to CDG Etoille (Arc du Triomphe) and to Montparnasse which are cheaper for one. And of course it only costs 9.75 to take the RER/metro. Shuttles tend to be no bargain and have a reputation for unreliability -- if you do book one of those then at least don't choose one where you pay in advance. If they fail to show up they will claim they were there and you weren't and you won't get your money back.

Echoing Dave, consider the oddly named Les Cars Air France service to major train stations in Paris, then a cab to your hotel. Cheaper than a cab from the airport (unless there are several of you), more comfortable than the RER "B" train, and you get to see Paris through the window.

' the oddly named Les Cars Air France'

car = van, limo, BUS

end of lesson

I guess the answer to this may be obvious, but need you have flown on Air France to use thebAir France bus service?

The Air France buses are available to anyone, not just Air France passengers.

I always find an airline running a bus strange so I understand "oddly named".

For the derivation of the word "car" in French, google "charabanc".

Merci, Ed. I should have known there was logic to "Les Cars." My ignorance may help explain some past confusing (to me) conversations. My Metro brochure has a bus route map labeled "BUS," but that must be a concession to "les Anglo-Saxons."

Speaking of which, the RATP (Metro agency) runs a "Roissybus" between CDG and the Opera Garnier, and an "Orlybus" between Orly and Denfert-Rochereau. Both oddly named. And then there's the "Batobus" which is a boat that looks like a big floating bus, sort of. It's a great ride but odd also. ;)

In Spanish a bus is 'autobus'. Go figure.

In French a city bus is " un autobus", but a long-distance bus is called "un autocar". ( Edited.) Why??? Let's not get started on the false friend conductors, drivers, and engineers in the two languages.

Sorry Bets,
I have to disagree here ;)
It's UN autobus, and UN autocar, both are masculine. Bus comes from omnibus, a word qualifying a train or coach who stopped at every station.

Barbara, please take Rick's advice. Use the Roissy bus to take you from CDG to the Opera section of Paris. The bus makes stops at every terminal you can buy the ticket from the driver instead of fighting with ticket machines. The on board flat screen TV explains everything in 5 languages including English The bus has luggage racks and for 10.50euro per person its a bargain. The Metro stop is diagonally across the street in front of the Paris Le Grande. The Metro is cheap and easy. I realize carrying luggage can be a problem but believe me you'll need those Euros in Paris. Good Luck Joe

Merci Rif. You just made it easier for me! I'll edit before someone has my error imprinted forever when trying to speak.

Barbara, where exactly are you going in Paris? Can you gives us the address of your hotel, or at least the closest metro stop? That will make a big difference in how you can most efficiently get to your accommodations.

The OP asks for advice re cabs vs car service, not Orlybus or Air France buses. A cab, barring traffic problems, will run about €50, DEPENDING ON HOTEL LOCATION, which hasn't been divulged.

Well, because the hotel definition is pretty important as a key to the taxi fare, we've committed by prepaying our lodging at Hotel de Lutece on Ile St Louis and we'd really appreciate a rough estimate of taxi fare from CDG to our hotel. Also, if we opt for, say, the 10.5€ bus from CDG, would we arrive at or very near a useful taxis location for the completion of our journey to the hotel?

Jim, if you're willing to take the RER from CDG, it goes directly to a stop a block west of the front of Notre Dame. When you come up to street level... there is Notre Dame... a beautiful sight after your long journey. It's an easy, flat walk from there to Ile St. Louis and Hotel de Lutece.

I have a similar question...Coming from CDG on the early morning of Sat April 12 and traveling to Residence des Arts at
14 rue Git Le Coeur 75006 Best way to get there?

While I'm at it, are there good dollar to euro converters at CDG or should I wait
to get too Paris to convert large amounts?

TY!!

Gary : The BEST way, if you mean most convenient, is a cab.

To answer your second question, leave all those dollars at home in your bank account and use ATMs to acquire euros as you need them.

And if you mean by RER, your stop would be St. Michel. You'll need a good map of the streets to get to Git le Coeur after that. It may be real close to the stop but the streets are narrow and twisty to get there.

Norma,

The Euros/ATM issue has been amply covered here and elsewhere, and in terms of convenience, I certainly can't argue much with you; however, there are a couple or more downsides to using debit cards in ATMs: debit cards of course are used to draw on one's checking account, but some, including myself, prefer not to expose my checking account to unlikely but possible instances of hacking or identity theft. While bankcards which represent credit are clearly Federally ( under law, not any kind of federal insurance agency, of course) against losses over $50 and one's bank may or may not cover the first $50 as a matter of its policy, it is not clear that all debit cards are similarly covered ( your mileage may vary, depending on the bank marketing the card). So, if one's checking account were to be wiped out by the bad guys one might well eventually recover but perhaps not soon and at great inconvenience. I'm probably in that tiny minority that 1) uses a checking account to pay anticipated bills (utilities and predictable others while abroad), 2) carries a couple hundred Euros in a hidden but accessible pocket for immediate expenses like taxis, buses, snacks before moving into and establishing myself in my hotel destination and then identifying the most safely usable ATMs, and, the greatst horror of all, using a credit union credit card--yes, credit card--with little or no foreign transaction fee. I know there is some fee expense with the credit card, but, like buying traveler's insurance, it's simply a relatively modest expense for a hedge against ATM calamities. Of course, I rarely use the card for purchases of goods or meals but use the ATMs for a carry around cash infusion of a couple hundred Euros every two or three days for meals, small purchases and incidentals, purchasing only my hotel rooms with the credit card. I must in the crazy 1/2% to 1% minority.

As someone noted above, the equation changes as your group gets larger. I was just looking at the Air France Les Cars ticket prices and it's almost the price of a cab for our group of four (~E10.50 X 4) Are there any advantages to taking a bus over a taxi, such as express lanes for mass transit?

Taxis and buses use the same express lanes.

we have a checking account attached to our primary ATM card that we only use for travel so even hacked the loss is finite -- and of course the bank stands behind the card. the costs of changing dollars is so enormously out of line that you will burn up your 50$ possible loss with debit card misuse pretty quickly -- and since we have been using debit cards to withdraw our money in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East for well over a decade without being hacked, well imagine how much we would be down if we paid the usurious fees for dollar exchange.

with two people if you take one of the buses -- which range from about 10 to 15 Euro each -- and then a cab, you are getting close to the cost of a cab door to door from the airport. With 3 people or more, the savings become non-existant. if the hotel is near an RER B stop then that is the way to go IMHO -- RER stations have escalators so you can get out without a lot of stair climbing and it is only 9.75 for the whole trip. A cab is preferable to a car service as cabs are more reliable; if you book a car service, make it one that doesn't have pre-payment so if they don't show you can just go get a cab. From Orly, a cab is almost always a better deal -- the trip is a hassle on public transport and with 3 people, more expensive than the typical cab fare and not that much more with two.

Last April it cost us 44 euros to go from CDG to Ile St. Louis via a taxi. We also were able to pay with a credit card.

We used a car service and glad we did. There was a terrible accident and the traffic was at a standstill. It took us twice as long to get to our rental. The driver even missed his next booking. We paid one flat rate, I can't imagine what it would have cost with a taxi meter running!

Maureen, which car service did you use and did you book it before your trip or just find them at the airport?

tammy, a car service must be pre-booked, else how could the driver meet you in Arrivals? But if it is a taxi you want, they are there in abundance, waiting for passengers.

Last year I took the Air France bus from Montparnasse to CDG. It was very easy, the driver was helpful, and if you read the Air France Les Cars website and the section in the RS book, it's a piece of gateau to do it. (Print out the map/directions on the Les Cars site if you need to.). I also walked by the train station the night before to make sure I knew where the buses pick up passengers. I arrived in Paris by rail so cannot comment on traveling from CDG.