Would love some assistance as I am having trouble wrapping my head around train stations and neighborhoods in Paris. I have always stayed in Rue Cler neighborhood but am thinking it would be fun/interesting to stay in a different neighborhood at 9/19/26 conclusion of Best of Eastern France trip. My thought is to take a high speed train from Aix to Paris (which arrival station?), stay two nights in a not too distant fun/interesting neighborhood, and then get my plane out of CDG Monday morning. Any suggestions you might have would be most welcome. I love the RS Forum family!
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
17162 posts
The TGV from Aix arrives at Gare de Lyon. The AIX TGV station is a little bit out of town but there is a bus from the main part of town out to the station. Your Eastern France guide will give you the information on how to get that but do buy your TGV ticket ahead of time. The TGV is one where ticket prices only get higher.
Have a great time on the tour and then in Paris! No hotel suggestions as I usually stay in the 7th. There are many people here who stay elsewhere so will be able to give you some good ideas.
Were you wanting to be near the RER-B line out to the airport or were you planning to take a taxi from your hotel to the airport?
Posted by
Long Beach, Ca, usa
3262 posts
molfit,
Is your flight out of CDG in the morning or later? Where to stay the second night would depend on that. You may find it better to spend that second night at an airport hotel. As to where to stay the first night (and maybe second), I would choose someplace in the St. Germain area. But it depends on what you want to see and do that last full day in Paris.
Posted by
Chicago
9678 posts
The Gare de Lyon area is fine and reasonably convenient to trains to the airport. You can of course take a taxi but if you want to take the train then you can take the RER D from Lyon station to Gare du Nord and pick up the RER B to the airport there.
I would not spend my last night at the airport unless it is an early flight. And if you do decide to move to the airport the last night, I would arrange late check in and go after dinner in Paris. Your hotel can hold your bags till you need to leave for the airport. You can take the RER B which will go right to Roissypole where most of the hotels are. We stay at the Novotel when we do this, but there are many hotel choices.
Posted by
OP
27 posts
My plan would be to taxi to CDG the morning of my 11:00 AM flight. So two nights in one hotel works for me.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
17162 posts
"My plan would be to taxi to CDG the morning of my 11:00 AM flight. So two nights in one hotel works for me."
This sounds like a good plan. My flights home usually leave in the 10-1030 time frame and it's pretty easy to book a taxi for 6A and get there with time to spare. With an 11A departure you'll be just find staying overnight in Paris.
Posted by
Long Beach, Ca, usa
3262 posts
Just be sure to book your taxi the day you arrive in Paris, not the night before, to be sure to have one available for your early morning departure for the airport. 7 euros extra for the prebooking....a cheap price for surety.
If you choose the RER, plot out your departure morning ahead of time and pay attention to any possible strike notices.
Just be prepared for a smooth move.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
11822 posts
Just tell your hotel when you arrive that you need a taxi, and they will arrange everything for you.
If you want to stay in the Gare de Lyon neighborhood, the Holiday Inn Gare de Lyon Bastille is nice. However, there are better areas for charm such as any side around the Luxembourg Gardens, including Saint Germain as noted above.
Posted by
Chicago
9678 posts
If you want to take the train to the airport then a hotel near the Luxembourg stop of the RER B would be great.
I also would stay in Paris and get a cab the next morning. And yes, do reserve when you arrive as sometimes cabs are hard to reserve the night before. We had this happen once and had to scramble to find other transport.