I have read the mixed reviews regarding Welcome Pickups on this forum.
Personal experience feedback sought - have any of you enjoyed another provider?
I understand Blackline is a solid alternative; of course they are quite pricey.
[As an aside, Welcome Pickups is reasonably priced at 79 Euros compared to the taxi fixed rate of 65 Euros]
Thank you
Any reason you don't want to take a taxi from the official taxi line for the flat rate? Many posters here do that with no issues.
Just follow the signage to the official taxi rank. The line manager will assign your car. Ignore anyone else that approaches you offering a deal. Confirm your destination address and the flat rate with the driver. If you want to pay with credit card or Apple Pay, confirm that it will be accepted or ask for another driver who will accept it.
I also recommend taking the standard fixed-rate taxi.
I have a friend who has used Welcome Pickups for years and wouldn't consider anything else.
I'm in the taxi camp. Easy, reliable, always there.
Just follow the footsteps on the floor to the taxi rank. Don't go with anyone who offers you a ride, even if they tell you they're a legitimate taxi. They're not. Have your address written on a piece of paper with the amount (€56 Right Bank/€65 Left Bank) and hand it to the driver. No tip is expected.
I too am in the taxi camp but when I have used a pickup service because my travel companion insisted on using one, I used Shuttle Inter and it was fine every time. SI is 1€ more than Welcome Pickups if that matters.
I recommend official taxis as they have access to special routes/drop off points, HOV lanes, and bus lanes that VTCs (Uber, Bolt, Freenow, private car) do not. Taxis will be the fastest vehicle option into Paris. Taxis do not have surge pricing. Hand the driver your written destination. There is no charge for luggage.
Thank you jeanm, Kim, HappyToBeHere, JHK, and Tocard
We probably will do the taxi.
The reason I asked is that my wife and I have enjoyed the level of service on some other arrivals after the long hours of flying, and we were curious about doing so upon arrival at CDG.
Very good to know about the VTC limitations.
Best regards
To save $ just go taxi. You mention wanting above and beyond more service of a car service- then you’ll pay a lot more. We used black line on first trip and it was very nice they met us inside and guided us seamlessly out of airport and to our hotel.
The RER is a great way to go into the city from CDG.
Thank you Mary57
Yes, the few times we 'splurged' for the hired driver, the no-stress smooth experience was worth it
Thank you geovagriffith
Yes, actually I was curious about this option.
Best regards
You can take the RER B from CDG and connect to any métro/RER station. The fare is 14€. Trains run through midnight.
The RER B line from CDG departs roughly every 10 minutes until about 11:50 pm or so on a Monday evening. Think of it as a commuter train.
While it isn't a difficult journey, it is not the same no-stress smooth experience of a taxi or private car.
IMO, taking the RER B only makes sense if you are traveling relatively light, a carry-on and personal item, and staying near one of the many stations along the route. Otherwise a transfer to Metro or bus or a taxi would be needed to get to your hotel.
While this isn't a complete list of the stations. for most visitors to Paris, the stations of interest would be
The current cost is €14 per adult each way.
Thank you Tocard
I will look at the timetables; maybe this could be a better way to get to CDG for our flight home (taxi ride is an hour)
Thank you jeanm
Agreed that this would not be hassle-free. As in my reply to Tocard, maybe this can be a good option to return to CDG
I typically travel from CDG to the Left Bank. My last trip, a couple of months ago, took over 2 hours by taxi. It was a day when the RER was not operational and I was forced to use a taxi. However, the RER is much faster than is any other form of ground transportation.
If you arrive at CDG on your first trip to Paris, take a Taxi Parisien from the official taxi queue. Otherwise, assuming you can handle your luggage, take the train at 14€.
Thank you Tocard
As fyi, this is not the first trip to Paris for my wife and me. Many years ago, we would land at Orly. We have landed at CDG several times; it is has been 12 years since our last time in Paris. We land "late-ish" Monday night from Heathrow (8:35pm). We depart on a Friday morning 10:45am for Heathrow, and then on to the US (we are planning to get to CDG by 7:45am; assuming a 1 hour taxi ride).
I figure no traffic worries with the RER. However, the few minutes we'd need to get from our hotel to St Michel-Notre Dame, 40-some minutes to CDG T2, then the walk from RER to the check-in adds up to close to an hour.
