CDG to Gare Lyon

You are probably thinking of the RER train. It is reported to be the cheapest way to town but you may want to review the various forum discussions about petty crime on the trains.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187147-c7466/Paris:France:Safety.On.The.Metro.Ratp.And.Rer.html

We took the AirFrance coach. We had a couple of bags of gear and the coach has a luggage compartment.

What is REA? If you mean RER, you can take RER B to Gare du Nord and change there for RER D to Gare de Lyon or you can stay longer on RER B to Chatelet Les Halles and change there for the RER A to Gare de Lyon. I think that RER A option is a bit faster but have not ever timed it so I don't know for sure. You can get mass transit directions for travel in Paris at www.ratp.fr/en. One alternative to the RER is to take the Air France Bus and you can find more information about it at http://www.lescarsairfrance.com/lignes-horaires/ligne-cdg-aeroport-paris-gare-montparnasse.html. The bus option is subject to surface traffic but some people prefer it to avoid having to change trains. And, of course, you can take a taxi. Best depends on budget, time of day, number of people and other factors. Also, if you are going to Gare de Lyon to catch a train, you may be able to leave for the destination directly from CDG.

You want to RER commuter choo-choo train. It's not a direct journey. From CDG take RER line B to Chatelet-Les Halles (direction Massy-Palaiseau). Then transfer to RER A (direction Torcy) to Gare De Lyon.

Here's a site with basic info about using the trains in Paris:

http://parisbytrain.com

It's the RER B out of the airport with a switch to the RER A at Chatelet-les Halles. ClH is the largest underground rail station in the world except for maybe Moscow. It might not be grins with a lot of stuff. It cost about thirteen buck a head.

Les Cars Air France (Line 2) is the non-stop shuttle to Gare de Lyon. It costs about twenty-two dollars per person.

Figure about sixty bucks (maybe a bit more) for a taxi, including luggage.

Hi, Jim

If you can afford it, I would suggest the Air France Bus. It's very easy to catch at the airport, relatively hassle-free.

Having read a few threads where people were robbed by pickpockets on the subways while their hands are full with luggage, I would avoid RER and subways. Not to mention, you have to navigate stairs/escalators with luggage. In my opinion, not worth the few euros saved. See "Hard Lessons Learned in the Paris Metro".

If you can afford it, I would suggest the Air France Bus....

The Air France Coach Line 4 CDG to Gare de Lyon cost less than 17€ per adult and you can buy bus tickets from a staffed counter or the driver. I don't know if the driver takes credit cards.

The RER cost less than 10€ so you would be splurging paying an extra 7€ taking the coach directly to Gare de Lyon (first stop in Paris). It's a more relaxing ride when you don't have to hold your wallet tightly and be on the lookout for robbers.

Thanks for all of the info. I did mean RER. Just on of those days.

We'll be taking the Air France bus there this December, its easy to find, you can buy your ticket onboard (bring euros for it, thoiugh) or from a machine inside the terminal if you have a chip and pic credit card. We don't, so we bring cash. I should look up BNP Paribas and see if they have an ATM at CDG, they take our US credit cards just fine...

HSBC is the only bank with ATMs at Roissy.

Because the transfer in Chatelet/Les Halles with luggage can be formidable, I'd definitely take the Air France bus. Bon voyage.

You can always change to the RER D at Nord. Nonetheless, if you are trepidatious about this, just take the bus.

RER B to RER A at Chatelet is a simple cross platform change. There are changes at Chatelet rhat are long hikes but this isn't one of them. That said, if it were my choice, I'd take the Air France bus because it's so easy and I'm getting lazy in my old age.