Easy Bus CDG Into Paris, What Time to Choose?

hi there,

I haven't been to Paris yet and this is what I want to find out too

Instead of taking taxi, I have googled and I found that you can take airport shuttle too (see http://www.parishuttles.com/). I am not too sure about the quality of service, but it does say that if you have lots of luggage, then shuttle is always a good choice

I'd book the bus that leaves 3 hours after my scheduled arrival time, which is the same thing that I would do if I were taking a TGV from CDG after a flight. Although, if you have only a carry on and can secure your belongings, the RER will be fine. I don't know what you mean by lifting bags on to the RER; the platform where you wait for the train and the train are flush with each other. Perhaps, you have confused the RER trains with the SNCF trains, which do require that one be able to lift his or her bags up the steps into the train.

You don't have anything to worry about with getting your bags onto the RER. When people have been speaking about that, they've meant that people with big, heavy luggage, will have trouble schlepping them around - not at the airport departure station, but once you arrive into Paris and need to change lines or come up the stairs in any way.

You with your carry-on only would just step easily right onto the train.

I don't know, the whole having-to-reserve-a-specific-time for the EasyJet bus just seems one more thing to worry about. IF your plane arrives on time, you can count on about an hour from the plane stopping to when you are out in front of the terminal (but there I don't usually have stop to buy passes, etc. so add on 20 minutes or so - check first to see what hours the travel information desks in the airport open). But since you have absolutely no idea and no control over whether your plane will arrive on time. Me, I would just worry from now until arrival whether I was going to make that reservation (but then I'm a worrywart, and the bus doesn't cost much). Plus the ride in is, to my mind, singularly uninteresting. A bunch of 10-lane highway, concrete, traffic, HLMs, etc. (I get that it could be at least interesting once you're in the city for the final part of the trip.)

The bus is a good idea to go from CDG to Paris, the price of € 2 is worth a try. If it does not work and everyting went wrong then you can still take RER to Paris. 2 € then not a great loss.

Or you can take the Roissybus (10 euro) or the Air France Bus (17 euro), purchasing tickets at the airport if you miss Easy Bus.

Or you can take RATP bus No 350 to Gare de l'Est or no 351 to Pl. de la Nation. Cost is 3 tickets which you can buy from the driver.

I like PariShuttle very much. Have used it to take me to and from the airport from a hard-to-find apartment on the Left Bank. I especially like the shuttle when I'm leaving Paris for the airport. Always concerned about strikes with public transportation when going home, less of a problem when arriving because, hey, I'm on vacation.
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I have also taken the train in and transferred to the Metro. That works well, too. The bags were never a problem, but taking the train requires more planning than just having the shuttle meet you, Of course, the shuttle is more expensive.

Thanks for all the great responses. If I do end up taking the RER B it will get me just a few blocks from my hotel. On RER will I be able to keep my carry-on with me or will I have to leave it in a luggage area?

You keep your luggage with you. The RER is a commuter line not a long distance train service so the trains have no luggage storage area. If you do decide to take the RER, be sure to secure your belongings and be aware of your surroundings. Mass transit in Paris is generally very safe but pickpocketing can be a problem. It seems like you may not have previously taken the RER into Paris so you may want to look at this: http://parisbytrain.com/charles-de-gaulle-airport-cdg-to-paris-by-train/

I am in my 50s . I am not that fit. I have no trounle with my reasonable luggage on rer.
I can walk off plane, get thru immigration, and within 40 minutes after that be in Paris.

I would never want to wait for an hour or more for a bus. Its not worth the 8 euros savings.

PS scene ry into Paris is not worth it either.

Awis1951, I decided to take the RER-B from CDG to Saint-Michel last Oct and had no issue. Just followed the signs, got on the more direct train into Paris and sat down with my 25" wheeled suitcase between my legs. Carrying it up stairs to the main street was not an issue for me.
Enjoy your trip.

I took the Air France bus. If you buy a round-trip ticket, it's €30. They leave every half hour from 6 a.m. Then I got a city bus to where I was staying. It took about an hour and a half into the city at that time, but it was worth it to sit comfortably on an almost empty bus and only walk a few meters. Added bonus: someone loads and unloads your bags from the bus. Taking the RER and then the metro means lots of walking and probably several flights of stairs. I had to buy a single ticket for the city bus for €2.00 rather than try to find/buy tickets at the airport. You don't have to book in advance, just be at the bus stop.

For what it's worth, I landed at CDG at 5 a.m. and was at the bus stop by about 5.30. Also I found during my stay in Paris that I preferred the bus over the metro. . . there's less walking, no stairs, AND you can see Paris while you ride. The RATP website has a user-friendly trip planner. That was useful since I never figured out how to read the bus map!

PS - left Paris yesterday morning. I bought a museum pass at the TI kiosk in the plaza in front of Notre Dame.

Again, thanks to all for the helpful responses. Hopefully just one more question. My smattering of French is very, very rusty, but it looks like there will be construction on the date we arrive 16 June requiring a bus for part of the trip. When I checked out the link (in French) it looks to me as if that will only apply in the middle of the night. Am I correct?

http://parisbytrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/rer-b-construction-150112.pdf

Correct. 11:30 p.m. To 1:30 a.m.

Thank you, Bets. Looks like we're set, barring a strike!

Shuttles in Paris are notorious for being unreliable. I would never take one TO the airport where a slow ride or a failure to show can be disastrous. If their driver doesn't show up that day, ah well. This is not a customer service culture. A cab is reliable and easy. The train is reliable --strikes don't tend to happen without notice.

I have a question to ask the collective wisdom. We will be going on the R. Steves western France trip which begins in Chartres (a wonderful city which we have visited before). We will not be coming directly from Paris, but will be flying in from Vienna, and I'm assuming we'll be flying into CDG. Anyone know the easiest way to get from CDG to Gare Montparnasse? That's where the train to Chartres leaves from.

Laura
CDG to Gare Montparnasse -- Take the RER B from CDG to Denfert Rochereau and then Metro 6 to Gare Montparnasse. Just make sure you're headed in the right direction on the metro.

This is a piggy-back, but here is a little more info. The direction on line 6 is Etoile.

You can also take the Air France bus (Les Cars Air France), which goes from the airport to the Montparnasse Station, with a first stop at the Gare de Lyon. It's 17.50 euro. It's a comfy long-distance bus and they load your luggage underneath. I usually sleep when I take it.

If taking the RER B into town, you can also change to the metro line 4 that will take you to Montparnasse. The disadvantage of line 4 is that it's on the opposite side of the large Montparnasse station from the train station. You'll have long connection hallways to walk with a few stairs up and down. If you want this route, you can change to line 4 from the RER B at either Gare du Nord, Les Halles, St. Michel, or Denfert Rochereau.

As for line 6, I forget if it is on the side of the station closer to the train station or on the opposite side like line 4. Maybe the other poster can tell you. If it's on the side of the station closer to the train station, 6 is preferable to 4.

Thanks for the responses to my question about getting to Montparnasse train station. Seems like the bus is definitely better than the RER in this case!