Gare du Nord to Renaissance Paris Vendome Hotel - after dark transportation

Easiest/safest? Taxi.

Safety shouldn't be an issue. Paris is generally a safe place.

How are you with luggage? If you're comfortable using the metro, 7 will get you walking distance (Palais Royal/ Musee du Louvre). It's kind of a long walk getting from Nord to 7 though.

Taxi is the definitely easiest (but most expensive) just walk out of the station to the taxi stand.

I'm comfortable with more walking. I generally use the metro to get around when it's more than a ten or 15 minute walk. I buy a carnet of ten tickets (1,49 each ride). I'm a fan of the Next Stop Paris app. I use it for metro routes around town. It also gives you walking maps. To save data, I check it when I have wifi, then turn data off so I don't burn up my French SIM card too fast.

Arriving in a large city with luggage is one of the Times we almost always take a taxi. The Metro is not fun with luggage and if you do not know exactly where you are going, at night, it’s worth taking a cab. We have arrived or departed frequently at Gare du Nord and always take a taxi.

Taxi and the fare should be less than 20€ and more likely be around 15€. Be sure to use the correct exit at the station so that you end up at the official taxi line and do not accept any rides from people who approach you not because of safety concerns but because they are rip-off artists. Do not let anyone tell you that it is a set fare from Gare du Nord. I got in a taxi there last May after a daytrip to London and the driver told me it was a fixed rate of 50€ to my apartment. I waited until we got to my apartment to call BS to see what he would do and paid him 12€, which was what I decided the ride would cost, and informed him that he was lucky that I was not reporting him. I do not recommend my approach, but I do that taxi ride pretty frequently and 12€ is the least I have paid with the meter running, and I am pretty comfortable in Paris. To get to the official taxi stand, walk towards the front of the train and turn right so you end up at the exit on Rue Maubeuge.

Another vote for a taxi from Gare du Nord. Safer, faster and not that expensive.

"Arriving in a large city with luggage is one of the Times we almost always take a taxi. The Metro is not fun with luggage and if you do not know exactly where you are going, at night, it’s worth taking a cab."

Exactly - and not just in Paris, but anywhere. Once I've stowed my bags and had a chance to get the lay of the land of a city, I take public transit everywhere, but on arrival with luggage, I mostly take taxis.

Many thanks for all the great information! Much appreciated!

Follow the signs to the official taxi queue which is sort of off to the side not 'out front' -- it is a very clear line with a railing and a dispatcher at the head. Make sure the taxi runs the meter; any attempt to give a fixed price is a thief (except at CDG or ORY). tips are not expected or required.

Just a note to observe that none of the crimes noted in this discussion so far preferentially selects mother and daughter tourists. They are regular tourism crimes that I see at Newark NJ airport every time I am there. Paris is an extremely safe city, safer than Chicago or Los Angeles, for example. If you are inexperienced with public transportation, you need to read up so you'll feel more comfortable. Our host, Rick Steves, has some excellent books for novice and first-time travelers to Europe. (Menu top left, and your public library.)

Even though we speak a little French and know the metro, upon arrival at Gare du Nord we always take a taxi and have a copy of our hotel's address, usually from their website, to hand to the taxi driver. The taxi drivers always appreciate it.

I regularly take taxis everywhere in Paris, particularly from the airports. However, Gare du Nord is a special case. The taxis operating from here are some of the most dishonest in Paris and many of these dishonest drivers work out of Gare du Nord exclusively. If you are going to be cheated by a taxi driver, it will be from Gare du Nord.

The very worst thing you can do is to ask a driver how much it might cost to take you somewhere. This question will flag you immediately as someone who does not know that all fares, except those to/from the airports, are metered. Far too many of the Gare du Nord drivers will take advantage of your not knowing how things operate or what to expect.

If you can manage your luggage, take either the métro or bus to your destination. If not, arrange in advance with a service such as Snapcar or upon arrival with Taxify or Kapten (formally Chauffeur Privé).

If you take the taxi from Gare du Nord, prepare to wait a while. You'll arrive with a train load of other travelers who want to catch a taxi as well. The station is in the middle of a neighborhood and only a few taxis can pull up at a time. There's a queue for taxis. It took us 45 minutes from when we arrived until we finally got into a taxi.

Knowing what I know now, since we travel light, I would have taken the Metro. Take the 4 train to Châtelet, then transfer to the 1 train to the Tuileries station. It's a short walk from there. It will take ~23 minutes, half the time we stood in line waiting for a taxi.

If you can manage it, you will be to the hotel by metro before you get to the head of the cab line. There is no safety issue but there is always a pick pocket issue in Paris in crowded places. I use an under clothing money belt as a body safe when in transit. Once at the hotel the valuables go in the room safe and you only carry a card and a little cash each day in a cross body purse or other secure place. The walk from the metro to the hotel is not a problem -- except you have to be able to carry luggage up stairs and you should map out the walk on google maps so you know where to head when you emerge from the metro. I usually note the first cross street in the direction I am going so I know right away that I am going in the right direction. Since metros have many exits it is easy to get turned around in a strange place.