Hello. I am planning a trip to Paris in June for 2 nights, coming into Paris by rail and leaving via CDG airport. I'd like to seek advice on where would be the most convenient (and cost effective) place to stay in Paris. I had previously stayed at a hotel near the Eiffel tower and although I really liked the area, it looks like getting to the airport from there would be a hassle
Any hotel recommendations would be highly appreciated.
Thank you! :)
I'm not going to comment on a specific hotel but, if it were me, I would stay at a hotel close to the airport for both nights. It looks like you just have one full day in Paris since you said you are staying 2 nights. I would just look for a place to get my zzzzzs and take the RER in for the day.
That said, if you have your heart set on staying somewhere in the city, your hotel can arrange a very early morning pick up via cab or car/driver service. We often do this for our last night in a city to insure that we'll get to the airport on time. It will be more expensive but will enable you to stay in Paris and it will take away the stress factor. If it is indeed very early in the morning you won't have too much traffic to contend with and you won't have to haul luggage through the metro and/or RER system - to me that's the worst thing ever.
The Air France bus, line 4, leaves Gare de Lyon at 6:15 for CDG, takes about an hour. There are many hotels near the station, we liked the Hotel Corail a few blocks up Rue de Lyon toward Bastille. The bus line 1 leaves the Etoile as early as 5:45, takes about an hour. Plenty of places to stay there too, probably more expensive. Or you can take the RER "B" line from Gare du Nord, cheaper and faster though less comfortable, and stay near that station. Or the same RER line from further south, like St-Michel in the Latin Quarter, where there are many nearby hotels.
Don't leave us guessing.
What time is the flight?
Thank you all for your suggestions!
We are planning on arriving at Paris Gare du Nord and departing from either the CDG or ORY airport. Since we will be there for only 2 nights, I'm trying to figure out which area would be the most convenient to stay in where we wouldn't have to haul our luggages everywhere to get from the rail station to the hotel, and from the hotel to the airport, and still be reasonably close to attractions.
I was absurdly considering a 07:00AM flight out of Paris (CDG) due to a cheaper price but as I think about the logistics of actually getting to the airport by then, I realize that this was a very bad idea.
I am currently considering two flights out of Paris: one that leaves from ORY at 9am (EasyJet), and another that leaves from CDG at 6pm (Air France). Does anyone have experience flying with either airlines?
I guess I should have asked Ed's question first. Didn't realize you hadn't even picked an airport yet.
For an early morning flight, like 7 AM or even 9 AM, I'd suggest spending the previous night at the airport. We stayed at the Ibis at CDG (the one right in the airport, not in the town of Roissy) last year and it was perfectly OK. There are other hotels there too. For a 6 PM you want to get there by mid-afternoon. I can't help you with Orly.
So if I understand what you are now telling us, monique, you don't yet know which airport you will depart from, you don't yet know which airline you will fly with and therefore don't yet know the departure time, only that it will be early morning. What was the question again?
Sorry for the confusion. Probably shouldn't have mentioned the other details as it is not set in stone yet. I'm in the early planning stages and a bit overwhelmed by it. I really appreciate all the suggestions thus far, though. :)
I guess my general question is, what place/area would you recommend to stay for 2 nights in Paris, where I could easily get to/from Gare du Nord and the CDG airport, and have reasonable access to city attractions?
Why not stay near Gare du Nord. Just read the Trip Advisor reviews both carefully and with a grain of salt. As for a specific hotel recommendation, I just go to known no-surprise chains like Mercure or Ibis after years of staying in dumps or trying to find the perfect little gem of a hotel. At Gare du Nord you are on the RER B line, which goes to both CDG and Orly. You wouldn't have to drag your bags far and you can get to any city attractions you want to see. It's grittier than near the Eiffel Tower but that's the trade off. If you are willing to move your bags you absolutely could stay anywhere on the RER B line (Les Halles, St. Michel, Luxembourg, Port Royal, Denfert). On the other hand, if you decide on a very early morning flight, you could stay the second night at the Ibis Terminal 3 at CDG. I think I've just restated what all the above posts said, but hope it helps.
monique,
Regarding your airline question, I haven't flown with Air France but I routinely use EasyJet (they are my preferred budget airline in Europe), and I would certainly recommend them. However one caveat - BE SURE to read their Terms & Conditions carefully, especially related to luggage weight. If you think your checked luggage will be over their allowable weight, it's cheaper to pay the extra charges at the time of booking rather than at the gate. Also note that they typically only allow ONE carry-on item per passenger. That doesn't mean "one plus a personal item such as a purse", it means literally ONE ONLY! Where are you heading after Paris?
Could you elaborate on "convenient (and cost effective)". What are you planning to see while there? I normally stay in the 7th near the Eiffel Tower, and don't really find it much of a problem to get back and forth to the airport. The trip from Ecole Militaire Metro to connect with the RER "B" is fairly straightforward (even with luggage), and with that you can travel to either CDG or ORY (the airports are at opposite ends of the RER "B" line).
Another option you could use would be to ask your hotel to pre-arrange a shared Shuttle. The cost is usually about €28 as I recall, but the trip can take awhile as they pick up passengers at various hotels. That's what I did when I was there in July. That works well for trips to CDG, but I'm not sure about ORY?
Thank you all for the tips. Just an update, we decided to take the 6pm flight out of Paris to give us a bit more time to explore and so that we are not in such a rush on our departure.
I will definitely check out hotels near Gare du Nord and along the RER B line. Is the Gare du Nord area safe to walk around, especially at night?
Ken,
Thank you for the tip about the carry-on. Will definitely double check to see what the policy is. I decided to go with Air France, as they offered the later flight (6pm) for cheaper. We are heading to Venice from Paris.
I'm looking to spend around 200-250 euro total for the hotel. I do not mind a bit of travel to the city's attractions but my main concern is traveling with our luggages since we had some trouble last time hauling our luggage with us (It was my first visit and I did not realize the amount of walking and stair-climbing involved getting in and out of the metro).
I would like to visit the Louvre, the Eiffel, and the Montmartre area. I would also like to visit Monet's garden in Giverny.
I think a shared shuttle will be very helpful. Do most hotels usually offer this service or is it just hotels in certain areas?
Thanks again!
Hi,
At Gare du Nord is a Mercure hotel, which is most likely the most expensive hotel in the immediate area. The Mercure is located right across the street from the train station. You'll see it as you are coming out of the station.
