Paris metro with small children- put my mind at ease?

I was curious about this so googled it. French law exempts taxis from child seats, but some G7 and Uber may have them if booked in advance.
With all the children and the luggage etc, I'd take a taxi if you feel comfortable holding on to the little ones.

One correction: Metro does not operate to/from CDG. You can take the regional train (RER) and connect to Metro.

Navigating the RER and Metro stations, and making station transfer connections underground, can be quite difficult with frequent stairs, long underground connections to stations, very crowded...I would avoid it with bags and young children in tow.

My advice: take an official taxi with a fixed rate charge. Request a larger vehicle from the attendant managing the line. I am not sure about the issue you face needing 3 car seats, though, others will chime in here.

I have used Welcome Pickups, a private hire car and van service. Google them, they may have a solution for you RE car seats.

Please do not take the Metro (actually the RER) from the airport to your apartment near Palais Royal after a long flight from the US. Your children will be tired and crabby--and you will be jetlagged. As others have noted, by taking the RER, you will either exit at Châtelet or have to transfer there. It's the busiest station in Paris will many Metro lines, long corridors for transfers, and many stairs. Take a taxi from the airport instead. You can arrange in advance a van with car seats. I would use G7 rather than Uber--download the G7 app (it has an English option), and check out your options. Once you're settled in Paris, you can explore the city on the Metro or buses.

Managing a double stroller, a large rolling suitcase, several backpacks and 3 small ones will be a challenge during the best of times. Add to that being sleepy, tired, jet lagged, and kids probably not in the best of moods. Not sure that's the best way to start a trip.

Strongly suggest you consider a private car service, or at least an official taxi. You might spend a bit more doing so, but it will, in my opinion, be money well spent.

Not being critical, just offering food for thought.

The RER trains I have ridden from CDG are not set up for luggage. There is no place to easily put it and my bag often ends up on my lap if I arrive during the morning rush hour. Not sure how you would manage all that without a lot of stress as the trains can get quite crowded as well. Welcome Pickups or some similar service would be a lot less stressful.

OMG I wish I could put your mind at ease… but no. Just no. Châtelet Is a maze, always crammed, and confusing. Steps abound. And busy commuters are not going to be friendly about a gaggle of tired, confused, perhaps waling/shrieking children and their parents trying to wedge all their stuff onto/off of the train. (And did I read that right? You have TWO one-year-olds?)

To that, I would just add my personal amplification of what everyone else has said: the ease and comfort of a cab will be money VERY well spent. Please consider treating yourself to a cab.

I agree with everyone who has stressed what a bad idea it is to take 3 small children on the RER from the airport to Paris. The only time I was almost pickpocketed in Paris was when I was trying to manage two small children on metro train. It was not the RER and my children were older than yours but my focus was on keeping my children safe and less so on my bag. Distracted travelers are a pickpockets dream. What you are planning even without a pickpocketing incident sounds like a nightmare. Don’t start your trip that way. This is the time to bite the bullet and pay for door to door transportation, I get it. You do not want to travel with your children in a car without a car seat. I did not either. Taxi G7 Famille https://www.g7.fr/en/discover-our-services/taxi-g7-famille or Shuttle Inter https://www.shuttle-inter.com/thank-you both allow you to reserve car seats for pickups from CDG.

Jenna,
What everyone else said! Take a taxi. Reserve ahead with the G7 app if need be for car seats. Even without the car seats, take a taxi. The RER and metro option would be a nightmare!

Please follow the advice to take a taxi. This is absolutely NOT a situation in which you want to take the RER in from the airport.

Please follow the advice to take a taxi. This is absolutely NOT a situation in which you want to take the RER in from the airport.

You will be much safer in a taxi.

You can arrange with G7 for a van with car seats. Normally you just take a taxi from the queue but with 3 toddlers you need car seats -- especially for the two one year olds. The 3 can be belted in the seatbelt with a travel booster but the babies need to be in car seats. It is too much for 2 parents and the RER and metro. So you need a taxi van.

G7 has some with car seats -- I don't know if they have enough for 3 kids but I'd call their English speaking line and see if you can arrange it. +33 1 41 27 66 99 from a US phone.

It is legal to travel with kids without car seats in cabs but it is dangerous -- I'd try to arrange airport transport with car seats.

And. for around town you should take buses which have space for the stroller. You don't want to be in the metro with all those stairs with 3 little ones. And you should not be taking cabs around town without car seats.

We will not be bringing car seats ............

How are they traveling on the airplane?

Jenna, you have received a great deal of advice already, all of it telling you to not take the Metro from the airport. I won’t pile on.

I am going to focus on your plane experience. Hopefully you have reserved 3 seats and two bassinets already for your flight. Planning ahead for the flight will make a huge difference for your experience and the experience of the other passengers.

I just spent a week on the Metro and it can get crowded, especially during peak times. Plan your travels to be outside of those times.

We were just in Paris with my daughter her husband and children ages 1 and 4. We used Disney Transfers https://parisdisneytransfer.com/disneyland-transfer/ for their transfers from the airport and then we used them to Disneyland. They are family friendly and they provided car seats and booster seats. They were wonderful to work with. Even though it is more expensive than using public transport, it provides peace of mind. We did take the metro twice and with 6 adults watching 2 small children it was stressful, especially the Chatelet stop. We were jammed in the metro. Hope you have a wonderful visit.

@Jenna, I just found out today that the Taxi G7 Famille vehicles have two booster seats and one car seat which I think is the opposite configuration of what you need. Of the two options that I presented in my response, Shuttle Inter will provide whatever configuration of seats you need.

You will be much safer in a taxi.

I'm perplexed by this response. There's no reason to feel unsafe on the RER.

I'll add another perspective: I'd rethink taking the kiddos on the trip. If you have any family whatsoever who might be willing to babysit for the duration of your vacation, I'd strongly recommend you consider that approach. Accommodating the needs of the youngsters (primarily with respect to transit) will be challenging, and the challenge is likely to detract from your enjoyment. Our first Europe trip was when our daughter was 3, and she's admitted that she wouldn't now remember anything about the trip had she come along. She's now a seasoned international traveler and loves to see distant places.

I would be concerned about safety because it’s difficult to keep a safe hold on three small children while also managing luggage. Train stations are potentially dangerous in many ways - not the other passengers but the steps, platforms, sliding doors etc etc.

I actually don’t know if you could even get a double pushchair on there and it will be impossible to collapse your pushchair and safely manage that, 2 babies, a 3 year old and luggage.

And there are several gates / doors that you can not get a double push chair through. I know, as I tried to no avail to help a couple who had one in the metro a few months ago.

I was recently in Paris and was sometimes dismayed by the number of stairs in RER and metro stations, with no elevators available. I don’t know how you would get three small children and all the luggage and the stroller up or down these long flights.

We will have at least 1 double stroller

It could be a tandem style, not side-by-side style, so may not be quite the problem to get through doorways.

Ah, good point Joe.

Still, I wouldn't try to wrangle this group and its luggage and equipment through the RER / metro.

if folks haven't noticed jenna the OP has put her resolution and thanks at the end of the OP

Book BT Transfer. A bit more expensive than a taxi, but they meet you outside the baggage claim area, have large vans and can provide child seats. Have used them several times and always very happy with their efficiency. As for little children, perhaps get a pair of those old fashioned child restraint reins for the 3 year old? Stops them running off.

'You will be much safer in a taxi.'

I'm perplexed by this response. There's no reason to feel unsafe on the RER.

The metro is dangerous for small children who are not carefully supervised. Imagine a rambunctious 3 year old with parents each holding a toddler and wrangling luggage and a stroller. There are many ways this can go lethally wrong. It is simply not safe to do what the OP was thinking of doing -- and they have wisely decided to book a van with car seats.

I’m the OP and I’m new to this forum so I don’t know if I can respond individually to people but wanted to chime in on a few things.

As my edit in my OP said, we found several sources to hire a van with car seats. Thank you to those who shared those resources. I think that will be the ideal solution.

Safety: we are intelligent people who understand that trains can hurt children. We have chest harnesses for our 1 year olds and would not allow our 3 year old to run free in a setting such as this. My question was more about whether it’s going to be super unpleasant/stressful to get all kids/luggage onto public transport. Our ancestors crossed the sea in ships with only the stars to guide them and 8 children in tow. I am confident we could safely navigate modern public transport without death/dismemberment, although it does sound like it would be more comfortable to hire a car.

To the person who suggested leaving our kids home entirely: the original post was asking a fairly simple question. If we wanted to or were able to leave our kids home, I would not have posted a question about transportation for our family lol.

I hope you have a great trip!

And as a fellow twin mom (12 yr old boys), I feel compelled to tell you that it does get easier (though you've probably already experienced that, having gotten through the first year). Enjoy your sweet children!

With strollers, I would not want to manage luggage as well...We took Uber from airport to Bastille area. Well worth the money. You can request a child seat. Once in Paris, we used the Metro extensively with our 5-YO daughter. To and from Musee de Louvre. To and from Eiffel Tower. To and from Versailles and RER-C train. To and from Montmartre. Download the Navigo App for Paris and purchase your card. You can fill it from your phone!

https://www.ratp.fr/en

Very easy, great maps in English. Subway was super clean, both train cars and stations! WE used similar precautions with valuables as any major urban city. Convenient. Trains every 6 minutes. Most wait times were 2 minutes. Bon Voyage!

Yes, the safety issue I was referring to had to do with wrangling three children three and under and all the family's luggage.

I don't have any doubt they can escort their children safely when there are only children to be held close, and not luggage as well.

I am glad you have found good resources through your question and people here helping, and I hope you have a wonderful trip!

Double strollers = side by side or one behind the other? A side by side design will be very inconvenient in the streets of Paris.

In general, if this is just a 'leisure' trip not tied to a specific occasion (visiting family, friends, etc), I'd be inclined to wait a little, as getting around on the day to day with the little ones will be just as much of a hassle as coming from the airport. Paris is just not that well geared towards larger families.

I came through CDG yesterday and there was a family with young twin babies, another child about 3 years old, a teen girl, a large dog in a crate and multiple cases.
We were all waiting at the baggage carousel and the three year old ran off into the crowd.
Dad was running about shouting for her, Mum looked exhausted.
Child was far away into the crowds by the time she was located.
I was reminded of this post and was feeling glad that the app would be getting a van!