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Shuttle companies and advise

Posted by (Ohio) on

This spring our multigeneratonal family is travelling to Paris and Normandy on a 10 day trip. An itinerary summary is: upon arrival in Paris, we will spend one day in Paris before catching a train to Renne, renting cars in Renne for five days in Normandy, ending in Versailles, turning in cars and relocating back to Paris for the remainder of the time. We have 11 people which includes 3 small children ( No older folks with limited mobility). There are four times in the itinerary in which we need to transport or relocate the group with luggage using public transportation.

  1. from CDG to Paris hotel (not sure which one yet)
  2. from hotel to Gare Montparnasse. (on way to Renne and Normandy area, using cars in Normandy)( this one could be eliminated if the first hotel is with in walking distance to Gare Montparnasse)
  3. to Paris hotel upon returning on train from Versailles ( spending a few days with vehicles in that area, but turning them in before returning to Paris)
  4. Final trip from Paris hotel to CDG for departure.

My concern is traveling with this group on the metro because of pick pockets. We use all public transportation without our luggage in tow, but I know distracted travelers with luggage and kids are targets. ( I learned the hard way.) So if you have any advise. it will be welcomed. I am looking for a shuttle company, thinking these four rides might be worth it. Most of my research into companies is coming up dry and everything I find on the forum is old. Does anyone have first hand recommendations of shuttle companies or other suggestions? Proper children's car seats need to be arranged also. I have heard this is possible but need recommendations. Thank you so much!

Posted by
3698 posts
  1. You could divide up into taxis but I think for your large group and with small children, a shuttle which will call for two minivans and so you can request car seats will be better. I suggest and recommend Shuttle Inter. For 11, it should be ~165€. Taxi fare will depend on whether you are going to the Right or the Left Bank but if you are able to fit into two taxis and are going to the Right Bank, it will be 112€. It will be 122€ for the Left Bank (both fares soon to go up by 3€). There are taxis that seat 5 or 6 at CDG but I would not want to have to wait for two of them.
  2. Consider mass transit for this even with the risk of pickpockets (forewarned is forearmed) but if not, arrange taxis from Taxi G7. I would not stay near Gare Montparnasse just for ease of transit to Rennes. It's a fine area but I would stay more central if the budget permits it. I do not know if Shuttle Inter does within the city trips. I have only used them for airport travel. I know shuttles get a bad rap but I have never had a problem with Shuttle Inter.
  3. If you are on the train from Versailles just continue on to the metro or bus for the rest of the trip. But, I would really consider a shuttle transfer from Versailles to the Paris hotel. It seems to me that the effort to corral a bunch of people off the train to get a taxi or a shuttle is not that much more than changing trains or I would skip mass transit all together and just get driven from Versailles to Paris.
  4. Same as 1 taxi or shuttle. Prearrange a taxi (extra fee is 7€ per taxi) or a shuttle.
Posted by
8060 posts

with large groups taxis from airports are more cost effective. With 11 you could take two cabs, one with 6 and one with 5 -- for a fixed fair plus 4 Euro for each person over 4 persons. Shuttles will probably be no less -- and public transport will cost more. 11 people on the RER/metro to Paris is about 120 Euro. Cabs to the right bank after Feb 1 would transport that group door to door, no pickpockets, stairs for. 118 Euro. Use only official queue and make sure the fixed fair (53 or 58 depending on. side of river) is on the meter (the extra 4 or 8 can be added then or at the end). No meter from the airport.

Posted by
10 posts

So is the cab company Taxi G7. mentioned in the first post, an example of what you are saying? In other words, are they are prearranged before you leave home and fly into CDG? I have always wondered what these companies (cab or shuttle) do if you are late or customs takes longer than expected. How do you choose what time if you prearrange from home?

Posted by
2546 posts

Most of the taxi Parisians are driven by owner/operators. All taxis are governed/regulated by the Préfecture de Police so pricing is very uniform. Taxi G7 is the largest dispatch company in Paris, particularly since they purchased Taxis Bleus some years ago. Alpha Taxi remains as does one other company, the name of which I do not immediately recall, as minor players but as far as passengers are concerned, all taxis Parisians are equal.

From CDG to your hotel, two taxis, from the official taxi queues, is all you need. Do not accept offers from clandestine drivers soliciting from within the terminals.

Really need to know your hotel name for suggestions to Montparnasse but you could prearrange with Kaptan, Bolt, Lecab, or Snapcar. I typically use Snapcar. You could use any of these services for the remainder of your transportation needs.

Shuttle companies, those remaining in business, have a very poor record for reliability. If you were to use one, and I cannot recommend any, I would absolutely not pay anything in advance.

Posted by
12 posts

I just used SuperShuttle to go from CDG to Paris and eventually back to CDG. I had no problem with them at all and I think that when you make your reservation for CDG to Paris they ask for your airline and flight number so they know if you are likely to be late. You can just check their website for costs.

Posted by
10 posts

I have used Supershuttle in various cities domestically, I was trying to use their website for Paris CDG and it kept "messing up" ( not accepting Paris CDG or any other Paris airport name). I began to wonder what was wrong. So I googled and discovered an article that said they were shutting down operations, effective Dec 31, 2019. The reservations seem to have a few cities suggested so I don't know if it is operational in those few cities?

Posted by
12 posts

When I tried to make a reservation to the local airport, I had no trouble with leaving on December 16, but it wouldn't allow a reservation for December 30. I asked the driver and he said the company was going out of business at the end of the year, but implied It was only the US operations. The driver blamed it on Uber and Lyft (or at least that was the company line.) No trouble for Paris to CDG on the 26th.

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