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Transportation from CD Airport

I am needing to arrange transportation from the Charles Dugaulle Airport to my daughters new apartment in Paris. Does anyone have any suggestions on who to use? I am looking for an English speaking driver as my daughter is not yet fluent in French. We will also need to arrange to have her driven to her university the next morning. It would only make sense to have the same driver for both trips. I have attempted to do this on line with a couple of companies but for some reason I cannot get their email 'contacts' to work. Thank you for any tips that would help a rather nervous mother arrange for a safe transfer!

Posted by
784 posts

You do not need to prearrange transportation from CDG into Paris. Simply go to the official taxi rank outside of the terminal. To arrange a pick up for the next morning, call G7 Taxis the night before or book online. This is a very reliable taxi company and they have an English speaking dispatcher. Keep in mind that when you call for a taxi there will be some fare showing on the meter when they arrive, and this is standard. Other than the standard greetings, it is not necessary to speak French to the driver, simply write the address with postal code.on a slip of paper to show the driver.

Posted by
5471 posts

Dear Nervous Mother,

Don't worry.

She will be perfectly safe just getting a taxi from the taxi queue at the airport. It really isn't a problem if the driver doesn't speak English. If she has the address written on a piece of paper, she can show the address to the driver.

Is her university in Paris? If so, the metro is simple to use and also safe. Get her a good map and a copy of the Rick Steves Paris guide and she will have everything she needs ( except money) to get around.

Posted by
7049 posts

Call me crazy, but if your daughter is college-aged, she doesn't need a chauffeur to get to college. I did a study abroad myself and had to figure it out on my own - it wasn't too taxing (no pun intended). Your daughter is going to be in a new country for at least a while, it seems, and it's not worth worrying about her every move IMHO. The beauty of studying abroad is learning how to be self-sufficient and independent...most kids will accomplish this and be forever grateful for the opportunity.

Posted by
14482 posts

The French take public transportation in Paris, no private driver is necessary. In which arrondisment (district) is the apartment located? Take the RER B from the airport to Gard du Nord (Paris Nord train station). The cost is 10 Euro. I know...I did this in May of this year. There is a taxi line outside the station or you could take the Metro or bus. Paris Nord station is also a junction point for several lines, which comes in handy if you want to be bothered with the Metro, depending on where you want to go.

Posted by
7981 posts

One of the great things about study abroad is that your daughter learns to manage things like this. Turn her loose to make her way. Cabs are easy to get at the airport and to arrange if you need them in town; if she isn't hauling luggage in the morning, why not have her take the metro? I'm sure she'll have a wonderful time and manage just fine. Mine did and it was a great boost in her self confidence.

Posted by
2 posts

Thank you to everyone for the responses. The reason my daughter requires a car rather than the metro for her first day is due to the amount of luggage she will be carrying. She will also be totally jet-lagged after flying for 18 hours. She will require a taxi or car the next morning due to her arrival time in Paris. She will not know her way around town and must be at her school by 7:30am. From that point on she has full intentions of taking the metro. Thank you to Carolyn - I will try the G7 Taxi co.

Posted by
4406 posts

terri (?), if you can tell us exactly where she'll be staying, and where she needs to be the next morning, it will be a lot easier for us to help with transportation. Paris is a big place ;-) And...how many prices of luggage? Ginormous trunks, carry-on sized, etc.? Makes a big difference in who you need to meet her at CDG. Also, what time is her flight scheduled to arrive?

Posted by
7981 posts

For that early a morning pick up, arrange a cab on G7 taxis English line the night before; we have never not had them show up about 5 minutes early. Very reliable. and from the airport as others have noted, just get in the taxi line and you will be fine.