I will be traveling from Bordeaux to Paris via train in late June 2016. I plan to stay at the Hotel Hotel de Lutece in the Ile St. Louis district. Rick's guidebook list Gare Mintparnasse as the primary train station for service from Birdeaux.
Any recommendations on transportation from the train station to the hotel? Would we (2 adults) be better to use the subway, taxi, or bus? This is our first trip to France, so simplicity over-rides cost. Thanks!!!
If simplicity overrides cost, take a taxi.
Or, only slightly less simple, take Metro Line 4 from Montparnasse straight to Cite station, and walk through the Cite island past Notre Dame and over the bridge to the Ile St-Louis.
Even though it is a simple train ride, it is a relatively long walk from (about 750 yards) from the long distance trains to Metro line 4. It is all well signed and well lit and if I recall correctly has moving walkways. Do you have manageable luggage?
JHK - thank you. Yes, I wil only be traveling on this leg if the trip with a carry on size roller bag.
Along with the moving walkways, the walk from the train station to line 4 does have stairs going down and then again back up as it passes under metro lines. There's no escalator or elevator, so you do have to carry your bags down and back up on this walk from one end of this large station to the other. Personally, I'm a weakling who avoids this walk when I have luggage due to the stairs. If anyone knows if escalators have been installed in the last two years, please let us know.
Since it is not an especially long or expensive cab ride for 2 people, put me in Kim's camp. The last line says it all.
This is our first trip to France, so simplicity over-rides cost.
