Transportation To/From Paris airport and hotel

where is the hotel? arrondissement or address?

How many in the group? mobility issues? when?

We take the rails from the airport from Orly; Orly is easy via public transport into Paris. We don't have the patience to sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic especially after a long flight.

For more info:

http://parisbytrain.com/orly-ory-central-paris-transportation/

http://www.airport-orly.com/trains-and-metro.php

Depending on where your hotel is, you can then take the métro to your hotel. Your hotel's website might have public transport directions.

You can also use this metro trip planner to get you to your hotel. If you use Google Chrome, it will give you the option to translate to English or your language of choice.

IMHO the only sensible way for two (and definitely if more) people to travel from Orly is via cab from the official taxi line. If your hotel is on the right bank, it will cost 35 Euro for 4 people and luggage door to door to your hotel; if you are on the left bank, it is 30 Euro. Public transport from Orly is fiddly and complicated (Orlyval to Antony RER then RER into the city and then transfer to the metro to near hotel, with lots of stairs along the way and then having to find the hotel on foot hauling your stuff. Pickpockets are a fact of life on public transport and so you are particularly at risk while tired and hauling all your stuff. Do not go with anyone who asks if you want a taxi; those are scammers. Go to the official taxi rank, wait in line, and the dispatcher at the head of the line will put you in a cab.

Public transport from Orly is about 12.50 a person -- so it costs about 25 Euro to go to the left bank versus 30 for a cab. If there are three people, it is more expensive on public transport than to take a cab directly to the hotel anywhere in Paris. If you do decide on public transport do not have wallets in pockets; I use a money belt under my clothes in transit. (one time unusually aggressive pickpockets actually frisked my husband as he carried our luggage down stairs as we transferred from the RER to the metro; we lost nothing because I had our passports, money and cards, in my money belt.) Usually you don't notice a pickpocket so always have money well secured -- in a cross body purse under your control, or a neck wallet under your clothes.

As an Asian you should be particularly careful about money. Asians have the reputation of carrying large amounts of cash and purchasing quantities of branded goods to take home to friends or re-sell, so they attract pickpockets hoping to make a big score. Carry only the money you need for the day, and make sure it is well secured and not in an accessible pocket, a fanny pack, or a backpack -- all of these are a pickpocket's dream.

The RS guidebook recommends the car service "Paris Webservices" which we used. It was great. They give you contingency plans for what to do if your flight is delayed. If you show the RS guidebook to the driver you get a discount. Our driver spoke good English, the car was nice and clean, overall an excellent experience.

In combination with booking your airport car service, they sell the Museum Pass and other tourism options.
http://www.pariswebservices.com/

How much does the car service charge?

I'll add to Janet's recommendation. It's silly to pay for a car service when a taxi is 30 or 35 euros for up to 4 people.

A taxi from the offices taxi rank is safe and a set price ! Take one !

Thank you guys for sharing your thoughts and advices.

Nigel - Good questions. There are only 2 of us (my husband and I). There is no mobility issue. We have 3 rolling bags with a shoulder bag that house a day's change of clothing and toiletry. So, our hands are pretty full. Our hotel is located in the Rue Cler neighborhood on Re de Champ de Mars.

Janet - Your analysis is extremely helpful. We are concerned with pickpocketing especially when this is our first time in Paris and not familiar with the transportation system. As you mentioned, being Asian, it doesn't help the matter. We have bought money belts so that we can carry the cash and important travel documents in it. You mentioned that you were the one carrying all that when you travelled. For us it was the opposite. Should we split up the travel documents and money between my husband and I? Or do you recommend that I carry them like you do? Will lady be less of a target than man for the pickpocketers?

Epitd - Thank you for sharing RS' car service and your experience. I will look into it and compare with the taxi option as Janet recommended.

Questions - RS also mentioned Uber. Is there any difference in using Uber vs. Taxi vs. car service? How about the traffic as mentioned initially. We arrive in Paris around 2 pm. Will that be a time of heavy traffic?

Thanks again for all of you pitching in and helping travelers like us who are still very novice in travelling to Europe. Looking forward to your replies.

Yin-Ju

Taxis are entitled to use special traffic lanes which private cars are not which may work a bit better. I have no patience for finding my ride and no need to see my name on a card. I just head for the official taxi line.

Muggings are really really rare in Paris so it doesn't matter who wears the money belt as long as it is hidden under the clothes. In my family I wear it because I am the one who worries about these things. Until recently my husband carried a wallet; it took having it picked twice (he foiled each attempt but the person did grab the wallet) until he agreed to stop doing it. And when carrying just one credit card and a transit card in St. Petersburg last fall he finally was successfully picked on a tram. We had no use of the card for the next 8 weeks of the trip and it was an endless hassle with Capitol One over it. A good deal of money was put on it in the 2 hours between probable theft and our call to the company when we realized it was gone. Whomever is comfortable with wearing the money belt should wear it and it is not a purse -- you don't access it in public. Think of it as a body safe and then put your documents, extra cards, and extra cash in the hotel safe when you get to the hotel. For public use, a man can wear one of those neck wallets under his shirt for the day's money and one card; a woman can use a cross body purse under her control in public places. Not perfect but close.

We don't use uber as a matter of principal but they also are not allowed to serve the airports unless you call and then wait. Your destination is on the left bank and so it is only 30 Euro. I would have the address written down including postal zone 75007 I believe but double check and also have 30 E on the paper; that way the driver knows you know the price. There is no extra charge for luggage and no tip needed. If the driver is super helpful with luggage and you want to tip, a couple of Euro is plenty. With as much luggage as you have (too much unless you are moving or hauling work materials) you absolutely do not want to be doing this on public transport.

Thanks so much, Janet, for all the tips. Taxi it is!