Traveling to Paris/CDG alone with a minor disability

In this situation I think it is very hard for strangers to provide any type of creditable advice. You know your limitations. We don't. First, you are not going into a den of thieves when everyone or nearly everyone is attacked. Obviously you need to keep your wits about you but don't assume you are wearing a X on your back - 'cause you are not. For you it may be smarter to use taxis more frequently. Request it and the airline will provide assistance from the plane to the curb. So have them get you to the taxi que. If anyone approaches you that is unexpected, then a firm NO is needed and generally sufficient. Of course, it helps to have min luggage, bags, etc., and keep anything valuable well secured. And, unfortunately, a good part of travel is mental. I am concerned that you have partly thrown in the towel. We are in the area of the glass being either half empty or half full. I have seen people traveling with major disabilities and they get along fine.

You might want to consider doing a group tour.

If you are staying near the Palais Congres, take the Le-Bus Direct (line 2) from the airport and avoid any of the RER stress or luggage toting. Bags will be stored in the compartment under the bus, take your seat and relax. Stops at Port de Maillot in front of the Palais Congres and costs 17 euro.
http://www.parisaeroport.fr/en/passengers/access/paris-charles-de-gaulle/public-transport

Thank you so far, that is helpful information!

Fear can be paralyzing - but I think the problems are overly stated. Just be prudent with valuables and be aware of your surroundings. You will be fine.

One of biggest factors is to not look like a target. That is really not hard to do - walk with purpose like you know exactly where you are, where you are going and what you need to do. Even if you don't!

Become familiar with the layout of CDG so you know how to get to the RER station there. Know exactly which train need and what stop to get off and any line changes you need.

Keep your luggage to a minimum - what you can carry up the stairs in one trip.

Familiarize your self with the area you are staying and the route you will take from the Metro to your accommodations.

It is the folks standing around looking like deer in the headlights or too busy looking around lost that are targets.

Relax and enjoy!

There are not ravening hoards of wolves who jump on people exiting customs at the airport. The main risk is pickpockets and you arm yourself against pickpockets by not having valuables where they can easily be filched. In your situation I might just not carry a purse since you fear purse snatching (not common but not unheard of) and would keep key valuables in a money belt under my clothes. Once you clear immigration and while waiting for your luggage, go to the restroom and stow your valuables. When you get your bag put your purse into the suitcase (the valuables now being securely stowed). Then make your way to the official taxi queue and take a taxi when you get to the head of the line. Have the money for the cab in an inner pocket or someplace you can reach it, not the money belt which is never accessed in public. Have your hotel address written down to make it easier. This way you arrive at your quarters where you can secure your valuables and are not exposed to pickpockets or petty thieves.

Be sure you get a hotel room with a room safe. Why are you not staying in the same hotel with your friends? I would do that if I were a nervous traveler in your situation. I don't have a disability but am an old lady much older than you and often move about Paris on my own and have never had a problem. If you are 'targeted' by pickpockets they will come up empty as you have nothing in your outer pockets and you will never know you were 'targeted'. Muggings are extremely rare in Paris; you are probably at greater risk of that in your home town.

Just because there is little risk though doesn't mean you will be comfortable, so you might consider a tour; tours are made up mostly of older people with limitations of one sort or another and tour operators are used to catering to these issues and you are in a group where you will feel secure.

If you are a 55 year old who looks younger than her age, you still look like an adult so I don't get why you think looking younger than your age will matter. The bus is a good idea but even then you will have to walk or make another transit connection to get to your hotel. I'd just take a taxi for door to door service. Write the address including the postal code on a piece of paper and give it to the driver if you are worried about your French. I am worried though that you think that Paris is a "den of thieves" (to quote from another responder) and that you really do not want to do a city vacation. If that is the case, you are not a wimp if you decide not to go to Paris -- city vacations are not fun for everyone. Paris is basically safe but you have to practice big city smarts and if you can't get comfortable with that, it is okay to not go or go on a tour. I have a niece who is 6 feet tall, super fit and in her 20s who is fearless and lives in New York City but she hates city vacations because she does not want to have engage in big city smarts while on vacation. If you decide to go and you want to avoid mass transit for trips during your vacation, Uber may be a good transit choice for you. It's not for the trip from the airport.

I am not sure why I threw in the looking younger than my age part….perhaps subconsciously I like to think it makes me feel more physically able to do this trip without anxiety.

Thank you for the comments about not wanting to do a city vacation, this may be where the issue lies. Originally I wanted to go to Alsace and/or Burgundy but I think that may have to be a different trip.

Also, I do not think Paris is a den of thieves and since I am not that interested in going to the major tourist sites, I realize this may be much less of a problem….it was more the reports I read of the "dangers" of arriving at CDG. I know, one person's danger is another person's "meh".

One more vote for taking a taxi from the airport to your hotel. I just budget this as an expense for Paris. A friend and I took the RER to the airport to meet another friend who was anxious about finding her way. We both decided the RER was not for us for a variety of reasons. It is an actual train car (as opposed to a subway/Metro type car) so you do have steps to get up in to the car which may be difficult with your luggage.

As others have said, don't pay any attention to people who come up to you in the airport and ask if you need a taxi...go directly to the official taxi queue and they will put you in an official taxi.

Have a wonderful time!

I've seen posts about scams at Gare du Nord but not at the airport. There may be some illegal drivers trying to drum up business in the entry hall, but you just walk past them to the official taxi rank.

Sounds like your friend wants to go to Paris and you don't; your friend may want to go on day trips to places you want to see, but may not; your friend will be in another hotel. Maybe it's time to make a new friend? Or, as suggested, find a tour that is going where YOU want to be and let the tour people take care of the pesky details.

Sometimes it's better to say "No more Ms. Nice Guy!"

There are pretty much no 'dangers' arriving at CDG. I have never read that there were either. Where are you getting the idea that this is a rough or dangerous place? Airports have massive security about the only danger is a scam taxi driver and you avoid that by going to the official queue and not taking a cab except the one offered when you get to the head of the line.

Sounds like your friend wants to go to Paris and you don't; your friend may want to go on day trips to places you want to see, but may not; your friend will be in another hotel. Maybe it's time to make a new friend? Or, as suggested, find a tour that is going where YOU want to be and let the tour people take care of the pesky details.
Sometimes it's better to say "No more Ms. Nice Guy!"

Ha ha, I'm leaving out a lot of details - it would be much too long to explain the situation, suffice it to say. Originally we were going to travel together, on the same flight, but that is no longer happening and I'm not willing to pay more than $1000 at this point to get on her particular airline/flight so that we can travel together. I'm not even sure if there is room on her flight. She does indeed want to go on day trips, so I'm not too worried about that.

I saw this post somewhere last night (yes, I know it's just one person's report):

kerstin hallert Jul 23, 2015 at 5:47 pm
Do not forget the dangers at the Charles de Gaulle airport when taking the RER train to Paris, buy your train ticket in the one safe spot: walk the long corridor to the huge hall for the SNCF trains and RER trains where you find the large SNCF office and go in there to buy ticket let alone the Visit Paris card or tickets for bus and metro, Beware of all other solutions where you are not safely lining up in an inside area behind doors. Or even better, follow signs to the green Roissy bus to the Opera. When arriving there you will find a taxi station behind you on the boulevard Haussmann. Keep your address on a piece of paper with the arrondissement number indicated and show taxi driver. Taxis in Paris are very safe and inexpensive. Remember to say “bonjour monsieur” before anything else.

It is one person reports, it is two years old, and, to me, it doesn't make much sense. What danger ??? of at CDG ?? It is stated like it is common knowledge when it is not. I am not aware of any danger. When we were there last there was a lot of security. Will be there again in Sep. without a second thought. When people made those kinds of statement, they really need to explain it because on the surface it is not making any sense.

OK, understood and agreed. I haven't been to France for many years, so I don't remember. I have flown into other international airports over the last few years with little thought and felt very safe, so I'll just consider CDG to be like other airports.

Agree completely with Frank. I have taken the RER. I don't like it but getting to the train from the flight was not at all scary. The quoted post above sounds like the person is afraid of hallways.

Jumbled garbage. First, never buy aParis Pass as it's not worth the money, so this person doesn't know the basics. Second, you can buy the RER ticket into Paris at the RER station or any tourist info booth at the airport. Museum pass too, which is worth the money, unlike the Paris Pass. Three, the train station isn't that large and is nowhere near the RER. It's downstairs. Just catch a cab if you decide to do this trip. And everything you mentioned earlier happens at Gare du Nord. Glad you came to us for accuracy.

You might consider using a cane. This would make your disability more visible, and may get you help from others. Lifting luggage, a seat on the bus, an offer to take the next taxi. I'm not suggesting that you fake a limp, or claim a disability that you don't have. You do have one, so maybe make it more obvious.

I had knee surgeries this last year. I needed a walker for a few weeks, and then a cane for a bit. There were a few times after I had ditched the cane when I used it again. It was helpful in crowds and made me feel more stable.

Actually someone posted within the last 6 months or so that they had been taken in by an unlicensed taxi at CDG. S/He recounted they were in the taxi queue and they thought they were getting in to a licensed taxi. Here is the link to that thread.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tourist-scams/paris-taxi-scam

You might consider using a cane.

Thanks for your thoughts but my problem involves my upper body strength. Good idea for sure but to me a cane is just one more thing to carry and have to worry about.

Just realized I have never been to CDG, the last (and only) time I went to Paris I took a train from another city.

Thank you to the last poster regarding the taxi scam at CDG, I had read about this also.

SusanB, unfortunately, I can't think of any helpful strategies that specifically address your concern about upper body strength. I wonder if you couldn't incorporate or modify some of the ways you deal with this issue when you're not on vacation (asking for help?, gathering things about you rather than lifting?, trying to never take more than you can handle?, etc.).
Your apprehension is undoubtedly one product of a life of experience. Instead of trying to erase it in time for Paris, perhaps it can work for you if you see it as making you alert to what's going on around you, instead of making you worry over nothing.
Many of the previous posters have cited valuable precautions you can take (money belts, walking with purpose, ignoring solicitous strangers, familiarizing yourself with your route, etc.) In addition to those, i am also willing to behave unpredictably if I feel uncomfortable about my situation. I might stop and walk back the way I came or just stop and turn, as if considering some other possibility. Look in a store window, go into a store, go back out of the store, lean up against a wall, change my seat. There are no end of legitimate reasons why someone might do any of these things, so just act like they are perfectly normal.
My belief is that these things make me a little harder for a pickpocket to target. It almost doesn't matter if that's true or not. I think it's true, so I feel more confident, which in itself makes me less of a target.

Ask whoever told you about " the dangers" at CDG to give you the details so that we all may be educated. We all know that CDG can be confusing, tiring, frustrating, time consuming ..... but full of dangers? Not really. Some people just love to scare and discourage a person contemplating travel. It gives them pleasure.

What terminal are you flying into at CDG? Terminal 2 is newer and much easier to deal with than Terminal 1, which is where United flies into unfortunately. A confusing place, but just be sure to get a taxi at a legal taxi stand. I too recommend spending the extra money to take a cab from the airport (and probably going back to it as well) -- transportation cost that should be factored in. However when I arrive in Paris I often take the Air France bus (also called Les Cars). Comfortable ride into Paris, they deal with your luggage. I have stayed near Palais des Congress and took the AF bus to the drop off point there. Lots of taxis there too if you need oen to get to your hotel.

I am an older female who often travels alone to Paris, and lived there by myself for a year. (I don't speak very much French either) I took the train all over and never once felt unsafe or targeted, but of course train stations, airports, & the metro are busy crowded places and you have to keep your wits about you.
I also recommend taking the bus around Paris instead of the metro. I did this for 2 weeks recently. You can get a book that has all of the Paris routes and each bus stop shows a map of all the stops on the route.

I hope you overcome your anxiety and go!

You might also want to see if you can have a car meet you at the airport. I KNOW it is easy and less expensive to take the train, so please don't jump all over this post. But If you are tired and have concerns it maybe the way to go. I did this last time I went to Paris. I made the reservation through my hotel and I was met outside of the luggage pick up and the driver took care of my luggage. One thing I have learned is that sometimes piece of mind is better that saving money. I am 57 and have slight mobility problems, but have never felt unsafe at CDG, just tired from all the walking to get to the gate :-)

I would also ask if your flight and your friends are only a few hours apart, why not ask her to wait.

SusanB, I used ParisATShuttle.com 2 years ago to and from CDG. I highly recommend it; it was recommended by an apartment rental I rented. I booked online; they waited with a sign as I walked out of the secure area. They were prompt. Freinds who stayed with me for a time also used the company. I will probably use them this fall when I go to Paris.

Do enjoy Paris if you go. It is my favorite city in the world!

You will be very tired after a long flight (even without a disability) and as such, you might not be as vigilant as you should be. Make certain that your valuables are protected at all times - don't carry your phone in your hand if not using it, for example. Professional pickpockets and scam artists look pretty much like any other travellers, and are very good at what they do. That said, if you just walk past the crowds around ATM machines and those small groups of people who are always hanging around looking for an opportunity, you'll be fine. If you don't know where to go, walk up to any counter and ask an agent.

It's easy to follow the overhead signs to the official TAXI queue. There are flat rates from the airports to Paris now, so no fear of overcharging. You'll pay 50EU for the trip to the 17th arr. and no fees for baggage. Hand the driver the complete printed address of where you're headed, relax and enjoy the ride.

If your disability "is not obvious", it doesn't matter how old you look - you'll look just like any other tired tourist, and won't be targeted for anything unless you leave your purse wide open or leave your gadgets on a cafe table when they can be easily taken from you.

Relax, remember to rest when you get tired, enjoy Paris.

Thank you all for the comments. I appreciate your kind willingness to offer some great tips and ideas. I will be flying United or one of its partners, so Terminal 1 it is apparently.

I have heard about the Air France bus and it would be going close to where I'll be staying so maybe I'll look into that….can anyone take it or do you have to fly Air France?

I think I will avoid the RER for the time being.

I don't mind spending the money for a pre-arranged car or to take a legal taxi. I am saving on airfare by using miles anyway. BTW, do you tip private car and taxi drivers in France?

The AirFrance bus is available to anyone. We've used it and found it great.

Here's a link

http://en.lebusdirect.com/discover-bus-direct/pourquoi-nous-choisir.html

You can tip the taxi driver 1 or 2 € if you like - I usually do, especially if he helps
with luggage.
Anyone can use the AF shuttle, but you need to check their website to see how close the stop is to your address, as well as how long the trip will take.

SusanB
A couple of weeks ago after I arrived at CDG terminal 1 and got my checked bag, I followed the signs for buses went out that door and virtually across the street was the stop for Les Cars (air france bus) there is a little stand that has a machine where you can buy a ticket, but I didn't want to deal with it - I had Euros, which I suggest you have also). On the sidewalk outside there are 2 stops with signs A, B, Stand at the stop for the line you want, and the bus should be along shortly. Someone will load your suitcase under the bus, get on and pay the driver, around 17.50 euros I think. Sit back and relax.
if you have any trouble finding the stop for Les Cars, ask at an information desk, which you should see, they are helpful.
Of course length of time of trip depends on traffic, but I am never in a hurry and the bus is very comfortable and restful after a long flight, which I don't think the RER would be.

bon voyage.

As an update, I booked a flight and I am flying to Paris in a couple of weeks, connecting through Frankfurt. Thanks again for the support and kind assistance! I'm feeling more confident that it will be work out fine. I am arriving at CDG an hour and a half after my friend and she plans to wait for me, if our flights are on time that is.

Any other helpful hints are welcome. I plan to bring euros with me so I don't have to use an ATM when I'm exhausted from flying.

We are both interested in doing day trips, avoiding the major tourist areas and trying to visit parts of the city that are "off the beaten path". As far as day trips, I'm interested in Fontainebleau, Provins, and maybe Giverny or the Loire. In the city, I want to visit Luxembourg gardens and other parks. Le Batignolles looks like an interesting area. Will probably skip Versailles (was there many years ago, it would be nice but I hear the crowds can be ridiculous).

Susan, I'm glad you booked! I do suggest that you and your friend have a Plan B in case the meet up at the airport doesn't work. As others said above, have the address of your hotel written down so you can hand it to the driver once you get in the taxi in case your meet up doesn't come off.

I'm glad you are getting some Euro ahead of time. That always makes me feel more confident and I hate to try to use an ATM and be aware of my surroundings when I am befuddled from jet lag.

Take the early train to Vernon for Giverny...I think it is about 810 or so?? You want to get there early!

Susan, If you get a chance go to the search box and put in "Is Paris Intimidating". If it does not come up hit the post over 1 year ago line. I posted that question and got lots of great responses that you might be interested in.

So glad you "pulled the trigger"! You will have a great time - I mean - it's Paris! If you do not have a great time you are doing something wrong!

Have you been to the Musee Jacquemart Andre? - It has been called a mini Louvre set in a mid 19th century home - the building itself is stunning and the collection is world class.

BG you spoke of Les Cars. Did you mean Les Bus?

No doubt, BG meant Le Bus -- after all the buses were called Le Cars Air France until May 12th when they became Le Bus Direct.

Yes. Air France has changed the name to Le Bus Direct. It must be more recoognizable for international tourists.