Travelling on the metro with luggage

Your post is a bit unclear. Are you arriving in Paris "from a town nearby" by train, with the object of then taking the metro to your hotel? At any rate, I think you and your luggage would be safe if your money etc. is secured in a money belt. However, I hate having to handle luggage on the metro, especially if I am by my self. If you do arrive by train, a taxi from the train station would make your life easy.

I agree with the Taxi idea. Arriving at a train station and then getting to the Metro means lots of stairs, up and down. I guess it depends on how much luggage you are willing to wrestle. Once on the metro I think you are safe travelling with luggage.

I've done it many, many times. If you follow Rick's advice about pickpockets, you will be fine. However, there are long transfers and often stairs in the Paris Metro. If you have lots of luggage, this can be a hassle. Check out the train station you are arriving at and which Metro lines you need to take to get to your hotel. Sometimes it's smarter to take a longer travel time if it means you don't have to transfer, or only need to transfer once. If it's really long or complicated, then a taxi would be better.

There are often travelers on the Metro with luggage - they're usually just arriving in town or are just on their way out. If you're sitting, keep a hand on your bag and/or keep it between your feet. If the Metro car's crowded, you may have to keep it on your lap. If you're standing, you should keep a hand on your luggage and/or straddle your bag. Having money in a money belt or neck wallet underneath your clothes means a pickpocket won't have access to those valuables while you're keeping an eye on your luggage.

In addition to the stairs and other potential obstacles mentioned above, getting thru the turnstile gates can require some coordination and timing to get thru smoothly. Make sure your luggage goes thru with you - don't get stranded with your bag on one side of the gate and you on the other. Once out of the station, of course, you'll be carrying or rolling your luggage to the hotel, which requires making you way thru the crowds on the sidewalks, and dealing with curbs.

Depends on how much luggage you have and your ability to haul it. For me, a small, light rollerboard and/or backpack is fine. Anything bigger is difficult. Some major stations like Nord have elevators to the Metro platforms, but almost no local stations have anything other than stairs to street level. Station changes involve stairs as well. Unless it is an easy route and traveling very light, take a cab. They are not that expensive.

As others have noted, I would only be concerned about luggage on the metro in regard to having a lot of it and having to lug it up and down stairs (depending on metro stop/transfer). More than one decent-sized suitcase, and it would be a pain (but doable).

cleon,

I've travelled on the Metro many times with luggage, and so far never had any problems, even with a Backpack, Daypack and Camera bag. The only minor issue I've encountered is getting through the fare gates after inserting the ticket, as they only open for a few seconds. I've learned how to minimize that issue and lately the process has become very routine.

You'll have to be vigilant for pickpockets whenever you're travelling on the Metro, whether with luggage or not. With luggage, you'll have to keep a close watch on it. Wear a Money Belt to keep cash, credit cards and Passport safe, and be especially alert if any distractions occur.

All the advice above is spot-on. I have traveled with my luggage on the Paris metro several times, because I'm committed to keeping my luggage manageable (or to believing that it is). As a single traveler, I have never sprung for a taxi in Paris because of my luggage. However, the taxis I've taken within town for late-night rides averaged only 8 euros. Maybe I will take a taxi next time I have luggage and be less likely to require a nap afterward. See also http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/theft-scams for strategies to avoid pickpockets and avoid worrying about them.

Whenever we arrive in Paris by train, which is our preferred mode of arrival, we always use a taxi to get to our hotel even though we have used the metro for a decade. It's just easier, less stressful, and very affordable. From most stations like Gare du Nord or Gare de Lyon, etc, taxi fare to just about anywhere in central Paris is around 20 Euros plus one Euro for each piece of luggage. The taxi ride across central Paris, with all those famous monuments in sight, even now after many years, is quite thrilling. Being delivered to the front door of your hotel or apartment gets your trip off on the right foot.

cleon.tan ,

When i was there i had my backpack/bag and another hand baggage and used the RER to get from the Airport to Paris. No problem with pickpockets. But i was aware of them from reading RS book and paid attention to my surroundings and where my luggages was, my wallet and other people.

if you have a lot of luggage where it could distract you, then you may want to think about different modes of transportation.

happy trails.

I'd agree with the above posts, but one other thing to consider - time of day that you arrive. I found that the major lines coming into and out of the St. Michael metro/RER station were packed in the morning and evening commute. If you arrive at those times, I would highly suggest the taxi as its hard enough to find room to stand yourself, let alone luggage.

$.02

Glenn in Tucson

George from Independence makes an excellent point about enjoying the beauty of the city as you're whisked directly to your hotel. I hadn't thought about that as one of the assets of a taxi ride, but it's totally true!

Glenn's point just above is well taken too. Rush hour can be a big pain in the patootie.

Yes, I very much enjoyed George's description too, and he's absolutely right.

"...quite thrilling"
And...I very much enjoyed the 60 euro, 7 a.m. Sunday morning taxi ride from our apartment in the Marais to CDG. A taxi instead of bus or Metro is a good way to begin and end a visit, a splurge as someone said, but critical moments in your trip that are enhanced by door to door service.

A slightly cheaper option to a Taxi would be to use one of the many Shuttle services. These also offer door-to-door service, but are shared so they stop at several hotels to drop passengers off. I normally use a Shuttle when I'm leaving and heading to CDG. Check the guidebook for details.