Paris: Take train or car service from airport to Apartment

That is such a subjective question, John. It would never be worth it to me but it may well be to you. A taxi will cost you somewhere between 45 and 55 euro. The RER will cost under 9 euro each. Your call.

Greetings John,
We'll be in Paris in a month. Always have taken airport shuttle to and from CDG in the past (third trip to Paris in the last six years). After reading a great deal of complaints about shuttle services on this site, and Rick not really having a recommendation, We're going to take the RER B into the city to our hotel near the rue Cler. It's tough sometimes negotiating the underground with luggage but like you we're going over very light. Just will be spending a long weekend there so we won't be dragging too much. Bon Voyage!

Hey John,

I debated taking a taxi/car service or the train from the airport to get to my first night's lodging.

The taxi would have been quick and efficient, but I chose the train, not because of the cost, just for the experience. I had my one bag on my back and thought what the heck.

It was indeed an experience. Finding the trains, the language barrier, winding up on the wrong train bound for Italy and getting off just in time, finding the right train, figuring out the metro and transfers to my area of Paris. Popping up into Paris from underground, getting my bearings, being acosted by gypsies, walking a few blocks the wrong way, then another wrong way, and finally arriving at my destination to find it closed, and waiting for it to open.

I think it took five hours to get from CDG to my hostel and I bet you'll think I wish I had taken the taxi. No way. I wouldn't change a thing. It was an experience; it was awesome.

Go for the adventure.

Cheers,
Maggie
http://www.maggiewilliamswanderer.com/

Gosh, I don't know how you think that might be encouraging to John. You got on a train to Italy at CDG instead of one to Paris? How could you possibly do that? I didn't know you could get a train to Italy at CDG. It took you 5 hours to get into Paris? If that had happened to me I would not be telling the world about it, because there is absolutely no reason, in this day and age, not to inform yourself on how to get into Paris BEFORE you leave home.

If you take a car service (or taxi, or shuttle) you run a good risk of being caught in the latter part of the Paris morning rush hour. The RER commuter train will take you right to Gare du Nord, which won't be that far from your destination. You could then shift to the Metro or cab it from the train station.

I'd agree with Norm. Take the train to Gare du Nord. Once you get there, you can decide if you'd rather taxi or the metro to your apartment.

Norma,

Oh I did inform myself before leaving home, I read Rick's books and watched the videos.

Even so, having never been there before, traveling solo and the pressure’s on, it's a whole different story when you've just arrived than what you read in the books. My first day in Europe, after a long plane ride, the excitement... yeah, somehow I wound up on the wrong platform and wrong train. It didn't seem right, it was a fancy schmancy air conditioned train with real comfy seats. I found someone to ask about it and they said it was going to Italy. They could have been blowing smoke up my back side I suppose.

I got off and had to work myself back out of the system and eventually back onto another platform and found the RER and off to Gare du Nord was I. That's where I transferred to the metro and had other adventures.

All the book reading and video watching helped, but once I was there, it was scary for me. But, I like that sort of thing. I like to open myself up for adventure like that. I learned how to use the metro first hand. I got plenty of exercise, I encountered neat people along the way. That's what I was looking for.

My trip was two months through seven countries. After a few days, I got the hang of it. Getting the hang of it was part of the journey. You're right, my story probably wasn't that encouraging. My point I suppose is - don't go with expectations and open your self up to the experience. Let things happen. Anyway...

Cheers,
Maggie

To the Marais district, take the RER to Chatelet-Les Halle (not Gare du Nord), then transfer to the #1 (yellow) line to St Paul (direction Vincennes). If you are tired when you get off the metro, take the escalator to street level :-)

In CDG you can buy RER tickets at the tourist information kiosk (with cash or plastic), which you will pass on your way to the train. If you are interested, you can also buy Paris Museum Passes at the same time. You will also pass at least one ATM if you need to get euros. You can also buy the tickets when you get to the train station.

Maybe consider the Air France bus as well, John, although it, too, will get caught in traffic.

Maggie, good for you; you did your thing -for sure by the back door- and aren't intimidated to say so on the helpline. It's all about the experiences and from the sound of it you had one; is that not what Rick has built his empire upon?

I gather from at least one post that any 'mistakes' should be hidden from the members of the great unwashed so that 'A' to 'B' is the most direct, efficient, cheapest, and researched to death before leaving home route -hogwash, IMO. It's the unplanned surprises that do it for me when abroad and the moments I best remember. So what if it 'wastes' a few hours on a two/three week holiday. The places I remember best are those not on my itinerary -probably because I bring home the 'Mon Dieu' memories.

Well done, John. You can download and print a metro map at Paris by Train, should you wish to.

Geoff, the thing is the original question from John was very simple: Would it be worth the money to use a car service to get to his hotel from the airport. He was not, as far as I know, asking for an adventurous journey for himself & companion(s), or a 5 hour saga of a trip with which to amuse and astonish his friends back home. He will probably have plenty of such tales, as we all do when we travel, after he gets into Paris from CDG.

Thanks everyone for all the advice. My main concern was the fact that we will be tired and jet lagged when we arrive at CDG. If it's not that difficult we could hop on the train into Paris and save some money. If it is difficult than the money is well spent. After doing some research it does not appear to be difficult to get into Paris. The Metro may be a hassle but we lived in NYC so we understand how things work. It may pay to get a cab from the station to our apartment. I will ask the landlord.

Just got check-in instructions from the owner. To take the train we take the RER B and get off at the station "Chatelet Les Halles". We than transfer to the metro pink line (#7) in the direction of "Villejuif-Louis Aragon" and get off at metro "Sully Morland". That does not sound too diffucult. She said the cost should be around 9 euros.

Funny, used to be I'd take the train and have an experience like Maggie's. Now I take the chicken route and take a taxi. Maggie, no trip ever goes exactly as planned and your approach to your adventures is what makes a traveler have stories and memories for a lifetime.

Once I was in Innsbruck, Austria and got on the wrong train and was headed to Italy instead of Germany! A lot of it has to do with the section of the train you're on as well, since they split sometimes along the way.

But John, to answer your question ~ if you're not going with children and you don't think you'll be too jet lagged, I say heck - take the train!

Either way, have a good time!
Felicia