CDG to Gare du Nord

Go downstairs to the RER station. Buy a ticket. Get on the train. Sit down. Get off at Nord. Simple and easy. No tips required.

Are there elevators/escalators are is it stairs only? Thanks!

There are both elevators and escalators.

We took the RER to Gare Nord after flying into Orly. It was very easy and inexpensive. Everyone had luggage so riders were very patient regarding the bags. If you are planning to take a taxi from GDN plan on a lengthy wait. The taxi queue wait was well over an hour-very slow moving.

No, not taking a taxi once we get to Gare du Nord. We will have a few hours for sightseeing (will use metro) then back to catch a train. When we return to Paris Gare du Nord we will have a week in Paris...we will use RER/metro to travel to the apartment we are renting. I'm pretty familiar with Paris, it's just that we have never used the RER at CDG before. I just looked it up on several sites - wonderful photo's and instructions of everything we will encounter.....I'm sure we will handle it just fine, just booked our train so we will have about 7 hours from when we hand at CDG and when our train leaves. A friend told me it was confusing to them as the RER at CDG mixes in with other trains (however, they had never been to Paris before) - we'll just take a deep breath and take our time! Can't stand to spend the $$ on a taxi!!!! Does anyone know what terminal at CDG US Air flies into?

Terminal #1...have fun!

Re: confusion buying tickets Be doubly sure you stand in line for the RER Ile-de-France. The other line is to buy tickets for the rest of the country. You can also buy your carnets for the metro at DeGaulle so you can get started immediately. Just get ready for some walking...there are escalators but you'll still have to hike to transfers/exits at Gare du Nord. Just got back last week! Have a great time!

Colleen, The ticket from CDG to Gare du Nord and the return ticket is a special ticket that is not part of carnet. It is a euro or two more than a single ticket. Within the RER, there maybe a step to get in or out and there will be steps inside the cars since they are split level. Edwin

A very wise move to avoid trying to catch taxis in Paris!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

'The ticket from CDG to Gare du Nord ......is a euro or two more than a single ticket.' Not exactly. A zone one metro ticket is 1.70€ or 1.25€, depending on how it's bought. A ticket from CDG to Nord costs 9.10€. That's about a ten buck difference.

Collen - You don't have to stand in line to get your RER ticket, there are stand alone ticket machines. The machines take only euro coins(if I remember correctly), but there is a euro bill change machine right next to the ticket machines.

Colleen,
we just returned from Paris yesterday. it was our first time. i cannot tell you how easy it was to get our luggage, follow the signs (and half of the people) to the trains, but a ticket from a very friendly english speaking person, get aboard a train similar to Boston, LA, etc) and rest while the train flies through tunnels and then emerges at your station. It's only 8 euros/person and less than 20 minutes. As the bumper sicker says, JUST DO IT!

To clarify--J.P. boarded a "direct" train, one which doesn't stop at all the intermediary stations. That's what you should look for. Some of the trains stop at all the towns between the airport and Paris. Watch the electronic boards on the RER platform, as the stops are marked.

Thanks all! With all these wonderful comments and suggestions it should be a breeze!

Take the free 24/7 CDGVAL driverless shuttle train from Terminal 1 to the CDG 1 RER station which is next to Terminal 3. For detailed information, including photos, see the Paris by Train site. The express trains make the run from CDG 1 to Gare du Nord in 27 minutes. The stopping trains make it in 32 minutes. The correct fare is the one given by Ed: €9.10.

Thanks Tim -the Paris by Train site is wonderful!