I've never been to Paris so.... Does anyone have a good recommendation for a B & B near the train station? Also, which train (and what station) goes to the airport. And how far away is CDG airport from Paris? So many questions but really have no idea what I'm doing once I get there. We'll be coming into Paris by train from eastern France and will be flying back to the U.S. from Paris. Plan to have 3 days there.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
To get to CDG, you can take an RER (regional train) from any RER station in the Paris area. CDG itself is at the end of the RER B3 line to the north...the RER B line runs, roughly, north-south right through the center of Paris, so if you stay close to this line, you won't have to make any transfers. Running time to CDG from the Gare du Nord is about half an hour to Terminals 1 and 3....another couple of minutes to Terminal 2. See maps of the RER sand Metro system, and a route planner at http://www.ratp.info/informer/anglais/index.php
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
If you leave early am from CDG I would stay at CDG at Hotel Etap that shuttles you to airport. If not B&B's are difficult to find in Paris . Rick offers hotels in his books that are nr RER. ck those.
Posted by
St. Louis
239 posts
Hi Elodie--Begin by going to the library and checking out books on travel to Paris. Read about the different arrondissements, and check out the Metro map. Public transportation is very easy to use in Paris, and transferring from Metro lines to RER lines is easy, so finding a place to stay that is near a good Metro line makes sense. The trains start running very early, so staying out at the airport--which isn't at all scenic--doesn't need to be a first choice. If I were there for only three days, I would choose to stay near the tourist center in the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th. When you research hotels and apartments, the last digit of the zip code will be the arrondissement, and places generally will also list the nearest Metro stop.
Posted by
OP
Woodward, OK, USA
85 posts
Thank you for all your replies. They will be very helpful in trying to plan our stay in Paris. I'm sure we'll be fine once we get there but never having been there and doing this on my own for the first time kind of scares me!
I have gotten the impression that there aren't many B & B's in Paris so we'll be looking for an inexpensive hotel, hopefully in an area of town that catches the true Parisian flavor!