-Where is the tourist desk at the CDG airport located. And what time does it close. Our flight will arrive around 7:00pm on a Monday.
-What kind of assistance can they help us with? Can I obtain/buy Paris city maps, get TRAIN/TICKETS, buy Museum passes, Batobus tickets?
Bee,
I'm not sure you'll need a "tourist desk" when you land at CDG. My suggestion would be to pack along a copy of the France or Paris Guidebooks (the 2010 edition is now available, as is the London edition). The books have a LOT of valuable information that will help make your trip a lot easier and trouble free!
There are Paris Maps in the Guidebook (I usually photocopy and enlarge some to pack along), but your Hotel will have very convenient and easily read Maps available.
There are ticket office available at CDG. Were you planning to take the RER "B" from the airport into Paris? You might have a look at This Website for complete information on the transportation option to reach Paris from the airport. NOTE that the automated ticket machines at CDG will ONLY accept the newer "chip" credit cards. If you don't have one of those, you'll have to queue at the ticket office with the rest of the crowd.
If you need to buy train tickets for trips to other locations in France, visit one of the SNCF Boutiques. They're located all over Paris. Check Their Website for the details.
You can obtain the Paris Museum Pass at a number of locations in the city and at the airport. Check Their Website for all the details, including "Points of Sale".
Information on Batobus tickets should be in the Guidebook (although I haven't checked).
Good luck and happy travels!
Bee, the Tourist desk has information only. Your hotel will have maps of Paris, the ubiquitous ones supplied by the department store, Printemps. Buy your museum pass at the first museum you go to, and make that first museum one of the small, less crowded ones, like the Marmatton or the Jacquemart-Andre.
The T.O. can tell you how to get into Paris and where to buy the ticket. All this info is in any decent guide book. I hope you have one. If not, make haste and get one.
As Ken said, you can buy the Paris Museum Pass at CDG. Click on the link he gave you.
The Musee Marmottan and the Musee Jacquemart-Andre are private museums and are not included on the Paris Museum Pass.
What kind of train tickets do you wish to buy? RER tickets to get into Paris? Tickets for SNCF mainline trains? See the Paris by Train site.
Go to the Batobus site, click on the British flag for English, and click on "Points of Sales".
Oh oh.
We flew out of CDG on August 6th. I found this an absolutely confusing airport with terrible signage to direct you to anything! If you can get familiar with where you need to go before you get there, I'd do it. I would'nt plan on trying to do anything else at the airport other than get in and get out.
Don't let my response scare you, my experience wasn't scary, I just find lack of good signs, rediculous. Signs should tell any traveller where they need to go - it should be simple.
The Museum Pass website provided will direct you to where you can buy it and other info regarding purchasing it. If you cannot get it at the airport, do not worry since you can buy in at the museums/sights (but just pick a less crowded one). We weren't planning on buying it at the airport, but passed the desk on our way to the trains, there was no line, so went for it. Do purchase a guidebook since it will have a map and that usually is enough to get you through most sight-seeing. For train tickets, you need to go to the train office and either buy from the man-powered desk or automated kiosks. Overall, we found CDG to be well posted and found our way about pretty well.
Just wanted to reiterate that you should buy Rick's Paris book. It has answers to most of your questions.
