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Paris Travel ?'s

Posted by (Cleveland, OH, USA) on

Hi all,

First off,thanks to everyone who replied to my last post,you all were a tremendous help!

Second,I apologize if I'm repeating ?'s,I did research some backposts,but didnt find the exact answers I was looking for,sooo...here it is.

I am going to Paris this fall,and Ive researched four guidebooks(incl. Rick Steve's) and there are a few things left i cant find. For veteran travelers,can you tell me please:

1)If I want to travel to Versailles/Giverny by RER,do I use the same metro tickets as I do in the city or is there another fare to buy? If so,app. how much?

2)What is the best deal as far as Metro tickets/Paris Visite cards/etc? Im planning on arriving on a Saturday and staying until the following Friday morning. I know that 2-3 carnets are the most economical,but is the 5 day zone 1-6 Paris Visite pass really a better deal(if it includes Versaille and 1 airport transfer)? If so,is it a better deal to purchase this prior to leaving?

3)Which tram is better transportation from CDG,Air France or Roissybus?

4)I am interested in taking a day trip to Normandy/D-Day beaches,and Ive seen several tour deals from different companies-has anyone done this and/or recommends a group? Is it possible/safe to travel there myself w/o a tour group?

5)Ive researched the map of CDG,but its a little fuzzy-are the customs/baggage claim/transfer buses easy to locate?

6)As far as exchanging currency,which is the best route to go for purchases/etc-bring most in cash,travelers checks,debit card?

Thank you for any info!
Stacey

Posted by
66 posts

We used the 5-day Zones 1-6 Paris Visite pass. To me, it was well worth the extra cost buying here in the U.S. (we bought at AAA) just to be able to cruise right by the HUGE ticket lines at CDG airport. A lady standing in line saw me walking past with my Paris Visite card and asked where I got it. When I told her back in the U.S. she offered me cash to buy right there because she had been waiting so long.

Paris Visite Zones 1-6 is good for Versailles (but can't speak to Giverny).

There are signs everywhere in the airport, so no chance of getting lost. If you take the RER into town, there are a couple of ATMs near the station and we got currency that way.

Posted by
32212 posts

Stacey,

A few thoughts on your questions:

1.) I can't recall the details. Hopefully one of the others will have that info.

2.) I normally just buy a Carnet of 10. Which pass to buy will depend on how much you'll be using the Metro, etc. while you're there. The France & Paris Guidebooks have a good analysis of the various options.

3.) When I was in Paris a month or so ago, I used the RER "B" from CDG to Gare du Nord, and then transferred to the Metro (the same ticket works for all, as long as you don't exit the system). The easiest way to get RER tickets are the automated machines at CDG, however these will ONLY accept "chip" credit cards. If you have to queue at the ticket office, you could be there awhile!

4.) The best option for D-Day tours is to stay at least one night in Bayeux and take a BattleBus Tour. Paris Vision, Link Paris and others provide day tours from Paris, but I can't provide any info as I've never used them (they seemed a bit "pricey"). Yes, it should be fine to travel there on your own w/o a group. The only problem is that the beaches and other sites are quite spread out, so it's difficult to get to them without some form of transportation.

5.) You might find it VERY helpful to have a look at This website as it provides lots of detail on getting aroudn CDG (including photos).

6.) The method that most of us use for currency is an ATM card. Note that your funds must be in a chequing account with a four-digit PIN. I'd suggest bringing at least one other ATM card and at least one credit card. If you have access to a copy of Europe Through The Back Door, there's a good section in there on dealing with money issues. DON'T forget to wear a Money Belt! As Rick says, "I've cashed my last Traveler's Cheque"!

Happy travels!

Posted by
870 posts
  1. To Versailles, you do have to purchase a separate ticket than the metro tickets in the city, and if I remember correctly, it was around 5-euros round trip per person. We purchased the morning of our trip out to Versailles from the ticket booth with no wait, although it was very early. I do not have info for Giverny, however.
  2. We found the carnets to make more sense for us (we were also there a week and used public transport to Versailles and the airport). We literally stood in no line at the airport to purchase our tickets/carnets.
  3. It is very safe to travel to Normandy/D-Day beaches without a tour group. I'm assuming you would rent a car then. Just map out your destination on Google (I find this better the GPS) and get a good map. Follow Rick's directions and you should do fine. We did not take an organized tour, but just drove around ourselves, and it was fun.
  4. The airport is well posted with signs in English, so if you follow the signs, things should go smoothly.
  5. Bring $200 in US currency as emergency, and use your debit card for getting cash. Finding ATM's did not prove difficult by any means.
Posted by
1315 posts

Stacey - To get to Giverny, you'll need a separate ticket which you can buy at Gare St Lazare. Take the train from Gare St Lazare to Vernon and there's a bus that will take you to Giverny. The round trip fare is about 25 euros.

Posted by
567 posts

Stacey: For a Normandy DD tour I could recommend Battlebus.

On our tour we met a man who took an early train out of Paris to Bayeaux; walked the few blocks to where tour starts, and at the end of the day the tour guide dropped him off at train station to catch it back to Paris.

It's a long day of course but very doable. The tour leaves at 830am and returns by 500pm.

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