shuttle service from Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris hotel

Obvious question: why the second thoughts?

Agree with Ed. Train is very easy to use. Zips you right into the city.

We have taken them to the airport, but not from the airport. Where is your hotel? Look at this discussion on ways to Paris from CDG. http://www1.epinions.com/content_3100352644 How much luggage is the main question. The more luggage, the more you need a shuttle.

Basically, we are unfamiliar with the train station. Our hotel is in Latin Quarter very close to Odeon metro station. If I am figuring correctly we need to take the train to the closest station and switch to metro line to Odeon. After flying all night, it just seems easier to have a shuttle take us . Thanks for any suggestions one way or the other.

The way to the RER stations is well-signed in the airport terminal. The RER B take you into Paris Nord, where you'd switch to Metro 4 southbound to Odeon. The transfer is well-signed also. Piece of cake. It's even easy bleary-eyed, even if the adrenaline hasn't started to kick in. As John said, however, the governing factor is how much stuff you have.

Laurie, if there's more than one of you, the taxi from CDG to your hotel probably wont cost any more than the shuttle for two. I did take the shuttle once but there was a monumental screw-up and I ended up waiting over two hours for them. I had to call them upon arrival and found out that, even though the phone calls were free, several of the phones at CDG were out of order, others had people talking who took forever. Then I was told by the shuttle service to go to an exit nobody could point out to me. It ended up being a small side door that even the car rental agency right next to it didn't know about. The shuttle for one was about 30 Euro, including tip. You could take the RER train to Opera and then catch a cab from there to your hotel.

I've been a fairly regular reader of the Paris forum on tripadvisor and there seem to be frequent complants about the various shuttle services. If you can manage your luggage, I'd go with the RER. If you are hesitant about transferring to the metro (it really is not difficult), you could always get a taxi from Gare du Nord to your hotel.

A taxi from CDG to Odeon will cost at least seventy-five bucks. As best I remember, neither RER B nor any other RER line passes through Opera. To get to Opera from the RER B would take at least two metro changes and a good bit of tunnel hiking. Odeon is close to a mile and a half walk from Opera. A taxi from Paris Nord to Odeon will run over twenty dollars. There is no additional charge for using the metro once you've paid for the RER ride (about twelve dollars per person). The metro will be much faster than a taxi.

We will be going to Paris in May. There are 4 of us, so a taxi is a challenge and don't feel like schlepping luggage through the metro/RER. At this point, plan on using Inter service which has a pretty decent price, will meet you after customs instead of you calling them and the price seems pretty good. The reviews on TripAdvisor looked godd too. http://www.interserviceprestige.com/

Oops, Ed is right, I was thinking of the Air France Bus to Opera, not RER. Hope I got it right this time.

I agree with Bets, take the RER "B" to St-Michel, then either (a) Metro "4" (toward Porte d'Orleans) one stop to Odeon or (b) taxi to the hotel, depending on how much luggage you have. It's not far, but probably too far to walk with bags when you don't know your way around yet. RER is easy from CDG, goes through Gare du Nord but you want to stay on until St-Michel. Try to get the express, rather than the local, to avoid a lot of suburban stops.

Lauri, I would really encourage you to take the RER into Paris. Unless you have a slow walker, or someone with a different type of physical problem, you can do it! Take RER B Dir: Paris ("Robinson", "Antony", "St-Remy-Les-Chevreuse"). It's either a 36m or 40m ride to RER stop "St-Michel Notre-Dame", so you don't necessarily have to wait for an express train in your particular case. And ALL trains stop at your "St-Michel" stop. After getting out of your train car, follow the signs to the "Quai St Michel" exit. Otherwise, you end up on the sidewalk in front of Notre Dame, or some other place you don't want to be - at least, not just yet. (you want to be on the south side of the Seine) Then, it's a few blocks WALKING to the metro stop "Odeon" (Be sure you have a GOOD map for getting to your hotel). I don't know where your hotel is; perhaps you don't have to walk THAT far... IF you want more info on taking the RER, we can post more detailed instructions...but for now, please look at the site Paris By Train.com. At the 'top of the stack' is the Guide called "CDG Airport to Paris". Click on those top four sections ("Overview" to "Paris TO CDG by RER")...among other things, they're full of detailed photos to get you through the airport and to the station. By the time you get to the CDG train station, you'll feel like you've already been there! Are you familiar with Google "Street View"? If not, let us know...or send me a PM and I'll show you something wonderful...;-) And you'll be able to plan your sight-seeing so much better.

I disagree with the RER mode. You will be jetlagged. You will be tired. You will not want to figure out how to take a train or shuttle into the city. Once you clear customs (which will take longer than you think) and locate your bags (which will take longer than you think), I would suggest that you go to the official taxi stand. Pari taxis are safe, cost efficient and the best way to get to your hotel. I have been to Paris about 20 times in the past 12 years and wouldn't dream of taking the train to my hotel. I hope this helps.
Diane

I have chosen to express my written sentiments because of how disappointed I am in the service you provide. I have been using this service since 2007, I think then ,you operated under a different name. Nevertheless, based on previous experience, I took the liberty of recommending your services to a friend. I was so confident that it would work out that I booked the transfer on his behalf. On Monday as planned you collected him for transfer and he unfortunately left his Ipod in your van. I called and reported the matter on Thursday, the person I was put in contact with promised to return my call I am yet to receive a response from that gentleman. I called again today and was told very candidly by another gentleman that the Ipod cannot be found. I would wish that my disappointment with your service in this regard be noted. Please keep in mind that if one wishes to build a brand that is reliable for pickup and transportation, it is just as important to be branded as trustworthy and mindful of the people's property you transport. While these items may not be yours, they are valuable to and sentimental for your clients that have also put their lives in your hands. I would also wish to have recorded that as a client it would be most uncomfortable to travel with people that I am unable to trust with my items . The company needs to reflect on these issues and take time to develop strategies to address them as in this case it may have been an Ipod but in another situation it may be somebody's wedding ring or purse.

Hi NIcole, Sorry you are disappointed but not sure why you left that message on this thread. Think you may have meant to post elsewhere.

Nicole: Your friend needs to take responsibility for keeping track of his items. It appears that the shuttle picked him up and deposited him at his destination. That is all they are required to do. Perhaps the next passenger in the shuttle pocketed the I-Pod. Is the shuttle service responsible for THAT?

I thought Lauri might have had another doubt about the train; I have heard that there are a lot of pickpockets looking for jet-lagged visitors on the RER. Comments? BTW, how does one get to the official taxi stand at CDG? My flight did not arrive at the main terminal.

Lauri, I agree with Eileen and the others regarding the RER. Whether jet lagged or not, it's not terribly difficult and it's often the quickest way as it's not affected by traffic issues. The route I'd use is RER "B" from CDG to St-Michel Notre Dame, walk a short distance in the tunnels to the St-Michel Metro station and then one stop to Odeon. Be sure to board the Metro "direction Porte d'Orleans". Under ideal conditions, the trip should take 30-45 minutes. I believe your RER ticket also covers the Metro for a set period of time, unless you exit the station. To avoid standing in a long queue for tickets to the RER, you can buy tickets from the Blue ticket Kiosks. These ONLY accept "chip & PIN" credit cards, but also accept Euro coins. If you have a few Euro's with you, I believe there are change machines nearby (but can't recall for sure). You may find it helpful to have a look at This Website as it's excellent for explaining the travel methods from CDG. Cheers!

Most americans I fly with from LAX to CDG carry a large amout of luggage and taking the RER/Metro is not recommended. If you travel light with just a 21" carryon and a personal bag then you can take the RER/metro. I tried several years ago with 3 suitcases and the train was fine however the metro was a problem with the 3 suitcases. Now I either take the AF bus if the hotel is close to the drop off point or a taxi.

Guys, you do realize that you are responding to a Zombie Post from last March, don't you? The person who dragged it up in her first post to the helpline also appears to have waited 4 days before taking any action with whoever it is she is unhappy with - and lives in Paris?

Thank you Nigel

We just took BlueVan and were not satisfied with our experience at all.
First of all, the driver was an hour late picking us up. Second, every time we called their office from the CDG info desk nearest our pickup point, the driver reporting back to their office that "he was there" and "waiting for us". He, of course, was not "there" or "waiting for us". In addition, when I questioned him about whether he'd been given our correct pickup time, he told me in a very unacceptable tone to "call the office if you have a problem with it" and suddenly acted as if he did not speak English. His English had been almost perfect before the question. The ride to our apt in the Le Marais took over an hour and this driver probably spent a minimum of 45 mins. on the phone with his friend during that hour. I obviously understand he couldn't do anything about the traffic, but I cannot recommend the BlueVan or this service or driver.

We just returned to Paris and took a cab from CDG to the Latin Quarter, Rue Mouteffard. It was $60 euro for four people. We had four carry on size bags that fit in the trunk and the rest sat on our laps.

Hello. My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Le Littre (6th arron.) in 2009 and 2010. The hotel made arrangements for us to be picked up at the train station and taken to the hotel. Then they made arrangements for our taxi for our return to the airport. It was very convenient. You might want to check directly with your hotel.

travel by train one of cheapest system but its hard journey. i have used several times one of private transfer service... from cdg to central paris. hope you will get good service and rates from them.

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