Trip to Paris in October 2010

Cristy: You will get more and better advice if you can provide more detail. Are you on a tight budget? Are you willing to pay for convenience? Where in Paris is your hotel? In general, your choices range from private limo to taxi to suburban train (RER) to buses direct to different parts of Paris.

Since this would be my first trip to Paris I wouldn't want to fumble around to find my way to the buses or trains. I guess I'd settle for convenience.

Well, then, taxis are very easy. Just follow the signs to the taxi stand and zip you'll be in Paris at your hotel unless traffic is snarled. Expect to pay $75 at least. Since the train station is actually in (underneath) CDG, using it to get into Paris is faster than a taxi, far cheaper, and pretty convenient but not as convenient, especially if you are carrying more than 1 small suitcase. If you decide you want to explore the train, google RER (the name of the train) and then Aeroport Charles deGaulle to get an airport map. Other posters here can answer any questions you might have about using the RER into central Paris.

Cristy, I just responded to your other post on accomadation.. you mean you are going in October and have no hotel booked.. a bit yikes. October is still very popular. I would use the RER to get to hotel, I would try and pick a hotel near the St Michel or Luxembourg RER stops then you don't have to worry about transfering to metro( which is easy but when travel tired it can be a bit overwhelming) Check out Hotel Eugenie,Hotel Saint Pierre and Hotel Diana. Good luck.

If you take the Bus from CDG to Opera, it is cheap and a free tour of Paris. You can carry a bit more luggage on the bus than on the Metro. A discussion of transportation from CDG is here: http://www.slowtrav.com/france/paris/airport_transportation.htm. You will need to book a hotel/apartment in advance. Cheap is Etap.com (insuite, 55E per night) and hotelformule1.com (45E, bath/toilet down the hall). They are beside each other on Rue Dr. Babinski. Ibis' are a bit more and are closer to the center of Paris. If you are staying a week or so, look into an apartment. I know of a nice studio if you wish. Email me and I will send information. The bus drops you off at Opera. From there you can bus, metro, walk or take a cab to your abode.

Hi Cristy, I just asked this same question before I went on my vacation two weeks ago. My husband was concerned about carrying luggage and getting lost on the metro since it was our first time in Paris. So we took other's advise and took the Roissy Bus from CDG to Opera metro stop. From the Opera metro, we found our way to our hotel within the metro. After a week of using the metro, we were more confident so on our way back to the airport, we used the metro to the RER B back to the airport. Both were easier than you think and very convenient. The only thing we experience, and this may depend on the time of day you plan to use the Roissy Bus, is that we felt traffic was slowing down the bus too much. But if you have no rush to get in/out of the airport,then its ok. Just plan accordingly.

Cristy, visit the website ParisByTrain.com for some really clear info on getting to/from/around Paris (and it's not all by train!) There's even photos!!!