Enough time?

Posted by Amanda (Ooltewah, Tennessee) on 12/16/14 01:41 PM

Good Morning.

I leave for Paris on Thursday, arriving Friday at 6:55am. I've never flown through CDG, so I'm beginning to think my itinerary isn't going to work. I've got a car hire picking me up and taking me straight to Gare Saint. Lazare for a 10:10am train to Cherbourg. Will I have time to make this train or should I push it back to the 12:10 departure? I'm flying business, so luckily I won't have to wait 30+ minutes to depart the plane, but that really doesn't help considering it's hard to average the time it'll take to receive our bags and head through customs/immigration. I've read that rush hour is a nightmare and can take upwards to 2 hrs to get into the city. I thought about taking the RER in but I'm a bit confused on exactly how it works and how I get to St. Lazare.

Any suggestions would be great!

Thanks
Amanda

Posted by Norma

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

12/16/14 03:29 PM

8293 posts

Taking the 12:10 gives you 2 extra hours and peace of mind Personally, I hate the stress of wondering if I'll make the train/bus/plane. It spoils my pleasure in travel.

Posted by Southam

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

12/16/14 03:45 PM

4044 posts

Above-ground transport in Paris traffic is unpredictable any time of the day. For info on taking the regional RER train from CdG to Gare du Nord and connecting to St-Lazare, with an interactive guide, you can check http://www.ratp.fr/en/
Its journey time estimate is a bit optimistic since you will be unfamiliar with the system's signs, etc., plus there is a short walk above ground to get to the St-Lazare SNCF station. The blog www.parisbytrain.com is helpful for getting around CdG, Gare du Nord and St-Lazare, illustrated by photos. Google Maps and ViaMichelin can display the streets surrounding St-Lazare so you can see the pedestrian connection.
Another time-waster is lining to buy tickets, both on RER and SNCF. Buying and printing advance SNCF tickets on-line carries the risk of arriving late and missing the departure. There are various grades of flexibility, as you probably know from checking on that departure time. If not, the info is at http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ The SNCF station at CdG is adjacent to the RER so you could buy the onward ticket to Cherbourg after landing, but not from the same office so you might endure two line-ups. Or get lucky and breeze straight to the agent (using the ticket machines is another issue.) Sorry, but each option carries unpredictable difficulties.

Posted by Amanda OP

Ooltewah, Tennessee

12/16/14 04:08 PM

181 posts

Thank you both! I can exchange my ticket for the 12:10 train, so I may do that to keep from having my trip start off chaotic.

Posted by Ken

Vernon, Canada

12/17/14 06:49 AM

32206 posts

Amanda,

You may find it helpful to have a look at the excellent Paris By Train website, as that has a good description of the arrival at CDG (including photos).

If travelling by car, you'll likely end up on the road at about 08:00, so the morning rush hour could be thick. Using a car will certainly be easier, as you'll be able to relax during the journey. Travel via RER will be more work, but of course will be a cheaper option and probably quicker.

Bon Voyage!