Fast, cheap way from Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris central

i like to take the train into the city and then just change a metro. it's pretty cheap and fast, train into the city is not crowded, and i can get my metro tickets pack on the way in.

The Musee d'Orsay is not a metro station, it's an RER station. You would not use the metro for this trip. The cheapest, most simple way is to catch the RER B from the airport to St Michel / Notre Dame, then switch to the RER C westbound a couple of stops to the d'Orsay station. It'll stiff you less than fifteen bucks a head and take you about an hour.

Thanks for the help! I really appreciate the specific bus names/numbers.

Welcome, The RER is a train system, not a bus system. In central Paris you can transfer between RER trains and metro trains if a station is served by both. For detailed information, including photos, on how to get from CDG to Paris, see the Paris by Train site.

The RER B line. I know this because I read about it in the RS book and then went to Paris and it was true! I learned a bunch of other stuff I would have never thought to ask about here. I leaned a bunch of stuff that I asked about here to learn more. Can you tell I recommend the book?

Tim--thanks! Can you tell I haven't been to Paris! Richard--I bought the book, but a friend had borrowed it. I just got it back, so I'll be better on all the other hints. I appreciate all of your advice and details on my question. We can't wait to get there!

We took the Roissy bus from the airport to the Opera. 10E per person and then took a cab from there. Here's a link: http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/ADP/en-GB/Passagers/Access-maps-car-parks/Paris-CDG/Access/public-transport/paris-cdg-roissybus.htm

Just got back from Paris for our first time and we took the RER train from CDG to central Paris. It was so frickin' easy and cheap and fast and when you look around you and see that all of the Parisians are travelling with you, you know you're doing the right thing! My only advice since it's your first time, when you get to the special area designed just for buying train tickets, go ahead and wait in line and buy your one-way tickets from the person inside of the glass-office area instead of the automatic stations, as you need CASH/COINS to use these. When you do buy your tickets, ABSOLUTELY BUY A 'CARNET' (booklet of 10 metro tickets) as you will need to use this to transfer out of the train area and onto the metro/subway system, and the ticket booths require you to have COINS to pay... which you won't have when you arrive. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP and save yourself time/frustration. have a great time!

'see that all of the Parisians are travelling with you'........All Parisians wear address tags so you can tell exactly where they live. 'you will need to use this to transfer out of the train area and onto the metro'..........The RER ticket will get you anywhere in the city (Z1) without having to use another ticket. 'go ahead and wait in line and buy your one-way tickets from the person'........Unless you came with euros or got a few from the cambio on the floor above to avoid having to wait in line to buy tickets from the person. 'ABSOLUTELY BUY A 'CARNET' .........If you think you'll use the metro at least ten times. It's possible to be in te city a week and never ride it or a bus even once. 'DON'T SKIP THIS STEP and save yourself time/frustration".............Unless you wait and buy a carnet the next time you're in a metro station where lines are either short or non-existent.