Getting from CDG to Paris

There is both bus shuttle (Roissybus) and the RER trains that go into Paris. It depends on where you are going in Paris as to which is more convenient. Search the site here for both and you will find lots of posts discussing this question.

We always use the train but you didn't indicated how big the family is.

Frank - The yougest in the family is 14. Thanks

Jer - Thanks for the info. Looks like the train is 8.30 euro(which seems resonable to me).

I think Frank meant how many people are traveling.... Sometimes a shuttle or even a taxi is more economical than the RER depending on the number of people.

Julie - Thanks. There are 4 of us.

Be sure to check with your hotel to see how much their shuttle costs. We saved money by using the Roissy Bus but it ate up a lot of time and caused a lot of stress. Once you get off that bus, you still have to find the right metro station to get to your hotel and it wasn't as easy to find as it sounded (we never did find the Opera metro stop).

Once we got to the hotel, we decided the 19 euros for their shuttle would have been worth it.

Your hotel can also tell you the best public transportation to use from the airport to get to their location. The train is not always the best way to go.

RER is the way to go. Just keep your bags securely with you. Four of us (hubby, me, daughter & her college girlfriend) it Dec 2007 - Jan 2008 with not problems. In fact, It was a good experience for my daughter's friend who never had been to Europe before, jumping right into humanity. I tried not to laugh at the look on her face when a woman with a Karaoke machine started singing(quite badly) for money in our train car. I think folks were paying her to stop singing.
To me it was like a "welcome back to europe" feeling.

Joel,

We were in Paris three weeks ago (our first trip there) and rode the RER extensively, including using it to get to CDG when we left. It's not as easy as riding the Metro, but even as Paris neophytes, we never managed to get on the wrong train. A regular metro/RER ticket won't cover the ride to or from CDG so you'll either need to purchase your tickets from a teller or use one of the kiosks. As I recall, tickets from St. Michel/Notre Dame to CDG were 8.20 euros apiece, or just under $13.

Connie & Callan - Thanks for the input, it is greatly appreciated.

If you choose the Roissy bus, buy the tickets inside Terminal 1 at gate 30 or from the driver. The bus is outside of gate 32. They run every 15 min. When you arrive on rue Scribe in front of the American Express office, you need to walk around to the other side (the front) of the huge Opera House. There is a busy intersection in front of the Opera and if you look closely you'll see that people are going down a stairway. You need to walk into the middle of the intersection and go down that stairway - that is the UNMARKED Metro Opera stop!! Go down the stairs and you'll be in the subway. Buy tickets and go find your train. One word about taking the Metro with a suitcase (even a small one) - it was a real pain dragging it up and down the stairs, then hauling it on and off the train. And it sure marks you as a tourist! Keep it locked and with you always. Next time I may consider an airport shuttle. The taxi ride I took to the CDG airport was by an Indy racecar-wannabee who nearly got us killed, so I'm not too keen on the taxi either. Good luck.

Debbie, Lisa, & Neil - Thank you all for the information.

Joel, with four people you are not saving much money by taking a shuttle or the train compared to a taxi. Consider the effect of jet-lag, fatigue, and corralling the family. A drop-off at the door of your hotel is worth something under those conditions. Our family of four has taken a taxi to or from CDG to Paris 8 times in the past few years and have never encountered a bad driver or had a bad experience. Consider also the shlepping around of your luggage and the increased possibility that something could be lost. I have nothing against those who try to use public transpo at every opportunity out of principle, to save money, or both, but unless they can say they've traveled with a family of four and have done it both ways and STILL recommend a train or a shuttle, then I will maintain a taxi is the best way. Just my opinion, of course.