Moving a family of 5 from CDG to 7th Arrid.

I'll jump in ahead of the RER crowd. Take the Roissy Bus to Opera. From Opera walk underground to the Metro and take the relatively few stops to your hotel (or grab two cabs -- each will run no more than €10). Make sure you clarify with the hotel that you will not be checking in until early morning. I did this once because I had a family member along who wanted to get to sleep and not stay up. Once we got to Paris she was so amped up she decided to not sleep, which was good because when we reached the hotel, they hadn't held the room. We were able to gain access to the room by noon anyway and didn't have to pay for extra night.

Thanks for the novel idea. I'm debating about the extra night. Did they let you store your luggage? I think I calculated the RER option at $80. How much are the bus tickets. Do you know how much 2 taxis would cost?

Lynette - try Bee Shuttle (http://www.bee-shuttle.com/shuttle-us.asp). I've used the service before and it worked out well. They were on time, no problems. For your group, it would be 15 euro per person. I honestly wouldn't bother reserving the hotel for the night before. E-mail or call the hotel to confirm that they will hold your luggage (I bet they will). By the time you walk around the neighborhood and get something to eat, you'll be able to check in. Hope you have a great trip!

Once again the Helpline comes through! Bee shuttle is perfect for us. Cost is fair. Takes the hassle out of navigating the RER upon landing and hunting our hotel. Plus we get to travel above ground! I think you are both right about saving the $300 euros and not reserve the extra night. I'm having doubts about my choice of hotels. Any suggestions from personal experience?

Lynette - What hotel are you thinking about? I can recommend the Londres Eiffel (http://www.hotel-paris-londres-eiffel.com/) in the 7th arrondissment. It is 1 block from the Eiffel Tower and close to the Invalides and Rue Cler. There is a grocery store, laundromat, bakery, pharmacy, and numerous restaurants in the area. The Castex Hotel (http://www.castexhotel.com) in the 4th is also nice. It is near the Bastille and Il Saint Louis. Also convenient to Place de Vosges and all the necessities. Both hotels are "RS-recommended" and would be fine for your family.

Help! I'm getting worried. I made an online reservation with he shttle
service bee-shuttle and have not received a confirmation email. I used my MasterCard. Should I be alarmed or is this standard operating procedure? I made the reservation on a Friday night. Is now Monday morning- my time.

Lynette, You will find minivan taxis in the ranks at CDG large enough to hold all five of you plus your luggage. No need for two taxis and cheaper than a private shuttle for five.

The four of us loved the RoissyBus. Plenty of space, and your luggage stays in the bus cabin with you. Very comfy seats. No need to reserve ahead of time. Pay close attention to what the buses look like; there are many buses driving around that airport LOL! (You could buy tickets from the driver...last time I checked...please use Euro and be as close as possible to the exact amount...although the 'official' page wants you to use a ticket machine, and you'll need Euro for that - I'm sorry I can't verify that for sure right now)

Lynette - I just saw your post. I hope you have heard back from Bee Shuttle by now but if you haven't you can try e-mailing them at [email protected] or call 33.6.98.85.11.12. It might have been a day or 2 until they got back to me.

Thanks for your concern. I got a confirmation. Sounds like we'll be well taken care of. I was hoping to hit the debit machine, but they are directing us to meet them as soon as we get off the plan.

Tim,
How much is the private taxi cost compared to the shuttle bus? For one person, does a taxi make sense? The shuttle charges 39 euros.