Hello all,
We'll be traveling from CDG Airport to our hotel (Hotel Tilsitt, 23 Rue Brey) via the RER B and A trains to Charles de Gaulle-Etoile station later this month. Could anyone help clarify the station layout for us? Is the station located under the Arc de Triomphe? Upon disembarking from the A train, what exit would we take to get to Rue Mac Mahon and then Rue Brey? Thanks in advance.
It seems like you want to take the train -- maybe you will have a Navigo pass. If you do take the trains, you would look for the signs for Avenue de Wagram at the station. You did not ask but if you are not wedded to the train, consider taking Le Bus Direct. Route 2 (18€ per person) drops you off on Avenue Carnot and there is no need for you to make a transfer, or if there are more than 2 in your we, you may want to consider a taxi for the fixed rate of 50€.
Hi JHK, Thanks for the info and tip on the bus option. It’s just the two of us and I was looking for the most straightforward way to get to the hotel from CDG. Cost isn’t as important as ease and speed. I’ll check out the bus. Merci !
Either way, you have about a 5-minute walk to the hotel. Either way, you walk away from the Arc either on Avenue Carnot or Avenue de Wagram until you get to Rue de Tilsitt — right turn from Carnot and left from Wagram. It’s an easy walk either way. Have a great trip.
The cost of a taxi is fixed and I believe is 50 or 55 euros. If cost is not a concern this gets you door to door. Assuming you’ll be coming off an all night flight, lugging bags, consider this as an alternative.
Yes, its 50 EUR for Right Bank destinations.
If you're staying right at the Arc de Triomphe, I'd take the "Bus Direct." Much more comfortable for just a little more money, and a LOT less hassle. Your lodging location makes it a perfect choice (where it doesn't work for everybody, the Bus Direct would be great for you).
Thanks Alan, Sam, Kim and JHK!
I did a bit of research on Le Bus Direct and they have an alarmingly poor track record based on TripAdvisor reviews (29% gave them 1 star). Slow or late buses, rude staff, and lost baggage are the themes in the bad reviews. I'm not sure if its worth the gamble, but it sounds like some folks here had good experiences.
Do you usually but tickets ahead on the Le Bus website?
Thx, MH
People for the bus would normally only write a review if they had something to complain about. When a bus picks me up on time and gets to me to where I want to go on time, I don't bother writing a review. In a way, bad reviews validate that the review process is real.
The alternative of taking the RER has its own issues. Said to be crawling with pickpockets, although I've never had that experience. At Les Halles, you will need to take the elevator or escalator up to the mezzanine, then walk to the elevator/escalator down to the RER A platform for the direction you are going.
The RER isn't perfect either. I've taken it a few times to/from CDG and had delays. (but it's more anoyiBut, if I were staying where you are, I'd most likely take the RER again - and look for the Wagram exit.
If you have a smart phone, you can get real-time walking and public transit directions with Google Maps (which I have used extensively) and Citymapper (which I have't used), among other apps. I understand that Citymapper shows the Paris metro and RER exits whereas Google Maps does not. I've explored Paris without a phone in the past more than once - and I'd never want to do it again without my phone, just because it has saved me so much time and frustration.
Sam, Good points and thanks for the navigation tip in the Les Halles station. Andrew, thanks for the perspective. If it were just me I would go RER without a second thought... if anything just to experience the trip, but my wife isn’t sure about it. I’ll report back with the method we end up taking and how it went.
The RER is nasty. The Bus Direct is much more comfortable and less hassle.
It's been a while but we did end up taking Le Bus direct. Once we found the bus pickup spot in the terminal everything we well. As the folks here indicated the trip was easy, fast and dropped us off 2 blocks from our hotel near the Arc de Triomphe. The bus was clean, not crowded and it was an easy ride to our stop. I would certainly take Le Bus direct again if we stay near a drop off point. Many thanks for all of the tips.
Glad it went so well MH. Hopefully you gave them a good review... : )
