The ParisSharing Blog

Posts Tagged ‘transportation’

Your long flight is over and you have finally arrived in Paris.  Wait a minute! Roissy/ Charles de Gaulle (CDG)Airport is not truly located in Paris, but is actually 25 km (16 miles) to the northeast of Paris.  So, what do you do now? How do you get to Paris? Here are alternative ways to get to central Paris once you’ve arrived at Roissy/CDG without taking a taxi:

Regional Train Line – RER B
The RER B links CDG to 3 stops in Paris (Denfert-Rochereau, Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame, Gare du Nord).

Train Station at Paris-Charles de Gaulle:

The Paris-Charles de Gaulle SNCF station is called “Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 – TGV” and is located between terminals 2C-2D and 2E-2F. Just follow the signs like the one to the left.

Station Access :
Terminals 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F are accessible via the moving walkways.
Terminal 2G :  linked to Terminal 2C (Entrance 4) by the free N2 shuttle bus. The N2 shuttle bus runs every 6 minutes and takes 15 minutes.
Terminals 1 and 3 : free CDGVAL shuttle

Journey time:

The RATP quotes 35 minutes to Paris-Châtelet les Halles, but allow at least 60 minutes for the entire journey.

Frequency: every 10 – 15 minutes (weekdays)
Fare : € 8.40 (Pass Navigo zone 1-5 accepted)

RoissyBus Connects CDG to Paris Opera

RoissyBus stops at Paris-Charles de Gaulle:

Terminal 1: Entrance 32, Arrivals level
Terminal 2A-2C : Entrance A9
Terminal 2D-2B : Entrance D11
Terminal 2G:  linked to Terminal 2C (Entrance 4) by the free N2 shuttle bus. The N2 shuttle bus runs every 6 minutes and takes 15 minutes.
Terminal 3: Arrivals hall

Journey time: Allow 60 minutes

Frequency: During the day until 20:45, every 15 mins; after 23:00, every 20 minutes

Fare : € 9.40 (Pass Navigo zones 1-5 accepted)

Bus 350 and 351

Two additional bus services are available between CDG and Paris’ eastern arrondisements.

Bus 350 runs to Paris Gare de l’Est.

Bus 351 runs to Nation.

Bus Stops for 350 and 351 buses at Paris-Charles de Gaulle :
Terminals 2A, 2C, 2E-2F, 2D, 2B and 1.
Terminal 2G:  linked to Terminal 2C (Entrance 4) by the free N2 shuttle bus. The N2 shuttle bus runs every 6 minutes and takes 15 minutes.
Journey time : 45 to 60 minutes

Fare: 5,70€ (3 t1 tickets @ 1,90 € each)

Les Cars Air France/Air France Bus Service

You don’t have to fly Air France to take advantage of this convenient bus service into Paris.  The Air France bus service has 3 lines, 2 of which service Paris.

Line 2:  CDG to Paris Étoile and Porte Maillot

Line 4: CDG to Gare de Lyon and Gare Montparnasse

Bus Stops for Les Cars Air France at Paris-Charles de Gaulle :
Terminals 2A-2C, 2E-2F, 2D-2B and 1.
Terminal 2G is linked to Terminal 2C (entrance 4) by the free N2 shuttle

Terminal 3 is linked to Terminal 1 by the free CDGVAL shuttle train
(average journey time: 5 minutes then 10 minutes on foot).

Journey time : Approx. 45 minutes (Line 2) and 50 minutes (Line 4)

Fare :  Line 2 15.00 €(Pass Navigo not accepted), Line 4  16,50€

How do you usually get to Paris from CDG?  Let us know if you have a preferred way to get to the City.  You can find a complete map with details on each of the above routes into Paris on the Aeorports de Paris website.

This week, we begin a series of blog posts called, “Tips you wished someone told you before you left.”  In the series, we’ll include helpful insights on topics like getting around Paris, Museum passes and using money in Paris.

In this first installment, let’s talk about the different ways of getting around Paris.  The best ways to get around Paris are walking, taking the Paris rapid transit system (Metro, RER and bus), taking a boat, and biking.  Here are some tips on how to use the various methods:

Walking
Truly the best way to visit Paris is to walk. The city is surprisingly easy to navigate on foot and virtually flat (except for Montmartre).  What better way to see the sights and get a feel for all of the unique neighborhoods?!

Rapid Transit System (RATP)
Metro:
Paris’s extensive underground network is the most efficient and fastest way to get around. The Metro runs from 5am to 1:30am depending on the line. Tickets can be bought at the automatic ticket booths in the stations, and are available in a single ticket or a pack (“carnet”) of ten.  Kids have discounted rates (ages 4 -12) with children under 4 riding for free. Metro maps are found in the stations and are posted all over the metro system. Here’s a very informative video that will walk you through using the Paris Metro  and click here for a Metro map.  Use these to familiarize yourself with the system before heading underground.  When using the RATP system, you need to know the name of the last stop so you know which direction to head in.  Also, remember to hang on to your tickets when using the Paris transit system in case you are “controlled” by RATP representatives.

Transit Passes: Paris Viste tickets are unlimited use tickets for tourists and are available in 1-, 2-, 3- or 5-day passes for use on the Metro, RER (urban train) and bus. For longer stays, weekly and monthly tickets called Navigo are available.

RER Train: The RER is a suburban line that goes outside the city with several stops in central Paris. If you stay within the city limits of Paris, your metro ticket can be used on the RER. If you are taking the RER further outside of Paris then you need a separate RER ticket. There are four lines, but the most frequented by tourists are the Line C to go to Orly Airport, Line B to go to Charles De Gaulle or Line A to go to Disneyland Paris.  Click here to see a Paris RER map.

Buses: The bus system is also a very effective, excellent way to become familiar with the city. The same tickets are used on the buses as the Metro and RER.  When you enter a bus, insert your ticket into the machine to validate it. To transfer, you need another ticket. If you have a Paris Viste ticket then simply show it to the driver. Bus maps are posted in Metro stations and in the bus shelters. Buses can run from 6:00am until 12:30am, depending on the line.

Boats: The Batobus runs up and down the Seine with eight stops covering the major tourist sites including Tour Eiffel, Musée d’Orsay, St. Germain de Pres, Notre Dame, Jardin des Plantes, Hotel de Ville, Louvre and Champs-Elysees.  The boats operate as hop-on and hop-off meaning that you can get on and off wherever you’d like as long as you have a valid ticket for the day.  Tickets are available for 1-, 2- or 5-day passes with discounts for children.  The boats run every 15 – 30 mins (only during daylight) depending on time of the year.  You can buy tickets online at www.batobus.com, at ticket offices at each stop and at several train stations (Gare de Lyon, Nord and l’Est).

Biking:  Another great way to see Paris is by bike.  I know this might sound scary for the average tourist, but the City of Paris has gone out of its way to make biking safe and simple.  There are over 371 kms of bike lanes throughout Paris.  The City operates the Velib’ bicycle rental program, which is a self-service bike service available all over the City.  You can pick up a bike at any Velib’ station and return it at any other station.  To rent a Velib’, you need a bankcard that has a chip and is compatible with the system (Amex, MasterCard, Visa). The first 30 minutes of each ride is free of charge. The 1-day pass is 1€ and the 7-day ticket is 5€. See the Velib PDF in English for more details.  Since this is a public system, it is very important to check over your bike before leaving the station to make sure the bike works properly.  Also, before you leave, make sure to rent your apartment from ParisSharing!

You’ve certainly heard of visiting Paris by boat, by bus, by bike….but what about by BUBBLE ? This extraordinarily modern means of transportation is available for a limited time only (1963 was the last and only trip!) for fashion models only. Well, the rest of us can marvel over the entire bubble series by Melvin Sokolsky for Harper’s Magazine. There is something astonishingly contemporary about them.

I would even venture to say that bubbles have, of late, been appearing in the most unusual ways. Take, for examples, this recent photo of bubble-mobiles at the Hôtel de Ville,  the mysterious Beaubourg bubble, and the unique bubble event in the Grand Palais.

Sign of the times?

For those of you keen on bubble-like transportation in Paris, you might consider these bubble mobiles (in French, cyclobulles).