Looking thru forums, it seems that there is a desire to avoid RER from CDG. Yet, it looks to me like the most cost-effective and predictable (no traffic!) means of travel. Also, once in the Metro system, easy enough to get where you are going.
So, is there some problem w/ the RER that I am missing? (I have lived in Chicago and NY, so am very comfortable w/ mass transit, reading maps, etc.)
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No reason at all. After years of taking a cab, I was traveling alone last Dec and couldn%26#39;t justify the cost of a cab. I took the RER from the airport and it%26#39;s simple enough.
I think that, for first time visitors who are experiencing jet-lag on top of being unfamiliar with the city, I might recommend a cab. I am avowed RER traveler from now on though. I%26#39;d rather spend the extra euros on macarons :)
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HappyGoin says it well.
First-time (or 10th time, for that matter) visitors to Paris who are really tired, have lots of luggage, etc., will find the taxi a super-easy, almost-luxurious treat for their arrival in Paris.
My wife is visually impaired, and struggles with lots of steps/stairs and low-light situations on the metro. She%26#39;s been brave and a real trooper and schlepped through the RER in the past, but each time we go, she finds it a real relief when I opt for the taxi, despite the cost.
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I agree Happygoin. I am now a confirmed RER traveler into Paris. I do like KDK%26#39;s suggestion of taking a short cab ride from Gare du Nord to my hotel. A little ride around central Paris to wet the appetite.
I do find the pickpockets annoying at Gare du Nord, I seek them out for a little sport. I know :-), my wife thinks I%26#39;m a little strange.
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I just got back from my first trip to Paris, and used the RER from CDG to get into the city. CDG did not make it easy to find the RER ticket booth (to be fair to CDG, I was pretty jet-lagged), but once I found the RER booth (to the right of the SNCF counter), the ticket clerk did clearly explain which train to take, and how to transfer to the Metro for the stop nearest my hotel. Unlike umustbjoekin, I am not familiar with using mass transit, so the system in Paris was intimidating at first, but within a few days I was sailing around the Metro like a pro! I would recommend RER to get into the city; as mentioned, no traffic jams to contend with, and I found RER clean and comfortable enough; even the ride into Paris was interesting! The problem I found with the actual Metro system in Paris is if you are disabled, or can%26#39;t carry your baggage up stairs; in either case, you should consider a taxi. Many of the older Metro stops don%26#39;t have working elevators, or, at least, clearly-marked elevators!
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I%26#39;ll avoid the RER next July (we%26#39;ll use the AF bus)because last time we used it and saw a theft right in front of us. I know this is probably rare, but it was really not a nice way to start our trip.
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WOW, a theft! What happened?
I did see some gypsies harrassing people on the Champs Elysees, but the people told the gypsies in no uncertain terms to get lost; the gypsies went away, presumably to look for other(easier)victims.
Perhaps the people read the forum posts here about %26quot;what to avoid%26quot;! I know that forum helped me, just as this one did before I went!
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There%26#39;s thieves and pickpockets all over the world, especially in tourist havens like Paris and its RER%26#39;s and Metros. Just be aware of what%26#39;s going on around you.
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If you can manage your bags and other belongings walking long distances and up double flights of stairs and don%26#39;t mind being cooped up on a crowded train and securing your bags and belongings, the RER is fine. It%26#39;s best to be able to recognize an express train.
Be advised that there are lots of reports of pickpockets in the CDG station. If you don%26#39;t have Euros or a credit card with a chip, you have to purchase tickets at the window. Make SURE you have secured your passport and other valuables when walking through the terminal and RER station, and of course on the train. If you are hauling a laptop, be especially careful with that, and with any other electronics, such as a phone.
After an overnight flight, getting yourselves and your bags into Paris on the RER is a total drag, literally!
The Roissybus and Air France buses have stops just outside the terminals, near the taxi queue. On Roissybus, you must take care of your own bags, but with Air France there%26#39;s assistance.
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I always take the RER to and from CDG. The trick for me is taking a cab to my hotel from the Gare du Nord station...that way I don%26#39;t have to deal with my luggage on the metro lines and flights of stairs...and depending on where the hotel is - it%26#39;s a relatively inexpensive cab ride to the front door of the hotel.
The RER is great!
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To the original poster: I think RER from CDG is just fine - very efficient and cost-effective. Especially since you%26#39;re used to mass transit in NYC and Chicago - and, having lived in big cities, understand the importance of securing your belongings at all times - you should be fine. As a solo female traveller with a reasonable amount of baggage, I found the whole process of taking the RER easy, safe and straightforward. Horror stories that some people tell of crowding on RER trains can be dealt with by waiting for the next train, which will only be a few minutes away, and will be empty. Sometimes a little common sense makes all the difference between a positive experience and a miserable one.
I do think that if your hotel is not easy walking distance from an RER station, it%26#39;s good advice to take a cab to your final destination rather than transfer to the Metro.
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