travis bickle

Good day,

I would like to know your opinion/experiences going from Paris to CDG.

Mrs Bickle and I will make our first trip to Paris/France this May. We will arrive in Gare St Lazare (from Caen) on a Sunday at about 12 noon.

From there we have to go to the Sheraton at CDG airport, stay overnight, then fly out the next day.

How should I get from Gare St Lazare to CDG? Should I take a metro down to the Opera, and then take a Roissybus? Should I take RER line E to Magenta/Gare du Nord, then switch to RER line B to CDG? (Or even, take a metro from Gare St Lazare to Auber, pick up RER line A to Chatelat Les Halles, switch to RER line B to CDG???).

I obviously have no idea how crowded public transport is at that time of day, or anything else concerning this travel.

So, your experiences and insight are welcomed.

TIA

Alpha Golf

It will be pretty crowded, though nothing like rush hour.

One you're underground anyway, I'd just go to Gare du Nord and get on the RER there.

NickB

My own inclination would be RER E+B. If you are going to go for Roissybus, I would not bother with the metro. I'd stay on the surface and take one of many buses going down rue Auber and get off at Opera for the Roissybus stop.

keisari

I know you did not ask but why not spend the entire day in Paris, stay in a hotel in Paris and then take a taxi or RER in the morning to CDG?
What are you going to do in CDG from 1 pm until the next day?

Mountain Trader

And before you answer, ask yourself how many Sunday afternoons and evenings you and your wife will ever get to spend in Paris.

nrr

It is a long walk from SNCF arriving trains to St. Lazare (line E) and then from Magenta (line E) to Gare du Nord (RER B)--if you don't have much luggage, OK, otherwise, NO.
It is only two stops on line 3 from St. Lazare to Opera (where you would get the Roissybus, on Rue Scribe.)
Generally the RER lines are much deeper underground than the Metros, and so require lots of walking to get to them.

Nugget_Oz

If you don't have heaps of luggage take the 26 bus, it's basically door to door. Check you luggage in at Gare du Nord luggage and have a nice meal in Paris before heading out to the Sheraton.

travis bickle

Thanks,

had not considered the bus option (since this is our first trip to Paris, I am a total neophyte concerning transport to/from various locales).

Any information on checking luggage short-term at Gare du Nord? Is it a "left luggage" office? Or, simply coin-operated lockers? And ... I almost hate asking this ... but do I suppose the area to leave luggage will be fairly easy to find?

FWIW we will each have a small hardcase roller bag [it is small enough to be used as carryon on the aircraft], and a small handbag of some sort [briefcase, or similar type].