craz

doing a DL run 12/9-12/11.basically will have Sun to run around. Would appreciate help with the following: 1)should I stay in the city or by the airport,got a 10:30am flight out on the 11th. 2)if the airport found a Novotel for $68 a night with shuttle service to and from the airport about 1 mile from CDG anyone stayed there b4?
3)does the Metro connect from CDG to the city,if yes what does it cost for a oneway/roundtrip?are there day passes like the underground in London? if the Metro doesn't connect whats the cheapest way to get to the city.
if I take a room in the city what time must I leave to get to CDG in time for a 10:30am flight on a Mon morn? 5) would appreciate any and all ideas. anyone else booked on the 12/9 run?

Darren

Personally, I would stay in the city. $68 is a pretty good price, though. The "metro" doesn't go to CDG, but the RER does. The RER is a regional rail system that primarily goes to the Parisian suburbs. The metro runs from 5:30am to 1:00am, and I *think* the RER does also. Check on http://www.sncf.fr to make sure. Paris does have a daypass, but I don't feel it is worth it. Depending on how much traveling you are doing on the metro, buy a carnet, which is 10 metro tix. I don't know the current price, but it is around 55 or 60 france. Otherwise, WALK! You are not flying thousands of miles to see the inside of a hole in the ground! Neither the carnet or the pass will get you to CDG, so that will be separate. I don't remember the exact price, as I haven't flown out of Paris in several years. Again, the sncf site will give you all the info you need. You can also take the AirFrance bus into the city, which ran about $15, IIRC. It is interesting because you get to see some of the suburbs.

Have fun. I did Paris in 2 1/2 days on my first trip, and realized it was 2 1/2 years too short. Since then, I make it a point to always go when I am in Europe. Go to http://www.jack-travel.com for suggestions on restaurants, hotels, and things to do.

lalala

I would spend the extra 10 bucks and stay in Paris. Its quite the city for perambulating, especially this time of year. Everything should be lit up quite nicely for Christmas.
ex: l'arc de triomphe/champs elysee to place de la concorde, rue du bac and all the bridges are quite nicely lit up now too!


Sunday is a good day to stroll the gardens, hang out in a cafe and watch the passing scene. Most shops are closed on Sunday, so
if you want to pick up presents, you'll do better at the Printemps store at CDG- terminal 1 is the one we go out of.

One source of good info re: restaurants open on Sunday is Patricia Well's food lover's guide to Paris. Paris Timeout at www.timeout.com also lists events and times if you want to check out a museum showing or two.

---*** Good show at the centre du georges pompidou right now. I'll hit it in January.

Paris is v. walkable. We typically pick up a carnet (55 ff per 10)and use it to do long
rides. The RER from the center of Paris to CDG is 48 ff. It takes approximately 1 hour (give or take) including getting out of the station ( a very long station) and waiting for the shuttle bus. The bus drops you off at arrivals and you typically walk up to the departures/check in area.

Good luck. 10:30 is a b***h of a flight departure, but there should be v. light traffic if you take RER. Forget taking the Airfrance bus, you;ll be stuck forever in
auto traffic of Monday morning.....

lala

Lmbrghini

I assume you are leaving the US on the 9th, and arriving at CDG the morning of the 10th. For that reason, I would suggest staying at the hotel near the airport. Zoom over there, check in, shower, and ask the front desk the best way to get into the city. The metro and RER are great.

I think that gives you more time to see the sights. And if you can get to the Champs Elysee after dark -- it is magical this time of year. If you like art, my suggestion for a one day stay in Paris would be the D'Orsey and the Rodin Museums. If you want to visit a church, do Notre Dame or Sacre Cour. On Sundays, the bird market is just around the corner from Notre Dame and an artist market is just around the corner from Sacre Cour. Choose just one or two areas to 'do' as you will only have a few hours. Staying at the airport hotel will allow you to enjoy more hours of sleep that nite for your 10:30am return.

Have a great trip!
Exploring Paris ...http://www.parisdigest.com/

Everything about Paris .. http://www.paris.org/

********
Trust everyone...but brand your cattle.

TropicalFlyer

Be careful when riding the RER. My friend was pickpocketed 3 weeks ago on the train and another man at our hotel had been accosted by a couple of men when returning to the airport hotel late at night. Otherwise, the trip was wonderful especially our lunch at the Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower (get reservations in advance if you are interested).

TribeFlyer

craz,

I'll be arriving on US 26 from PHL at 7:35am Sunday; e-mail me if you're interested in meeting there (but watch out--I'm coming to power-shop before leaving later that day). Have a great trip!

craz

Thanks everyone for your help. It will make the run that much easier now.

criscokid

I personally agree with "Lmbrghini".
"stay at the hotel near the airport. Zoom over there, check in, shower, and ask the front desk the best way to get into the city."

One of the reasons why I say this is the train station at CDG airport isn't withinor close to the terminal building. There is a shuttle bus that runs between the station, car parks and the 3 terminals. This adds extra time to your overall journey.

Have a great day out in Paris - stay out late and then head back to your hotel at the airport and get a good nights sleep. In the morning you won't have to worry about getting to the airport - simply catch the hotel shuttle or taxi from your hotel to the airport. So much less hassle and stress than staying in the city.

US1@ORF

Everything Darren has stated above is accurate. I did Paris in two days on my first visit and did nothave a clue where antying was or where I should go first. I took the Airfrance bus ino the center of the city, it stops at the Arc de' Triumph (pardon poor spelling) for about $11.00 r/t.

Stayed at the Paris Hilton, $150/nigh, way over priced. But it was one block from the Eiffel Tower so was worth it to be in a familiar place/international hotel on my first visit. On my second and subsequent trips I stay in a small inn located in the heart of the city a few blocks from the Gare de Lyon metro stop for much less and it's more authentic. Stay in the city and if you have a 10:30 am flight then plan to get on the AF bus in the city by 8am so you make your flight. Rush Hour traffic in paris is terrible and the bus will get stuck in it. So you need the extra time. It took us 45 minutes.

I think Delta's flights are at the Air France terminal (much nicer than the old part of CDG) and the AF bus stops there first so that will save you some time.

Good luck and enjoy. Paris is my #1 favorite city in the world, and I've been to many.... JFL