nowstime

Planning a 3 day visit to Paris this coming December and wondering if renting a car would be cheaper than paying for rides to downtown hotel.

I wanted to ask the experts of Paris if just taking the RoissyBus from CDG to Park Hyatt Vendome (which is very close to the Opera station) and taking it back again on our departure date will be enough for our stay in Paris.

First time visiting Europe (excluding 8 hours at Frankfurt) and never seen Paris before. Just want to hit the main sightseeing places and wondering if walking around is possible and renting a car would only be bothersome with parking and gas.

Is it Paris really cold in December? I'm located at Texas and wearing shorts right now...

I will be traveling with my wife and 2 1/2 year old kid.

DanielW

I woudn't suggest getting a car if you're only visiting central Paris. The RER (subway) is pretty good for getting around.

A taxi rather than a car would be more convenient if you just want to get from the airport to the hotel too.

DanielW

Definitely no shorts in Paris in December too.

cardesigner2000

Definitely skip the idea of renting a car in central Paris to save money. As a tourist it would be too stressful to navigate the traffic and parking costs are high. If the metro is too much of a hassle, taxis are usually plentiful and not too expensive. It will be cold compared to Texas, so agree with DanielW to leave the shorts at home.

stut

The only times I've rented a car in Paris was when I had to reach outlying business parks at awkward hours. I know Paris well (used to live nearby) and so find it easy to navigate (signposts tend to point you to the main squares around the city, so you need to know where these are). The style of driving is fairly full-on, but quite forgiving and fluid (particularly as regards lane discipline and getting through major squares - which have rules all of their own). There are laws you won't be used to, like a default priority to the right unless marked, and priority to joining traffic on the Périphérique.

There are plenty big, underground car parks, but you'll pay a fair amount for them, and will need to know where they are, and the various entrances/exits. If you park on the street, slightly outdated common knowledge says you park with your handbrake off - people aren't afraid of shunting you a little to squeeze in. You'll need a small car - and most cars here have manual transmission.

Personally - I wouldn't recommend it. It's an easy city to get around - compact, walkable, and well served by buses and the metro. Roissybus is a good way to get to the Opéra Garnier area, but having a car for city centre sights is going to be a hindrance, not a help.

stut

Oh, and the weather won't be too cold - usually above 0C

nowstime

Thank you everybody for your advice. I won't be renting and planning to take a shuttle to the main area and walk to the hotel...

I know there's many shuttle or taxi options but is there a solid choice among them?

Yahillwe

I own a car and rarely drive it. It stays in the garage. And now with the quay closed traffic is a mess.. You will be stuck in traffic and parking is worse.

DO NOT RENT A CAR… Paris is a walking city, you will miss the beauty of it if you are driving.

Taxis are very easy, Le Cab and Uber are great. Just take the Roissy bus from-to airport and walk the rest.


And please remember that taxis aren't allowed to stop in the middle of the street if they are within 500 meters from a stand, they can get a big fine. So look for the taxi stands, they usually are at corners. And when you are at the stand, there is a circular thingy, people think they can press the bottom to call a cab, that bottom is for the cab driver to answer a call from people who call into the stand asking for a cab.

Louie_LI

Acutally, the distance is 50 meters, and the restriction applies only if there is a cab waiting at the stand. It's a measure in favour of the taxi drivers, not the waiting people.

"Un chauffeur a-t-il le droit de prendre en charge un client à proximité d’une station de taxi où d’autres clients attendent ?

"Oui, sauf s’il se trouve à moins de 50 mètres d’une station pourvue de taxis libres."

www.prefecturedepolice.interieur.gouv.fr

Yahillwe

I stand corrected.

SeamusSA

Absolutely do not rent a car - it would be insane and expensive to do so for your brief visit. From CDG just hop in a licensed taxi - there are clearly marked taxi queues at the arrival level. Do not accept the service of any unlicensed gypsy cab as may approach you at the airport, only use the official taxi rank. On your return you can ask the hotel to book a taxi for you.

Paris is quite walkable though having a 2 -1/2 year old may make that a challenge. Also, not many (if any) of the typical tourist sights will hold much appeal for a child that age.

In December it will be much colder in Paris than in Texas. Once inside buildings, though, you may find that the heat is turned up to a level where it is pretty warm so plan on dressing in layers which you can peel off as needed.