Tips before you go
· Get a good travel book. My favorite is DK travel guides. I have used them for every city I have traveled to in Europe. Their guides have beautiful full-color photos, illustrations, street maps and subway maps. They are broken out by areas of the city or region and give very detailed information about the area and major attractions including walking tours of the area. Once you use this guide you will never be able to use another. They are awesome.
· Get a good street map and a good metro map.
· Be aware of pickpockets and gypsies. Keep your wallet in your front pocket. Keep purse or backpack secure at all times. When at major attractions especially Notre Dame if someone approaches you asking if you speak English say no and walk away. These are gypsies looking to con you.
Arriving
· Charles De Gaulle Airport is about 30 minutes outside of Paris. Do not take a taxi if you have not pre-arranged a pick-up, don’t speak French well or don’t know Paris very well. Either call for taxi service – they will give you the rate up front, airport shuttle service or take the train - RER.
· The least expensive option is the RER train, which has several stops in central Paris and connects with the Métro system and recommend only if you don’t have a lot of luggage. From the RER platforms at Charles de Gaulle Airport, you can reach the Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les Halles, Saint-Michel, Luxembourg, and other stations of RER Line B. Connections to the Métro network and RER Line C (which runs along the left bank of the Seine) make it easy to get within 500 meters of any hotel in Paris
Ø How to ride the RER: After you've retrieved your bags and gone through customs, look for a "Gare" sign with a train symbol. (CDG has two RER stations: one for Terminals 1 and 3, and the other at Terminal 2.) The terminals are connected by a free CDGVAL shuttle train.
Ø At the RER station, you can buy tickets in two ways: 1. From an "Île de France" ticket-vending machine, which probably won't work with your credit card unless you have a French "smart card" with an embedded microchip. If your credit card won't work in the ticket machines at CDG, you'll need to pay with euro coins. 2. At the ticket counter, where you can pay with cash or a credit card. (Good news: Foreign cards are accepted; bad news: The ticket office is closed late at night.)
Ø Once you have your ticket, follow the signs to the platforms. When you've descended the escalator, check the electronic signboard for train departure times and platform numbers. Trains normally depart every 10 to 20 minutes between 5 a.m. and midnight.
Ø If possible, take an express (direct) train, even if it means waiting a few minutes longer on the platform. Local trains stop at 10 suburban stations on their way into the city, adding 15 minutes or more to the normal 30-minute trip time
· A taxi service will cost around 90 Euros. The service that my husband uses is Taxi Parisian. Their website is http://www.taxi-paris.net/page52.html . Make sure you confirm the price before you give them your credit card. The price does not include the tip for the driver. The norm for tipping is 10%.
· Shuttle companies offer door-to-door service between Charles de Gaulle Airport and city addresses. Travel is in shared vans or minibuses, so the trip may take longer than going by taxi, although you'll avoid standing in line. Parishuttle charges €15 to €25 per adult passenger, depending on how many people are traveling together. Make shuttle reservations at least 24 hours in advance.
Well that should get you into town safe and sound and ready to explore this beautiful city.
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