We%26#39;re flying American Airlines to Paris, scheduled to land at CDG at 7:35 am on a Tuesday morning. Is it wrong to assume approximately one hour to deplane, collect bags, go through passport stuff, and get into a taxi? And will we be hitting the worst rush hour traffic at 8:30-ish going into Paris, or might it still take 45 mins to an hour?
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Well that depends. Let%26#39;s say you are staying in the east of the centre then you%26#39;ll peel off onto the A3 and come into Paris via Bagnolet or you may stay on the A1 and come straight in via Port Chapelle or you may head around the Peripherique. It all depends where your hotel or ultimate destination is. One of these routes may be clogged with traffic, others may be flowing a little better. It only takes one of those rusty graffitti embelished Citroen vans to lose a wheel then its jam time. But in the main, Paris traffic flows at the speed of %26quot;an asmatic ant with some heavy shopping%26quot; (thank you Mr Curtis and Mr Elton), in other words it%26#39;s slow at the best of times.
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We%26#39;re staying in the 5th, near the Pantheon. I%26#39;ve always read and heard that 45 mins to an hour was typical into Paris, but I%26#39;m not sure if that%26#39;s already taking into account slow traffic or not.
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Dear Mme Petite:
With 2 exceptions, we have deplaned, collected luggage, cleared for entry %26amp; boarded a taxi at CDG airport within an hour.
In 2001, shortly after 9/11, security was ramped up %26amp; there was a delay for an announcement over the PA system expressing sympathy for the tragedy in the USA.
In 2004, Air Canada lost 1 of our suit-cases. It took over an hour going through the missing baggage process; the bag showed up at our hotel the next day.
Without fail, at various times of the day (but usually mid-morning) the trip (by taxi) from the airport into Paris has taken us 1 hour approximately. To be on the safe side, however, if you have to make a connection, leave plenty of time for unforeseen hiccups.
Morstan
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That%26#39;s why I (cheapskate that I am) take the Roissybus or RER, depending on destination. One fare no matter how slowly the traffic is moving. On the other hand, when I have taken a taxi I sweated watching the meter run and run while we were crawling along.
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Morstan: thanks so much for this info. I%26#39;m hoping this will be our experience as well, and that there won%26#39;t be some kind of exceptional circumstance to throw a spanner into the works.
I understand the ease of using the RER or the bus, but we%26#39;ll have a number of bags (and a younger kid) so I%26#39;d rather not deal with that.
Thanks!
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Traffic can be really bad. It only takes one minor accident. However, there is a new dedicated taxi lane most of the way, created about 3 months ago (actually there was another one about 15 years ago, too, but they cancelled it).
It%26#39;s just my opinion, but I would take the RER into the city and take a taxi from there if necessary.
(My opinion is of course skewed because I live near Gare du Nord and can walk home from there.)
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I believe the AF Buses and the Roissybus also use the new HOV lanes. These really make a difference when traveling inbound into Paris from CDG in the morning. Taxi are now able to bypass much of the rush hour traffic on A1.
For those who may be visiting Paris for the first time, are unfamiliar with the RER network, and have good amounts of luggage and/or children in tow, I still suggest taxis can take the anxiety out of finding your hotel and while they will cost more than what one pays for the RER, can be a good overall value for the weary traveler.
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I took the Roissybus in May and noticed the HOV lanes too; but traffic was just as slow there as for the regular lanes--just clogged with taxis and buses at 8:30am travelling at a snail%26#39;s crawl. But I wasn%26#39;t in a hurry. Also, with the bus, luggage is no more a problem than with a taxi. There are designated spots in the bus to store it during the trip. The drivers always wait till everyone%26#39;s ready and luggage is put away before taking off from each terminal.
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Patestore: how long did it take you at 8:30? Was it a weekday morning?
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That is meaningless information. It is different (and random) every day.
Only the RER has a reliable schedule.
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