CDG to Paris advice

[jazzbo]

My husband and I will be in Paris for 4 days in August following a 2-week trip to England for a family wedding. We've been to the south of France (Arles and Collioure), but never to Paris. We'll each have a rolling suitcase and a carry-on (the 2 weeks in England!). Would that make the RER too difficult? (We are mid-50s and mid-60s). Our hotel is less than 2 blocks from the Musee d'Orsay, and it looks like there is an RER station there. I'm wondering if it would be better to just pay the 60 euros for a taxi.

[Deleted]

If you have seen me on other forums, you will know that I am one of the people who perpetually recommends the RER under most circumstances. However, using the RER should not be turned into a death march.

In your circumstances, I would say that it is easily doable, because the connection from the RER B (the one from the airport) to the RER C (which goes to Musée d'Orsay) is quite simple and covered by lots of escalators, so there would be no lugging heavy bags up a lot of stairs.

So just see how you feel when you arrive. The 40€ that you would save over a taxi might be put to better use.

[jazzbo]

Thanks for the reply, Kerouac. I also just received an e-mail reply from the hotel, and the person said we would have to change at the St. Michel - Notre Dame station, which might be difficult with "long walkways and many stairs without escalators or elevators." The walkways wouldn't be a problem, but getting the suitcases up stairs could be a challenge. We could also do the Air France bus and get a taxi from Charles de Gaulle - Etoile or get a shuttle. I don't want to be tired out when we get to the hotel -- I want to explore!

[Deleted]

They are wrong about there not being escalators. Shame on them. Of course people like that have never actually taken the trip themselves.

[jazzbo]

Thanks again. If there are escalators, I think we can manage. And it sounds like we can get there faster, which means we can start our time in Paris sooner! (Funny, when part of what we want to do is walk through the streets and see where they lead us...)

[hwinpp]

Last time I was in Paris I took the bus to the Etoile (13EUR) and got a taxi from there. Wasn't that far anymore but I had two big suitcases full of paper.

[jazzbo]

The RER ended up not being a good choice for us. The train to Orsay was closed for repairs (until sometime in September, I believe), so we had to leave at the Notre Dame-St. Michel station and my suitcase got stuck. A "helpful" fellow American grabbed it by the handle and bent the handle, bending it beyond repair (so my husband had to break it off once we got to the hotel). Once we got to the street, it was about 1/2 a block before we could get a taxi. Our suitcases were large (because we had spent 2 weeks in England with family -- wedding clothes, gifts for family, clothes for cooler weather, etc.). We took a shuttle back to CDG from the hotel. Much easier if you have a large suitcase. The RER would have been OK if the line going to Orsay hadn't been closed, though.

[Deleted]

Ouch!