Thanks to all the good advice offered in this forum and weighing all the information I%26#39;ve decided to take a taxi to our hotel. I plan to pre-print the name and address of our hotel.
Would it be unusual to also type on the paper, in French, the question asking how much the taxi would charge to take us to that hotel? Have any of you done that? I know the amount can vary due to traffic but shouldn%26#39;t I get an approximate cost?
Then I guess next, I%26#39;ll have to review my French so I%26#39;ll understand the answer I get ... Fearful of this language barrier!
Thanks for any help.
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From postings you have read here you should know the approximate cost, so I am not sure what asking the driver would accomplish. Just make sure you are in a Taxi Parisiane, an official taxi. They will probably be lined up outside the terminal, so they are not hard to distinguish, as opposed to a taxi that is just cruising around.
Our taxi driver claimed he did not speak English, but when it came to settling the fare his command of Englsih numbers was quite good. Our taxi ride was a very painless experience. I do recall a little anxiety watching the meter tick and not being sure how much farther we had to go, but everything turned out fine, coming and going. We never took a taxi in town, just back and forth from CDG.
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40-50 euro is the approximate cost I think, depending on where the hotel is.
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Thanks pryzk,
I did read that I should expect approx. 45 euros to be the cost but thought it would be smart to confirm this with the taxi driver so as not to be taken advantage of (or very surprised) at some rediculous price when I arrive at my hotel. Since there is an official Paris Taxi, (I hadn%26#39;t read about that) then I guess I won%26#39;t concern myself with that.
Thanks
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%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;Would it be unusual to also type on the paper, in French, the question asking how much the taxi would charge to take us to that hotel? Have any of you done that? I know the amount can vary due to traffic but shouldn%26#39;t I get an approximate cost?%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;
If it would make you fell better, you could certainly ask for an estimate from a taxi driver...but I suspect their only response would likely be a shrug of the shoulders. If you take a TAXI PARISIEN (these are licensed taxis) from the regular rank out in front of your CDG arrival terminal, the fare will be metered and what it is, is what it is.** DO NOT**DO NOT**DO NOT** acccept rides from any driver who approaches you in the terminal with an offer of a %26#39;..special rate..%26#39;. Just about every airport taxi %26#39;horror story..%26#39; I%26#39;ve ever heard began with %26quot;..this nice man approached us at the airport...%26quot; and ends with %26quot;..we were ripped-off..%26quot;.
The average taxi cost between CDG and most locations within central Paris will be 45-55 Euro. The initial %26#39;..meter drop..%26#39; will be 2 Euro when you begin. There are also a few legitimate surcharges--- 2,60 Euro surcharge each additional passenger above three(3) and a ,90 Euro surcharge per bag which goes into the trunk. These surcharges are in ADDITION to the metered amount. Tips are NOT included in taxi fares.
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I have just returned from eight days in Paris. It was absolutely wonderful. Weather was perfect. We took a taxi from CDG...it is by far the easiest way to get to your hotel. It cost about 42 euros going in and 38 coming back. We also had two huge pieces of luggage. Our hotel called a taxi for us the night before we left (a large car-still small by our standards- but large enough to hold our luggage). There were no extra charges for calling in advance-the meter started when we left the hotel. In fact, during our stay in Paris, we often used taxis and found them to be very affordable. The meter does not start at 3-5 euros as reported in some guidebooks-I think it is 2 something. We had no taxi ride over 10. We used the metro, the train to Versailles, and city buses, but sometimes you just have to use your time wisely and hail a taxi. They will also stop at places other than taxi stands as long as traffic is not too disrupted. Taxi drivers, like every French person we came in contact with, were polite and helpful. Communication was not difficult with anyone we encountered during our stay. In fact, we did not get to use enough French, since after the initial %26quot;Bonjour%26quot;, almost everyone speaks English. This was my third trip to Paris and I love it more than ever.
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As kdksail mentioned about the non-metered taxi drivers, you will see them approaching you as soon as you enter the Arrivals hall. Do not even stop to listen to them. Instead head towards the exit doors that has the Taxi Parisien queue. And don%26#39;t be discouraged if there seems to be a long line as it diminishes quickly.
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..Not to rain on anyone%26#39;s parade...I have taken more trips to and from Roissy than I want to admit. I agree a cab is the way to go after an overnight flight esp if you are travelling with another person. However, check the weather. If you are arriving on a work day and if the weather is bad, a cab maynot be the fastest and most convenient way to get into the city..I have sat in traffic for literally an hour and a half..with the meter running...expensive and slow..so if it is raining and heaven forbid snowing, consider the RER.
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I%26#39;m thinking of using the RER B to get into the city, as my luggage will undoubtedly be lighter at the beginning my vacation than it will be at the end!
If I%26#39;m arriving on Northwest Airlines, how do you know which terminal it arrives at? Does the RER B have stops at each terminal??
This is the only part of the vacation that I%26#39;m confused about.
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%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;I%26#39;m thinking of using the RER B to get into the city, as my luggage will undoubtedly be lighter at the beginning my vacation than it will be at the end! If I%26#39;m arriving on Northwest Airlines, how do you know which terminal it arrives at? Does the RER B have stops at each terminal??%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;
DELTA is a partner airline of Air France, Most of Delta%26#39;s flights will arrive at CDG terminal #2-C (it is possible that with heavy demand some flights might arrive at AF%26#39;s gates at #2-F) In either case, getting to the RER stattion (located directly between #2-C %26amp; #2-F) is as simple as exiting the French Customs control point and walking 75-100 yards along the main terminal concourse until you quite literally bump into the SNCF/TGV/RER station. Then down two wide escalators to the ticket window, purchase your RER ticket, then down one hlf-flight of stairs onto the train RER train platform, roll your bag onto a waiting train. Since ALL of the trains head to Paris only....it%26#39;s pretty much as simple as that. When you arrive at your stop in Paris, there will be escalators which will take you up to street level (if you decide to take the Metro onward to your final destination, you may have to climbe stairs.
Language should not be any problem. There is more than adequate signage in the CDG terminas to direct you and if you are uncertain of which way to go the correct French for %26quot;..RER ?..%26quot; is...%26quot;..RER?..%26#39; Any airport employee can point you in the right direction.
You could type %26quot;..How much is the taxi fare?..%26quot; in French on a slip of paper to hand to a TAXI PARISIEN driver...but my guess is that they would just shrug their shoulders and point to the meter. On the average, taxi fars from CDG to most destinations within central Paris will be 40-50 Euro. The driver can%26#39;t tell you more than that. If you may be taking a taxi from CDG to your hotel, it would be a good idea to have the EXCAT name and address (in the event that there are other hotels with similar names) of your hotel written on a slip of paper to show a driver---or better yet, print out the LOCATION/ACCESS information from the hotel%26#39;s own web site.
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I believe Northwest Airlines flights arrive at CDG Terminal 1. To catch the RER from Terminal 1 you have to go down 3 levels to %26#39;Niveau Boutiquaire%26#39; (lowest level possible). From there take the Navettes Aeroport, ligne 2, which will take you to the RER station. For 7,70 Euros you can ride the navette+RER+Metro to your destination.
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