Need Expert Advice on Transportation

[debit34]

I will be in France for a week near Paris for business and will arrive at CDG on a Sunday. I will have transportation arranged by my company until I get back to Paris on the following Friday. The transportation company will drop me off at my hotel and then I am on my own regarding transportation. I plan to stay at the Holiday Inn at Disneyland Resort Friday night through Monday morning. My flight leave from CDG at 10:20 on Monday morning back to the US.

Here are my questions:

1) Will it be difficult to travel to downtown Paris on my own to see the sites?

2) What method of transportation should I take to get to CDG from the Holiday Inn the day of my flight? How early should I be at the airport?

Thanks to anyone that can help!!!

 

[Bexx]

Please note, this is not expert advice!

You can get the pink No. 54 from the Holiday Inn to the station at DLP and then take the RER into Paris.

For heading back to the aiport, the earliest TGV train leaves the station at DLP at 8.10 am and gets into CDG about 10 minutes later. If your plane leaves from Terminal 2 you can walk to your check in desk, though it may be quite a distance. If it leaves from Terminals 1 or 3 you can use the CDGVAL which would take you approximately another 15 minutes, including waiting and journey time.

The VEA shuttle leaves from the DLP station bus stop at 7.35 am so, including the stops at onsite hotels, your journey will take about 1 hour 15 minutes if everything goes smoothly, but at that time on Monday morning there will probably be rush hour traffic to contend with. There is also a VEA shuttle that picks up from the Holiday Inn at 8.05 am, but I have no idea how many other places it picks up after that before setting off to CDG.

Not a lot of choice, if you like getting to the airport early - not bad if you don't mind cutting it fine!

 

[Cubitus]

No expert, Bexx? hmmmmmmh.

I totally agree to your suggestions. Just want to add that it's possible and recommended to buy a TGV ticket in advance (online or at CDG airport or in Paris), as you've just done it then and can simply hop on the train on monday.

(Maybe don't waste your time in finding your reserved seat then. You probably just arrive in the moment you've found it

no idea how many other places it picks up after that before setting off to CDG

It'll just do the other 'selected' hotels (Holiday Inn neighbourhood), then go to CDG the normal way, see »routes. But I agree in considering VEA to be risky due to traffic matters.

Oliver ••••

 

[debit34]

Thank you both very much.

What do you think about taking a taxi from Holiday Inn to CDG? Approx. how much could that cost?

 

[Bexx]

You can prebook a shuttle for about 70 euros - so not a cheap option, but very easy. There are some shuttle companies listed at the bottom of the Travelling by Plane thread in the Useful Info sticky. BS Transport is a popular choice with people on this board, including me.

I agree with Oliver about booking a ticket in advance for the TGV, if you choose to use that.

No expert, Bexx? hmmmmmmh.

Definitely not!! I've just read the Bluffers Guide to DLP transport!! I appreciate any help you can give me

 

[Cubitus]

What do you think about taking a taxi from Holiday Inn to CDG? Approx. how much could that cost?

Let me quote a random »taxi site: CDG-Disney is about €110. So I'd definitely agree with Bexx to hire a private shuttle (it can be pre-booked, will be on time and will pick you up directly at the hotel – you just don't know how heavy the monday morning traffic will be... so you should calculate about an hour of extra time just to be prepared for the worst case).

Talking about transfer time, the TGV can't be beaten - and I guess you won't have too handle too much baggage on your short trip. So this is still my favourite. BUT: Why not ask at the hotel reception on friday. They're (usually) quite competent and can advise you!

Oliver ••••

 

[debit34]

Thank you both so much! I've been browsing through the transportation sticky. I may end up just going with the transportation company just to avoid the worry. That for me is priceless. I could probably do the TGV but I'm worried I'd be cutting it close for time. I'm really supposed to check in 2 full hours before my flight leaves. Thanks again, you both have given me some really good ideas.