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City Guides: Paris - Arriving

 

No other city on earth conjures up images of romance, joie-de-vivre and the pursuit of pleasure as does Paris. And the pleasure is not just the venal kind. There is pleasure in the pursuit of fine literature, fine art, fine architecture, fine conversation and fine food and wine.

Paris may be a city of stunning boulevards, massive squares and large gardens, however Baron Haussman wasn't around to design the airports that now serve as the point of entry for most travellers. Charles de Gaulle is a particularly inept example of a gateway to a city.

To get to the city from Charles de Gaulle or Orly, we recommend either the new train service (just walk through Terminal 2 and the train station is at the end) or a door-to-door shared shuttle bus service in preference to a taxi. There are plenty of these advertised on the internet – just type your airport name i.e. “Charles de Gaulle” or “Orly” and then “express shuttle” in a suitable Search Engine and you’ll find plenty. On a recent trip, we tried the Yellow Van Airport Shuttle www.yellowvanshuttle.com which was fine. From CDG or Orly, it costs 17€ for one person, 36€ for two and 17€ per person for three or more (early 2007 prices). You can reserve via the internet (they recommend at least 48 hours in advance) but you only pay at the end of the journey. You may have other people in the same small van and have to make one or two stop offs but you’re just as likely to have it to yourself.

It’s mildly tricky when you arrive. You have to find a public phone while waiting for your luggage (which keeps you amused if there’s a delay), tell them you’ve arrived and then meet at the designated meeting point, which is advertised on the website. Then you wait – it was about 15 minutes for us. The best thing was, being a yellow van (literally), it was easy to spot as it approached us. If the short wait isn’t a problem it’s a cost effective and convenient way of getting into Paris.

From our experience it’s much simpler than a taxi where there’s no guarantee how much it will cost or whether your driver is an apprentice formula one competitor.

Having said that, a limousine services is the best option if cost is not an issue – they generally cost between 100-200€, depending on the type of car you want. The simplest solution is to ask your hotel concierge to organise one or, if you’re staying in an apartment, find one on the internet. For us, though, the shuttle van is a good compromise. The money saved represents a good-value bistro meal once you hit Paris and you still get door-to-door service and help with your luggage. 

There are also several good inexpensive bus options, which are fine if the drop off point is near your hotel. From CDG, the Roissybus runs to and from Opera. It costs 8.50€ in early 2007. From Orly, the Orlybus goes to Place Denfert-Rochereau, which is south of Cimetière Montparnasse and is also a metro station visited by three lines. Look for information about the Roissybus, Orlybus and other RATP bus services at www.ratp.info. Click on the English symbol and then choose Airport Access.

The Air France express bus service has two routes between CDG and Paris. Route 2 goes to Porte Maillot and the Arc de Triomphe. Route 4 runs between CDG and Gare de Lyon and Montparnasse. There’s also an Air France bus between Orly and Montparnasse and Invalides. Start at www.cars-airfrance.com for more information.

We’ve used the buses in preference to a shuttle van when the route is within one or two blocks of our hotel. You can also catch an RER train but this is also only wise if you’re travelling light or your exit station is on the direct train line. With lots of luggage it can be trying switching between stations – it’s all those stairs!

Once you get there, Paris is organised by the River Seine. You are either a fan of the exclusive and expensive Right Bank or the liberated and carefree Left Bank. There is good food and accommodation to be found in both. The city is ringed by the Peripherique, a clogged road where cars and trucks crawl around the centre of the city. There is little reason to go outside this natural barrier unless you want to admire the architectural excess of the Palace of Versailles.

Inside this barrier the area is divided into a set of areas known as Arrondissements. On the Left Bank the action is centred on the 5th, 6th and 7th arrondissements and on the Right Bank it is the 1st through to the 4th and the 8th that you will find yourself frequenting.