I am arriving in Paris on Friday 1st December and intended booking an airport transfer but have been frightened off by the horror stories on this site. We have decided to use public transport which is the quickest and easiest way to travel. I AM SCARED OF BEING RIPPED OFF BY TAXI DRIVERS so would prefer other ways of travelling to my hotel near Champs Elysee. Would be grateful for all help
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I know that some Brits believe that when they cross the Channel they will face swarthy garlic smelling natives trying to take advantage of their insular naivety and honesty, but I%26#39;ve got news for you: France is not the Third World and CDG, though not overwhelmingly convenient, is quite different from arriving at Port-au-Prince or Cairo. Incredible but true: in France, taxis have meters! People even queue when they get out of the airport, under a sign saying %26quot;Taxi%26quot;. Then you get into the cab, you tell the driver where to go, he puts the meter on and he drives you there. It%26#39;ll be about €40-50 to get to the Champs Elysées.
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If you are going to be near the Arch De Triomphe the Airfrance bus is very convenient. We used it last week. The bus stops are on the arrival level across from the street from the taxi stand. We were going to take a taxi but did not have enough Euros and the taxi driver said they do not take credit cards. We got on the Air France bus and paid the driver 26 Euro.
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I%26#39;m afraid it is a case of once bitten twice shy. We were ripped off by taxi drivers both in Rome and Barcelona and I%26#39;m not talking a few euros. What about train connections to the hotel anyone able to help?
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I%26#39;ve taken hundreds of taxis in Barcelona and never got ripped off. But it%26#39;s maybe because I speak the language.
Otherwise, re your ride from the airport, as long as we don%26#39;t know the exact address of your hotel, the advice that Suzanne gave you seems by far the best solution. If you insist on taking %26quot;the train%26quot; (called RER in Paris), you would arrive at Etoile the same way, but after one change.
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Sorry to hear about your misfortunes with other taxi drivers. However, I still agree with Bob. A Taxi Parisien is the way to go. Curb-to-curb service is such a welcomed convenience when I travel. It is worth every Euro.
Perhaps you could give the taxi driver a piece of paper with the exact name and address of your hotel, ....that way, there is no language barrier. And perhaps you could mention the arrondissement where your hotel is located so it sounds as if you really know where you are going. Try using some French, even if it is only %26quot;Bonjour, monsieur%26quot;. .....%26quot;Voici l%26#39;adresse.%26quot;
Yes, some people feel that the taxi is a bit pricey, but I feel it is worth it. Buses, shuttles, and the RER simply can%26#39;t match the reliability, convenience, and personal touch of a Taxi Parisien.
Maybe third time%26#39;s the charm! Good luck with your decision,
Happy Travels.........ton amie
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Unlike Bob_S I have never taken a taxi in Barcelona in the half dozen times I have been there, but I have taken more than a few in Rome and I%26#39;ve never been ripped off there. The %26quot;rules%26quot; are much the same as in any city — only use an officially licensed taxi, which in Paris means one displaying a %26quot;Taxi Parisien%26quot; sign atop the taxi.
A taxi from CDG to the Champs Élysées area (note the correct spelling even if you can%26#39;t manage those silly little accent thingies) will cost you anywhere between 40€ and maybe 80€, most likely about 50€. The difference has nothing to do with being %26quot;ripped off%26quot; but does have a lot to do with the time of day, day of the week, traffic density and a few other variables.
If you really want more specific info about the best way to get to your hotel it wouldn%26#39;t hurt to provide us with the address and even (if you know it) the closest métro station. %26quot;Near Champs Elysee%26quot; is a bit vague. kind of like saying something is %26quot;near Oxford Street%26quot; in London.
I know I could google this information, but, since you already have it, why should I?
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I didn%26#39;t realise my request would get anyone so agitated I am just a poor old lady going with my family to celebrate my retirement and I was just hoping to receive a little bit of help with connections on RER and Metro. I am not a taxi user, one of my hang ups. I also like to go native. Perhaps someone could help me with this request. PS I do speak school girl French and Spanish and know all about the little slashes on the letters but I was just tired when I entered my request. When I return from Paris next week I will give lots of information to help any other first time visitors to Paris
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We are willing to help %26quot;a poor old lady%26quot;, but do understand that it%26#39;s difficult if you don%26#39;t give us the address of your hotel! Also please re-read your first post, put %26quot;London%26quot; instead of %26quot;Paris%26quot;, and you%26#39;ll realise how offensive it could sound to a native.
And BTW, in my book, one is not old when one has just reached retirement age!
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OK I should have seen that the name of your hotel was in the title, so I did my homework: your hotel is close to Saint-Philippe du Roule métro, which is complicated to get to simply from CDG. So your best bet would be to take either the AF bus to Porte Maillot + taxi or the Roissybus to Opéra + taxi. In either case, the taxi should be way under €10.
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Bob
Thank you for the directions. Will not be on site until after my trip, Never intended to insult all taxi drivers just the odd few that give the rest a bad name. We have them in England too. I lived in New York for 2 years and they have some bad ones there. They take you the long scenic route instead of the quickest.
Bye everyone I%26#39;m off to Paris!!!!
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