Air France and Delta airlines at CDG Airport, Paris Transportation

Air France and Delta airlines hub at Paris CDG Airport; source Wiki Commons

Paris Transportation

Plan for the unexpected in all modes of travel. Unscheduled train maintenance, labor shortages & strikes, plus Central Paris roadway traffic slowing taxis and airport buses.

Airports

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) is named after General Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970), leader of the Free French Forces during World War II and President of France from 1959 to 1969. The airport is Air France’s international hub and Delta Air Lines’ European hub. Most international traffic to Paris arrives at CDG Airport, which is currently Europe’s 3rd busiest airport.

Most Americans arrive in Paris at CDG Airport Terminal 2. It’s a massive terminal whose wayfinding becomes a bit simpler once you realize that it is sectioned as 2A, 2C & 2E on one side and as 2B, 2D & 2F on the other side. Both sides have a walkway connection in front of the onsite Sheraton Hotel and above CDG Airport Train Station located between 2C, 2D, 2E & 2F. Terminal 2G has a satellite location further east for executive jets.

CDG AIRPORT MAP.

CDG Airport Train Station serves the CDGVAL, a free light-rail shuttle to smaller Terminals 3 & 1. CDG Airport Train Station also serves TGV, Thalys & Eurostar high-speed trains, TER regional trains, and the RER B Line commuter train. A bus shuttle from the outside roadway serves all Terminal 2 parking lots and a Taxi stand is outside every Terminal 2 section.

Mezzanine level above CDG Airport Train Station

Mezzanine level above CDG Airport Train Station; (c) Soul Of America

Terminals 3 and 1 have their own hotels and parking lots nearby. They are used primarily for domestic flights. Taxis and shuttles wait at the Arrivals Roadway for each terminal.

WiFi and plenty of electric outlets exist within all terminals. But you need an American-to-European electrical plug adapter. Travelers can reach duty-free stores and border control posts on the 4th floor by tunnels passing under the tarmac to the terminal sections where boarding gates are located. Follow the signs for baggage claim and customs. In French, “Sortie” means Exit, and “Toilettes” mean Restrooms.

Orly International Airport (ORY) is located 8 miles south of Paris. It serves as a secondary hub for domestic and overseas territories flights of Air France and as the home base for Transavia France and features flights to destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, North America, and Southeast Asia.

Orly Airport was the main Paris airport prior to CDG Airport opening in 1974. Two-terminal Orly remains the busiest French airport for domestic flights.

ORLY AIRPORT MAP

Paris Orly South Terminal

Paris Orly South Terminal; credit Bair175

Taxis and shuttles wait at the Arrivals Roadway.

Antony Station of RER B Line connects to Orlyval shuttle train to both Orly Airport terminals. The Orlyval shuttle takes 8 minutes and costs around €9 from central Paris. RER B Line from Antony Station to central Paris costs €7 and takes 25 minutes. RER B Line trains operate every 4 to 7 minutes. Notre Dame Cathedral, Saint Germain des Ores, and Stadium of France, home of the French national football team, are served by RER B Line.

Tickets for the Metro, Trams, and RATP local buses can be bought individually or in packs of 10. We recommend a 10-pack per person for each 5 days you spend in Paris. If you are staying in Paris for more than 2 weeks, consider purchasing a Paris Visite card for unlimited travel on most modes of Ground Transport, as well as discounts at museums and other attractions.

Flight & Airport Transit Tips

Check the luggage policy for your airline and confirm your flight at least 72 hours in advance. Make a copy of your passport, flight itinerary & hotel reservations and leave it with someone at home. Carry an extra passport copy with you. People with long legs should purchase added legroom for the 6 hour 45 minute to 10-hour 50-minute non-stop flight to Paris, depending on where you depart from the U.S.

Pack headache and other medicines in your hand luggage. To pack efficiently ladies, include no more than 2 outfits per day. If you have a cold or have problems with air pressure on airplanes, bring noise-canceling headphones or purchase air-pressure earplugs available at most airports or large pharmacies.

Exchange your U.S. Dollars for Euros at your American airport for the best exchange rate.

The TSA says and Soul Of America concurs, plan your arrival at CDG Airport 3 hours before international flights and remember that international flight boarding closes 1 hour before take-off. Since roadway traffic between Central Paris and CDG Airport clogs during rush hour, you may want leave Central Paris 4 hours before your return international flight.

If you don’t mind 3 stops and have only carry-on luggage, the €11 ride on RER B commuter train between CDG Airport Terminal 2 and Gare du Nord is worthwhile despite the absence of luggage racks. Even with carry-on luggage, you may not want to further on RER B into Central Paris due to crowds that embark at Gare du Nord and Chatelet les Halles.

If you have large luggage, avoid RER Line B. In Central Paris, its crowded and you DON’T want to haul large luggage up & down stairways. It is far better to pay €55 to €65 in cash or by major credit card for a Taxi ride between CDG Airport and Central Paris.

If your hotel is located within 2-3 blocks of Palais Garnier Opera House at Rue Scribe & Rue Auber in Paris, consider taking RoissyBus Airport Shuttle to/from from CDG Airport. Or, take a taxi in Central Paris to this location to board RossyBus.

RoissyBus

Travelers boarding RoissyBus beside Palais Garnier Opera House; source Wiki PD

RossyBus has luggage racks and costs only €14. It runs daily every 15-30 minutes from 5:15 am to 12:30 am and has a scheduled 60-minute trip time. When accidents occur on A1 Highway to/from CDG Airport or on surface streets heading to A1 Highway, add 15-60 minutes to the scheduled RossyBus trip time.

Train Stations

The Ministry of Culture designates 5 Paris train stations as historical monuments for their Beaux-Arts architecture. Most are being upgraded before the 2024 Summer Olympics. The sixth major train station has modern architecture along with great retail & dining options, Metro, RER & Taxi connections. See this Map of Paris train stations by Seat61 to understand how they extend from Central Paris. On the map, Red represents High-Speed Rail lines and Black represents Regional Rail lines.

The 6 Paris train stations are very busy. Combined, they transport more travelers than the combined Paris airports. Each Paris train station has Metro, RER, Taxi & Uber connections. Gare du Nord, Gare de L’Est, Gare du Lyon, and Gare Montparnasse have an excellent range of retail and dining options for all budgets. Some travelers like to know where stations are located to plan pre-trip meals just outside, as some trains do not have good onboard dining. The Map & Guide to Paris Arrondissements by SoloSophie explaining the 20 districts of Paris is valuable for that and other purposes.

Gare du Nord hosts TGV, Thalys & Eurostar high-speed trains

Gare du Nord hosts TGV, Thalys & Eurostar high-speed trains, SNCF regional trains, RER B commuter train, and Metro lines; credit Diliff

On your print or virtual train ticket, memorize your Train #, Car # & Seat #. When your train (some are very long) arrives, find your Car # posted in LED lights on the exterior of each car. This is particularly important when catching a bi-level TGV train. You don’t want to enter the wrong TGV bi-level car then have to lug large luggage up & down steps and through doorways to reach the right car. Trains from outside France are typically single-level trains.

Gare du Nord, opened in 1864, offers connections with TGV, Thalys & Eurostar high-speed trains, SNCF regional trains, RER commuter trains, Paris Métro trains, shuttle buses, and tour buses. It is the busiest railway station in Europe with 131 million annual passengers. This station is famous for majestic statues crowning the building along the cornice line. They illustrate destinations outside France, with the ninth figure of Paris in the center. Fourteen more modest statues representing northern French cities are lower on the façade.

Having an incredible 44 tracks, this is where you take trains to London, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Dunkirk, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Liege, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Berlin.

As you might expect, there are often traffic jams in front of the station. Visit the Gare du Nord website.

Gare de L'Est

Gare de L’Est, Paris; (c) Soul Of America

Gare de L’Est is a 10-minute walk southeast of Gare du Nord. Opened in 1849, it welcomes 22 million annual passengers via 29 tracks. At Gare de L’Est, visitors have a wide range of restaurants, cafes, and retail shops to consider before traveling. Travelers use it to reach Strasbourg in France, plus cities in Switzerland, and Germany. The station has been renovated and expanded many times. RER B line commuter service runs between Gare de L’Est and Gare de Nord. A wide range of restaurants, cafes, and retail shops serve the station. You can also play piano while waiting for your train.

In 1883, the Gare de l’Est saw the first departure of the famous Orient Express train to Istanbul. In 2027, CDG Express Train debuts between CDG Airport and Gare de l’Est. It will feature luggage racks, 15-minute train frequency, and a 20-minute ride to cut highway traffic between Paris CDG Airport and Central Paris. By car or shuttle the ride takes 45-90 minutes depending on highway traffic conditions.

Gare de Lyon SCriterion12

Gare de Lyon, Paris; credit SCriterion12

Gare de Lyon handles 63 million passengers each year, making it the 2nd busiest station in France. It is the northern terminus of the Paris–Marseille railway. It is named after the city of Lyon since most of its trains depart for the two major stations in Lyon. The station, on the north bank of the River Seine, is served by TGV and TAV high-speed trains, TER regional trains, RER commuter trains, and Metro trains. The station is also notable for the ornate Le Train Bleu restaurant, which has served 5-Star meals to travelers since 1901.

From Gare de Lyon, high-speed trains depart to French cities such as Lyon, Marseille, Valence, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Nice, Nimes, Montpellier, Perpignan, Dijon, Besançon, Mulhouse, and Grenoble. International trains depart to Turin, Milan, Geneva, Zurich, Basil, and Barcelona. Gare de Lyon website

Gare d'Austerlitz

Gare d’Austerlitz, Paris; source Wiki Commons

Gare d’Austerlitz is located on the left bank of the Seine in the southeastern part of the city. It originated the Paris–Bordeaux-Toulouse railway. Since 1926, lines entering the Gare d’Austerlitz were electrified — no more steam engines entered. It was the first station in Paris to only receive electric trains. The station has fewer dining and retail options than the other main stations but is notable for its bridge carrying Metro Line 5 from its upper level across the River Seine with scenic views.

Since the opening of the LGV Atlantique sending TGV trains to Gare Montparnasse, Gare d’Austerlitz has lost most of its long-distance train services but remains viable for regional trains, commuter trains, and Metro trains. The station is used by 11 million annual passengers.

Gare Montparnasse serves about 35 million annual passengers. The original station opened in 1840 and relocated in 1969 to a new station just south of the original location in Paris. The station serves TGV trains to Tours, Bordeaux, Rennes, and Nantes in France, and Transilien regional trains. There is also a metro station. Gare Montparnasse is the only Paris train station not connected to the RER system. But RER travelers reach Gare Montparnasse main line at Versailles-Chantiers station and the LGV Atlantique at Massy Palaiseau station.

The station connects to Montparnasse Tower, which is the tallest office tower in Paris. The twoer also has an upper viewing deck for tourists. Another bit of trivia is that on 25 August 1944, the German military governor of Paris in World War II, General von Choltitz, surrendered his garrison to French General Philippe Leclerc at the old Gare Montparnasse.

Gare Saint Lazare waiting area

Gare Saint Lazare waiting area; credit Mbzt

Gare Saint-Lazare was the first train station built in Paris, opening in 1837. It is served by regional TER Normandie trains toward Normandy, as well as regional Transilien trains to the distant suburbs of Paris. Gare Saint Lazare is the third busiest train station in France with 59 million annual passengers.

In 1877, painter Claude Monet rented a studio near Gare Saint Lazare and exhibited seven impressionist paintings of the station during his time there.

Rapid Transit

Opened in 1900, Paris Metro is the preferred way to travel without luggage between districts (arrondissements) in Central Paris. Continuously expanding and renovating since opening, 14 Metro lines cover the 20 Arrondissements of Paris. RATP also runs 11 Trams that connect with Paris Metro and some RER lines in the suburbs. We don’t recommend visitors driving and parking in Paris and the Metro makes you glad to avoid them.

The 3- & 6-minute headways between trains and the relative cleanliness of Metro station platforms have a magic that attracts high ridership from young and old. Though Paris Metro is generally safe, it’s probably a good idea for a visiting woman to ride with her man or girlfriends to some lesser-used stations after 10 pm.

Paris Metro train on Viaduc d'Austerlitz crossing the River Seine

A green & white Paris Metro train on Viaduc d’Austerlitz crossing the River Seine; credit Wiki Commons

It’s easy for rookie Metro riders to mistakenly go to the wrong platform side. To avoid that mistake, note that Metro lines are named by their endpoints. Study Paris Metro System Map endpoints along with your destination station to know which direction you need to go, then follow wayfinding signs to the correct platform. Metro System Maps are wall-mounted at each station. Even better pick up a Paris Metro Map at a nearby Carrefour or Monoprix local store then look it over at your hotel.

Metro platform displays to alert you minute-by-minute to train arrivals. Metro lines typically intersect 3-5 other lines and transferring between trains is common.

A Paris Metro ticket costs €1.90 and last for 2 hours. A Metro ticket also allows you to ride all RER and local buses within city limits. White-colored tickets can be purchased singly or in a book of 10 (“carnet”), at the ticket offices or machines in Metro stations. Keep your ticket until you have completed your journey, as you may be asked to show it by Metro ticket inspectors or risk paying a fine. They check for fare-evaders.

If staying in Paris for 9-14 days, it’s more cost-effective to purchase 20 or 30 tickets for RATP rides on Metro trains, RER commuter trains, RATP buses, and the Montmartre funicular.

Most Paris Metro stations are underground like Sevres-Babylone

Most Paris Metro stations are underground like Sevres-Babylone; (c) Soul Of America

A Metro ticket, valid for Zones 1 & 2 allows you to travel anywhere in Paris, and to the end of each Metro line, even if it is located in Zone 3 like La Défense central business district via Metro Line 1.

RER Lines A & B line are commuter trains operated by the RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens), the same agency operating the Metro and local buses. RER Line A is very popular because it runs from La Defense through Central Paris to Paris Disneyland. RER Line B is very poluar for its CDG Airport-Central Paris-Orly Airport connection.

RER Lines C, D, E, F, H, J, K, L, N, P, R, and U are commuter and regional trains operated by the SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français), the state-owned rail agency whose network blankets France. RER Line C connects the Left Bank of Central Paris with Versailles. RER Lines D & E also makes a few stops in Zone 1 & 2.

RER B train

RER B train at Jardin du Luxembourg Station; (c) Soul Of America

The staggering combination of 14 Metro lines, RER Lines, local buses, and 1 funicular place every Paris Zone 1 & 2 residents within 4 blocks of public transport.

Greater Paris also has 13 Tramways (“Light Rail”) that run outside Central Paris in Zones 2-5. Trams typically connect with Metro at endpoint stations and select RER stations to better serve suburban commuters.

Purchase Metro, RER, Trams and Bus tickets here. In all RER lines, as long as you remain within Paris city limits, fares are identical to the Metro. RER stations have ticket offices and machines too. The RER ticket also covers your trip and connections within Paris Zones 1 and 2.

When you review Metro and RER maps, note that over 95% of Metro stations are within Paris while RER mostly has suburban stations, PARIS METRO & RER SYSTEM MAP.

Study this Map of Paris Metro, RER, and Trams before you travel or in your hotel room. To minimize targeting by pickpockets, avoid reading maps or tour books on Trams, Metro or RER trains. Before landing in Paris, write a few Metro station names & directions on a small sheet of paper easily concealed in your hand.

Street musicians are common on the trains. Do NOT pull out your wallet to give them money or flash fine jewelry.

Pay attention to signs that state “Renove”, meaning renovation. Given the large number of Metro and RER stations, some are always under renovation.

Older Metro train doors require that you pull the handle upwards since they do not open automatically at stops. Before exiting a Metro station, look at the wall-mounted Metro or RER map and figure out exactly where you are going. Use the Sortie (exit) nearest your destination. If you need assistance, ONLY ask for help from station agents at their information booth.

Though you often see motorcycles and electric bikes on the streets, we do NOT recommend renting them to explore Paris. It is dangerous for a first-time visitor to drive one as motorcycle and electric bike accidents are common. Renting bicycles and electric scooters within a large park, however, can be a pleasant experience.

Tours

Double-decker “Hop on, Hop off” tour buses are worth the extra money to conveniently see tourist attractions on your first full day. Open-air seats on the top of the bus provide the best views. One popular low-cost option option is a Tootbus + Batobus for their combined hop-on-hop-off options in Central Paris.

Hop On-Hop Off Batobus on the River Seine

Batobus features Hop On-Hop Off service on the River Seine; (c) Soul Of America

As a Black-owned business, Entree to Black Paris takes pride in extending its services to African-American travelers. They offer both self-guided personalized itineraries for the independent traveler and guided à la carte activities for groups and individuals.

Monique Wells in Paris

Monique Wells of Entree to Black Paris

Whether it is art, music, history, or food that interests you, Entree to Black Paris creates a superbly planned, personalized itinerary with an Afrocentric perspective. Your Afro-centric itinerary includes general and detailed information about sites and monuments that you wish to visit, maps, suggestions for dining and nightlife, photos to create a personalized guide book and cherished moments. They research every step of the itinerary.

Entree to Black Paris also presents a series of meticulous self-guided walks in PDF format. Each walk includes informed commentary, photographs and illustrations, a route map, and restaurant suggestions.
WEBSITE: https://www.entreetoblackparis.com

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