Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris by train

Aug 222011

When you arrive in Paris on Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport the first thing that you have to do in to get in Paris. The quickest and cheapest way to get to Paris from Roissy-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport is by taking the RER B city train leaving from either CDG Terminal 2 or Terminal 3/Roissypole.

CDG to Paris Steps

  1. Buy a RER Ticket => “Billet Ile-de-France” Aeroport CDG – Paris (Zone 5 -> Zone 1).
      • Note:  Ticket price is: 9,10€ (full fare, as of July 2011) / 6,40€ (children 4 – 9) / free(children under 4)
      •  Note: If you have a Paris metro pass you can use that instead of ticket. Accepted passes:  Paris Visite, Passe Navigo (Découverte)
  2. Take RER train line RER B (Blue) RER train smallRER train B small on direction Paris (Robinson, Antony, St-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse)
  3. Locate the nearest station to your hotel. You have the next options:
    • Gare du Nord
    • Châtelet les Halles
    • St Michel/Nôtre Dame
    • Luxembourg
    • Port Royal
    • Denfert-Rochereau
    • Cité Universitaire
Note: Check the RER & Metro map in order to locate the nearest station to your hotel.

Train schedule:

First train leaves Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport  at 4:56am
The last RER B train leaving airport Charles de Gaulle for Paris departs at 11:56pm just before midnight
Note: RER B train line modernization which is planned from 2010 to mid-2012 is affecting late evening trains leaving CDG Airport to Paris.  10:58pm is the latest direct train leaving CDG Airport for Paris, Monday to Friday (Saturday, Sunday trains are unaffected).  Travelers attempting to take the RER B train after this time will be directed to take a shuttle bus at Aeroport CDG 1 station to Aulnay-sous-Bois station where the RER B train is operating as usual to Paris.

Visit Paris in January

Aug 052011

Many may think that January is not a very good time for visiting Paris. This is mainly because in January weather in Paris is cold and it’s not uncommon to see the mercury dip below zero. The wind can make the cold seem more biting. Despite this the american writer Ernest Hemingway described Paris in January: “clear and cold and lovely“. In order to avoid suffering from cold when visiting Paris in January make sure you have in your suitcase lots of warm sweaters, coats, scarves, warm socks, and a hat that will protect your ears.

Since January is low season in Paris, being after winter holidays, you could get a good deal on flights in January, especially if you reserve your flight one or two months in advance. Also the hotel prices are not as high as in the winter holidays or in summer.

Because the tourism is in low-tide mode compared with the summer or winter holidays, visiting Paris in January will give you great opportunities for spending more time in museums like Louvre, Musee d’Orsay or Centre Pompidou. In January there are no queues at the ticket machines and no crowds in front of the Mona Lisa picture. You can enjoy spending as much time as you want contemplating your favorite paintings or monuments.

Visiting Paris in Janaury is also great because you can spend time in the warmth and charm of Paris’ many cafes. If you are interested in Paris intelectual history, you can spend time in cafes located in Paris’s historical center Latin Quarter or in Saint-Germain-des-Pres.

Paris temperatures in January

  • Minimum temperature: 2 degrees C (35.6 degrees F)
  • Maximum temperature: 6 degrees C (42.8 degrees F)
  • Average temperature: 3 degrees C (37.4 degrees F)
  • Average rainfall: 46 millimeters (1.8 inches)
© 2012 Best Paris Travel Guide