Various questions about planning a trip to Paris.?

Question

I'm planning a trip to Paris. I'll be landing at Charles De Gaulle Airport on a Wednesday night, around 21:30 local time.

I'll also be departing from this Airport back to London 5 days later on the Monday, 17:00 local time.

What I want to know is about accomodation and transportation. I'm gathering that Charles De Gaulle is somewhat away from the City but accessible through public transport. Which Zone is Charles De Gaulle in, which zones are all the main and best Paris attractions in... Should we get Day passes each day; how much do they cost and which zones should they cover to ensure we can get back to Charles De Gaulle as well? Should we stay near the airport and travel to the city each day? If so can you recommend a good hostel near the airport? I looked on hostelbookers.com and they have reasonable prices, but can't tell if any of them are near Charles De Gaulle?

Any information, much appreciated!

Answer 1

- If going to paris for 5 days, you won't want to stay at Charles de gaulle. Really too far from the city, and trip to the city is unpleasant.

- Rather stay somewhere near the Louvre, you'll have access to everything within minutes.

- On your second day, get a 5 days pass called "Paris visite", for zones 1-5 (airport is in zone 5). Note though that if you go from the airport to Paris (and back) my prefered way - using the bus, which is called the "Roissybus navette", you'll have to pay for it separately, in which case you can go for a "Paris visite" 5 days pass for zones 1-3 only.

Regarding district suggestions: near the Louvre is fine for reaching everything within minutes, the Marais (3rd and 4th districts) is fine if you love old historical houses, and between Odeon and Maubert metro stations you'll find also some historical parts of Paris, plus the students area, and lots of shops (that's the part of Paris where most US and UK celebrities went at the beginning of the 20th c.).

Answer 2

If you want to get around the city easy, then I would recommend getting a hotel in the city in the left bank.  I recommend the Concorde Hotel Group - the Lutetia and Ambassador are about 2 blocks from several metro stations and close to shopping (Bon Marche and Galleries Lafayette, respectively).  You can get a 5 day pass - 3 zones should be enough.  I can't remember how much they are but relatively inexpensive - you have to insert the card into the machine, and then the card pops back out - you must remember to get the car back!  

If you stay at an airport hotel, it's simple to get in and out of the city, but that will take a couple of transfers and at least 30 minutes each way.  A taxi from the airport to a hotel in the city should only cost about 40 euros each way.

Answer 3

CDG is located in what is called Zone 5 for public transportation. Versailles and its nice castle is in Zone 4. Eurodisney in Zone 5, and Fontainebleau is farther away. So if u arrive on a monday or tuesday, I advise you to take a 1 week, 5 zones pass (zones 1 to 5) thus covering all paris and its attractions. Otherwise you buy as you go. I advise you also to stay in Paris, and not near the airport, it is not the best place to be in. The price of a 1 week pass for 5 zones should be around 25 euros. A daily pass should be around 7. Good luck!