Arriving from Roissy (CDG): train, taxi or private driver

The RER B is the fastest at rush hour — about thirty minutes to Châtelet — and the cheapest. Its drawbacks are well known: little room for suitcases, frequent weekend engineering works, and awkward connections with heavy luggage.

Taxis from Roissy charge a regulated flat fare into Paris, which depends on the bank of the Seine. It is predictable, but the ride can take more than an hour between five and eight in the evening. Never accept a ride offered in the arrivals hall: touts charge double.

A private driver booked in advance costs a little more than a taxi and takes care of everything else: the driver waits, tracks your flight and drops you at the door. It is what we arrange by default for arrivals after ten in the evening or with children.