Concerned - Paris Center to DLP to Paris Center - luggage handling

srmbstark

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 11, 2000
We are just looking into going to DLP. The logistics of moving around with luggage has me paused from booking. Wife and I typically each have a 50# suitcase. We would like see the city for several days, then DLP for a few before heading back to airport. It looks like RER A is best transit, but how the heck to you haul around 2 suitcases to RER Station and on train? (along with purse or any other bag one may have)

Do people take other transportation from the city out to DLP when they have all of their vacation luggage?
 
I did what you describe this past spring. My trip started in Paris where I stayed near Opera House for convenience to location of Roissy Bus from airport (CDG) and RER-A (Auber station) to DLP. That allowed me only a 5 block walk from the bus on the inbound and then RER station on the way to DLP which was no big deal at all with all the luggage.

The RER stations all have escalators and elevators so that should not be an issue. The trains themselves are 2 levels and you board at platform level between the seating levels. That means 4 or 5 steps up or down to the seating areas. Once you get to the Marne Lavallee station you again have escalators and elevators to get up to ground level.

It is not uncommon for Paris Metro stations to not have escalators so if your route to an RER station from your hotel include the subway, hauling the heavy suitcases could be a bit more challenging.

One tip when traveling with suitcases through the train stations is to look for the turnstile for strollers and wheelchairs. It will be much easier to get the heavy suitcase thru. In most cases those will be all the way over at the ends. IN my case, when I started doing some international travel last year I replaced some of my suitcases with spinners, vs the 2 wheel type. I find those much, much easier when moving through airports, immigration, custom, etc.. When you're going through the turnstiles at train stations they can be more convenient as well.
 
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In addition to the above be careful of the time of day that you travel from Central Paris to DLP if using the RER. Its the form of transport used by commuters and gets very very busy at the end of the work day as people travel home to the suburbs - if you make the journey mid day you will fine it so much easier.

The other option is to book a private transfer which will be a lot easier as they will pick you up at your hotel and drop you at your hotel at DLP as if you take the train remember you need to get from the station to the hotel as well. Look in the useful info sticky at the top of the page and in the section travelling by plane and there is a list of companies in there - any of these will pick you up from Paris as well as from the airport
 
but how the heck to you haul around 2 suitcases to RER Station and on train? (along with purse or any other bag one may have)

Its just normal in Europe, you just get used to taking your luggage on public transport. I used to live in London and get the underground tube and regular train to airports. I used to travel to California and had a 50 pound case as well as carry on bags and I would be on my own.

Some tips

Make sure your 50 pound case is on wheels and can trundle easily. I have used both 4 wheel spinners and 2 wheel pull along.

The spinners are great on smooth flat floors and are less tiresome on the arms. They are harder to control when the ground is uneven or on pavements, or when crossing roads. They can be a bit bothersome on public transport as they dont have brakes and you have to keep a tight hold on them when the train or bus is moving.

The 2 wheel pull along aches the arms when trundling any long distance (for example where I currently live I have a 1.5 k walk to the airport shuttle bus) The 2 wheel pull along is much easier to control on uneven surfaces, on pavements etc. It is also easier for public transport as having only 2 wheels, the other side acts as a break and it does not take off on its own when the bus or train moves.

Use cross body bags or gym bags or backpacks for carryon luggage

Keep your travel documents, train tickets etc in a very accessible place but also safe from pick pockets. As unfashionable as it may be in Europe, fannypacks are ideal for this.

On escalators, walk on then pull your 50 pound case behind you and have it on the step behind you. Keep hold off the handle and it wont fall. Then when you get to the top, or the bottom, depending on which direction you are going, just walk off and pull your case along behind you. This is why you need either a cross body bag or backpack for carry on, as you need one hand to hold the handle of the 50 pound case and one hand to hold the handrail to balance yourself. Each person should manage their own 50 pound case and carryon luggage, as it is impossible for 1 person to manage 2 50 pound cases on escalators.

If there are no escalators and just stairs. Turn the 50 pound case on its side, firmly take the side handle in right hand, and firmly take the top handle (not the extendable handle but the handle attached to the top of the case) in the the left hand. Lift and rest the body of the case on the right thigh. Step up with the left foot, then step up with the right foot, using the right thigh to distribute the weight of the case. Go up, step by step, left foot, then right foot until you reach the top.

To go down stairs, turn the 50 pound case on its side and firmly grasp the side handle. Have the case either on your left side or right side, not infront or behind you. Slide the case down the steps, as you walk down step by step.

Look for the disabled access turnstiles, they are wider and are usually located at the ends of the row. Dont worry its allowed, you are not being rude using the disabled access.

Look for the elevator signs, also called a Lift. These are usually located in a different direction to the escalators and can be in out of the way places. Again they main have a disabled sign, its ok to use them, its not rude.

When trundling suitcases in train or bus stations, stay by the wall or at the side of the main crowd. Don’t be in the middle of the crowd, people will get annoyed at you, will fall over your cases and you will get stern looks if you hold up the flow of foot traffic. Also don’t just stop in the middle of a crowd, again people will get annoyed at you.

Trains usually have luggage racks at the ends of the carriages. Board the train using an end door, rather than a middle door. To get luggage on the train when there are 2 of you

Person A steps onto the train with no luggage, Person B stands on the platform with the entire luggage. Person B then hands the luggage to Person A on the train. Once the entire luggage is on the train, person B steps onto the train. Then Person A goes to the luggage rack and Person B hands them the luggage. Only put the 2 50 pound cases on the luggage rack. Carry on and backpacks etc can be brought to the seat and either placed in the overhead storage area or under the seat.
 
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My wife and I did this in June. Two large suite cases (probably 40 lbs each), backpack, and purse.

Stayed for 6 nights at a Champs Elysses area hotel. On the 7th day we checked out of our hotel, walked our bags about .5 miles to the FDR metro stop, rode the metro up to the Arc De Triomph, switched onto the RER A and made the trip into Disney Paris. While it was somewhat difficult it wasn't to bad and it was by far cheaper than any other option. As long as you are both in reasonable shape it should be fine.
 
We did something slightly different in June. We were staying at the Hilton Paris Opera while on a tour of Paris with ABD. We booked two extra nights at the Hilton. It was an easy walk to the Auber station where we got on the RER A to Disneyland. Every other train goes to DLP, so you have to make sure to take the right train. It was about 30 Euros round trip for 2 of us - or 15 Euros each, so we just went to DLP and returned to our Paris hotel at night on the RER A.

Another thought... We had good luck with Uber while we were there. You could take Uber with your luggage to the train station, or you could take Uber all the way to DLP. My strong feeling is that the train will reach DLP before a car would, but this may vary by time of day. I can't remember the Uber price from central Paris to DLP, but it was around $60 Euros one way I think.

A final option is that Disney runs a bus service from central Paris. You can buy this when you buy your tickets online. (Although if you are staying at a DLP hotel, check to see if they have a better ticket deal). We chose not to take the Disney Bus because it left at a certain time and we wanted to be more flexible.
 
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If you are staying at one of the Disney hotels at DLP, depending on what time of day you are planning to arrive take a look at adding Disney Express onto your resort reservation. With that added, you can drop your luggage off at the Express drop-off on the upper level of the train station. It will then be transferred to your hotel for pickup later in the day. When you drop off your luggage, they'll have a packet with all of your park admission tickets, and other items so you can head straight into the parks and then go back to the hotel later to complete the check-in and your bags will already be at the resort.
 
If you are staying at one of the Disney hotels at DLP, depending on what time of day you are planning to arrive take a look at adding Disney Express onto your resort reservation. With that added, you can drop your luggage off at the Express drop-off on the upper level of the train station. It will then be transferred to your hotel for pickup later in the day. When you drop off your luggage, they'll have a packet with all of your park admission tickets, and other items so you can head straight into the parks and then go back to the hotel later to complete the check-in and your bags will already be at the resort.

This can only be done when arriving from UK on the Eurostar - not on the RER from Paris
 
Not true. I did it in May of this year arriving on the RER from Paris. I just booked it along with my resort reservation.

Apologies - I knew anyone could book their luggage to be taken to the station from a DLP hotel at the end of their stay but have never heard of anyone being able to book it from station to hotel unless arriving by Eurostar (until now that is)
 

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