Tips for train into Paris

[IsobelJackmummy]

Hello!

My parents will be with us on our next trip (so we will be 4 adults and 2 children, 9 & 7)

As much as we love disney, we plan on spending a day in Paris, and would love any tips on what train tickets to buy, which train to catch to be near to the usual tourist attractions (Eiffel tower in particular)

My DS is autistic so I am trying to make this as smooth as possible!

Thanks

 

[goofy4tink]

I'm hoping you get some info! My friend and I are planning on taking the train from London into Paris just for a day. First time in Paris for us, so we have no idea where anything is in Paris or how to get to places! Would be nice to see the Louvre and Eiffel Tower in particular and possibly some other stuff.

 

[Suzanne1979]

Hi Toria,

Travelling to Paris from DLRP is easy. But plan ahead. First: metro maps:
http://www.ratp.fr/fr/ratp/c_23590/plans-metro/ (bottom of page)

DLRP is east of Paris (and east on the map), on the RER A (red) line. The RER is like a train, and from the RER you switch to the metro system. For example: The RER A to Charles de Gaulle-Etoile station, then switch to metro 6 (green) to Bir Hakeim, and there's the Eiffel Tower.

I recommend taking an unlimited pass for metro/RER. There are 2 types: Mobilis and Paris Visite. Mobilis is the cheaper one (16.60 euros per person for zones 1-5, which is what you need, because DLRP is in zone 5; no children's discount). Paris Visite is 23.50 euros, with 50% for kids. With your Paris Visite card come several discounts, you can google those if you want. Prices as stated here are for 1 day passes, you can also get passes for 2-5 days.

There are machines in the train station where you can buy tickets, including Mobilis Cards (and I suppose Paris Visite as well). Payment in cash or credit/debit card. The machines are very very busy in the morning, long queues, so buy your tickets the previous afternoon ;-)

Paris Visite is widely promoted, but if you're not using the discounts, Mobilis is all you need. The RATP-site as quoted above (French rail company) is partly availably in English.

Hope this helps!

 

[OldSchoolReasons]

There's a really good Paris Metro app that works offline which you can download, I recommend sitting down with Google maps and writing down the nearest station to where you want to go.
For my trip next week I also got a DK guide to Paris out the library as it has a really good street map. Between the app and the street map it's easy to navigate without Internet.
If you get the train into Paris from DLRP I'm pretty sure it comes in at Gare Du Nord, from there you're about 20 mins on the Subway from Notre Dame.

 

[IsobelJackmummy]

Thanks guys