The first hours of a trip set the tone for everything that follows. After years of welcoming guests, here's exactly what I tell everyone about getting from the plane — or the train — to the apartment, calmly and without paying more than you need to.
Coming from Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Most long-haul flights land at CDG, northeast of the city. There are three good ways in:
- By taxi — door to door. A fixed, regulated fare from CDG to the Right Bank (where the Marais is) of about €56, luggage and tolls included, day or night. Join the official taxi rank outside arrivals, and ignore anyone offering a "private car" inside the terminal. It covers up to four with normal luggage — about 45 minutes without traffic.
- By train — quickest and best value. The RER B reaches the centre in around 30 minutes for a flat €14. Get off at Châtelet-Les Halles, then take Line 1 — Hôtel de Ville is the very next stop, a short walk from the apartment. Keep an eye on your bags on this line.
- By private minivan — my recommendation if you're four with lots of luggage. For around €100–130, a driver meets you in arrivals with a name sign and a van big enough for everyone and every suitcase — fixed price, flight tracked. I'm happy to recommend a driver.
Coming from Orly
Landing at Orly, to the south: a fixed taxi fare to the Right Bank of about €44, or the new Metro Line 14, direct from Orly into the centre in under 40 minutes for the same €14 airport ticket — change at Châtelet for Line 1 to Hôtel de Ville. A private minivan runs around €90–120.
Arriving by train — Eurostar or TGV
From London by Eurostar, you'll come into Gare du Nord: a 10-minute taxi (≈ €15–20), or Line 4 to Châtelet, then Line 1 one stop to Hôtel de Ville. Keep your bags close around the station.
From the South — Provence, Lyon, the Riviera — you'll arrive at Gare de Lyon, and this is the easy one: Line 1 runs directly to Hôtel de Ville in about ten minutes, with no changes at all. Or a short taxi, around €15.
A quick word on tickets
Paris has done away with paper tickets. For the airport train you'll need the "Paris Region ↔ Airports" ticket (€14); single city rides afterwards are €2.55. Easiest of all: buy them on your phone with the Bonjour RATP app, or pick up a reusable Navigo Easy card (€2) at any station machine. (The old airport buses, Roissybus and Orlybus, no longer run — so don't trust out-of-date guides.)
Arriving at the apartment
Standard check-in is from 3pm, and you'll have a smart-lock code, so you can let yourselves in whenever suits — no waiting for keys. If you land earlier, message me: I'll almost always find a way to store your bags so you can drop everything and start exploring.
Your first evening — my honest advice
Resist the urge to plan too much for day one. The best first night in Paris is a slow one. Walk ten minutes down to the Seine for the sunset — from the quays and bridges around Île Saint-Louis and Île de la Cité, the light on the water and on the back of Notre-Dame is one of the loveliest sights in the city.
For a first dinner, two of my favourites are close by: Chez Julien, a gorgeous, slightly chic old Parisian bistro by the river (you may recognise it — one of the Emily in Paris filming spots), or, just across on Île Saint-Louis, Le Flore en l'Île, a classic café with a beautiful view of Notre-Dame and the famous Berthillon ice cream on the menu.
Then come home, pour a glass of the wine I leave in the fridge, and let the blackout curtains do their work — a proper dark room is the real secret to waking up on Paris time. And if the flight has left you stiff and foggy, this is exactly what my aquatic reset is for.
However you choose to arrive, the keys and a quiet, sunlit apartment will be waiting. See you in the Marais.