How do I get from CDG to my hotel in the Left Bank with the...

I%26#39;m flying in on American Airlines and staying at Hotel Observatoire on Blvd Saint-Michel, near Luxembourg Gardens.

I won%26#39;t have any EUROS at this point - should I just find an ATM at the airport? How much is the ride and how do you pay?

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You go to the RER station at CDG (Terminal 2 has one at the end of Hall C, Terminal 1 has one at off-side location -take the shuttle to it). Go to the ticket window and buy your ticket, can use a debit or credit card or hit an ATM on the way to the station. It costs around 8€. The tracks are down a level. There is a stop at Port Royal - I think that is the closest one to Observatoire; might be Luxembourg one stop before Port Royal. Walk to your hotel.

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The HÔTEL OBERVATOIRE-LUXEMBOURG (3-star) 107 Blvd. Saint Michel (at the %26#39;point%26#39; of rue de l%26#39;Abbe de l%26#39;Epee %26amp; rue Henri Barbusses), 75005 RER: LUXEMBOURG--

http://www.paris-hotel-observatoire.com/

Your American Airlines flight will arrive at CDG #2-A. When you collect your baggage and pass through the French Customs control Exit and TURN RIGHT along the main concourse of #2-A. If you want to take the free ADP shuttle bus (navette--%26#39;..TGV/RER..%26#39;) Exit the terminal at EXIT #8 and look for the shuttle pick-up point at the curb....OR....simply continue walking along the main concourse of #2-A, into the connected #2-C and continue walking straight ahead along the main concourse of #2-C, until you cross a glass-enclosed %26#39;bridge%26#39; and bump into the inter-connected SNCF/TGV/RER train station. Down two levels on the wide escalators to the RER portion of the train station, purchase your ticket (8 €) , then down 1/2 flight of stairs to the train platforms. ALL trains from here go into Paris and will stop at the LUXEMBOURG station (44 mins on %26#39;K xxx%26#39; trains; 49 mins on %26#39;P xxx%26#39; trains). For your hotel, you want to ride the FIRST CAR of the train...so that you come out of the LUXEMBOURG station exit at street level at the intersection of Blvd. Saint Michel and rue de l%26#39;Abbe de l%26#39;Epee. Cross the rue de l%26#39;Abbe de l%26#39;Epee (to your Left as you look into the parc across the way) and you will be at the front doors of the Observatoire -Luxembourg. If in doubt, print out the LOCATION map from the hotel%26#39;s web site as well as the CDG #2 terminal diagram from the ADP web site and carry them with you as an aide memoir to refer to along the way.

It really is just that simple and just that easy.

CDG TERMINAL BUILDING DIAGRAMS--

aeroportsdeparis.fr/ADP/…plans.htm

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Thanks so much to both of you for the great advice!! I feel much better now!!

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Just as a frame of reference, there are three(3) ENTRANCES/EXITS to the LUXEMBOURG RER station. If you ride the FIRST CAR of the %26#39;B%26#39; train from CDG you will be nearest the Exit at the intersection of Blvd. Saint Michel and rue de l%26#39;Abbé de l%26#39;Epée--the one closest to your hotel. But..no matter which of the Exits you come out of at street level; simply face the Jardin du Luxembourg across the Blvd. Saint Michel and TURN LEFT and start walking.

It%26#39;s also worth noting that once you clear French Customs, all you will need from here on out will be either 8 € in cash or a major credit card to purchase your ticket and pehaps your directions for the RER and a streetmap. Make certain that all of your other possessions are secure on your person. One you%26#39;ve purchased your RER ticket and boarded the train make sure that your RER ticket stub/coupon is in a handy place, ready to be gotten at quickly and easily. You will need it again to insert into the EXIT gates/turnstiles when you arrive at LUXEMBOURG station. As you approach the exit gates/turnstiles, simply watch what others ahead of you do--inserting and retrieving their tickets and follow along in their wake to the SORTIE (Exit) as if you%26#39;ve been doing this every day of the week.

There are ATMs out along the main concours of the terminals. Our personal preference is to stop at a Bureau de Change at our US departure airport and purchase 100 €uros or so before we leave, so that we have €uro cash readily-at-hand upon arrival in Paris and can %26#39;hit-the-ground-running%26#39; with sufficient cash to cover airport transfer costs (including taxi fare if we have to alter plans) and sundries. I%26#39;ll be the first to admit that the exchange rates offered by airport Bureau de Change usually stink and that this may not be the %26#39;..smartest%26#39; way to handle local currency conversions...but for such a small amount, the exchange rate %26#39;hit%26#39; is worth it for the relative convenience gained.

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I heartily agree with KDKSAIL about getting a few Euros before you depart. Thomas Cook now has ATM machines in some airports that will despense money in a variety of currencies as well. Those who like to be extremely thorough in their pre-planning may want to exchange a few dollars at your local bank or through another means before you leave for your trip as well. I had planned, as I usually do, to purchase Euros at the Cook Exchange in Newark on my last outbound flight, only to arrive at the airport to discover that Northwest had rerouted us from our original itinerary through DTW to a KLM flight through Amsterdam. We arrived 2 1/2 hours early to discover our new flight was leaving in 30 minutes and we had to run to the gate, with no chance to change money, etc. We had enough of a layover in Amsterdam to change money there, so we did arrive in Paris with Euros. My point is that it%26#39;s hard to anticipate everything, and sometimes ATM machines will be out of money, BdC may be closed, etc. Money, like here, is readily accessible at a variety of locations, but it%26#39;s nice to always have a little cash on you.