Time from CDG to Montparnasse and how?

Air France Bus. I think it takes about an hour,

@sbauc no, in my experience you would be hard pressed to make it in time.

In April I had the same transfer, with three hours between landing at CDG and my train from Montparnasse. My flight landed a half hour late, but I got through passport control and out of the airport quickly, took the RER train, and made my train to Bayonne with time to spare. You should allow an hour to exit CDG, and an hour for the train including ticket purchase ( there's a booth with English speaking venders in the station.) The train itself takes about 35 minutes and will probably be faster than the airport bus especially if there's traffic. (Take the RERB, and transfer at St. Michel to line 4 in the direction of Mairie de Montrouge.) The train station is a short walk from terminal 2 CDG (I think that's the terminal, you can google that ahead so you know how to get from your arrival terminal to the train.)
Having said all that--if you can take a later train, it will give you a little less anxiety the first day. I decided that if I missed my train, I'd figure out what to do and get myself down to SJPP one way or another. It would be my first lesson in Camino improvisation....

Yes it is possible to go with CDG 0935 to Montparnasse 1225. There is not much slush ... any delays will result in Plan B.

Two possibilities:

1. RER B train from CDG to St Michel. Walk to St Michel Metro line 4 (3 min). Metro from St Michel to Montparnasse Bienvenue. Walk to TGV platform (10 min). Allow 1 hour. Anecdotal information suggests this is not luggage friendly and requires time for orientation at the transfer points.

2. Le Bus Direct (formerly Air France bus) from CDG to Montparnasse. Allow 1:15. Anecdotal information says the bus usually goes faster than its schedule but there is potential for traffic snarls.

2102 Paris Airports

Paris has two major airports. Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) is known as Roissy and is located NE of Paris. Orly Airport (ORY) is located to the South of Paris.

CDG and Orly:
http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/

2103 Getting around in Paris

Paris Transit Network
http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/carteidf.php?lang=uk

Paris RER/Metro route planner - SNCF Transilien
http://www.transilien.com/itineraire/rechercheitineraire/init

RER B - Paris
http://parisbytrain.com/rer-b/

Paris Metro Line 4
http://www.paris-metro-map.info/paris-metro-line-4-map/

Le Bus Direct (formerly Air France) Shuttle Bus with service from CDG to Orly airport (#3) and to Gare Montparnasse (#4)
http://en.lebusdirect.com/

Paris Gare Montparnasse
http://www.gares-en-mouvement.com/fr/frpmo/accueil/

Paris Gare Montparnasse Map
http://www.railteam.eu/en/files/2011/11/MAP_Paris-Montparnasse_En.pdf

2150 Paris to Saint Jean Pied de Port

2151 This section discusses how to get from Paris to Saint Jean Pied de Port.

Index 2150
2152 Executive Summary
2153 Fly from Paris to Biarritz and train to SJPdP
2154 Train from Paris to SJPdP
2155 Train stations between Paris and Bayonne
2156 Saint Jean Pied de Port
2157 Author's Pick

2152 Executive Summary

There are at least two viable options for getting from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport to Saint Jean Pied de Port (SJPdP):

a. Fly from Paris to Biarritz and take the train from Bayonne to SJPdP.

b. Take the train from Paris to Bayonne and transfer to another train from Bayonne to SJPdP. Stations in Paris with trains to Bayonne include: CDG 2, Gare d'Austerlitz, Gare Montparnasse, and Gare Massy.

Note: The tracks between Bayonne and SJPdP got washed out in Spring 2014 and repaired in November 2015.

2153 ~Option 1 Fly from Paris to Biarritz and train to SJPdP

a. Fly from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Biarritz Airport (BIQ). Air France and Easy Jet provides service; or,

b. Fly from Paris Orly Airport (ORY) to Biarritz Airport (BIQ) Air France provides service.

The Chronoplus urban bus #14 leaves from the doors of Biarritz Airport and goes to Gare de Bayonne. Allow 40 minutes.

The SNCF TER train #62 travels from Bayonne to terminus at SJPdP. Sometimes the train goes from Bayonne to Cambo les Bains. Passengers to SJPdP then transfer to an SNCF operated bus at Cambo les Bains. Sometimes the entire route is serviced by a bus.

Biarritz Airport (BIQ)
http://en.biarritz.aeroport.fr/

Chronoplus
http://www.chronoplus.eu/

SNCF TER Aquitaine
http://www.ter-sncf.com/Regions/Aquitaine/fr/Default.aspx

2154 ~Option 2 - Train from Paris to SJPdP

TGV trains travel towards Bayonne from three train stations in Paris:

a. There is a TGV station located at Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 2.

b. There is a TGV station located at Gare Montparnasse in central Paris. There is greater frequency of service from Gare Montparnasse than from CDG 2.

c. TGV trains from CDG 2 stop at Gare Massy.

SNCF TGV trains leave from Paris enroute to Bordeaux or Irun. Often there is a transfer required at Bordeaux. TGV trains from Bordeaux terminate in Irun. TER trains from Bordeaux terminate in Pau or Hendaye. If your train is bound for Pau another transfer is required at Dax. Trains bound for Hendaye or Irun stop in Bayonne.

SNCF Intercites night trains travel from Paris Gare d'Austerlitz to Hendaye and stop in Bayonne.

SNCF TER train #62 travels from Gare Bayonne to terminus at SJPdP. Sometimes the train goes from Bayonne to Cambo les Bains. Passengers to SJPdP then transfer to an SNCF operated bus at Cambo les Bains. Sometimes the entire route is serviced by a bus.

You will get limited results if you try to find a schedule for a train from Paris to SJPdP. I'd suggest planning your trip from Paris to Bayonne then Bayonne to SJPdP.

SNCF
http://www.sncf.com/

SNCF - train schedule and tickets:
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/billet-train/horaires

SNCF TER Aquitaine
http://www.ter-sncf.com/Regions/Aquitaine/fr/Default.aspx

2155 Train Stations between Paris and Bayonne

Gare Bordeaux - Saint Jean (Saint Jean is name of main station in Bordeaux)
http://www.gares-en-mouvement.com/en/frboj/accueil/

Gare Bordeaux - Saint Jean according to Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_de_Bordeaux-Saint-Jean

Gare de Dax
http://www.gares-en-mouvement.com/fr/fracg/accueil/

Gare de Bayonne
http://www.gares-en-mouvement.com/fr/frxby/accueil/

2156 Saint Jean Pied de Port

Saint Jean Pied de Port
http://www.st-jean-pied-de-port.fr/default.aspx

2157 Author's pick

If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Paris I would:

a. Determine if it was cost effective and time effective to fly from Paris to Biarritz. Time effective means arriving in time to catch a train from Bayonne to SJPdP on the same day.

b. If arriving at CDG and taking the train is the better option ... take the train from CDG 2 if the schedule is viable.

c. If CDG 2 schedule doesn't work ... Take RER B train to St Michel and transfer to the Metro. Take the line 4 Metro to Montparnasse. Then board the TGV train originating from Montparnasse. There is more frequent service from Montparnasse.

d. If arriving at Orly ... take the Orly Val to station Antony and RER train to Massy.

Links checked March 2015

Last edited: Jun 24, 2016

Paris is always a good idea. Stay a night.
Relax. Avoid those arrival/departure time worries.
Start your Camino in Paris.
One night.

gerardcarey said:

Paris is always a good idea. Stay a night.
Relax. Avoid those arrival/departure time worries.
Start your Camino in Paris.
One night.

Click to expand...

Amen to that!

Be sure to check out these earlier Forum threads for more about pilgrim sites in Paris and the camino in Paris.

Visit the Tour Saint Jacques and perhaps dine nearby at the Auberge de Nicolas Flamel , 51 rue de Monmorency, a restored medieval house in the marais built by and named for a man who donated much of his wealth to help pilgrims.

When on the parvis or place facing the Notre Dame cathedral below you underground lie Roman ruins and visible to your right across the Seine begins the medieval rue Saint Jacques which pilgrims followed to leave the city; walk it a bit and ponder history.

Take a deep breath, relax and just enjoy it! As an American who has lived 35 years in France both in Paris and Champagne even after all that time for me as Thomas Jefferson wrote “a walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of life.”

Bon Chemin and Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith

gerardcarey said:

Paris is always a good idea. Stay a night.
Relax. Avoid those arrival/departure time worries.
Start your Camino in Paris.
One night.

Click to expand...

Great advice. I had a lovely relaxing afternoon/night near Montparnasse getting over jet lag with a train the next morning at about 10 am I think.

I struck lucky and booked a hotel in a street full of great eating places only 500 m from the station!

Robo said:

I struck lucky and booked a hotel in a street full of great eating places only 500 m from the station!

Click to expand...

Where did you stay Robo? We are always on the lookout for a place to stay near the station. We did not think much of our choice this year.

marbuck said:

Where did you stay Robo? We are always on the lookout for a place to stay near the station. We did not think much of our choice this year.

Click to expand...

It was rather a 'shoe box' of a room and not cheap. But where is in Paris? Best Western Bretagne Montparnasse

But the street was full of great places to eat. With a creperie opposite!

sbauc said:

If I land at CDG at 0935 will I be able to make a train from Montparnasse at 1225. Arriving CDG on Sept 3. Having a hard time figuring out how to get to SJPP, since train and flights are reduced on the weekend.

Click to expand...

Hello sbauc
I second the motion of staying a night in Paris. Otherwise, last year when returning from the camino I got off the train at Gare Montparnsse and walked from there to my AirBnB which was approx. five kms from CDG. It took me about 6 hours with several coffee stops and a lunch break. I was going to walk to the airport the next morning but ended up spending walking time talking with my hostess.
So, look at AirBnB or several of the other owner/ host sites and why not start your camino with a lovely city walk?
Cheers