If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
Airport transfers
In article ,
Frank F. Matthews wrote: I see you classify France an undeveloped. While there is RER service to CDG it is almost impossible to use and extremely inconvenient. Far be it from me to defend anything French, but what's so bad about RER service to CDG? Often, I just grab a taxi, but I've also used RER, more times than I can count. Terminal 1 is a bit of hassle (a short shuttle ride required), but you can walk to the RER station from pretty much anywhere in Terminal 2. The trains are frequent, reasonably clean, reasonably fast, and stop in several places in the city, which is a big advantage over something like Heathrow Express. |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
Airport transfers
"Frank F. Matthews" schreef in bericht ... Sjoerd wrote: "Airport Transfers Australia" schreef in bericht . au... I would like some opinions on what is the best way to get from the major international airports in the US and Europe. Preference Taxi verses Shuttle Buses verses Limousines. I am in the Limousine Industry in Australia and looking at similarities around the world. In most developed nations, there is excellent public transport from airports into city centers and other nearby destinations. It is often faster and always cheaper than taxis and limousines. Sjoerd I see you classify France an undeveloped. While there is RER service to CDG it is almost impossible to use and extremely inconvenient. I have used it many times and it is a decent service. Why would it be almost impossible to use? In fact there may be no developed countries by this characterization. Public transport to airports usually only works for employees or business travelers without luggage. Bull****. Have you ever tried the train from AMS to Amsterdam Central Station? The airport express in Hong Kong? The train in Barcelona? The tube in London from Heathrow? The airport bus in Helsinki? The airport train in Kuala Lumpur? And I could go on and on and on. Sjoerd |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
Airport transfers
Sjoerd wrote:
"Frank F. Matthews" schreef: In fact there may be no developed countries by this characterization. Public transport to airports usually only works for employees or business travelers without luggage. Bull****. Have you ever tried the train from AMS to Amsterdam Central Station? The airport express in Hong Kong? The train in Barcelona? The tube in London from Heathrow? The airport bus in Helsinki? The airport train in Kuala Lumpur? And I could go on and on and on. The airport express train in Sydney? The Metro from DCA in Washington? BART from SFO? The Metro in Istanbul? The MRT in Singapore? The Metro in Mexico City? Rapid transit in Cleveland? These and those that Sjoerd mentioned have always worked well for me. In the case of train lines, the airport is usually near the end of the line, so when you're arriving and tired and unfamiliar with the place, there's lots of empty space on the train to get situated in and read the map. miguel -- Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu |
#14
|
|||
|
|||
Airport transfers
I've tried a few of these but they simply dump you at a location in the
city from which you wander to your final location. From CDG I tried the RER since it would get me to 5 or 6 blocks from my destination. A real loss as I've said in another post. By and large the best choice is usually a mini van service. The only serious exception I can remember is New Orleans where a taxi is the same price for 2 and more convenient to the quarter. FFM freeda wrote: I would like some opinions on what is the best way to get from the major international airports in the US and Europe. Preference Taxi verses Shuttle Buses verses Limousines. I am in the Limousine Industry in Australia and looking at similarities around the world. LHR NE Coach if going home, Tube or Hex if going into London LGW NE Coach if heading home, Gex if in hurry or Thameslink SOU Bus or train DUB 747 Bus FRA Train OPO Bus or taxi CDG Bus STN Train |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
Airport transfers
In article ,
Frank F. Matthews wrote: Far be it from me to defend anything French, but what's so bad about RER service to CDG? Getting to the terminal is as you say a moderate walk. You can even find the elevator to move your bags to the ticket level. Then the fun begins. There are ticket machines but they don't really want to sell tickets. Despite the several credit card stickers on the machines they were rejecting cards from around the world and accepting none. You have a point. RER ticket machines are exceptionally idiotic. They have VISA stickers, but I think they only accept home-brewed French cards with chips or some such nonsense in them. I basically stopped using the machines, and always buy my tickets from the window. Beyond that they will not accept euro notes so travelers were scurrying around the station area trying to find something to buy to get the six euros per person they needed to get a ticket. That's strange. They could've gotten their tickets from a live agent at one of the windows, who presumably would make change. I think they can even process normal credit cards. Going to town I couldn't manage to find an elevator to the platform level. I later found it in the Thalys station area. No signage. Fortunately I didn't actually injure myself or anyone else getting my bags down the escalator to the platform level. Very true Paris subway got stairs all over the place. I especially hate these little annoying down-flat-up arrangements in connecting passages, which serve no visible purpose except to torture those with rollaboard luggage. And automatic doors that clamp hard on your rollaboard if you drag it after you, and then you need to wait for someone to come up from the other side to get the doors to open again. In the city it was easier to go up with the bags than at the airport. But not fun. Fair enough. Every time I travel with luggage, I just grab a cab. Public transit is fine, I suppose, if you have no bags or really need to save a few bucks, but nothing beats door-to-door for speed and convenience. |
#16
|
|||
|
|||
Airport transfers
"Frank F. Matthews" wrote:
Vitaly Shmatikov wrote: Far be it from me to defend anything French, but what's so bad about RER service to CDG? There are ticket machines but they don't really want to sell tickets. Despite the several credit card stickers on the machines they were rejecting cards from around the world and accepting none. I used a North American credit card in one of the machines to buy an RER ticket on one of my trips from CDG. Not all machines accept them, you have to read the labels on the machine. The ticket booth does accept them, so there really isn't a major problem. Beyond that they will not accept euro notes so travelers were scurrying around the station area trying to find something to buy to get the six euros per person they needed to get a ticket. There is a ticket booth that accepts both cash and credit cards. Nobody in line when I got there, and the person even spoke English. Even the locals said that they never try to get tickets at CDG. They only go on RT tickets. The manned ticket booth couldn't have been easier. |
#17
|
|||
|
|||
Airport transfers
"Frank F. Matthews" wrote:
By and large the best choice is usually a mini van service. I've ridden minivans that have been no fun. They wander from hotel to hotel dropping people off, and if you are at the end of the chain, the ride can be quite long and uncomfortable. One place I stayed required me to catch the van at 4:30 in the morning for a 7 AM flight, and the airport was only 30 minutes away. You also can be a victim of traffic jams in rush hour, meaning they can be unreliable, in comparison to rail transit, which has fairly predictable journey times. |
#18
|
|||
|
|||
Airport transfers
Miguel Cruz wrote:
The Metro in Mexico City? Does the Metro serve the new airport terminal in Mexico City? |
#19
|
|||
|
|||
Airport transfers
Their problem may be signage. There is no clear ticket window for the
RER. There is an information booth way off to the left. There are ticket windows in the Thalys section ahead but no one appeared to be going there for RER. There were 50-60 customers wandering around trying to get change for the machines who would have liked some indication of a ticket window. Just out of curiosity where is this window? FFM Vitaly Shmatikov wrote: In article , Frank F. Matthews wrote: Far be it from me to defend anything French, but what's so bad about RER service to CDG? Getting to the terminal is as you say a moderate walk. You can even find the elevator to move your bags to the ticket level. Then the fun begins. There are ticket machines but they don't really want to sell tickets. Despite the several credit card stickers on the machines they were rejecting cards from around the world and accepting none. You have a point. RER ticket machines are exceptionally idiotic. They have VISA stickers, but I think they only accept home-brewed French cards with chips or some such nonsense in them. I basically stopped using the machines, and always buy my tickets from the window. Beyond that they will not accept euro notes so travelers were scurrying around the station area trying to find something to buy to get the six euros per person they needed to get a ticket. That's strange. They could've gotten their tickets from a live agent at one of the windows, who presumably would make change. I think they can even process normal credit cards. Going to town I couldn't manage to find an elevator to the platform level. I later found it in the Thalys station area. No signage. Fortunately I didn't actually injure myself or anyone else getting my bags down the escalator to the platform level. Very true Paris subway got stairs all over the place. I especially hate these little annoying down-flat-up arrangements in connecting passages, which serve no visible purpose except to torture those with rollaboard luggage. And automatic doors that clamp hard on your rollaboard if you drag it after you, and then you need to wait for someone to come up from the other side to get the doors to open again. In the city it was easier to go up with the bags than at the airport. But not fun. Fair enough. Every time I travel with luggage, I just grab a cab. Public transit is fine, I suppose, if you have no bags or really need to save a few bucks, but nothing beats door-to-door for speed and convenience. That was my point in an earlier post. RER will work for airport employees and business travelers with little or no luggage but folks visiting for a couple of weeks may well want a mini bus service. I can't quite justify a taxi to downtown. For my own amusement I've occasionally taken public transport home here from the airport. I wouldn't do it with much luggage though. FFM |
#20
|
|||
|
|||
Airport transfers
James Robinson wrote:
Miguel Cruz wrote: The Metro in Mexico City? Does the Metro serve the new airport terminal in Mexico City? Assuming we're talking about the same thing (the quite nice airport that I went through most recently this January), then yes. The airport is sort of long and the Metro station is off at one end rather than in the middle, but after a long flight it's nice to stretch the legs and get the blood flowing again. miguel -- Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
JFK Airtrain: Good News, Bad News, Good News and Bad News | Arnold Reinhold | Air travel | 103 | June 30th, 2006 05:59 PM |
WiFi free airport list | [email protected] | Air travel | 0 | March 4th, 2004 08:25 PM |
Airport Opt-Out Of TSA | Stan-Fan | Air travel | 11 | February 20th, 2004 05:53 PM |
Explosive at airport uncovers security lapse | The Bill Mattocks | Air travel | 5 | December 18th, 2003 02:08 AM |
They changed the name of Atlanta International Airport. | James Anatidae | Air travel | 17 | November 14th, 2003 03:32 PM |