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Home » Paris » The Frustration Of Airport Shuttles And Rideshares At Paris CDG
ParisSAS Million Mile Challenge

The Frustration Of Airport Shuttles And Rideshares At Paris CDG

Matthew Klint Posted onNovember 27, 2024December 7, 2024 18 Comments

I’m live-blogging my SAS EuroBonus SkyTeam Million Mile challenge this week. Click here for background and route information. After three flights in economy class, I just wanted to get to bed…


We should have just slept in the terminal at CDG Airport…the hassle of trying to get to the Marriott CDG via shuttle and then Bolt was not worthwhile.

We arrived in Paris at just after 11 pm into Terminal 2D and headed out for the shuttle to the Marriott CDG, just in time to catch the last one departing at 11:15 pm. The pick-up point is the bus stop area between Termianl 2B-2D and we were out on the curb at 11:13 pm.

a sign on a wall

It initially looked like the exit was closed, but we just had to walk down the hall (carefully stepping over homeless people sprawled out in the terminal…see, it’s not just an American problem) before stepping outside.

a glass doors with signs and a sign on the front

The sign even listed our hotel:

a sign with a variety of logos

But no bus showed up. I messaged the hotel on the Bonvoy app and was told teh shuttel was coming. But by 11:40 pm it was clear it was not coming and by 11:45 pm the front desk told me…there were no more shuttles.

So I ordered a Bolt, which perhaps I should have done from the very start considering it was only 10.60€, but it was less about the money and more about the schedule…we were at the bus stop at 11:15 pm…

Anyway, there was a road closure that began at midnight outside Terminal 2 and that meant we had FOUR drivers cancel on us…

Finally, at 12:20 am, our Bolt driver pulled up and we made the short journey to the hotel.

We reached the hotel at 12:30 am, checked in swiftly, and were in our room by 12:35 am…with the alarm set for 5:00 am.

What was the point? I guess for Augustine it was worthwhile because he went right to sleep, but it was during US work hours and I stayed up all night and worked.

Honestly, we should have just stayed in the terminal and slept there. As we stepped off our LOT Polish flight, we saw nice couches that would have been just fine and probably given Augustine an extra hour of sleep and saved me a whole lot of stress.

It was one of those nights where it honestly made sense just to stay in the airport ahead of our early morning flight…

Would you have gone for the hotel or stayed in the airport?

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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18 Comments

  1. Jerry Reply
    November 27, 2024 at 7:16 am

    Despite the short stay, I would have still gone to the hotel, but getting out of CDG after 10:00 PM always seems to be a pain.

  2. 121Pilot Reply
    November 27, 2024 at 7:43 am

    I was headed home for Thanksgiving once when ai was single the Wed night before. There was one chance for me that night an America West flight with a connection in Vegas. Not only did I get lucky and make the flight but I even scored a seat in First.

    But we had a mechanical delay and by the time we got to Vegas everything was gone. So I found a place in the terminal where there wasn’t an arm rest between every seat and tried to get some sleep. Except all night long every 45 seconds the Wheel of Fortune slot machine cried out and every min or so the announcements were made to not leave luggage unattended. Needless to say I got zero sleep.

    I swore never again. I’ve since slept in crew room couches a few times but sleeping in the terminal? No thanks.

    • Alert Reply
      November 27, 2024 at 8:26 am

      Flight crewing is crazy considering , need for alert awareness for long hours , body clocks , poor nutrition , and lack of proper sleep ; especially for women . Crew deserve every penny they receive .

  3. Malik Reply
    November 27, 2024 at 7:52 am

    Kneejerk reaction was about to say why not the YOTELAIR before going into the post but then I realized that the flight was with LO into 2D.

    Sometimes you win some and sometimes you lose some.

  4. Bubba Reply
    November 27, 2024 at 8:07 am

    For CDG airports, there’s the Yotel airside in 2E-L, and the Sheraton landside in terminal 2 by the train station. Then there’s the airports accessible via the CDGVAL light rail, most at Roissypole (“T3”), and some by the parking lot Px (or Pr, I forget). Then there’s the shuttles. For many of those, you have to use CDGVAL to get to the pick-up point.

    CDGVAL doesn’t run between 1 and 4 AM. Otherwise, it comes regularly, the drivers never go on strike, and the hotels don’t suddenly start charging for them.
    At T3, the hotels are within five minutes walk of the station.

  5. Santastico Reply
    November 27, 2024 at 8:22 am

    I learned the lesson the hard way. Same happened to me at AMS where I decided to save money and wanted to get points at Hyatt so booked a Hyatt Place that needed a shuttle. The shuttle was late, we waited outside with people smoking and it was a disaster. Never again. I now only book the Sheraton AMS where I can just walk to the hotel. BTW, I avoid CDG like the plague. What a pain to move from one terminal to another, buses, stairs, etc..

    • Alert Reply
      November 27, 2024 at 8:29 am

      @Santastico … Agree . Inside-Airport hotels are the Only way to go .

  6. MeanMeosh Reply
    November 27, 2024 at 9:25 am

    I’m sure you had a good reason, but why not choose one of the hotels at Roissypole like the Hilton, CitizenM, etc.? Yes, you have to take the CDGVAL to T3 and then walk a few minutes, but the whole process never takes me more than 25 mins or so. And now the path is covered, so it’s easy even if it’s raining.

    P.S. I still say you made the right decision; there really is no substitute for a real bed, especially when there’s a kid involved.

  7. NedsKid Reply
    November 27, 2024 at 10:11 am

    One thing the US does get right is airport hotels with on-demand shuttles nearly everywhere you go.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      November 27, 2024 at 11:00 am

      The shuttle thing really ticked me off…I have time-stamped photos showing I was out there at 2315…

  8. Chi Hsuan Reply
    November 27, 2024 at 10:23 am

    You would have made your kid sleep on an airport couch? Like put his head on a piece of furniture that has been sat on by THOUSANDS of people from all over the world and is probably full of farts? That’s disgusting. I would never let my kid do that.

    • derek Reply
      November 27, 2024 at 11:09 am

      The whole million point trip is child torture. So sad that Augustine can’t go into the city and see one tourist site per country, even briefly. Instead, an ordeal of no sleep and being stuck in a plane.

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        November 27, 2024 at 11:46 am

        Augustine is doing just fine…there is no “torture” going on. After that little London meltdown, he has been great.

    • emercycrite Reply
      November 28, 2024 at 8:25 pm

      LOL it’s character building.

  9. CericRushmore Reply
    November 27, 2024 at 12:05 pm

    I stayed at JFK from 9 PM to 8 AM when I came in on Eva from Taipei. It was doable, not great. However, I had the same issue you did when I looked. Pain in the butt to use a shuttle, so either expensive cab/uber ride to overpriced hotel, or suffer in the airport. I was able to get to the 24 hour Prima Class lounge after midnight, so it wasn’t terrible. Still not fun though.

  10. FNT Delta Diamond Reply
    November 27, 2024 at 4:47 pm

    Getting any kind of shuttle or Uber at CDG is a disaster. The signage is less than helpful too. With a flat taxi rate to Paris city centre, I find the taxis are the easiest. And they take credit cards. On the whole, CDG is probably one of the worst configured airports in the First World.

  11. Eman Reply
    November 28, 2024 at 7:09 am

    I would have stayed at the Sheraton inside the airport property…. I have in fact slept there quite a few times… no shuttle drama is worth the extra buck

  12. Ethan Reply
    November 29, 2024 at 9:24 am

    Ah, the good time of paying 3500 points for Hyatt Place / House CDG, take a 13 eur Uber / Bolt right at the gate of the terminal 1, and call it a day!
    IMO for CDG you either go for convenience and go to the Sheraton, or go all the cheapest way and save all the hassle.

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