Anyone in Paris?

[turnipvontrapp]

We are staying at berny rivière in April and fancy a day in Paris. I know there are coach trips but as there are 5 of us would probably cost a fortune.

So we were thinking if either driving in and parking somewhere central or driving to the outskirts and catching the train in.

Just need to know of somewhere safe to leave the car (would be east/north east Paris) in the outskirts.

Would we be crazy to think about driving? Have memories of that mad roundabout where they drive like loons, from when I was a child and my dad drove there

You could drive to a station along the D1 RER line which is near the A1 motorway. I'd choose a station in the outer Paris-Ile-de-France pricing zones which allow you to buy a MOBILIS ticket for an adult and TICKET JEUNES for a child. Both the MOBILIS and TICKET JEUNES tickets allow unlimited journeys for a day in the zones they are issued for, so these prices below are for a return journey from the stations mentioned plus unlimited travel around Paris.

In zone 5 (nearer Berny Riviere) SURVILLIERS-FOSSES (that's 81km from Berny-Riviere, just over an hour's drive)
MOBILIS ticket zones 1-5 ?14,20. TICKET JEUNES ?7,10

In zone 4 (bit closer to Paris ) VILLIERS LE BEL - GONESSE - ARNOUVILLE (that's 105km away, about 1 1/4 drive)
MOBILIS ticket zones 1-4 ?10,55. TICKET JEUNES ?7,10

Here is an explanation of the tickets.
www.transilien.com/web/site/pid/18

Look at this map to locate those stations on the D1 line.
www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/

Natation you are a star! Thanks so much for all the info, what would I do without mumsnet.

I'd do the maths.
Using an organised coach, if it's simply a drop-off service and make your way around, you might find central zones MOBILIS / TICKET JEUNES tickets most economical, you'd need to use the metro/bus 4 times in the day to make this cheaper than individual tickets, otherwise a CARNET of individual tickets are cheaper.
MOBILIS zones 1-2 for adult ?6,40, TICKET JEUNES 1-3 for a child ?3,55

Here are the prices of the coach trips from Berny-Riviere. Add these prices on to the cost of moving around Paris, to work out whether it is economical to take the coach or drive part of the way then take the RER train.
www.la-croix-du-vieux-pont.com/accueil.php

BTW I've never parked near the stations I mentioned, I am highlighting them as they look like the best choice for transfer onto the RER. A little look on google street maps might give you an idea of what parking is like around the RER train stations and what the areas are like.

can't access the la croix site on my mobile, will look on the pc later.

Thanks for all the detail, this will really help us. I didn't know you could find the coach prices either.

So are you living in Paris? We were thinking of taking the kids to the Eiffel Tower, on a boat down the Seine, what else would you do with kids for the day? Ours are 9,7 and 3, all boys. More into outdoor things than indoor. Can you recommend any good restaurants that don't cost a fortune?

One last question, think eurodisney will be heaving the tues after Easter Monday? Presume the French kids are off over Easter too?

Thanks a million again! If you are ever on need of similar info for lancashire let me know .

No school in France on Monday 9th April, but schools in Paris and area around don't start school holidays until the week after so they are back at school on the Tuesday 10th April. Germany, Belgium and UK on holiday, Netherlands in school, I'd guess it's going to be a quiet day in DLP?

We used to live (briefly) in Paris and were going to move there again. I don't know that many places to eat which are cheap there, McDonalds or Quick?? We used to live next to one of the few FLUNCH restaurants in Paris, it's near the Pompidou Centre which is quite a tourist attraction. You can eat unlimited vegetables and chips in Flunch, our kids always come away quite full, it's quite reasonable. Not somewhere to go if you want to do something particularly Parisien though, better go for a restaurant at a nice spot with a good view and sit outside! Failing that, a packed lunch sitting under the Eifel tower or by the Seine.
www.flunch.fr/restaurants/restaurant-paris-beaubourg-335.aspx

Great! Let's hope DLP is quiet then, fingers crossed.....

Thanks for the restaurant tip, prob will end up with a picnic by the tower!

Can't wait to go now, only 7 weeks

I can recommend Chartier www.restaurant-chartier.com which is cheap, cheerful and wonderfully old fashioned, plus very central. Go for an earlyish lunch or dinner, or you will have to queue, but they do get people in and out fairly swiftly!