We either use the taxi line or my wife has a service that meets you as you deplane and whisks you around to a private passport control entrance with an almost zero wait and it is not as expensive as you think it is. You can also chose just to pay to get through passport control or both that plus a black car.
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Nathan, we’ve been using Carylis for a few years. https://carylis.com. Last year, I paid €120 for a mini-van, plus I tipped the driver €20, which isn’t required or expected.
They also offer vip greeter service similar to that which Robert described, meeting you at the gate then ushering you through back corridors to private passport control. A few years ago we flew directly to Paris, arriving early, so we booked vip service through the hotel where we stayed for a few nights before the apartment was ready for us. We paid €170 for the service, in addition to the cost of the ride. I don’t know what Carylis charges for it, but I think it wouldn’t be more and likely less because there wouldn’t be any hotel concierge commission involved.
If you decide to check out Carylis and they ask how you found out about them, you might tell them from me, who they transfer to and from the apt on Rue des Saints Peres that Christine Leonard manages. The gm of Carylis is Ivan Ilic.
Thanks for this, it is good to have other options!
@M.Kaplan This is exactly what I was looking for! Much appreciated. Thank you.
We actually booked through Iceland Air so that we could clear customs in Iceland (5 min) instead of CDG but this is good to know as it might change our thinking about the direct flight into CDG.
A good friend will be staying downtown in 2 weeks and has asked for help finding a restaurant specifically for John Dory. His wife loves it. So far he’s come up with Le Duc in Montparnasse but the fish is more important than the venue. No need for Michelin stars and decent wine is a plus (when isn’t it?) but not essential. He’d like to reserve ASAP for a Saturday night. Suggestions?
RT
Le Dome in Montparnasse is great for seafood and I believe St. Pierre is what John Dory is called abroad. It’s on the menu.
They used to have Ravenneau at good prices but not the last time I was there (prepandemic). If he goes, ask him about the Rvenneau, as I’ll start going back. Oysters/Dover Sole/Ravenneau.
Barry is correct - John Dory = St Pierre in Paris. Divellec (7th by the Seine/Invalides), Le Dome (6th/14th Montparnasse), Le Duc (14th just above Montparnasse) & Prunier (16th Ave Victor Hugo) off the top of my head. Each resto has their own plusses & minuses - but the fish should be impeccable at each.
I’m a fan of Le Duc. Haven’t eaten St Pierre there, but everything else has been impeccably fresh and well prepared. Their sole meunière is my favorite in Paris.
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Second Le Duc. Haven’t been in awhile, but Marius et Janette used to have a good St. Pierre as well. And they usually have reasonably priced Dauvissat, and they’re open on Sundays. Only been to Divellec once, and it was good, but I got the sole.
Merci bien Messieurs. Very helpful!
RT
La Cagouille does excellent St Pierre.
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Sounds like Le Duc is better than Le Dome - I’ll have to give it a try as I love sole and Le Dome didn’t have the same access to Ravenneau on my last visit.
Although my favorite seafood restaurant these days is L’Ecallier du Bistrot, sister restaurant to Bistro Paul Bert. Not sure if they have John Dory though.
I have friends who are Parisians and who have already fled to saner places for the duration. They’re fortunately not tied down to a job in the city.
I have not seen it yet but I can’t imagine that Wendy Lynn’s book is not worth picking up for any visit to Paris. I just ordered mine.
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I used this last year to schedule an early morning taxi pick-up.
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I don’t quite get the hype about La Cagouille. The wine list is picked through (although still some decent options, just don’t expect any Coche), the food is good but not great (razor clams were probably the highlight). The main benefit is that it’s open on Saturday/Sunday and relatively easy to book. We went twice and had a very enjoyable evening, but literally any other restaurant we’ve been to in our trips was better.
Was the Raveneau all picked through as well? That’s a big reason I’m planning to go (on a Sunday).
There was a time when many great white burgs were on the list for great prices, but that was 10+ years ago. The food is good, but with all respect to Jeremy, other fish restaurants are better in my opinion (Le Duc being my current favorite for food, not wine). The owner of Cagouille is a friend of Scott Manlin’s and because of that we were always treated very, very well.
I like the place and visit every trip to Paris. As mentioned, it is easy to book and open every day of the year. The wine list has been picked over, but you can always find something worthy. The seafood is excellent and cooked simply. The staff always look after us.
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I absolutely respect that and like I said we did have a great time there. But it gets recommended here so often that I wonder why…