Located in the heart of one of the more accessible bases near Disneyland Paris, Hotel l’Elysée Val d’Europe is a four-star hotel in Place Ariane, Serris, directly opposite the Val d’Europe shopping centre, only 250 metres away from the Val d’Europe RER station. All that Haussmann-style architecture and free shuttle service to the Disney parks make it a favourite among families, but before that, there is still the matter of the approximately 40 kilometres that lie between it and Charles de Gaulle.
Fortunately, this is a well-travelled road, and the proximity of the hotel to the station is such that, in this area, public transport is not just convenient for those who do not like to take a taxi but is actually an option for a lot of people. There are three methods to get there: by private taxi or transfer booked in advance, by the RER train network and a short walk at the end or by a shuttle bus that is mostly designed for Disneyland visitors and not this hotel. We will discuss each in detail below, with actual costs and timings, and a comparison table to help you evaluate and weigh each before you land.
Option 1: Taxi or Private Transfer
A private transfer for the family means no stress when you arrive with your children in a car seat, a stroller or simply the chaos of travelling with little ones. This drive takes you along the A104 and A4 for nearly 40 kilometres, and will take between 35 and 40 minutes in average traffic to reach the hotel’s front door, on Place Ariane. But if your flight arrives during busy travel hours, such as weekday rush hour or a school holiday weekend, that may creep up toward an hour; build in a little extra time when you plan your trip.
Benefits of Private Transfers
There is something here that you’d love without even bothering to read it. No strolling suitcases and a stroller in a station change at Châtelet-Les-Halles. No having to go off the train on a RER platform to double-check you are on the correct branch towards Marne-la-Vallée. No last walk with the children following you. There is a driver waiting at arrivals who will load you into the car and drive you immediately to the hotel’s front desk. That smoother start has a way of setting the tone for the rest of the holiday when it comes to a family trip that centres around a Disney trip.
It’s also the most probable selection on the day. Trains may also be delayed, and shuttle buses have set schedules which may not align with your arrival time; but a private car provides an alternative instead of a schedule. Reliable operators keep a record of your flight number, and the pickup will automatically adjust if you land earlier or later, which takes one more thing off your plate, especially with kids in tow.
Estimated Taxi & Private Car Costs
The cost of a normal metered taxi ride from the rank at CDG to Hotel l’Elysée Val d’Europe is between €90 and €120, depending on traffic, time of day and night or holiday surcharges that may be charged. Private transfers are also usually less expensive, although slightly more unpredictable, and the cost is fixed from the beginning, typically at €75-95 for a standard sedan, which is significantly more expensive than a privately booked van, but then again, if you are travelling with a large family, go for the bigger vehicle.
Fixed pricing is more valuable than it sounds on the papers. A metered fare increases once traffic slows down on the highway on the A4, and no one wants to be watching the meter tick up midway into the delay with children in the car. The number you agreed upon will be the one you pay, regardless of what the motorway looks like that afternoon, thanks to a transfer that’s been booked in advance.
Booking Your Private Transfer
A taxi service through a particular operator, such as T2 Transfer, is well worth the extra cost as opposed to any taxi that is first in line. Having specialised in these routes from Paris airport to the Disneyland area, their drivers are already familiar with the quickest ways to Serris and where to park at the hotel without following directions. If you are travelling with children and do not want to check luggage, their cars include free child and booster seats; if you have children and don’t want to have to pay for luggage, the allowance is included in the quoted price and won’t be a surprise at the drop-off point. English-speaking drivers complete the experience, leaving one more stress away after a long-haul flight.
Booking only takes a few minutes. Enter your pickup and destination information, including hotel address and flight number, and you will receive confirmation by e-mail. Pay cash at the time of purchase or online in advance. Because the driver already has your flight data, delays are automatically tracked, and if you are not at home waiting around for the car, no one will be wondering.
Reservation Form – Book Taxi with T2 Transfer
Option 2: Train
The train is a very practical way of travel here, and is certainly not a compromise for the budget traveller when you consider how close Hotel l’Elysée is to the Val d’Europe RER station. It does have a change of pace halfway, but the other leg is the shortest length you could get.
Pros & Con
It is served on the RER B from CDG to central Paris, then on the RER A in the direction of Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy, until its final stop, Val d’Europe station, which is only a few steps away from the hotel. From there, it’s only a three- to four-minute stroll to the hotel’s front door; even a couple of suitcases and a stroller won’t pose a problem. The good thing about frequency and cost is that trains run frequently and tickets are affordable. Of course, there are some drawbacks to any train trip: with it being busy, you need to bring your own bags to travel through the station, and if you’re travelling with young kids who’d prefer not to be standing for the entire duration of the trip, then the train can get crowded during peak hours, which is something to bear in mind.
But for anyone who’s in luck, there’s also a quicker method. The TGV direct Connection from the Aeroport CDG2 TGV station to the TGV Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy station takes about 10-15 minutes, and there is no change of train. Go back one stop on the RER from Chessy to Val d’Europe. However, these are direct services that are much less frequent than the RER, and sometimes only a handful a day, so only plan trips for them if a train really does coincide with your arrival.
Train Tickets & Booking
A single ticket for the standard RER B + RER A route is valid for both sections of the journey, because Val d’Europe is located in an outer fare zone which is further out from central Paris. This package usually ranges from €13 to €15 for an adult, available on the ticket machines inside the CDG terminals or on the Ile-de-France Mobilités app, which can be sorted before landing. Children under a specified age are charged a lower price or free, depending on the price rules in force; see on the day at the machine.
For those travelling direct (SNCF), the tickets are bought directly from SNCF Connect, and they tend to be a bit expensive, in the region of €30-€50, as a main line service rather than a regional commuter train service. It’s worth booking seats in advance here as it is a more restricted train than the RER.
Train Travel Time & Frequency
The trains on RER B from CDG run approximately every 10 or 15 minutes, so waiting for the first leg is very seldom necessary. After changing at Châtelet-Les-Halles onto RER A, there are also regular services towards Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy, usually every 15-20 minutes during the day. All in all, the travel time from the door to the hotel on this route is typically 60-75 minutes by train, plus the brief three or four minute walk from the train to the hotel, which, although longer than a private transfer,r is still perfectly doable, particularly because very little walking is done once you arrive at your hotel.
Option 3: Bus
The bus option here is not only about this hotel, but Disneyland Paris, and that will be more important than you would think before taking your booking here.
Bus Routes & Stops
The main service is the Magical Shuttle, which also departs from Terminal 2E/2F at CDG and also lands at a number of locations in the Disneyland hotel area, including Newport Bay Club, but not at Val d’Europe station or Hotel l’Elysée. The hotel is not right on the line in question, which means most people using the shuttle would have to take a short taxi ride or walk about 10-15 minutes from the closest drop-off point, but that does take a bit of the charm of such a convenient train location.
Bus Fares & Schedules
At the moment, Magical Shuttle usually depart between 09.00 and 20.00, so if your flight arrives outside this window,, you will be unable to use this service and will have to take a taxi or train instead. The rates are in the mid-€20 to mid-€25 range per adult one-way ticket, which is not significantly less than the RER with additional taxi or walking at the end of the journey. The total journey time (driving and waiting for the next train) is typically between 85 mins and just over 1.5 hours; the most expensive of the three main routes, but also the least convenient for this particular hotel, due to the good services provided by the train.
Comparing All Transport Options: Cost, Time, Convenience
| Mode | Travel Time | Cost | Convenience | Best For |
| Private Transfer / Taxi | 35 – 40 minutes (up to 60+ in traffic) | €75 – €120 | Highest — door-to-door, no transfers | Families, tired flyers, heavy luggage |
| RER Train (B + A) | 60 – 75 minutes (plus a 3–4 min walk) | €13 – €15 | Moderate — one change, frequent trains | Solo travellers, budget-conscious visitors |
| Shuttle Bus | 85 – 100 minutes | €20 – €25 | Lower — fixed hours, indirect drop-off | Budget travellers not in a hurry |
This is one of the other guides for the Val d’Europe area that feels quite close to the train end to end, as Hotel l’Elysée is the station in the area which is so close to the train that the last-mile walk is hardly relevant. When speed and comfort count more than anything else when you’re bringing the kids along and have a lot of bags to carry, the private transfer is the clear winner. If you don’t mind rolling around a suitcase to get to the hotel, and aren’t swayed by one change, the RER is a great ticket and gets you pretty close to the hotel. The shuttle bus, on the other hand, would be less useful here than in other places: the Disney area drop-off point is actually further down the walk route than the train, but covers similar ground.
Once you know this hotel’s layout, it’s incredibly easy to get there from Charles de Gaulle, but what’s really interesting is that this hotel’s location, which is just outside the station, really changes the equation compared to other hotels that are farther away from the train stop.
Families who have lots of luggage and little ones will typically still benefit from their private car and will appreciate the convenience of having a private vehicle for their arrival. For the solo traveller, the couple and maybe the family that is not intimidated by the prospect of changing trains, the RER is a wise and cost-effective option to drop you right in front of the front door.
Rather than being a stressful day, a pre-booked private transfer by an operator such as T2 Transfer makes the 40 km journey the easiest part of your travel day if comfort and simplicity are more important than saving a few euros. Whatever mode you opt for, you’ll arrive at Hotel l’Elysée, with the shopping centre of Val d’Europe just on the doorstep and Disneyland Paris a few minutes on a shuttle.
Editorial Staff at T2 Transfer is a team of experts who have vast knowledge on Paris transportation.