No sooner did we board but it started to rain, then hail.
We'd already put in a long travel day and my wife and I weren't looking forward to lugging suitcases in that stuff for three blocks from where the bus would deposit us to the studio apartment we'd rented.
But when we got off 90 minutes later there were patches of blue sky, a taste of the mainly sunny, if chilly, weather we'd enjoy the rest of our stay.
Not having been to Paris for decades, we had some catching up to do. What we learned might help next time you're there.
Airport transfers: Public transit -- either bus or train -- is the cheapest way to get between Charles de Gaulle and downtown. (Visit www.paris-cdg.com/transportation.html). We took the more expensive Air France bus -- 27 euros (about $43 ) each round-trip -- because it stopped so close to our studio.
Getting around: The subway, called the Metro, is relatively easy to use. I made it easier by carrying a pocket-size map and noting line numbers, station names and connecting points. It's particularly important to know the name of the last stop on the line you're using, because that's the name that appears on the front of the train.
If you'll be in Paris a few days, buy a book of 10 tickets, called a carnet. They're available at Metro station ticket windows or vending machines near the turnstiles.
A carnet costs 11.40 euros. That's about $1.80 apiece, compared with 1.60 euros or $2.55 for a single ticket. One ticket will take you anywhere in the city on the Metro, buses or even the RER (rail) networks.
Sightseeing: Long lineups are the norm at major attractions. Had we bought tickets in advance, we could have eliminated or sharply reduced a 75-minute wait outside the Musee d'Orsay. Visit http://museumpass.pariswebservices.com/orsay_ticket_museum_pass.
The d'Orsay houses, among other things, the Impressionist collection that used to be in the Jeu de Paume. But you don't have to know a Monet from a Matisse to enjoy this spectacular building, once a major railway station. Tip: After entering, walk to the far end of the main floor and take the escalator to Level 5. An observation platform offers a great view and photo op.
The Orangerie was also on our must-do list. It was designed to house Les Nympheas, eight huge panels by Claude Monet inspired by the water garden at his home at Giverny. Hung, at the artist's request, in two oval-shaped rooms, they are stunning.
Focusing on just one major activity each day left time to stroll around one of the world's most elegant cities and do a bit of shopping -- mainly for groceries. It also meant we didn't have to get up particularly early and were back home in time to shower, change and have a pre-dinner drink.
Which brings me to accommodations.
Tiny as it was, our studio apartment was bigger than the average Paris hotel room, cheaper and much more convenient. It rents for 420 euros per week. That's less than $100 per night. The budget hotel I'd planned on booking before the apartment turned up was nearly $170 a night.
The studio faces a flower-filled courtyard in a complex of buildings on a dead-end street, so there's no traffic noise. It's owned by Pam Waygood and Robert Jacques, retired Canadian teachers who divide their time between England and France. They have other rental properties in the Loire Valley and in England. Visit www.simplyspoken.com.
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