Paris-CDG Airport Ground Transport
You can travel between Aéroport Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG) and central Paris by train, airport bus, or taxi. If Paris is not your final destination, you can take a fast TGV train right from the airport to many cities in France and beyond.
Paying for Your Ride
You can use the excellent Bonjour RATP smartphone app or the equally useful ÎDF Mobilités app to buy your train and/or bus tickets; and you should be able to pay for a taxi with a credit/debit card or smartphone payment app (Apple Pay, Google Pay). If you need euro cash, you should know that exchanging currency at airports is almost always a huge ripoff, and CDG is no exception. The currency exchange booths (Travelex) and ATMs at the airport use exchange rates much poorer than ATMs in the city center, then pile on fees and charges and tricks like "dynamic currency conversion," so that in the end you may pay 10% to 20% for the exchange, receiving as little as US$80 in euros for the US$100 you pay. (Cash exchange rates and fees at your departure airport near home are even worse.)
We use an international currency service named Wise for all our travel, saving big over normal bank fees and exchange rates. Here's all the info:
CDGVal Airport Shuttle
Within the giant CDG airport, a free shuttle train called CDGVal Airport Shuttle connects Terminals 1, 2 and 3, the RER/SNCF train stations, and the airport's bus terminal:
- Aérogare 2, located between Terminals 2C and 2E, the station for trains to central Paris as well as for SNCF TGV intercity & international trains.
- Aérogare 1, at the Roissypôle complex near Terminal 3 and the airport's bus terminal, for trains to Paris.
- Car parking lots & some airport hotels
Travel Time & Cost
| Vehicle | Fare (€) | Time | Comfort |
| RATP Bus 350/1 | 2.15/2.50€ | 60-90 | Medium/Low |
| RER-B train | 11.80€ | 35-50 | Medium/Low |
| RoissyBus | 16.60€ | 60-75 | Medium |
| Taxi | 56€-65€ | 45-65 | Medium/High |
Paris by Train: fastest and nearly the cheapest.
CDGVal sign showing the stops. Voie means track or platform.
Taxi
Taxis from CDG to central Paris are required to charge fixed fares of 56€ to the Right Bank of the Seine (north of the river: Opéra Garnier, Champs-Élysées) and 65€ to the Left Bank (south of the river: Latin Quarter, Eiffel Tower). (Fares to destinations outside of central Paris are not fixed, and are determined by the taximeter.)
Only use an authorized taxi! You will be approached by men in the terminal asking "Taxi?" Even if they look "official," ignore them! They are not authorized! Follow Taxis signs to the official taxi rank where an airport taxi dispatcher in uniform will indicate a taxi for you. And remember: the fare to central Paris is regulated. The taxi driver will not run his taximeter because the fare is fixed. Don't end up like the Thai couple who were charged 247€ for a 56€ ride into the city—the driver of the unofficial "taxi" wouldn't unlock the doors and let them out of the car until they paid.
Trains to Paris & Beyond
Trains to Central Paris
The RER Line B suburban train takes you from Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport to central Paris in as little as 35 minutes. It is the fastest and almost-cheapest way to travel, in adequate comfort when it's not crowded, even if you have a lot of luggage.
Starting from CDG Airport, you're very likely to get a seat. Returning from Paris to the airport...maybe. (If you have lots of luggage, you may want to consider an alternative means of transport to return to the airport.)
RER B trains don't have to contend with Paris's horrendous highway traffic, which can turn a 45-minute airport-to-city trip into a 2-hour nightmare.
The trains stop at numerous important locations in central Paris: Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les Halles, St-Michel-Notre-Dame, Luxembourg, Port Royal, Denfert-Rochereau, and the Cité Universitaire south of central Paris.
The RER Line B is also a good way to go from CDG to Orly Airport south of central Paris. Ride to the Antony station, then take the OrlyVal shuttle train (separate ticket) direct to the terminals at Orly in six minutes.
Intercity Trains
If your destination is not central Paris, you can take a fast TGV train right from CDG Airport to go where you wish.
Train Stations
Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport has two train stations, Aérogare 2 and Aérogare 1:
Aérogare 2, the Main Station
Located between Terminals 2C and 2E, this is the airport's main train station. Follow signs for Paris par train (Paris by train), Trains, Transports, Gare, or Gare SNCF to reach Aérogare 2. The signs may lead you first to the CDGVal airport shuttle train (see above), which will take you to Aérogare 2.
Aérogare 2 has two sections.
RER B Trains to Paris
Aérogare 2 is the northeastern terminus for the RER Line B suburban trains to Paris and to Orly Airport. Tracks/platforms (voies) 11 and 12 serve these trains, all of which go to central Paris—so you can't board the "wrong train" on these tracks. Just pass through the turnstiles marked Paris par train (Paris by train).
Paris by Train: Tracks 11 & 12 at Aérogare 2 — take any
train to Paris. SNCF TGV Intercity Trains
The other part of Aérogare 2 serves SNCF TGV main-line (grands lignes) trains to other parts of France and Europe.
Aérogare 1
This station in the Roissypôle complex near Terminal 3 (a 5-minute walk) and the airport's bus terminal (2-minute walk), serves only RER Line B trains to/from Paris—no trains to anywhere else.
Airport Buses
Airport buses, slower than the train, make the most value-for-money sense for single travelers and perhaps some couples, depending on your destination and luggage. If your travel party is four or more people—or maybe even three—a taxi may offer better value for money, as four RoissyBus fares exceed the cost of traveling by taxi.
RoissyBus
A service of RATP (the Paris public transport company), the RoissyBus airport bus takes you nonstop from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the Opéra Garnier at Place de l'Opéra in the heart of Paris, whence you can continue to your hotel by Métro, city bus, taxi or on foot. If you're a single traveler, or two, and your destination is near the Opéra, it's the obvious choice.
Money-saving tip: buy your RoissyBus ticket on the excellent Bonjour RATP smartphone app before boarding and you'll save
RATP Bus 350/351
Also operated by RATP, these slower, cheaper standard city buses travels between Charles de Gaulle Airport and Paris's Gare de l'Est, where you can connect to the Paris Métro and city buses to continue to your destination.
Car Hire/Rental
Of course you can easily rent/hire a car at CDG, but we don't recommend it. If Paris is not your destination, it's easier to take a train or bus to a town outside Paris and rent/hire there, avoiding the intense Paris-region traffic (especially the insane motorcyclists!) and highway confusion. Every train station in every French town of any size has car hire/rental offices. You may even get a better car. Click on the button for more info: