Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)

Flying from/to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

If you are planning to fly to/from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, check out our tips on what’s the best way to travel between the airport and the city centre. It’s always good to know, what’s the most convenient way to get to your destination. You can also find some data on the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport facilities and some local tips on the airport itself.

Travel from Paris to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

Paris, with its hundreds of museums, world-renowned gastronomy and chic population, is blessed with an excellent public transport system. For one, its Métro network is fast and cheap, with 16 different lines and around 300 stations. But it also has other accessible forms of transport, including the tram, which serves the outskirts of the city, a good coach network (which runs through the night), and five underground suburban rail lines that run through the city centre and out to the region. This means it is easy to get out to the airport at almost any time of the day.

What's the best way to get to the airport from the city centre

During normal daytime hours, from 6:00 a.m. to 12.45 a.m. the next day, the quickest and easiest way to get to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport from Paris city centre is with the underground suburban express railway service RER B. The train runs through the city to Charles de Gaulle terminals 1 or 2. If the train is not appealing, the other main options are a shuttle coach service, Le coach Direct, which connects Paris to all its surrounding airports, or to get a taxi. If there is a need to leave earlier than 5:00 a.m., then the taxi is probably the best option.

How far is it from the city centre to the airport?

It is about 30-kilometers from Paris city centre to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. In terms of time taken to reach the destination, the shuttle coach or RER B train service are the best options. The RER B typically takes between 26 and 35 minutes from the Gare du Nord, but the trainline runs through the city and can be picked up elsewhere if one is staying further out in the north or south of the city. If boarded further north of Gare du Nord, the train will take less the 30 minutes, and if boarded south of Gare du Nord, it will take longer. Le coach Direct takes anywhere between half an hour and an hour, because it can be taken from various points in the city, including the Eiffel Tower, Boulevard Pershing, Gare du Lyon, Etoile/Champs Elysées or Gare Montparnasse. So, if there is a long journey to one of the RER B stations, then the coach might be a better option. A taxi takes around half an hour from Gare du Nord when the roads are quiet, but can take substantially longer during coachy periods.

What facilities are there at the airport? 

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is extremely well stocked for shops, restaurants, cafés and bars. There are outlets by high fashion brands including Burberry, Bulgari, Gucci, Hermēs, Hugo Boss and Dior. For food, there is a good selection of more relaxed café settings like Pret a Manger, Café Cubiste or Costa Coffee, or some fancier options, including Maison Pradier or Ladurée Paris. Outlets for food that can be taken onto the flight are also plentiful, with a Marks and Spencer Food store. There is step-free access between terminals using the CDGVAL, an automatic shuttle rail service, and Charles de Gaulle will provide assistance for all disabled and reduce mobility passengers if they need it.

How accessible is the route for those with limited mobility

All but one RER stations are wheelchair accessible, with step-free access provided by elevators down to the platform. This includes Gare du Nord and both Charles de Gaulle airport terminals. This is also an option if travelling with large luggage or otherwise reduced mobility. Le coach Direct is accessible as well, with all coachses fitted with a side-mounted lift platform for wheelchairs, and the company can be contacted in advance if further assistance is required. There is also a luggage service on board. Accessible taxis are also available from numerous providers that can be booked in advance online.

Local tips: how to travel to the airport like a local

Locals usually take the RER B from the city as it is fast, accessible and relatively cheap, costing about €10 to get from the Gare du Nord to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. The ticket to buy is the Billet Ile-de-France which does not need to be booked in advance and can be picked up at any RER serviced station. It’s worth noting that there are two different types of ticket machine at some Paris stations – a yellow TGV ticket machine, and the white Paris Ile-de-France box machines. The second one sells RER tickets.