Getting from Charles de Gaulle Airport CDG to Paris is actually very easy!
Whether you are planning a quick getaway to Paris, a business trip or a romantic weekend in La Ville Lumiere, you can count on many ways of getting from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris. In this post, I will explain all the options and their costs, so that you can make an informed choice.
Paris has three airports – Roissy Charles de Gaulle (CDG) located north of the city; Orly (ORY), south of the city; and Beauvais-Tillé which is Paris airport for budget airlines. If you are coming from North America, you will most likely be landing in Charles the Gaulle.
Charles de Gaulle airport is about 34 km (21 miles) from the center of Paris, but it is really well connected to the city thanks to shuttle buses, taxis, private transfers, buses and the train.
Unfortunately, there is no subway connecting the airport to the city. So if you intend to use public transportation your options are basically just the RER train that goes to Gare du Nord (and several other stations), or the bus to Paris Opéra.
Depending on how you decide to go from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris, it’ll take you between 25 minutes and 1.5 hour to reach the city center. Continue reading this post to discover all your options to get from the Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris.
How To Get From Charles De Gaulle Airport CDG To Paris
The RER B train
The train, best known as RER B, is by far the easiest and cheapest way to get from the aiport to Paris – as long as you don’t have much luggage to carry around.
There are regular train departures from the two stations located at the airport:
- CDG Terminal 2 train station, located between CDG Terminal 2E and 2C – called Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 – TGV
- CDG Terminal 1 / Terminal 3 train station, located in the Roissypole building – called Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1
If you land in Terminal 3, you can walk along the covered walkway to Terminal 1 (the path is well marked in yellow, so very easy to find and follow). Otherwise you can take the free shuttle train connecting the two terminals. It’s not faster, but a good option if you have luggage.
Here is what you need to know about the RER B trains from CDG to Paris:
DEPARTURE – Every 10-15 minutes.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE – The journey to Gare du Nord lasts just 25 minutes, so it is a super quick trip.
WORKING HOURS – The RER B train from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris runs from 4:50 am to 10:50 pm, every day.
COST – Tickets cost €11.45 Euro one way. Tickets bought online cost €13.10.
WHERE TO GET TICKETS – You can get tickets at the many vending machines and ticket counters in the station, but keep in mind the counter opens at 6:00 am. You can get tickets online on the site of the Paris Tourism Board here. The ticket is needed to exit the station and transfer to the Metro.
RER-B STOPS: Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les Halles, Saint-Michel Notre-Dame, Luxembourg, Port-Royal, Denfert-Rochereau and Cité Universitaire. All of them are connected to the Paris Metro (subway) and your RER ticket is valid for the Metro too.
The bus
Another way to travel from the airport to the city is the bus. This is especially good in case you have lots of luggage, but the journey takes longer and it’s not necessarily cheaper. You have several options: the Roissybus, the Noctilien Night Bus and the local buses. Below is a summary of all the bus options.
Roissybus
This bus runs from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the Paris Opéra (11 rue Scribe, 75009 – Metro Stop: Opéra).
Here is what you need to know about the Roissybus:
DEPARTURE – Every 15 minutes from 6:00 am to 8:45 pm; every 20 minutes from 8:45 pm to 00:30 am.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE – The journey to Paris Opéra can last between one hour and 1.5 hours depending on traffic.
WORKING HOURS – The Roissybus runs from 6:00 am to 12:30 am.
COST – Tickets cost €16.20 (or €18.40 for advanced purchases online).
WHERE TO GET TICKETS – You can buy tickets from the vending machines at the airport or at Roissybus stops, or online here.
Noctilien Night Bus
If your flight to Paris is scheduled to land late, you can still count on the bus to take you from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris. The bus goes all the way to Gare de l’Est.
Here is what you need to know about the Noctilien Night Bus:
DEPARTURE – The N143 bus departs every 30 minutes. Bus N140 runs every 60 minutes.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE – The journey to Gare de l’Est takes around 80 minutes.
WORKING HOURS – The Noctilien Night bus runs from around 12:30 am to 5:30 am.
COST – Tickets all the way to Paris Gare de l’Est cost €8.40.
WHERE TO GET TICKETS – You can buy tickets directly on the bus.
GOOD TO KNOW: There are two lines, N140 and N143, both depart from CDG Terminal 1 station and go by TGV and Terminal 3 Roissypole bus station. The N140 takes significantly longer to reach Gare de l’Est.
Local Bus
Buses 350 and 351 connect the airport to the city. Both buses leave from the bus station located above terminal 1/3 RER station, and go by terminal 2 to pick up more passengers. Bus 350 goes to the Gare de l’Est station via Gare du Nord station. Bus 351 goes to Nation Metro.
Here is what you need to know about the Local Bus:
DEPARTURE – Both buses depart every 15 to 30 minutes depending on the time of day.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE – Depending on where you need to stop between 60 and 90 minutes.
WORKING HOURS – Bus 350 runs from 6:05 am to 10:30 pm going from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris. Bus 351 runs from 7:00 am to 9:37 pm going from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris
COST – Tickets cost €2.10.
WHERE TO GET TICKETS – You can buy tickets directly on the bus or at the vending machines.
Private Transfers and Shuttles
When you carry lots of luggage it’s actually better to opt for a private transfer or shuttle.
A transfer can cost anything from €63 to €100 one-way, depending on which company you use, and it’s more convenient than hauling a taxi as you won’t have to stand in line behind a bunch of other passengers.
Another benefit is that you can book it online, so you won’t have to worry about juggling your wallet to take out your credit or debit card or – if you are coming from outside the Euro Zone and prefer using cash – change money at the airport.
Furthermore, a driver will be waiting for you at the terminal and ready to help you carry your luggage. You won’t even have to worry about communicating the address, as that will be on file!
Private transfers prices are per group of up to 3 or 4 passengers, so if you are traveling with friends or family it doesn’t end up being that much more expensive than the train. The main downside is that they drive on the same road as regular traffic, so you may end up caught in rush hour.
These are some good transfer options to take you from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris:
Welcome Pickups Private Transfer – starting at €63 (that’t the price for up to three passengers, so it is very convenient), this is one of the best options available. It’s a reliable, well known service. I have used it in various cities around the world – including Paris, obviously – and I have always had a great experience.
Paris: VIP Private Transfer from/to Charles de Gaulle – at around €100 for a group of 3, it can be actually quite convenient, not to mention comfortable.
Paris: Charles de Gaulle Airport Private Transfer – another excellent private transfer option. The €93 price is for a group of 3.
Taxis from CDG to Paris
Taxis are another great way of getting to the center of Paris from Charles de Gaulle. You will be able to haul a taxi pretty much at the exit of each terminal building (make sure to only use official taxis from the designated taxi stand).
The main reason I am at times reluctant to use a taxi is that depending on the time of day there may be a long line at the taxi stand – whereas a private transfer will usually be waiting for you.
Depending on where you are staying in Paris, the ride will last between 30 minutes to one hour.
Taxis from CDG to Paris operate on a flat rate system. Fares are as follow:
- Taxis to Paris Right Bank cost €55.
- Taxis to Paris Left Bank cost €62.
Taxis generally take credit cards.
Uber from CDG to Paris
Uber is legal in France and commonly used in Paris, but in this case it won’t be any cheaper than using a private transfer and – if you don’t have data on your cell phone to use the app – you will need to find Wi-Fi in order to use it, which can be quite a nuisance.
A ride will cost you around €50, but the price depends on whether you opt for UberPool or UberX – and it can get significantly more expensive than that. Journey time is similar to that of taxis and private transfers.
Further Readings
Planning a trip to Paris? Make sure to read my other posts:
- The Best Paris Travel Tips
- What To See In Le Marais
- A Guide To The 11 Best Cities To Visit In France
- The Best Museums In Paris
- A Week In Paris Itinerary: What To See And Do
- A Wonderful Itinerary For 5 Days In Paris
- A Fantastic Itinerary To See Paris In 4 Days
- Paris In 3 Days: A Great Itinerary To Make The Most Of It
- A Fabulous Itinerary For 2 Days In Paris
- The Perfect Itinerary To See Paris In A Day
- 15 Amazing Day Trips From Paris
- How To Avoid The Most Common Paris Scams
- The Best Museums In Paris
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Thanks for your post! I thought I’d add something I found that added some confidence for me while navigating CDG
“Terminal 2 consists of seven sub-terminal buildings, listed 2A to 2G.
You can easily walk through the public area by following the appropriate signage.
Terminals 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F and stations for TGV-RER trains & CDGVAL light rail are all connected via walking corridors.
The terminal 2G can only be reached by shuttle bus via terminal 2F.”
Thank you Damon, this is very useful for other readers!
We travel just with carry-on luggage, so whenever we visit Paris through CDG, we always get into the city via the RER. It is nice that the RER ticket allows you to transfer over into the metro so you can wend your way through Paris’ mutlicolored metro lines to your hotel destination! Using the RER and Metro also makes you feel more like a local when traveling.
I did exactly the same!