Airport Guide to Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

Airport Overview

Terminal Transfer | Getting into Town | Car Parking | Information Desks | Airport Facilities

Also known as Roissy Airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is located 25km (16 miles) outside the famous City of Lights. Among the busiest airports in the world, Charles de Gaulle processes an astounding 58 million passengers each year.

With the lure of Parisian glamour drawing millions from across the world, Charles de Gaulle is where most holidays in France begin and end. Flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport are available from almost everywhere, including London, New York, Beijing, Johannesburg, Moscow, Berlin, Toronto, Sydney, Dublin, Delhi, Mauritius, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Chicago, Rome, Seoul, Hong Kong, Geneva, Cairo, Rio de Janeiro and Dubai. There are also many local flight connections to other, smaller French airports.

Sleek and gleaming, Paris Charles de Gaulle airport is every inch the sophisticated experience you’d expect from such a chic city. High-tech video lounges and Playstation areas are sprinkled between haute couture boutiques and stylish restaurants. The airport staff is friendly and helpful, and their excellent English makes travelling to and from Paris a pleasant experience for anyone.

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Terminal Transfer

There are three terminals at Charles de Gaulle. You can transfer between them via the new airport metro line, the CDGVAL, which is free and travels every 5-20 minutes depending on the time of day. However, there’s only one station at Terminal 2, which means there may be a bit of a walk to your gate. You’ll need to catch both an airport shuttle and the CDGVAL to transfer from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2G. If you’re transferring between terminals, give yourself plenty of time to do so as it might get confusing.

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Getting into Town

Train: Paris Charles de Gaulle is linked to the city by the metro, which is a quick and easy way to get into Paris. The TGV station (Aeroport Charles de Gaulle 2 – TGV) is located on the lowest level of Terminal 2. You can buy tickets from machines in the station and board the train for the 50-minute journey into Paris. The fare is €9.

Bus: The Roissybus links Charles de Gaulle to central Paris, and stops at Terminals 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 1, and 3. The bus ride takes 45-60 minutes and costs €10. The 350 and 351 buses also run from the airport into Paris.

Taxi: There are taxi ranks at Terminal 1, Exit 20; Terminals 2A and 2C, Exit 6; Terminals 2B and 2D, Exit 7; and Terminals 2E and 2F, Exit 1. Standard metered rates into central Paris are around €50. Fares increase by about 15 per cent at night, and on Sundays and public holidays.

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Car Parking

The drop-off zones adjoining the terminals charge €2 up to 20 minutes, €4 up to 40 minutes, and €6 up to 50 minutes. Lots P1 (Terminal 1), P3 (Terminal 3), PAB (Terminals 2A and 2B), PCD (Terminals 2C and 2D), PEF (Terminals 2E and 2F), and PG (Terminal 2G) charge €4 per hour with a daily limit of €32. Lot PR is for people with reduced mobility and has a daily limit of €23. Lot P3 is for long-term parking, and charges €120 for the first week, €5 per day after that up to 30 days, then an additional €40 per week. All short-term and drop-off lots offer 10 minutes’ free parking.

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Information Desks

There are information desks in the public areas of each terminal.

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Airport Facilities

Money and communications: Banks, ATMs, currency-exchange offices and post offices. There are coin-operated Internet kiosks throughout the airport, as well as the Atlanteam Cyber Cafe in Terminals 1, 3 and 2E. Internet kiosks charge €0.15 per minute, and the Cyber Cafe charges €2 for 15 minutes, €3 for 30 minutes, or €5 for an hour. It’s better to buy more time than you think you need, as the connection is slow.

Luggage: There is a lost-property office, and there are left-luggage facilities near the TGV station. The airport also offers baggage shipping services, and luggage wrapping is €9 per bag.

Conference and business: Internet kiosks throughout the airport offer printing, web cam, and CD and DVD writing. There are also workstations with plug points. The Roissy Charles de Gaulle 1 Business Centre in Terminal 1 has meeting rooms for up to 15 people, audio-visual equipment and a VIP lounge.

Other facilities: The airport has a video lounge, children’s play areas with table games, video game areas, a massage station, beauty salons, interfaith chapels, a concierge service, leather repair station, tourist information centres, pharmacies and a handover service for keys or documents.

Wi-Fi: You can use the Wi-Fi at Charles de Gaulle for 15 minutes at no charge. After that you can purchase browsing time at €2.90 for 30 minutes, €4.50 for an hour, and €9.90 for 24 hours.

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