Welcome to Charles de Guille Airport (You can also find it under Roissy Airport or simply Paris CDG), where the great majority of the Parisian dreams start. Consecutively scoring the podium place on the “busiest airports in Europe” list (and in top 10 in the whole wild world), big chances are this is the place you will make your way to the City of Light from.
I’m fine with sharing
BUS
There are multiple buses connecting CDG with Paris, with the most popular being Roissybus, which will take you to the Opéra metro station (9th arrondissement) “in an hour” (quotes intended because we smell the bull. Whoever made it in an hour in that afternoon rush must have some serious noodles in their butt). The bus runs every 15–20 minutes, stops at almost every terminal and the tickets may be purchased on board, so it’s actually quite convenient – but only during the time of day when there’s not much traffic in the city (spoiler alert… You know what I want to say).
There are also long-distance coaches which connect CDG 1 RER station with various parts of the city. The companies include: BlaBlaBus, Eurolines, and Flixbus, yet their stations are sadly not always the prettiest places to end up with, so we wouldn’t personally go for it (esp. If you’re a solo female traveler and arrive at night).
Other alternatives include bus nr 350, which connects the airport with Gare de l’Est/Gare du Nord (10th arr) (the same route offer N140 and N143 nocturn lines, if you arrive late at night) as well as 351 line that runs between CDG and Nation metro/RER station. Their advantage is that you can use the Paris travel passes on this service (up to zone 5) – and that you can also take it at night, when all the other services shut down. However, they are usually very long and tedious rides, so we recommend it only if you travel on a budget or really have no other choice.
TRAIN
RER train line B connects the CDG Airport with the Paris center. It runs North-East through the major areas of the city and various suburban ones as well, so If your accommodation is close to one of their stations (or simply in the Left bank, where the shuttle buses do not run), it’s a good way to avoid pointless layovers. Line B can be accessed from the Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 RER station (located inside Roissypôle and next to Terminal 3) and is therefore the fastest and arguably the easiest way to get to the city. It is also part of the official Parisian transportation (yet it requires an additional supplement-ticket, even if you have purchased the pass). The train is also good for peak hours, as it runs as often as every 2,5 min. Downside? The RER B is ~iconic~ for its overcrowdedness, to the point where a fanny bag seems like too much luggage, so take that into account.
LONG DISTANCE TRAIN
Planning more Europe traveling? Terminal 2 of CDG airport includes a TGV station, with high-speed trains ready to take you to Amsterdam, Brugge, Brussels and various other cities in Belgium and the Netherlands. We’re all impatiently waiting for 2027, when the (much needed) so-called CDG Express – a non-stop train connecting the airport with the city center is scheduled to open. Because it seriously seems that for now if you want to travel with dignity, you just need to call a cab.
I prefer my rides on four wheels
TAXI/UBER/ETC
It takes around 30 minutes to get to the city by cab ~in theory~, but remember that Paris tops all the “Worst traffic” lists year in, year out – so it may not always be the best idea. The prices are fixed while travelling to the airport, so make sure to check it in advance to not get scammed. While booking a good ol’ Uber may be tempting, they can’t use the bus lane here (while the ~real taxis~ can). A sweet spot? Get a G7 taxi app – it works like Uber (so you can pre-book it while waiting for your luggage or even a few hours before; and you can pay with cash tho). It’s super reliable and can use that bus priority lane, allowing you to wave to all the uncultured swines standing in the traffic while you pass them by ~like a VIP~. Taxi drivers rarely speak English, but you may easily get by with a little help from a translator of your choice. By the way, unless you’re 100% sure you know the correct pronunciation of the place you need to go to, don’t try to freestyle – it sets the French people right off ~for some reason~ (an eyeroll in english-speaker).
PRIVATE SHUTTLE
Personally I don’t mind public transportation, especially when I travel solo. It’s cheap. It’s efficient. It may involve standing, but after long flights, it could be worse. Heck, you may even meet someone cool, and have some time to grab a bite before heading down. An exception? Charles de Guille airport, which I (cannot stress that enough) don’t trust. It seems that every time I fly there, there’s a strike, some big shot coming, or delay so great it leaves me hanging at 4 am with no money and no prospects, not to mention no knowledge of the city/language whatsoever (True story, that was actually my first time in Paris. Good times, I’m tellin’ y’all.) That’s why since I’m grown up and have access to the ~adult~ money, I usually try to arrange my own transfer. After all, they do say that it’s all about the journey – and sometimes that bish just calls to be just a tiny bit more comfortable. You can check out our list of tested and liked companies below:
