CDG airport from Paris

"K2T Wisata"

If you take a flight to Paris and arrive in the International Airport Charles de Gaulle (Airport Code: CDG), it is quite easy to get to the city of Paris: you just follow the signs to public transportation or taxis and then choose what you like the most.

Often times, taking the regional trains (RER) from CDG Airport to Paris is also very simple: you follow the “RER” signs and arrive at the platform, where a train will either be stopped there, waiting for its departure time, or one will be about to arrive to take you a bit later. You can enter the train, put your luggage on the racks and relax.

Bear in mind you should get your ticket for the train at the airport, before you board the train. If you were in Paris before, you can also get these tickets in advance in the vending machines available in train and metro stations.

Now, the problem may arise when you have to do the other way around: after a few days in Paris, you will have to take a flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and you are trying to find which the best way to get there is.

From Paris to CDG by SNCF train

The airport is served by an SNCF railway station, in which national and international trains arrive to CDG Airport. Called “Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 – TGV”, this station is located between terminals 2C-2D and 2E-2F.

As for reaching your terminal from there, the CDG airport’s website explains you can use the moving walkways to reach terminals 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, though it advises to take line 1 shuttle to terminals 2A and 2B, and the N2 bus shuttle from terminal 2C, entrance 4, if you need to go to terminal 2G. If your terminal is 1 or 3, they advise to take the CDGVAL shuttle train, which is free of charge. Please make sure to follow these recommendations, since CDG is a very large airport.

Allow lots of time for the shuttle train or bus, as they may take a bit to come and then stop in several terminals. Also, particularly with SNCF trains, but with all French public transportation, be aware of the fact that the unions of train and metro workers are strong, which often leads to “greves” or strikes that interrupt the regular flow of public transportation. You should always have a plan B, just in case.

From Paris to CDG by RER train

If you decide to go for the regional trains, the RER B line charges 8.40 euros for a one way trip from Paris-Châtelet les Halles to the CDG Airport. You can get on the train in the intermediate stops, or combine this ticket with the metro –to reach a RER B stop-, the fare will still be the same. Remember to keep your ticket with you at all times, since you will be required to use it not only to get on the metro and train stations, but also to exit the train station and get into the CDG Airport.

When taking the RER train, allow yourself some extra time. It is frequent for the RER B to be late, to have some “last minute” problems that prevent some of the trains from coming –as many as 2 or 3 consecutive trains may not show up- or to change the places it stops with no much prior notice. These things happen especially on rush hour and it is frequent that tourists miss their flights from Paris when not having the extra time and flexibility for these unexpected changes.

Another problem when trains are late or when many are cancelled is that, when a train finally comes, it will be very crowded and you might not be able to get on it. A good tip –given by a Moroccan girl that has worked in the Airport area for 2 years and takes the RER B every day- is to wait for the train right where you have a surveillance camera pointing at you, since that is a point where a door opens. Otherwise, if the train is crowded and you’re standing in between two doors, you probably won’t make it in the train on time. Don’t panic with the crowds, a lot of people get off in Gare du Nord and you will have a chance to sit down.

The RER B stops in the aforementioned “Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 – TGV” station, but also in the previous “Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1” station, serving terminals 1 and 3.

From Paris to CDG by bus

A more comfortable option, though it can take a bit longer, is to take a bus or shuttle bus. Although there are many buses listed in the CDG website, here are the most common ones to take from Paris:

The Roissy Bus takes you from Opera station, in the center of Paris, to CDG terminals 2A, 2C, 2E-2F, 2D, 2B, 3 and 1 for 9.40 euros. The journey takes from 45 minutes to an hour, but you should count some extra time for traffic, especially in rush hours.

Bus 350 leaves from Gare de L’est and bus 351 from Nation station, in Paris. Both stop in CDG in terminals 2A, 2C, 2E-2F, 2D, 2B and 1. As with the Roissy Bus, the journey takes 45 to 60 minutes, but you should count some extra time for traffic, especially in rush hours.

Also Air France has a shuttle service, Les Cars, which can be used by passengers of all airlines for a fee. Line 2 leaves from downtown Parisian stations Etoile and Porte Maillot; the cost is 15 euros. Line 3 departs from Paris Orly airport –terminals south and west- and costs 19 euros. Line 4 leaves from the center of Paris, Gare Montparnasse and Gare de Lyon station, taking passengers to CDG for 16.50 euros. All these services stop in the same terminals as the 350 buses. Journeys are estimated in 45, 60 and 50 minutes –respectively- but, as always, you should allow extra time.

The Noctilien Night Bus connects the Paris Gare de L’est with CDG for 6.40 euros. It is quoted to take 60 minutes for the complete journey.

Other buses arriving in CDG are the Val d’Europe Airports Shuttle (VEA) to Disneyland Paris Parks and hotels, and the Filéo Roissy to several towns in the departments of Val d’Oise, Seine-Saint-Denis and Seine-et-Marn.

Whatever the transportation you take remember, if you are on your way to take a flight from Paris and you do not want to miss it, you should always allow extra time, just in case. ¡Have a safe trip!