Charles de Gaulle Airport, which is also called Roissy, is around 25 kilometres north-east of Paris. To get from Charles de Gaulle to Paris, you have three real options: the RER B airport train, a fixed-fare taxi or one of the cheap buses. I always take RER B myself when I land here.
Which one suits you best depends on where you’re staying and when you land. The train runs straight to Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les Halles and the Latin Quarter, while a taxi is the best choice late in the evening or for a family with lots of luggage. Here you’ll find fares, journey times, where to get off and what to do at night. For the rough conversions I’ve used about £0.84 and $1.13 per euro.
Contents
At a glance
- RER B: €14 (about £12/$16), 25 to 30 minutes to Gare du Nord, with trains from the airport from 04:50 to 23:50.
- Bus 9517 and metro line 14: €4.60 (about £3.90/$5.20) for the two tickets, around 45 minutes to the centre, and the bus runs from around 05:20 to 00:30.
- Buses 350 and 351: €2.05 (about £1.75/$2.30), 60 to 90 minutes to Porte de la Chapelle and Nation, running only from morning to evening.
- N140 and N143 night buses: €2.05 (about £1.75/$2.30), to Gare de l’Est via Gare du Nord, running at night when the trains stop.
- Taxi: A fixed fare of €56 (about £47.50/$63) to the Right Bank and €65 (about £55/$73) to the Left Bank, 30 to 60 minutes.
- Uber and other ride-hailing apps: No fixed fare, and the app shows you the price before you book.
Finding your transport at the airport
Charles de Gaulle has three terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2, which is split into 2A to 2G, and Terminal 3. The free driverless CDGVAL train runs between the terminals and the railway stations, so it’s easy to get from one to the other. Air France mainly flies from 2E, 2F and 2G.
RER B has two stations at the airport. Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV is in the middle of Terminal 2, between 2C/2D and 2E/2F, and from here you can walk to every part of Terminal 2 or take the N1 and N2 shuttle buses. Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 serves Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, and from Terminal 1 you take CDGVAL to the station. Follow the signs for the train station. You can buy the airport ticket from the machines at the stations or in the Île-de-France Mobilités app.
The official taxis wait at the exits from baggage reclaim: at Terminal 1 by door 24 on the arrivals level, at 2E by door 10, at 2F by door 11 and at Terminal 3 by the exit from the arrivals hall. Uber and the other ride-hailing apps have their own pick-up points, and the app shows you the way. You can see all the taxi ranks on the Paris tourist office’s page about the airport.
1. RER B to Gare du Nord, Châtelet and the Latin Quarter
RER B is the airport train, and it’s both the fastest and the most predictable option. The train runs from the airport through the northern suburbs and under Paris, where it stops at Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les Halles, Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame, Luxembourg, Port-Royal, Denfert-Rochereau and Cité Universitaire. The journey to Gare du Nord takes 25 to 30 minutes, and you should allow up to 50 minutes if you’re going further south across the Seine.
There’s a train every 6 to 20 minutes depending on the time of day, and from the airport into Paris, the first one leaves at around 04:50 and the last at around 23:50. The train avoids the motorway, so the journey time holds up in the rush hour too, when a taxi can take up to an hour. When the RoissyBus to Opéra was withdrawn, Île-de-France Mobilités itself pointed to RER B as the obvious alternative, and the train serves all three terminals.
The train suits almost everyone who’s staying near one of its stations or near a metro station. The catch is late evenings, when there are sometimes engineering works on the line and buses can replace the train for part of the journey. So check the RATP page for RER B before you set off.
Fares and tickets
To and from the airport, you need the Ticket Paris Région <> Aéroports, which costs €14 (about £12/$16) whichever station in the region you’re travelling to. Children aged 4 to 9 pay a reduced fare of €7 (about £5.90/$7.90), and children under 4 travel free. Île-de-France Mobilités lists the rules for reduced fares. A standard metro ticket for €2.55 (about £2.20/$2.90) isn’t valid for the airport, so make sure you buy the right ticket.
The ticket is valid for two hours from when you first validate it, and you can change to the metro and other RER lines on the way, as long as you don’t leave the system. There’s no return ticket, and the same ticket can’t be used in both directions, so you’ll buy a new one for the journey back. You’ll find the fares and rules at Île-de-France Mobilités.
The app, Navigo Easy and paying
Paper tickets have almost disappeared in Paris. Your ticket has to be either in the Île-de-France Mobilités app on your phone, which works on both iPhone and Android, or on a Navigo Easy card, which costs €2 (about £1.70/$2.30) and is sold at the ticket offices. You validate it at the gates with your phone or card.
One thing to watch out for: if you already have standard metro tickets on your Navigo Easy card, you can’t load the airport ticket onto the same card. That’s a good reason to buy the airport journey in the app. You can’t count on paying by tapping your bank card at the RER B gates either, so have your ticket ready before you go down to the platform.
Multi-day passes
Paris Visite covers the airport and public transport across the whole region. It costs €30.60 (about £26/$34.50) for one day, €45.40 (about £38.50/$51) for two days, €63.80 (about £54/$72) for three days and €78 (about £66/$88) for five days, and children aged 4 to 9 pay half price. It only pays off if you travel a lot, because two airport tickets cost €28 (about £23.50/$31.50) together. See the prices for Paris Visite.
If you’re staying a whole week, Navigo Semaine for €32.40 (about £27.50/$36.50) is much cheaper. It’s valid in all zones including the airport, always from Monday to Sunday, and you can load it onto your phone in the app from the Friday before. Read more about Navigo Semaine.
Where to get off
Gare du Nord: The first station in Paris and one of the city’s big railway stations, with lots of hotels in the surrounding streets and around its neighbour, Gare de l’Est. Get off here if you’re staying in the area, or if you’re heading on to Montmartre, which is only a short metro or taxi ride away.
Châtelet-Les Halles: The big interchange station in the middle of the city, where you can change to RER A and the metro. From here you can walk into the Marais, and you can see hotels in the Marais here. I’ve also put together the best hotels in Le Marais. If you’re going to Opéra or the Champs-Élysées, change here to RER A towards Auber and Charles de Gaulle-Étoile.
Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame: The station is by the Seine, right opposite Notre-Dame in the middle of the Latin Quarter, and it’s the best stop if you’re staying here or in Saint-Germain. You can see hotels in the Latin Quarter here.
Luxembourg and Port-Royal: The stops by the Jardin du Luxembourg in the southern part of the Latin Quarter. They’re the ones to use if your hotel is by the park or around Boulevard Saint-Michel.
Denfert-Rochereau: The stop for the southern part of the city and the Montparnasse area, and it’s also where you’ll find the entrance to the Catacombs.
If you’d like to choose your neighbourhood based on the connection, have a look at my guide to where to stay in Paris, where I go through the five best areas and their hotels.
2. Bus 9517 and metro line 14 via Saint-Denis Pleyel
The cheapest way into the centre is the 9517 express bus from the airport to Saint-Denis Pleyel, where you change to metro line 14. The bus runs direct in around 30 minutes, and from there metro line 14 takes you into the centre, including Châtelet and Gare de Lyon, in around 10 minutes. Allow around 45 minutes in total with the change. At the airport, the bus stops at RoissyPôle, a short walk from the terminals.
The bus runs every day from around 05:20 to 00:30. On weekdays, there’s a bus every 15 minutes in the rush hour and every 30 minutes the rest of the time, and at weekends it runs every 20 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes in the evening. Saint-Denis Pleyel is also served by metro line 13 and RER D. You’ll find the timetable at RATP.
Fares and tickets
The bus needs a Ticket Bus-Tram for €2.05 (about £1.75/$2.30), and the metro needs a Ticket Métro-Train-RER for €2.55 (about £2.20/$2.90), so the journey costs €4.60 (about £3.90/$5.20) in total. That’s less than a third of the train fare. The tickets can’t be combined, because the metro ticket isn’t valid on the bus and the bus ticket isn’t valid on the metro. You can buy both in the app. Find out more about the Ticket Bus-Tram.
This route suits you if you’re travelling light and staying near line 14. With big suitcases, the change at Saint-Denis Pleyel is more of a hassle than taking RER B all the way.
3. Buses 350 and 351 to Porte de la Chapelle and Nation
Bus 350 runs from the airport to Porte de la Chapelle on the northern edge of Paris, and bus 351 runs to Nation in the east of the city. The journey takes 60 to 80 minutes on the 350 and 70 to 90 minutes on the 351, depending on where you get off, because the buses wind through the suburbs in ordinary traffic. They cost a standard Ticket Bus-Tram for €2.05 (about £1.75/$2.30).
The buses only run from morning to evening, and the 351 stops running earliest. They’re mainly a good choice if you’re staying near the end of the line and want to save money, because for the rest of the city RER B is both faster and easier. The departure times are on the same RATP page.
4. N140 and N143 night buses
When RER B stops for the night, the Noctilien night buses take over. The N140 and N143 run between the airport and Gare de l’Est via Gare du Nord. The N143 is the fastest, taking 55 to 65 minutes with a departure around every half hour, while the N140 runs around once an hour and takes 80 to 90 minutes.
At the airport, they stop at Terminal 1 (door 8), between 2B and 2D on the departures level and at the Roissypole bus station by Terminal 3. The night buses need a Ticket Bus-Tram for €2.05 (about £1.75/$2.30). It’s a cheap but long journey after a late flight, and if there are two or more of you, a taxi is often worth paying for. You’ll find the stops at Visit Paris Region.
5. Taxis and Uber
Paris taxis charge a fixed fare between Charles de Gaulle and the city: €56 (about £47.50/$63) to the Right Bank, north of the Seine, which includes the Marais, Montmartre, Opéra and the Champs-Élysées, and €65 (about £55/$73) to the Left Bank, south of the Seine, with the Latin Quarter, Saint-Germain and the area around the Eiffel Tower. The fare applies in both directions, and luggage is included.
If you book your taxi by phone or in an app, there can be a supplement of €4 (about £3.40/$4.50) for an immediate booking and €7 (about £5.90/$7.90) for an advance booking. From the fifth passenger, it costs €5.50 (about £4.60/$6.20) extra per person. The rates are on the French government’s official public service website. According to the French Ministry of the Economy, taxis have to accept card payment whatever the amount.
The journey takes 30 to 60 minutes depending on the traffic. Only take a taxi from the official ranks at the exits from baggage reclaim, and say no thanks to drivers who approach you inside the terminal. For two people the train is much cheaper, but if there are four of you, four train tickets cost €56, exactly the same as a taxi to the Right Bank.
Uber, Bolt and the other ride-hailing apps have their own pick-up points at the airport. They don’t charge a fixed fare, so the price depends on the time and demand, and the app shows it to you before you book. Compare it with the taxi’s fixed fare before you tap to book.
Private transfer
If you’re landing late with children, or you’d like your transport sorted before you land, you can book a private transfer from Charles de Gaulle here. The price is agreed in advance.
For groups of up to seven, a private minibus from Charles de Gaulle to Paris is the easiest option, because taxis add a supplement from the fifth passenger.
You can also book a pick-up with Welcome Pickups here, where the price is also agreed before you land.
Onward travel around France straight from the airport
If you’re not heading into Paris, you can often travel on straight from the airport. Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV station is in the middle of Terminal 2, and TGV trains run from here to places such as Lyon, Lille, Strasbourg and Bordeaux. The connections are described by Visit Paris Region, and you can find and compare tickets on Omio.
If you’re going to Disneyland, there are also TGV trains from the airport to Marne-la-Vallée Chessy right by the park, so you can skip the journey through Paris. Read more in my guide to Disneyland Paris.
Paris also has two other airports, Orly and Beauvais, and this guide only covers the journey from Charles de Gaulle, so check which airport your flight actually lands at. If it’s Orly, I’ve also written a guide to getting from Orly Airport to central Paris.
Getting back to the airport
Towards the airport, RER B runs from Gare du Nord from 04:53 to 00:15, from Châtelet-Les Halles from 05:26 to 00:11 and from Denfert-Rochereau from 05:18 to 00:03. Check which terminal you’re flying from: Terminal 2 has its own station, while Terminals 1 and 3 use Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1. Buy a new airport ticket for the journey back, because the one from your arrival can’t be used again.
If you’re catching a very early flight, the fixed-fare taxi is the safe option, and the N140 and N143 night buses also run through the night from Gare de l’Est. Bus 9517 runs from Saint-Denis Pleyel from around 05:20. How early you need to be at the airport depends on the airline, so check what they recommend. If someone’s dropping you off, the first 10 minutes in the drop-off zone are free.
Which option should you choose?
Here’s what I’d recommend, depending on where you’re staying:
Marais: Take RER B to Châtelet-Les Halles and walk the last bit into the Marais. With lots of luggage, a taxi at the fixed Right Bank fare is the easiest option.
Montmartre: Take RER B to Gare du Nord, and from there the metro or a taxi for the short hop up to Montmartre.
Latin Quarter: Take RER B straight to Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame or Luxembourg. It’s the easiest neighbourhood to reach from the airport.
Opéra: Take RER B to Châtelet-Les Halles and change to RER A for one stop to Auber by the Opéra. The airport ticket covers the change.
Champs-Élysées: Take RER B to Châtelet-Les Halles and RER A on to Charles de Gaulle-Étoile by the Arc de Triomphe, or take a taxi at the fixed fare.
Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est: Take RER B, which stops at Gare du Nord as its first station in Paris.
If you land at night: After the last train at around 23:50, it’s a taxi or the N143 night bus to Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est.
If there are three or four of you: Take a taxi. The fixed fare is for the whole car, so it doesn’t cost much more than the train tickets, and it takes you to the door.
If you’re going to Disneyland: Take a TGV from the station in Terminal 2 straight to Marne-la-Vallée Chessy.
Practical tips for getting from Charles de Gaulle Airport to central Paris
Download the Île-de-France Mobilités app before you land. That way you can buy the airport ticket and have it ready on your phone when you reach the gates, and you won’t need to find a ticket machine.
Buy a weekly pass if you’re staying from Monday to Sunday. Navigo Semaine covers the airport in both directions and the metro, RER and buses across the whole region for €32.40 (about £27.50/$36.50).
Don’t use Navigo Jour for the airport. The day pass for €12.30 (about £10.50/$14) doesn’t cover RER B to and from Charles de Gaulle, according to Île-de-France Mobilités.
Only take official taxis. Find the taxi rank at the exit from baggage reclaim, and turn down drivers who approach you inside the terminal.
Choose your hotel with the connection in mind. If you’re staying by Gare du Nord, RER B gets you there in half an hour, and you can see hotels near Gare du Nord here. In the Latin Quarter, the train runs right to Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame, and you can see hotels in the Latin Quarter here. If you’d like to stay in the Marais, get off at Châtelet-Les Halles, and you can see hotels in the Marais here.
If you’re not sure which neighbourhood suits you, read my guide to where to stay in Paris, and find ideas for your trip in my guide to things to do in Paris.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
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