Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport is often best reached by train. Suburban train RER line B is a cheap way to connect to the vast metro system in downtown Paris with stops at amongst others Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les Halles, and Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame. Some high-speed TGV trains also stop at Charles de Gaulle Airport and provide amongst others easy connections to Disneyland Paris.
Train Stations at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
Charles de Gaulle Airport has two separate train stations:
- Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2-TGV Station is used by both high-speed TGV and regional RER trains. It serves passengers flying from Terminal 2 (and other terminals if using TGV trains).
- Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 Station is used only by RER trains. It serves passengers flying from Terminal 1 and Terminal 3.
The free CDGVAL shuttle train (navette) connects the three terminals and some parking lots and may be used by anyone to transit between the terminals.
Getting to the Train Stations from Charles de Gaulle Terminals
The train stations at Charles de Gaulle Airport are unfortunately not models of convenience for airport passengers. Free shuttle trains or buses must often be used from the airport terminals to the train stations.
- Terminal 1
Passengers from terminal 1 should use the free CDGVAL shuttle train (navette) from the terminal to stop Terminal 3 – Roissypole where the RER station Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 is located. Traveling time is 6 minutes and trains run at very high frequencies. For TGV passengers, stay on the CDGVAL shuttle up to stop Terminal 2 – Gare Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2-TGV.
- Terminal 2
Passengers from terminal 2 can mostly walk or use moving walkways to reach Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2-TGV Station. Terminal 2G is, however, not within walking distance from the other airport buildings. Passengers using Terminal 2G should use the free shuttle bus N3 from 2G to Terminal 2C – traveling time is 10 minutes. Passengers from Terminal 2A and 2B may also prefer using free shuttle bus N1 to avoid the rather long walk to the station entrance.
- Terminal 3
RER station Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 is connected to terminal 3 by pedestrian walkway.
By TGV Train to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport
High-speed TGV trains of the TGV-East line stop at Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2-TGV. This allow for high-speed rail connections without transfer in Paris to amongst others Amsterdam, Brussels, Le Mans, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Orléans, Poitiers, Reims, Rennes, Strasbourg, and Tours.
Marne la Vallée-Chessy, which is in the center of Disneyland Resort Paris (Euro Disney), is a mere 10-minute TGV train ride away from Charles de Gaulle Airport. For the rest of Paris, TGV trains are generally not used when traveling from the airport.
By RER Train B to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport
Using the RER train from downtown Paris is often the easiest and most reliable way to reach Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. RER line B travels from the airport and stops at the following stations:
- Station (Traveling time in minutes to / from CDG-2)
- Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2-TGV
- Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 (2)
- (Numerous stops in residential areas of Paris)
- Gare du Nord (28)
- Châtelet - Les Halles (31)
- Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame (33)
- Luxembourg (35)
- Port-Royal (37)
- Denfert-Rochereau (39)
- Antony (59 on B4 trains)
Denfert-Rochereau and Antony stations have bus links to Orly Airport (ORY) and may be of use to transfer passengers. An alternative transfer option are the buses operated by Les Cars Air France.
RER line B trains operate with high frequency from around 5 am to midnight. The cost is currently €8.20, which include further transfers to other RER or metro stations in Paris. Users of rail passes such as Paris Visite need zones 1 – 5.
RER Line B is primarily designed to serve Northern Paris and is often overcrowded during peak hours. Space for luggage is limited and depending on the final destination, many flights of stairs may be involved. Dedicated airport express trains are still some years away. As a result, using a bus service to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport is often actually more convenient, especially when traveling with luggage.
Henk Bekker - Henk Bekker is a freelance travel writer currently living on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland.
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