Skip to content

Best ways to get from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the Paris city center

April 11, 2024
5 min read
Tourist couple looking at The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
Best ways to get from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the Paris city center
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

Paris is one of Europe's most popular and most-visited cities, and for good reason. However getting into the city center from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) can be tricky to navigate if you've never done it before.

Luckily the airport is fairly well connected and has a dizzying array of options to get you from A to B.

TPG has taken a look at your best options whether you're looking to take a train, bus or taxi.

Related: Paris Charles de Gaulle vs. Orly: Which airport should you fly into?

How to get to the city center from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport

There are several different ways to get from CDG to the city center, such as by using trains, buses, taxis or ride-hailing services such as Uber.

Taking the train from CDG

CDG has two train stations: the Aeroport Charles de Gaulle 1, which serves Terminals 1 and 3, and the Aeroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV, which serves Terminal 2. Both are served by TGV and RER B trains, and both are great options depending on which Paris train station you need to reach.

Generally speaking, a one-way ticket from CDG to the city center should cost up to 11.80 euros ($12.81) for adults, depending on your final destination. Children under 5 travel for free.

Here's how to get from CDG to each of Paris' main train stations.

Gare du Nord railway station in Paris. LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

CDG to Gare du Nord

Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

It takes around 25 minutes to go from CDG to Gare du Nord train station. To get there, you must take the RER B train toward Chatelet and exit at Gare du Nord, where you can also catch the Eurostar to further European destinations.

CDG to Gare de l'Est

To reach Gare de l'Est, you'll need to hop on the RER B from Aeroport Charles de Gaulle and exit at Gare du Nord; from there, you'll need to take a short walk over to Gare de l'Est. The journey takes 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the walking pace from Gare du Nord.

CDG to Gare d'Austerlitz

From CDG, you'll need to take the RER B train heading to Chatelet and then change at Gare du Nord onto line 5, headed for Place d'Italie. Then, get off at Gare d'Austerlitz. The journey should take around 50 minutes.

CDG to Gare Saint Lazare

You can reach Gare Saint Lazare by using the RER B train headed for Chatelet. You'll then want to change at Gare du Nord/Magenta and take the RER E going to Haussmann-Saint Lazare, getting off at Saint Lazare. The journey will take around 50 minutes.

CDG to Gare Montparnasse

Hop on the RER line B train heading to Saint-Remy-les-Chevreuse and get off at Saint-Michel Notre-Dame. From there, change onto Metro line 4, go to Bagneux-Lucie Aubrac and hop off at Montparnasse.

The RATP bus 92 passes the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. DANIEL DARKO/GETTY IMAGES

Taking the bus from CDG

Charles de Gaulle has RoissyBusy bus stops that can be found at terminals 1, 2 and 3, with several dropoff points in Paris. You can get a direct service straight to Opera. From there you can change to another bus or a Metro service to your final destination. It's roughly an hourlong journey; buses run frequently during the day and every 20 to 30 minutes after 8 p.m.

Take a taxi or ride-hail from CDG

Booking a taxi or a ride-hailing service like Uber is probably the quickest and easiest way to get from CDG to the center of Paris. You'll find taxis waiting outside all three terminals.

Taxis should be charged at a flat rate of 55 euros ($59.70) to the Right Bank of Paris and 62 euros ($67.29) to the Left Bank. You may be charged extra if you're traveling with more than four people and need a bigger vehicle.

The scene at Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris. IAN LANGSDON/GETTY IMAGES

How to reach Disneyland Paris from CDG

If you're heading to Paris specifically to visit Disneyland Paris, you can get there surprisingly quickly from CDG. The TGV train from the airport will take you straight to Disneyland in just nine minutes. Buses, including the Magical Shuttle and Eurolines, also depart from Terminal 2 E-F. This journey, similar to hopping in a cab, will take around one hour.

Bottom line

If you're flying into Charles de Gaulle, there are numerous ways to reach the city center (or Disneyland). Each has its merits depending on your budget and timing.

Related reading:

Featured image by JAMES ONEIL/GETTY IMAGES
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

TPG featured card

Best for businesses with high spending
TPG Editor‘s Rating
4.5 / 5
Go to review

Rewards

2 - 10X miles

Intro offer

LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles

Annual Fee

$395

Recommended Credit

740-850
Excellent

Why We Chose It

The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
  • In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
  • Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.

Cons

  • The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
  • Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
  • LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
  • Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
  • With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
  • Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
  • Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
  • Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
  • Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
  • This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Apply for Capital One Venture X Business
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for businesses with high spending
TPG Editor‘s Rating
4.5 / 5
Go to review

Rewards Rate

2X miles2 miles per dollar on every purchase
5X miles5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
10X miles10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
  • Intro Offer

    LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles
  • Annual Fee

    $395
  • Recommended Credit

    740-850
    Excellent

Why We Chose It

The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
  • In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
  • Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.

Cons

  • The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
  • Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
  • LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
  • Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
  • With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
  • Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
  • Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
  • Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
  • Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
  • This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month