Charles De Gaulle Airport

The majority of international flights land at Charles de Gaulle International Airport otherwise known as CDG. It’s located approximately 14 miles to the northeast of Paris. CDG has three terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. Most major airlines fly into either Terminal 1 or Terminal 2.

Satellite S3- will be added on to Terminal 2E and 2F and should be up and running (in theory by the end of December ‘07 (already??). It’s meant to accommodate the new AirBus 380 planes. (We’ve seen the beginnings of this new wing. They’re looking for investors - want to invest in part a Paris airport?) (No, I don’t receive any benefit from this - I’d be happy with clean airport toilets - with or without the flossy add-on satellites)

Here’s the official ’spiel’:
“Satellite S3 is an add-on to CDG Terminals 2E and 2F, designed to enhance the performance of the CDG 2 hub by providing additional passenger capacity (8.5 million passengers per year) and plane capacity (over 20 plane stations). It will connect directly with CDG Terminal 2F via a pedestrian walkway and with CDG Terminal 2E via a rapid transport line (LISA, using the same technology as CDGVAL, with capacity of 4500 passengers per hour each way).”

Before taking a flight, be sure to confirm which Terminal you’ll be using with your airlines. This is obviously most useful for your departures, but also for arrivals if you’re looking for your car rental company or shuttle service to Paris.

For example, the RER B lines and the TGV trains leave from Terminal 2. Also, if you plan to take a shuttle bus such as Les Cars Air France, the driver will want to know your Terminal for luggage storage and easy unloading.

Terminal 1

If you’re departing from Terminal 1, be sure to also ask your airline company for the Door number, i.e Terminal 1 Porte 21. This will make it easier for a Taxi to drop you off as close as possible to your airlines’ check-in. Otherwise you can circumnavigate the entire terminal a few times before getting to your check in gates.

Some of the gates are connected to the main terminal by long tubes - through which you can walk quite a distance on moving walkways at bizarre inclines. You may think this is a form of built-in airport workout facility - but it’s what passed for avant garde design in the seventies. Beware that your roller carry-on doesn’t roll away from you as you start climbing the moving walkway to heaven.

Terminal 2

Terminal 2 is subdivided into alphabet city i.e Terminal 2A- 2B-2C-2D-2E-2F. You need to know your alphabet letters as well as the terminal number if you’re going to be dropped off by a shuttle bus such as Les Cars Air France. The drop off can be confusing also i.e. you may get a call for 2A and 2C as the first drop off. Listen to the letters to avoid getting off too soon or too late.

Terminal 3
Terminal 3 is a ‘budget airlines’ terminal. You can can find out more about the layout of this terminal at at EASYCDG Terminal 3.

Car rental pick ups

Check out the EASYCDG site for car rental locations in terminals and confirm with your car rental company about the pick-up arrangements. In Terminal 1, the car car rental companies can be found on the ‘Boutique’ level. In some cases, depending on the company, you’ll need to be shuttled out to parking lots in the hinterlands. Save yourself some hassle and get specific instructions from your car rental company about the EXACT location of their car rental booth (and parking lot) at CDG.

Unlike US companies, French rental companies leave just enough gas/petrol in the car to get you to the first gas station which is on the autoroute headed for Paris. Do not let this opportunity to gas up slip past you!

You have a choice of Autoroutes going into Paris A1 (Porte de la Chapelle and A3 Porte de Bagnolet). Follow the signs directing you to Paris Centre. As you get closer to Paris, you’ll want to decide which direction to take on the circular ‘peripherique’ either to the east or west (the landmarks like the Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe will be most quickly reached by heading west and getting off at exit Port Maillot for the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe.).

Porte de la Chapelle and Porte de Bagnolet bring you into the northern part of Paris which will bring you to the Montmartre neighborhood. If you’ve booked on the Left Bank, you’ll want to either cross through the center of Paris (if you’re feeling gutsy) or ask your hotel guide for the closest exit off the ‘periph’ i.e to get to Montparnasse we usually come in by way of Porte d’Orleans in the southern sector.
Here are more Directions and Maps.

ADP (Aeroport de Paris) Driving Instructions to CDG

Airport Transport to Paris

You have several options for getting to Paris: RER B(Regional Rapid Transit) (Terminal 2), Roissybus, Les Cars Air France, taxi or private hotel shuttle services. Needless to say, if you’re staying at a big hotel in Paris, be sure to ask if they offer shuttle service.

Personally, my favorite service is Les Cars Air France simply because it’s the most convenient - if you’re staying around Montparnasse. Les Cars offers reasonably priced service to both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 with stops at Montparnasse and Gare de Lyon. It also offers Right Bank service to Porte Maillot, Etoile as well as a third shuttle which connects to Paris other major airport, Orly, located south of Paris. At the time of this writing, a one-way ticket to Paris cost 14 Euros, or 28 Euros round trip. You can pay as you board the bus.

Air France shuttle routes

If you want to avoid rush hour traffic, you can take the RER B line (located underneath Terminal 2). Take a Paris direct train to avoid local stops outside of Paris. Within Paris, you’ll find stops on the Right Bank and the Left Bank such as Gare du Nord, Chatelet, St. Michel, Denfert Rochereau. If you’ve already booked hotel, be sure to choose the RER stop closest to your hotel.

The Roissybus is useful if your hotel is located on the Right Bank in the Place de l’Opera neighborhood, near the Louvre Museum. Otherwise you’ll need to catch a cab or take the Metro from Place de L’Opera to wherever you’re going. Roissybus is a few Euros cheaper than Les Cars Air France (currently 8.50 Euros one-way) It’s a way to cut down on the cost of a taxi all the way from the airport. Just make sure that you’re hotel is not too far from the Place de l’Opera stop.

More on the RER B train to Paris

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