One of the busiest airports in Europe, the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle International airport has numerous modes of transportation available from the airport to the Paris city center. The airport is connected through the RER & Metro, TGV, Thalys, Bus, Roissybus, Noctilien (Night bus line), airport shuttles, taxis, limousines, airport car rentals etc. Terminals are connected via the CGDVAL. Thus its famous high speed trains, metro, bus and night bus services integrate into one well tuned transit machinery.

Paris Airport

Paris has 4 main Airports. Two of them are for private jets and discount flights but the other two are for large commercial flights. The ones for the commercial flights are the Charles de Gaulle airport at Roissy and the Orly airport. The Charles De Gaulle or CDG or just Roissy airport is the main international airport of France. Orly Airport is actually located partly in Orly and partly in Villeneuve-le-roi (towards south of Paris). Before the CDG, the Orly was the main airport. It caters to both international and domestic flights. The other two important airports are Beauvais-Tillé (mainly for discount airlines) and Le Bourget (mainly for business/private jets). The Paris Airshow takes place at Le Bourget. Aeroports de Paris manages CDG, Orly and Le Bourget airports apart from other airfields and airports.

Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), Paris

Address: BP 20101, 95711, Roissy Charles de Gaulle, France

This airport construction started in 1966 and it was opened for service in 1974. The architect was Paul Andreu. It is a little more than 14 miles (23 Km) to the NE of Paris. It is the world’s tenth busiest airport.
CDG has 3 terminals. Terminals 1, Terminal 3 and Terminal 2 being a collection of 6 sections, each acting as a terminal. Hence the terminals here at Charles de Gaulle are 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2F, 3. 2E had encountered an unpleasant accident – a portion of the terminal collapsed in 2004 due to what was later determined as “design flaws”. A new terminal is being built in its place with completion in 2008. Meanwhile two departure lounges have been set up to handle the 2E passengers. Between terminals one can commute using the CDGVAL automatic Light Rail System. In terminal 2 the VAL station is quite a long walk from its farther halls. The Terminal 2 is served by RER and TGV stations underneath making it very convenient for commute into the city or other places in continental Europe.
Terminal 1 is mainly for non-Air France flights. All terminal 2 sections cater to Air France. Apart from Air France, terminal 2A caters to Japan Airlines, Continental, Air Canada, Air India, El Al Israel Airlines, etc., terminal 2B caters to the European airlines including Swiss, Bulgaria Air, Austrian Airlines etc.. Terminal 2C is for Air France long haul flights and also Aeromexico, Emirates etc. Terminals 2D and 2F are for Air France. 2D caters to Luxair (Luxembourg), Finnair, Portugalia etc. From 2F it’s Korean Air, KLM etc.  Terminal 3 is mainly for seasonal charter flights and also Air Memphis, Air Cairo amongst others.

Car Parking at CDG

One can park the car at the CDG airport and leave it for days if required (of course parking fees apply!). CDG has a number of well maintained car parks and they are efficiently connected by the CGDVAL. Terminal 1 is served P₁. P _R is also relatively nearby. From here Terminal 1 is a two minute ride by CDGVAL.  P₃ Sud (south) and P₃ Est (East) serve terminal 3. Terminals 2A and 2B are served by P _AB, terminals 2C and 2D by P _CD, terminals 2E and 2F by P _EF. They are all well connected and accessible by the CDGVAL. P _X and P vacances, are the other car parks in the CDG airport. P₁, P₃, P _AB,P _CD are the express car parks from where the terminals are accessible by a couple of minutes walk. P vacances and P X are open air car parks with no spaces reserved for the disabled. In case of P _X one would have to take the CDGVAL to access the terminals from here. Its rates are different from the others. P vacances is close to terminal 3 – a five minute walk. But from other terminals it is relatively far and would not be a practical option. Mainly ideal for longer hours of parking.   Payments at the car parks can be made by credit card or cash. Checks are not accepted. The first ten minutes are free (except for P vacances).

Commuting between terminals at Charles de Gaulle

There is a free automatic service called the CGDVAL connecting the three terminals, the RER and TGV stations, the car parks and the bus station. This takes about 8 minutes. (Click to enlarge Map; Map, courtesy Aeroports de Paris)

More on Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris

Located in Paris, France, the Charles de Gaulle Airport is a popular travel destination. It offers many amenities for both business travelers and tourists. Among these are shops and restaurants, business amenities, and terminals.

Terminals

Located in Paris, Charles de Gaulle airport is one of the biggest airports in the world. There are seven terminals at the airport. Each terminal is spread out in different areas. These terminals are designed to facilitate international and domestic passengers. There are also several business amenities.

Terminal 2 is the largest terminal at the airport. It is also the oldest. The terminal was originally designed by Paul Andreu. The terminal is circular in shape and consists of five floors. The first floor focuses on technical operations. The second floor is mainly a retail area. The third floor is mainly a check-in area. The fourth floor has access to transportation, boarding gates, baggage claim conveyors, and duty-free stores.

Terminal 2G, a satellite building for Air France, is located between Terminals 2E and 2F. The terminal handles regional Air France flights. It has a separate building, but the shuttle bus connects to Terminals 2E and 2F.

Terminal 2 is a very large terminal, and it takes about ten minutes to walk from one end to the other. The airport offers a free shuttle service to and from the terminal.

Trains

Getting from Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris is fairly simple, and the public transportation options are pretty good. You can use the RER train to get between the airport and the city centre or take a taxi. However, if you are looking for a cheaper alternative, you can book a private transfer or take a shuttle to Paris. These will be cheaper and you will avoid the hassle of traveling in rush hour.

There are two train stations at Charles de Gaulle airport. The first is at Terminal 3/Roissypole. There is a bus that runs between the three terminals. You can buy tickets from the bus, or you can buy them at the train station.

The airport’s express train link, the RER, is a great way to get to the center of Paris in under 25 minutes. There are nine stops between the airport and Gare du Nord. The RER B train is the fastest, with an average time of 35 minutes.

Shopping

Whether you’re looking for a souvenir or want to buy a gift for a friend, Charles de Gaulle airport offers a huge range of shops. Whether you’re looking for perfumes, clothing, chocolates, cosmetics or accessories, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for.

Shopping at Charles de Gaulle airport is a lot of fun. There are many different shops to choose from, and they’re all open during the day. You’ll find many souvenir stores, but there are also wine stores and confectionery stores to choose from.

Charles de Gaulle airport is also well connected to Paris, and offers a variety of layover activities. For example, you can purchase a car rental, or check out interactive play areas for the kids. The airport also offers mobile charging, luggage storage, and a range of other services.

You’ll also find many different restaurants at Charles de Gaulle airport. These include several different types of bistros, as well as many cafes. The airport also has a number of different stores selling cosmetics, jewelry, and other exclusive French items.

Business amenities

Whether you’re a business or leisure traveler, Paris Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG) offers a number of business amenities. These include meeting rooms, WiFi and mobile charging. Depending on your needs, you may also be able to reserve a private dining room or a quiet area to relax.

Several hotels are located near the airport, and are linked to the terminal via shuttle trains. A shuttle train is also available from the TGV-RER railway station.

Air France operates a business class lounge at the airport. The lounge is spacious, comfortable and includes showers and a well-stocked buffet. There are also flight monitors, newspapers and a spa.

A lounge pass for the Air France lounge costs EUR60 and can be purchased at the airport. The lounge is open from 05:30 am to 10:30 pm. The lounge is located in Terminal 2F.

Aside from business amenities, there are also prayer rooms for passengers to relax and unwind. They are located in Terminal 2E. These rooms are open to everyone, not just passengers.

References:
RATP ; Thalys ; SNCF ; SNCF-UK ; Aeroports de Paris