How to Get from Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport to the center of Paris

Charles de Gaulle Airport, also known as Roissy Airport, is the largest airport in the French capital and nation, and the second largest in Europe in terms of passenger volume. The airport is located 25 kilometres northwest of Paris, so you'll need to choose a means of transport to get you to the city itself to begin your adventure.

However, being such an important airport, it is very well communicated and offers a wide range of options for getting around, so here is a list of all the details you need to know in order to choose the option that best suits your needs.

The most convenient option

Paris Charles de Gaulle or Orly Airports Private Transfer to Paris Hotels

Private transfer from Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris city centre

Save waiting time and avoid public transport by hiring a private vehicle to meet you at the airport and take you door-to-door to your accommodation in the city centre.

From £43 at Hellotickets

A service tailored to your needs

The best thing about this service is that it adapts to you and not the other way round. You are the one who chooses what time you want to leave and, moreover, as when you hire this transfer you will have to provide different information, including your flight details, if, for example, the plane is delayed, the company will be aware of this and your driver will still be waiting for you when you arrive.

Another advantage is that they will take you to the exact place where you are staying, so you will not have to worry about finding public transport combinations or dragging suitcases, your only concern will be to find out if it will be better to start your trip visiting the best museums in Paris or if you should start filling your stomach in one of the best creperies in the city

Another important aspect to take into account is that you will know the amount to be paid in advance. The amount will depend on several factors such as the size of the vehicle or the number of passengers, but you can find this type of transport from 50 euros.

Recommended if... especially if you arrive at the airport in the early hours of the morning, but also if you are travelling in a group as you can also ask for everything you need if you are travelling with children, such as booster seats.

If you want to travel in peace and quiet, to enjoy yourself and not have to worry about anything, a private transfer is the solution for you. This exclusive alternative allows you to go from Charles de Gaulle airport to the door of your accommodation in Paris without having to carry suitcases or look at maps, as by hiring this service, a driver will pick you up at the airport door and take you to your destination. Once the time comes, all you have to do is find your driver and he will take you to your accommodation in the most comfortable and safest way.

Furthermore, as you will have to hire these services in advance and the company will know the details of your flight, there will be a driver waiting for you at the time of your arrival whatever the time, as the companies that offer these services have 24 hour availability and many even allow cancellations if you do so with a certain amount of time in advance.

The most convenient option

Paris Charles de Gaulle or Orly Airports Private Transfer to Paris Hotels

Private transfer from Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris city centre

Save waiting time and avoid public transport by hiring a private vehicle to meet you at the airport and take you door-to-door to your accommodation in the city centre.

From £43 at Hellotickets

If the idea of a private transfer appeals to you but the price seems high or if you are travelling alone, you can still enjoy its comfort by booking a shared transfer.

How does a shared transfer work?

In the same way as the private transfer, you only have to hire this service with some time in advance and when you arrive at the airport a driver will be waiting for you, with the only difference that this time he will also be waiting for more travellers to take you all to your destination.

This is still a very comfortable way to get to Paris from the airport, as in the same way as with the private transfer, the driver will drop you off at the place you indicate, although it is true that it may take a little longer to arrive because he will probably make other stops along the way to drop off the rest of the passengers.

What should you know if you want to hire a shared transfer?

You should bear in mind that when you book this service you will have to provide the company with a series of details such as your flight number and the address of the place where you will be staying, so that they can find out what time you will land, if your plane is delayed and so that they can plan the best route to make the transfer the most efficient way for you and those travelling with you.

However, companies usually organise these transfers in such a way that, in the worst case, you will have to wait a maximum of one hour, and the journey time is approximately 40 minutes, although this will depend on the number of stops and the distance between them.

The RER (Réseau Express Régional) train service, which is a suburban train, is one of the most popular methods of getting from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the centre of Paris.

Line B, which operates from this aerodrome, will take you in just half an hour to the most central stops on this line in Paris, such as the Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les-Halles or Saint Michel-Notre Dame train stations.

Tickets for this line cost around 10.5 euros and can be purchased at the ticket machines located in the stations. If your final destination does not coincide with any of the stations served by line B, you can change trains at any of them and continue your journey by metro or any other local train without having to buy a new ticket.

You can consult the train timetables here

It is also possible to get from Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris by bus, but there are several options. You'll find a shuttle bus and several scheduled buses, both day and night. I'll tell you all you need to know about them so you can choose the one that best suits your needs.

Roissybus

This shuttle bus connects the airport with the Place de l'Opéra in the French capital. The Roissybus option is ideal if your accommodation is in that area, as it is comfortable, cheap and runs very frequently, every 15 to 20 minutes. I recommend you take a look at this page to avoid surprises and to have everything under control.

The price of the ticket is around 12 euros and you can buy your ticket from the machines at the bus stops or from the driver on the bus itself.

Lines 350 and 351

In addition to the Roissybus, you can also use regular buses to get into the city. The two intercity buses that pass through Charles de Gaulle are line 350 and line 351. These buses run every 15 to 30 minutes and take between an hour and an hour and a half to reach the last stop, but best of all, you can enjoy this journey for just 2 euros! An option to take into account if you don't want to spend a lot of money on your journey.

Night buses

If you want to use this method of transport but arrive after midnight, don't worry, the Noctilien is the night bus that will take you from the airport to the city centre.

There are two lines on which you can travel in the early hours of the morning, one is line 140 and the other line 143, both with destination at the Gare de l'Est. As for the price, it will depend on where you are going, as there are different fare zones ranging from two euros in the first zone to eight euros in the fifth.

Interesting facts

Journey time: One hour/hour and a half
Price: Around 2 euros.

As in any airport, taxis are always an option, as you will find many of them available at the exit to take you on your journey whenever you need them.

It is true that it is an option that does not require any planning and is quite convenient as you will not have to wait for them to arrive or depend on them, even so, here are some tips to make your trip to Paris perfect

The taxi will take you to the door of your accommodation and the driver will help you with your luggage. Another advantage is that in Paris there is a fixed rate for taxi journeys from the airport:

• 50 euros approximately if your accommodation is on the left side of the city.
• 55 euros approximately if you are going to the right side of Paris (taking the Seine river as a reference).

Apart from this, you should also bear in mind that you may be charged a 15% surcharge if you make the journey at special times such as weekends, public holidays or at night.

Even more convenient, using a VTC

On the other hand, there is also a similar option which consists of taking a VTC (Uber, Bolt, Free Now...), which depending on the demand at the time can be more or less expensive than the previous option. These options can also be used once you are in the city, but here is the best guide on how to get around Paris so you can take a look at it.

While renting a car may not be the most popular option, it's still an option to consider if you're planning a trip from Paris to visit other cities.

This alternative gives you the opportunity to move around at your own pace without relying on public transport, although I must warn you that renting a car also has several drawbacks that you should be aware of:

• You will probably have to spend some time at the airport filling out paperwork to rent a car.
• You should be aware that you will probably have to pay to leave the car parked.
• If you are going to move around the city, it is preferable to use public transport.
• If the car is not electric, you will have to make an investment in fuel.
• However, if your trip is planned to visit also the surroundings of the city, this can be your perfect option, as you will not depend on timetables and you will be able to move wherever you want and whenever you want.

Interesting facts

Duration of the trip: Depends on the distance from the airport to your accommodation
Price: From 25 euros per day.

Do you already know how you are going to get to your destination from the airport? Check all the options and choose the best one for you depending on your budget, the time and the day you arrive and from here on just enjoy the city of light.