Terminal 1
Star Alliance airlines and other international carriers
The round concrete terminal. The Star Alliance lounge and an Extime Lounge are here; CDGVAL takes you to the RER station at Aéroport CDG 1 in a few minutes.
Paris Charles de Gaulle: the airport guide
Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (Roissy)
Charles de Gaulle is France's largest airport and the third largest in Europe, spread over three terminals north-east of the city. Know your terminal, know that the taxi fare into Paris is fixed by law, and know which platform to head for, and it is easy. This is what a friend who flies through every week would tell you, checked against the official sources.
The 30-second version
Check your terminal before you fly: Terminal 1, the seven halls of Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 work almost as separate airports. On landing, the official taxi rank gives you a fixed €56 fare to the Right Bank and €65 to the Left Bank, the easiest way to nine of our ten hotels. Travelling light, follow the train signs to the RER B: €14 and about 28 minutes to Châtelet-Les Halles. Going home, allow two hours for a European flight and three for long-haul.
- Passengers in 2025
- 72.0 million (Groupe ADP)
- Terminals
- 3: Terminal 1, Terminal 2 (2A to 2G), Terminal 3
- Drive to our hotels
- Typically 33–41 minutes, 27–34 km
- Taxi into Paris
- Fixed €56 Right Bank, €65 Left Bank
- Fastest train
- RER B, about 25 minutes to Gare du Nord
- Train ticket
- €14 Paris Région Airports ticket
- Between terminals
- CDGVAL, free, every 4 minutes
- Wifi
- Free, network WIFI-AIRPORT
Book a private transfer
Booked with
A driver meets you in arrivals with your name on a sign, at a fixed price agreed when you book. Booked and paid with Welcome Pickups through our partner Travelpayouts; we may earn a commission.
Terminals
Terminal 2 (2A to 2G)
Air France and its SkyTeam partners, plus oneworld airlines
Seven halls in a line, with the RER B and TGV station in the middle. Air France flies from 2E (halls K, L and M), 2F and 2G.
Terminal 3
Charter and low-cost airlines
A simple hall next to the Roissypole stop, a short walk from the Aéroport CDG 1 RER station.
Landing to kerb
Every pick-up point, terminal by terminalPassport control
EU, EEA and Swiss passport holders aged 12 and over can use the PARAFE e-gates, and so can holders of several other biometric passports, including British, American, Canadian and Australian ones, on arrival. Other non-EU passports now go through the EU Entry/Exit System, phased in at the border from 12 October 2025 to April 2026: on your first entry an officer or kiosk takes your fingerprints and a photo, so expect that first crossing to take longer than the next.
Baggage and customs
Bags come out on the belt shown on the screens beyond passport control, then the green channel if you have nothing to declare. Terminal 2 is long, so if you are meeting someone on another flight, agree the hall (2E, 2F and so on) rather than just "Terminal 2".
The train
Follow the signs for the trains (Paris by train). From Terminal 2 the RER B station, Aéroport CDG 2 TGV, sits in the middle of the terminal, a walk of a few minutes from 2C, 2D, 2E and 2F. From Terminal 1, take the free CDGVAL shuttle one stop to Aéroport CDG 1; from Terminal 3 it is a short walk. Buy the €14 Paris Région Airports ticket at the machines: an ordinary metro ticket does not open the airport gates.
Taxis
Follow the taxi signs to the official rank outside arrivals and take the car at the front of the queue, nothing else. The fare to Paris is fixed by law in both directions: €56 to the Right Bank and €65 to the Left Bank, with no extra fees or surcharges allowed. Every Paris taxi must take cards, whatever the amount.
A pre-booked driver
A private transfer driver waits in arrivals with a name sign and tracks the flight. It is the calm option after a long-haul night, with children and car seats, or with more than four people.
Phone and money
Install an eSIM before you fly, or use the free WIFI-AIRPORT network. You need little cash: taxis, trains and almost every café in Paris take cards and phones. Arriving early? Bagages du Monde keeps bags at Terminal 2, level 4 of the TGV station, 07:00 to 21:00.
Kerb to gate
How early
Paris Aéroport advises two hours before a short-haul flight and three before a long-haul one, especially in busy periods. The drive from our hotels is typically 33–41 minutes; allow far more in the weekday evening rush.
Getting there
The fixed taxi fare works in reverse: €56 from the Right Bank, €65 from the Left Bank. Tell the driver the terminal and hall (2E, 2F and so on), because Terminal 2 is long and the halls have separate drop-off points. By train, the RER B runs from about 04:50 to midnight.
Check-in and bag drop
Go straight to the hall on your booking and check in or drop your bag there; Paris Aéroport asks you to head for the control areas as soon as you have. If you have gone to the wrong terminal, the free CDGVAL shuttle links Terminal 1, Terminal 3 and the Terminal 2 station every 4 minutes.
Security and fast track
There is no fast-track lane you can buy at the door. Priority lanes come with your ticket or status (Air France SkyPriority, for example), or you can book the airport's own LE MEET & GREET Extime, where an agent takes you through check-in, security and passport control, from €171 for one to three people on the member web rate.
Passport control on the way out
Leaving the Schengen area, non-EU travellers have their exit recorded under the Entry/Exit System. On departure the PARAFE e-gates are for adults with an eligible biometric passport; everyone else queues for a booth.
Where to wait
The best restaurants are in 2B, 2D, 2E and 2F, and the Extime Lounge in 2B and 2D; in Terminal 1, Bistrot Benoit is the pick. In 2E, hall L is a shuttle-train ride from check-in, so check your gate before you settle in.
Lounges
Passes marked Book a pass are sold through GetYourGuide, which shows the price, hours and terms before you pay; we may earn a commission.
Every lounge in detail
Extime Lounge Terminal 1
- Where
- After security, in the international zone of Terminal 1
- Access
- Pre-book on extime.com only: from €95 an adult and €47.50 a child on the member web rate, €115 with a shower; the walk-in price at the desk is up to 15% higher. For selected flights from Terminal 1.
- Hours
- 06:00–20:30
The best lounge a paying passenger can book in Terminal 1, with a hot and cold buffet, champagne, showers and a children's corner.
Extime Lounge Terminals 2B and 2D
- Where
- After security, serving flights from halls 2B and 2D
- Access
- Pre-book on extime.com: from €95 an adult and €47.50 a child on the member web rate, €115 with a shower; up to 15% more at the desk.
- Hours
- 05:00–22:00
Open early and late, with a proper buffet and showers: worth it for an early European flight from 2B or 2D.
YotelAir and Instant Paris
- Where
- After security, in hall L: take the shuttle train and follow the signs for Instant Paris and YOTEL
- Access
- Priority Pass; for non-Schengen departures and transit passengers only, maximum stay three hours, under-twos free.
- Hours
- Open 24 hours
The one Priority Pass option at CDG; passengers from halls K and M can use it but must allow time to get back.
Star Alliance Lounge
- Where
- After security, on the third floor
- Access
- First and business class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members flying with a member airline; three-hour maximum stay.
- Hours
- 06:00–22:30
Opened in October 2023 and named the world's best airline alliance lounge by Skytrax three years running: arrive early if you have access.
Air France lounges
- Where
- After security in each hall; La Première is in 2E, hall K
- Access
- Business and La Première passengers and Flying Blue elite members; at 2E, 2F and 2G Air France sells the €90 Lounge Option from three hours before departure, at the lounge desk or kiosk on the day, subject to space.
Five lounges across Terminal 2, with La Première in a class of its own; on a long day in economy, ask at the desk whether paid entry is available.
Salon Paris Lounge pass, Charles de Gaulle
A pass for one of the airport’s lounges after security. GetYourGuide shows which lounge, its hours and the price before you pay.
Book a passEat and drink
Bistrot BenoitTerminal 1
A Michelin-starred chef's Parisian bistro, the classic way to spend a last hour in Terminal 1.
La Table de Michel RothTerminal 2B and 2D
Table service and seasonal bistronomic cooking from a Michelin-starred chef; book-ended by the Extime Lounge if you want both.
I love Paris by Guy MartinTerminal 2E
A refined restaurant by the chef of Le Grand Véfour, the best sit-down meal before a long-haul Air France flight.
The French TasteTerminal 2F
A neo-brasserie by the chef of Le Grand Véfour in the middle of 2F, quicker than the 2E restaurant and just as French.
Les Halles GourmandesTerminal 1, 2B and 2D
French produce to eat in or take on board: the place for a proper sandwich, cheese and a glass of wine.
Private CellarsTerminal 2E and 2F
Moët Hennessy's tasting room for Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, Dom Pérignon, Krug and Hennessy: the right goodbye to France.
The hotel at Paris Charles de Gaulle
Sheraton Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Hotel
For an early flight, a late landing or a long wait: the one we would book.
Built into Terminal 2 itself, so you roll out of bed and walk to check-in or the train. Soundproofed rooms, 24-hour room service and day rooms make it the safest bet for an early flight or a long connection.
It sits in Terminal 2; for Terminals 1 and 3 you take the free CDGVAL train.
Getting to the terminal
Inside Terminal 2, above the TGV and RER station, a few minutes on foot to check-in
- Soundproofed rooms
- 24-hour room service and a 24-hour gym
- Day rooms for passengers in transit
- TGV and RER B station directly below
The catch: no airport bus into Paris any more
Île-de-France Mobilités stopped the Roissybus on 1 March 2026, saying the alternatives give a more reliable journey time; express bus 9517 now links the airport with Saint-Denis Pleyel for metro line 14. Older guides and some signs still mention it. Into town your choices are now the RER B, a taxi at the fixed fare or a pre-booked car; between about 00:30 and 05:30 the Noctilien night buses N140 and N143 run to Gare de l'Est on an ordinary bus ticket.
- Roissybus
- Withdrawn 1 March 2026
- Night buses
- N140 and N143 to Gare de l'Est
Insider notes
The taxi fare is per journey, not per person, and no luggage supplement can be added; a fifth passenger, where the car takes one, costs €5.50. Of our ten hotels only Mandarin Oriental Lutetia is on the Left Bank.
The RER B needs the €14 Paris Région Airports ticket; the ordinary €2.55 metro ticket will not open the gates at the airport stations. A Navigo pass covering all zones includes the airport.
Between terminals, use CDGVAL, the free driverless shuttle, every 4 minutes from 04:00 to 01:00.
With children
Terminal 1 has a Baby Lounge and Agora Kids, a play area with cartoons; Terminal 3 has a children's area for ages 4 to 8; 2E has a baby room. Several terminals have free PlayStation 5 and arcade areas. In the Extime Lounges a child's entry is half the adult rate.
Step-free and assistance
Assistance for passengers with reduced mobility is free under EU rules: ask your airline at least 48 hours before you fly and an assistant will meet you at the aircraft door and take you through to the kerb, or from the kerb to your seat on the way out. The Extime Lounges are step-free, and Paris taxis may not charge for carrying a wheelchair.
Delays and your rights
Every flight leaving CDG, whatever the airline, and every EU airline flight arriving from outside the EU, is covered by EU passenger rights. Arrive three hours or more late for a reason within the airline's control and compensation is €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for longer flights within the EU and others up to 3,500 km, and €600 beyond that, or €300 if you arrive three to four hours late.
A long wait or an early flight
For a dawn departure or a late landing, the Sheraton Paris Airport Hotel sits in the middle of Terminal 2, above the station, and citizenM Paris Charles de Gaulle, Novotel Paris CDG Terminal and ibis Styles Paris CDG Airport are a CDGVAL ride away. The Pullman Paris Roissy CDG Airport, INNSiDE by Meliá Paris CDG, the Hilton Paris CDG Airport and ibis Paris CDG Airport complete the list. CDGVAL runs from 04:00 to 01:00.
Getting to our ten hotels
The drive from Terminal 2 to our ten hotels is typically 33–41 minutes, and the fixed taxi fare covers all of them: €56 to the nine on the Right Bank, €65 to Mandarin Oriental Lutetia. Hôtel Madame Rêve and Le Grand Mazarin are the two where the RER B to Châtelet-Les Halles and a short walk make real sense. Our airport transfers page has the drive time and the way we would arrive for each hotel.
Questions people ask
Good questions about Paris Charles de Gaulle
How much is a taxi from Charles de Gaulle to Paris?
A fixed €56 to the Right Bank and €65 to the Left Bank, set by law in both directions, with no extra fees or surcharges allowed. A fifth passenger, where the car takes one, adds €5.50.
How long does the RER B take from CDG to Paris?
About 25 minutes to Gare du Nord and 28 minutes to Châtelet-Les Halles, with trains every 10 to 15 minutes on weekdays from about 04:50 until around midnight. The ticket is €14.
Is the Roissybus still running?
No. Île-de-France Mobilités withdrew it on 1 March 2026. Take the RER B, a taxi at the fixed fare, or at night the N140 and N143 buses to Gare de l'Est.
How early should I get to Charles de Gaulle?
Paris Aéroport advises two hours before a short-haul flight and three hours before a long-haul one, especially in busy periods. Add about 33–41 minutes for the drive from central Paris.
Is there a lounge I can pay for at CDG?
Yes. The Extime Lounges in Terminal 1 and Terminals 2B and 2D sell entry online from €95 an adult (€115 with a shower) on the member rate. Priority Pass members can use YotelAir in 2E for non-Schengen flights.
Can I use the e-gates at Paris CDG with a UK or US passport?
On arrival, yes: the PARAFE e-gates accept several non-EU biometric passports, including British and American ones, from age 12. Non-EU travellers also register fingerprints and a photo under the EU Entry/Exit System on their first entry.
Which terminal is Air France at CDG?
Mostly Terminal 2: 2E and 2F for most flights, 2G for smaller regional aircraft. Always check the terminal and hall on your booking, as more than 50 airlines have changed terminal at CDG since late 2022.
Image credits: Wilfredor (CC0) · Lionel Allorge (CC BY-SA 3.0) · DiscoA340 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Adoscam (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Eole99 (CC BY-SA 3.0)