Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Guide (2026)

Around 70 million passengers a year pour through Paris Charles de Gaulle — and a fair number of them spend their first hour here feeling thoroughly lost. It's the largest airport in France by a wide margin, a small city sitting about 25 kilometers northeast of Paris, with three terminals, nine check-in halls, and enough walking between gates to wreck a tight connection. This Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport guide is the cheat sheet you wish you'd read before landing: which terminal your airline actually uses, how to get into the city without overpaying, where the good food hides, and how much buffer time you genuinely need.

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at a Glance

Before we get into the details, here's the snapshot that saves you scrolling:

Official name: Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (Aéroport de Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle)
IATA code: CDG
Location: Roissy-en-France, roughly 25 km northeast of central Paris
Terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2 (halls 2A through 2G), and Terminal 3
Annual passengers: over 70 million, making it one of Europe's busiest hubs
Main hub for: Air France and its SkyTeam partners
📍 Map: Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)

A Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Guide to Terminals 1, 2 and 3

CDG's terminal layout is the single biggest source of confusion here, so let's sort it out. The airport has three numbered terminals, and Terminal 2 alone is subdivided into halls lettered 2A to 2G. They're not next to each other.

Terminal 1 is the round one — locals call it the "camembert" building, and you can't miss it. It handles a mix of international airlines. Check-in happens around the central donut, and satellites are reached by an underground people-mover. It's compact but can feel disorienting at first because of its circular design.

Terminal 2 is where most of the action is. It's the Air France stronghold and the main long-haul hub. The halls break down like this:

Halls 2A–2D: the older linear halls, used by a mix of international and European carriers.
Halls 2E and 2F: the big modern complex — 2E (with satellites K, L and M) handles most intercontinental flights, while 2F serves Schengen traffic. Walking from one end of 2E to 2F can easily take 10–20 minutes.
Hall 2G: the odd one out — a separate satellite building for regional Schengen flights, reached by shuttle bus from 2F. If your boarding pass says 2G, add 20 minutes to everything.

Terminal 3 is the budget terminal: low-cost carriers and charter flights, basic facilities, nothing fancy. If you want coffee with a view, this isn't where you'll find it.

One thing that trips people up: your terminal is decided by your airline, not by whether your flight is long-haul. Always check your booking confirmation the night before, and glance at the departure screens when you arrive — gates get reassigned more often than you'd think.

Getting From CDG to Central Paris

So you've landed. What's the smartest way into the city? Depends on your budget, your luggage, and what time it is.

The RER B train is the workhorse option and the one most Parisians would recommend. It runs from two airport stations — one at Terminal 2 and one serving Terminals 1 and 3 (linked by the free CDGVAL shuttle) — straight into the city, stopping at Gare du Nord, Châtelet–Les Halles and other central stations. The ride takes roughly 35–50 minutes depending on your destination, trains leave every 10–20 minutes, and a one-way ticket costs around €11.65. Fast, cheap, and immune to traffic jams. The downsides? Crowded at rush hour, awkward with big suitcases, and it stops running around 11–midnight — late arrivals need another plan.

The RoissyBus runs non-stop to Opéra in central Paris. It costs about €16.20 and takes around 60 minutes in normal traffic — handy if your hotel is near Opéra.

Taxis are officially fixed-fare: €55 to the Right Bank, €70 to the Left Bank (roughly). Only use the official taxi rank — ignore anyone soliciting rides inside arrivals, no matter how friendly they seem. Uber and Bolt run €40–90 depending on demand and traffic, which means they can undercut a taxi off-peak but sting at rush hour.

Budget buses (lines 350 and 351) cost barely over €2 but crawl through the suburbs for 60–90 minutes. Fine if you're patient; not if you have a meeting.

A direct express rail link, the CDG Express, has been in the works for years to connect the airport non-stop to Gare de l'Est in about 20 minutes. Check whether it's running before your trip — if it is, it may well be the best option.

Moving Between Terminals: The Free CDGVAL Shuttle

CDG is too spread out to walk between terminals, so the airport runs CDGVAL, a free automated shuttle that loops between Terminal 1, Terminal 3, the 2A–2F halls, both train stations and the car parks. It runs every few minutes and the whole loop takes under 15 minutes — just follow the green CDGVAL signs.

The exception is Terminal 2G, which CDGVAL doesn't serve. For 2G, you take a free shuttle bus (the N2) from outside Terminal 2F, exit 2.10. It runs frequently, but the bus ride plus the walk means you should budget a solid 20–30 minutes to get from 2F to a 2G gate.

Transfers within Terminal 2 deserve a warning of their own. The distance from hall 2E's satellite K to hall 2F is no joke — plan on 10 to 20 minutes of brisk walking, moving walkways included. If you have a connection under an hour that crosses halls, walk fast and skip the shopping.

Security, Passport Control and How Early to Arrive

Here's where CDG gets its reputation. Passport control queues at peak times — early morning and late afternoon — can stretch to 30–45 minutes, especially for non-EU passport holders. Security itself is usually quicker, but the whole process is unpredictable enough that you shouldn't cut it fine.

The safe rule: arrive 3 hours before an intercontinental flight, 2 hours before a European/Schengen flight. Frequent flyers sometimes shave that down, but if this is your first time at CDG, don't. Give yourself the full buffer.

A few things that genuinely speed you up:

Check in online and have your boarding pass on your phone — paper still works, but mobile is faster at most gates.
Have your passport open at the photo page before you reach the booth. It sounds obvious; half the queue doesn't do it.
Liquids in a clear resealable bag, laptops out, jacket off — standard EU security drill, enforced consistently here.
If you're connecting from an international flight to a Schengen one (or vice versa), you'll go through passport control mid-transfer. Budget extra time for that.

Where to Eat and Shop at CDG

French airports could serve terrible food and nobody would be surprised. The good news: CDG mostly doesn't. Terminal 2E, in particular, has one of the better food lineups of any European airport.

You'll find French staples everywhere — Paul, Brioche Dorée and Ladurée for pastries and sandwiches, plus sit-down options like brasseries serving actual proper meals. In halls 2E (K, L, M satellites) there's a decent spread of international options too, from sushi to Italian. Prices are airport prices, obviously — expect to pay 30–50% more than in the city — but the quality is genuinely fine.

Terminal 1 has a respectable selection around its central area. Terminal 3? Eat before you get there. That's the budget-terminal trade-off.

Shopping-wise, the duty-free and luxury stores cluster in 2E and 2F — the usual parade of perfume, wine, champagne and designer brands. If you're buying gifts, the airside shops in 2E are the best-stocked. One practical tip: French wines and spirits bought airside are often cheaper than the same bottles in Paris shops, thanks to the tax-free pricing.

Lounges, Showers and Places to Rest

If you have lounge access, CDG treats you well. Air France operates several lounges across 2E, 2F and 2G, and they're consistently rated among the better business-class lounges in Europe — proper hot food, decent wine, and showers in the larger ones. SkyTeam partner lounges and a handful of independent paid lounges fill the gaps for other travelers.

No lounge? You've still got options. Several terminals have quiet rest zones with reclining seats — they're not beds, but they beat an armrest. Some lounges and spa counters offer showers for a fee even to non-members, which is worth its weight in gold before a long-haul flight. If you need a real bed, there are hotels connected to or minutes from the terminals (including options inside the Terminal 2 complex), bookable by the night or, in some cases, by the hour for daytime layovers.

Long Layover? What to Do at (and Near) CDG

Got a layover at CDG? What you can do depends entirely on how long it is.

Under 3 hours: stay airside. Wander 2E's shops, grab a proper meal, find a quiet corner. Don't flirt with leaving — Paris is too far for that.

4–5 hours: still risky for the city, but you can have a comfortable, unhurried airport experience — eat well, shower, maybe browse the bookshops. Terminal 2E's satellites are pleasant enough to kill time in.

6+ hours: now Paris is on the table. Take the RER B to Gare du Nord (about 25–35 minutes), walk up to Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur, grab a crêpe, and head back with at least 2.5 hours before your onward flight. Alternatively, Châtelet drops you near the Seine and Notre-Dame. Keep your luggage in a paid storage locker at Terminal 2 — hauling suitcases through Montmartre is nobody's idea of fun.

Remember you'll clear passport control and security again on re-entry — the airport-to-city trip is the easy part; getting back through is where people get burned.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know which terminal my flight uses — what does a Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport guide say to check first?
Your airline determines your terminal, and it's printed on your booking confirmation and boarding pass. As a rough rule: Air France and SkyTeam long-haul mostly use 2E, Air France Schengen uses 2F/2G, other airlines split across 2A–2D, Terminal 1, and low-cost carriers at Terminal 3. Always double-check the departure screens on the day.

What does a Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport guide recommend for the minimum connection time?
For a connection within the same hall, 60–75 minutes is the realistic minimum. If you're switching halls (say, 2E to 2F, or anything involving 2G), aim for at least 90 minutes — and if you also clear passport control between flights, 2 hours is the comfortable choice.

Can a Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport guide honestly recommend the RER B late at night?
Only if "late" means before about 11 pm. The RER B stops running around 11:00–midnight depending on the day. After that, your options are the official fixed-fare taxis (€55–70 to central Paris) or a pre-booked transfer. If your flight lands after 10:30 pm, plan the taxi in advance rather than hoping.

Is it worth leaving the airport during a long layover, according to this Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport guide?
Yes — if you have 6 or more hours between flights. The RER B puts you in central Paris in under 40 minutes, which leaves time for a real taste of the city. Under 5 hours, stay put; the risk of a queue eating your buffer isn't worth it.

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