Four ways in from Charles de Gaulle, the real fares, and the one we’d pick after an overnight flight.
The short version
- The RER B is the cheap way: €14 with the Paris Region–Airports ticket, 25 to 30 minutes into Paris, a train every 6 to 15 minutes from 4:50 to 23:50. Details at iledefrance-mobilites.fr.
- A taxi from the official rank is a flat €56 to the Right Bank and €65 to the Left Bank, luggage included, in both directions. Allow an hour in traffic.
- The Roissybus from Opéra stopped on March 1, 2026. Its replacement is metro line 14 to Saint-Denis-Pleyel, then bus 9517 to the airport, 50 to 70 minutes in all.
- Ride-hail apps pick up at CDG too. The app fare goes up at busy hours and the taxi flat fare doesn’t, so compare the two before you tap.
- A private transfer means a driver outside customs holding a sign with your name, then about an hour to your hotel door. Ours start at $185 for up to three people.
- With kids, a week of luggage or an overnight flight behind you, take the taxi or the transfer. The RER B is for one bag and a hotel near Gare du Nord, Châtelet or Saint-Michel.
The options
- RER B. €14 each way on the airport ticket, which covers the train and a metro connection within two hours. Trains stop at CDG 1 for Terminals 1 and 3 and at CDG 2 for Terminal 2.
- Taxi. Flat €56 to the Right Bank and €65 to the Left Bank, both directions, luggage included. The driver can’t add surcharges to the flat fare.
- Bus. Bus 9517 runs from Saint-Denis-Pleyel, at the end of metro line 14, to the terminals in 50 to 70 minutes door to door. Lines 350 and 351 to Porte de la Chapelle and Nation take 60 to 90 minutes on the €2.05 Bus-Tram ticket.
- Private transfer. A driver meets you outside customs with your name on a sign and takes you to the hotel, about an hour in traffic. Our CDG airport transfers start at $185 for a Mercedes E-Class with up to three passengers and $225 for a minivan with up to seven.
Ride-hail apps also pick up at CDG. The app price rises at busy hours; the taxi rank’s doesn’t.
What we’d do
After an overnight flight from the U.S., with luggage: taxi or transfer. You land at 7 or 8 in the morning, passport control takes a while, and a train change at Gare du Nord with two suitcases is a bad start. The transfer wins if you want the driver already there and the price fixed in dollars.
Alone or as a couple with carry-ons, staying near Châtelet or in the Latin Quarter: RER B. Buy the €14 ticket in the Île-de-France Mobilités app before you land, follow the RER signs (not TGV) to the platform, and take any train marked Paris. Gare du Nord is the first stop in the city, then Châtelet–Les Halles, then Saint-Michel.
Hotel on the far side of town: still the RER B, then the metro. The airport ticket covers the metro connection as long as you stay inside the gates and finish within two hours.
What goes wrong
The usual mistake is the ticket. A €2.55 Metro-Train-RER ticket will not open the gates at the CDG stations; it has to be the €14 airport ticket. That ticket also can’t sit on a Navigo Easy card that already holds metro tickets, so put it on your phone or buy a second €2 card.
Ignore anyone in the arrivals hall who walks up offering a car; they are not licensed taxis. Go to the marked rank outside the terminal. A real Paris taxi has a roof light reading Taxi Parisien, a meter, and a numbered plate on the front right wing.
CDG is renumbering its terminals 1 to 7, with the new signs going up from September to December 2026, so your boarding pass and the signs may not match the old names like 2E. Follow the airline name on the signs. Old guidebooks also still list the Roissybus from Opéra, gone since March 1, 2026. The CDG Express, a 20-minute train to Gare de l’Est, is scheduled to open in March 2027. Until then it’s the RER B or a car.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a taxi from CDG to Paris?
€56 to the Right Bank and €65 to the Left Bank, flat fares set for 2026 and published at service-public.gouv.fr. Luggage is included, and no surcharge can be added to the flat fare.
How long does the RER B take?
25 to 30 minutes into Paris, with a train every 6 to 15 minutes. The first train to Paris leaves CDG at 4:50 and the last at 23:50. Add ten minutes to reach the platform from Terminal 2, and the CDGVAL ride from Terminal 1.
Does my Navigo pass cover the airport?
A Navigo Semaine for all zones does, on the RER B. A Navigo Jour does not, and neither does a single €2.55 ticket. Paris Visite covers it. Otherwise it’s the €14 airport ticket each way.
Which terminal has which station?
CDG 1 serves Terminal 3 on foot (five minutes) and Terminal 1 by the free CDGVAL shuttle (about ten). CDG 2 serves Terminal 2: a ten-minute walk to 2C, 2D, 2E and 2F, fifteen to 2A and 2B, and the free N2 shuttle from 2F for 2G.
Can I book a transfer ahead of time?
Yes. Our CDG airport transfer puts a driver outside customs with your name on a sign; the ride to central Paris takes about an hour, the driver tracks your flight and waits if it’s late, and the car is $185 for one to three people or $225 for a minivan up to seven. Put your flight number and hotel address in the order notes and we confirm the rest by email.
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