In this guide

1. Terminals & Layout
2. Getting Into Town
3. SIM & Connectivity
4. Money on Arrival
5. Scams & Safety
6. Where to Go Next

Terminals & Layout

CDG has three passenger terminals. Terminal 1 is the circular building with satellite gates reached by underground walkways. Terminal 2 is the big complex, split into halls 2A through 2G — 2A–2F are connected by corridors, while 2G is a separate building reached only by a shuttle bus from 2F. Terminal 3 is the smaller, simpler building used by low-cost and charter flights.

Air France operates from Terminal 2: long-haul flights generally from 2E, European and Schengen flights from 2F, and regional flights from 2G. Terminal 1 handles international flights from a mix of other carriers. Terminal assignments change — always trust your booking and the departure screens over any general rule.

Non-Schengen arrivals clear passport control on arrival (the EU Entry/Exit System means fingerprints and a facial photo on your first entry), then follow signs to baggage reclaim. Allow time for both: immigration can take anywhere from a few minutes to the better part of an hour when several long-haul flights land together.

Moving between terminals is free on the CDGVAL automated train, which links Terminals 1, 2, and 3 plus the car parks, roughly every 4 minutes from about 4:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. (a bus replaces it overnight). For the train into Paris, use Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 station for Terminals 1 and 3, and Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 for Terminal 2. Luggage storage is available at the Bagages du Monde counter in Terminal 2, near the TGV/RER station.

Getting Into Town

RER B train — the default.

The train runs from both airport stations into central Paris, stopping at Gare du Nord, Châtelet–Les Halles, Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame, Luxembourg, and Denfert-Rochereau. The ride takes about 35–50 minutes to central Paris, with trains every 6–15 minutes from early morning until around midnight. The fare is €14 one way (€7 reduced) on the Paris Region–Airports ticket, valid about two hours with connections. Buy it from the machines or ticket office at the station and load it onto a Navigo Easy card (€2) or your phone. An ordinary €2.55 metro ticket does NOT cover the airport. If your whole trip falls inside one Monday-to-Sunday week, the Navigo Week pass (€32.40, all zones including both airports) can beat two €14 singles plus city travel. Check for evening engineering works before a late arrival: on some weeknights the RER B does not run between central Paris and CDG after about 10:45 p.m., with a replacement bus instead.

Official taxi — the no-thinking option.

The flat fare from CDG to central Paris is €56 to the Right Bank (north of the Seine) and €65 to the Left Bank (south), day or night, luggage included, no supplement. Booking ahead adds about €4 (immediate) or €7 (advance). Use the official rank outside arrivals and nothing else. Before bags go in the boot, confirm the flat fare out loud — "tarif forfaitaire?" — and know that a licensed taxi must accept card payment.

Buses — cheap, slow, no direct coach anymore.

The RoissyBus is gone: it was permanently withdrawn on 1 March 2026. Do not follow any guide that still lists it. Le Bus Direct (formerly Les Cars Air France) ended even earlier, in April 2020. What remains are ordinary public buses: express bus 9517 from the Roissypôle bus station at CDG to Saint-Denis Pleyel (roughly 30–45 minutes), where you connect to Metro 14 into central Paris — the bus plus metro comes to about €4.60. Slower city buses 350 (to Porte de la Chapelle, 60–80 minutes) and 351 (to Nation, 70–90 minutes) cost a €2.05 Bus-Tram ticket. Night buses N140 and N143 link Gare de l'Est with CDG in the small hours.

Ride-hailing.

Uber and similar apps operate at CDG with designated pickup zones per terminal — follow the "Rideshare" signs and the app's directions to the exact spot; drivers do not pick up inside the arrivals hall. Expect roughly €40–75 for an UberX into town, dynamic: sometimes cheaper than a taxi, sometimes more under surge.

SIM & Connectivity

Free airport Wi-Fi

covers all terminals: join the network called WIFI-AIRPORT and follow the portal prompts. It ends at the terminal door — it will not cover the train platform, the taxi rank, or the ride into town.

A travel eSIM bought before you fly

is the smoothest setup: install it on Wi-Fi at home, switch it on when you land, and you are connected before you leave the terminal. You can also buy one on the airport Wi-Fi after landing. Keep your home SIM active alongside it so bank codes and two-factor texts still reach you.

A local French SIM

means a store visit with your passport: by law, every French SIM must be registered to a valid ID, and for tourists that is your passport. Do not count on the airport for this — sources disagree on whether SIM sellers even operate at CDG, and airport sellers are slow and marked up where they exist. Buy in a carrier store in the city (Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom, Free Mobile) or stick with the eSIM. If your home SIM is from an EU/EEA carrier, Roam Like at Home covers you in France at no extra charge; it does not cover US, UK, Canadian, or other non-EU plans.

Money on Arrival

France uses the euro. Cards are widely accepted in Paris, including for the train and taxi — you do not need a wad of cash to get into town.

ATMs are available throughout the terminals. Prefer a bank-owned ATM over the airport exchange counters: the counters take a big cut (roughly 5–20% worse than the real rate), and independent machines push dynamic currency conversion hard. At any ATM or card terminal, always choose to be charged in euros, never your home currency — the "convenience" conversion is never in your favor. If you can wait, withdrawing in the city at a major-bank ATM is usually the better deal.

Tipping is not expected at the airport. Round up a café bill if you like; nobody will chase you for a tip.

Scams & Safety

Unlicensed taxi touts are the main scam at CDG.

Anyone who approaches you inside the terminal offering a taxi is not operating from the official rank — walk past, follow the signs to the rank outside arrivals, and join the queue. Touts may try to redirect you ("the taxis are only for outside Paris," "the fixed price is now €90") — both are false. The fixed fare is €56 / €65, and the queue moves faster than it looks. If someone is persistent, walk to uniformed airport staff or a gendarme.

The same rule applies at ticket machines.

If a stranger offers to "help" you buy a ticket, politely decline and use the machine or the staffed window yourself. Never hand your card or cash to someone who volunteers.

Pickpockets work the RER B

, especially at busy stations like Gare du Nord. The classic move is grabbing a phone from someone standing near the doors just as they close. Keep your phone away from the doors while the train is in a station, valuables in a front pocket, zipped bag, or money belt, and your luggage where you can see it.

Where to Go Next

• Paris — Your first hour in the city: RER B or taxi in, then the first-evening plan.
• Landing in France — Entry rules, money, SIMs, and trains across the whole country.
• Landing in Europe — Schengen, EES, and getting around the continent.