FAQs on Arriving in Paris

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions on the issue of getting from Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris and related questions.

How can I get from the airport to the centre of the city?

There are numerous options for public transport, with large numbers of signs and helpful airport staff to point you in the right direction. You’ll have nothing to worry about in that respect. Of course, if you have lots of luggage or wish to be sure that you’ll be dropped directly at your destination hotel as opposed to a train or bus terminus, you can opt for taxis or one of the Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris transfer services.

Is there only one airport?

No! Prior to the construction of Charles De Gaulle (also known as Roissy or just CDG), Orly to the south of the city was the capital’s major airport. Most major international carriers now use CDG, though Orly remains a very busy airport for internal French flights plus some to certain overseas destinations. It’s also worth noting that the rise of the budget airlines has led to some odd airport name changes all over the world that can be misleading. For example, Beauvais airport in France is now called Paris-Beauvais, though in practice it is around 90kms and an hour’s drive away from the city centre.

Where do the public service transfers stop?

Space doesn’t permit a full discussion of all the stops and connectivity issues surrounding the various public transport options departing from CDG, but the city centre is well covered and the public transport infrastructure itself is excellent and very modern.

You should have no problem reaching your final destination providing it is within the inner areas of the city. Even if your final destination is suburban, train and bus services are typically frequent and very reasonably priced. There are a number of sites offering full details of public transport services.

Where can you purchase metro tickets?

Stations have dispensing machines and kiosks. You can get individual trip tickets or those for a specified period. Prices are low. A tip – the queues for tickets at peak times can be lengthy at some stations. Be cautious of people approaching you while in the queue trying to sell you tickets to save you queuing. They may be legitimate and trying to make a few centimes of profit on the deal, but the tickets might also be defunct.

How frequent are the metro services?

Assuming you’re talking about the central areas of the city and within standard hours, then you’ll usually have to wait no more than a very few minutes. Information boards will keep you up-to-date. The metro is widely regarded as one of the best in the world in terms of frequency of services, though outer areas may understandably have longer delays between trains than those in the centre. You should have no problems at all navigating the metro if you’re connecting after a Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris transfer.

Lukas Johannes is a driver for Shuttle Direct. If you’re looking for a transfer from Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris , Shuttle Direct provide pre-booked shuttles to major destinations all over Europe. Wherever you travel, Shuttle Direct can make sure that you don’t miss your car on your holiday abroad.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.