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Charles de Gaulle International Airport
Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise), France
Charles de Gaulle International Airport
Explore Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) city guide Navigate to this airportFrance's busiest hub connecting Europe to the world.
- ›Opened on 13 March 1974, replacing Orly as France's primary international airport.
- ›Terminal 1's distinctive 'crabs-claw' circular design was created by architect Paul Andreu.
- ›A section of the Terminal 2E roof collapsed in May 2004, killing four people; the terminal was rebuilt and reopened in 2008.
- ›CDG handled approximately 67 million passengers in 2019, making it the second busiest airport in Europe that year.
- ›The airport campus covers roughly 3,300 hectares and operates four runways.
Charles de Gaulle International Airport, opened in 1974 and named after France's wartime leader and president, is the largest airport in France and one of the busiest in Europe. Located in Roissy-en-France, about 25 kilometres north-east of Paris, it serves as the primary hub for Air France and a major transatlantic and intercontinental gateway. Its ambitious modernist architecture, including the iconic circular Terminal 1 designed by Paul Andreu, reflects the airport's ambition to be both a functional crossroads and an architectural statement.
- Terminal 1 — The original circular terminal from 1974, designed by Paul Andreu, now primarily serves non-Schengen international flights for select carriers.
- Terminal 2 (2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G) — The main terminal complex and Air France hub, handling the majority of CDG's traffic across seven interconnected sub-terminals for European and long-haul routes.
- Terminal 3 — A compact, lower-cost terminal primarily used by charter airlines and low-cost carriers operating seasonal and budget routes.
- RER B train: direct rail link to central Paris (Gare du Nord, Châtelet–Les Halles) in approximately 30–50 minutes
- Le Bus Direct (formerly Les Cars Air France): coach services to Montparnasse, Étoile/Arc de Triomphe, and Gare de Lyon
- Roissybus: direct Ratp bus service connecting CDG to Opéra in central Paris
- Taxis: regulated metered taxis with fixed fares to central Paris (Right Bank or Left Bank flat rates apply)
- Car rental: major agencies including Hertz, Avis, Europcar, and Sixt operate from dedicated on-site facilities
- Private transfer and rideshare: services such as Uber and licensed private hire operators available curbside
- Pullman Paris CDG Airport
- Novotel Paris CDG Terminal
- Hyatt Regency Paris CDG
- ibis Paris CDG Airport
- Sheraton Paris CDG Airport Hotel
Inside the terminals, passengers will find a broad mix of options ranging from French brasserie concepts and boulangeries to international fast-food chains, with Terminal 2E's airside hall offering some of the better sit-down dining choices. Duty-free shopping areas in Terminal 2 feature premium food retailers stocking French wines, cheeses, macarons, and charcuterie ideal for last-minute gifts. For a wider restaurant experience, the nearby town of Roissy-en-France and the Villepinte area offer local French bistros and brasseries accessible by taxi.
- Allow extra time between terminals: inter-terminal transfers via CDGVal shuttle or walking can take 15–30 minutes, and Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 connections require the free automated people-mover.
- Validate your RER B ticket before boarding and keep it until exiting the Paris metro system to avoid fines at barriers.
- Fixed taxi fares from CDG to central Paris are regulated — agree on the zone rate before departure and insist on a licensed cab from the official taxi rank.
- Terminal 2E gate areas are split into sub-halls (K, L, M) with no back-tracking once through security, so confirm your exact gate before proceeding through passport control.
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Stay, Eat & Explore: Paris
The City of Light
- •Eiffel Tower — The wrought-iron icon of France with panoramic city views from three levels.
- •Louvre Museum — The world's most-visited museum — home of the Mona Lisa and 35,000 works.
- •Notre-Dame & Île de la Cité — The restored Gothic cathedral at the medieval heart of the city.
- •Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur — Hilltop basilica, artists' squares and sweeping views.
- •Musée d'Orsay — Impressionist masterpieces inside a magnificent Beaux-Arts railway station.
Getting around: The Métro (16 lines) plus RER trains reach everywhere; CDG connects by RER B and ORY by tram-metro link. Taxis, Vélib' bikes and river shuttles round it out.
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Passport, Visa & Immigration
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Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, also known as Roissy Airport, is the primary international airport serving Paris, the capital of France. The airport opened in 1974 and is located in Roissy-en-France, 23 km (14 mi) northeast of the city centre of Paris. It is named after World War II leader and French president Charles de Gaulle, whose initials form its IATA airport code. It is one of two airports to serve the greater Paris area, the other being Orly Airport.
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