Charles de Gaulle Airport

[bitchstewie]

Got to go to Paris shortly with a flight to CdG and then the train to where I need to be from one of the CdG stops.

In terms of trying to plan times is there anything I need to know about getting through CdG once we land?

Presume with only carry on bags it's pretty much walk off and out but would prefer to be sure

[tribalsurfer]

All terminals have easy access to an RER stop which is your best bet to get into the centre, used to be able to be on the train within 30 mins of landing and more often than not be in my hotel by Gare de Lyon within the hour.

[surveyor]

The station I think has two ends. One provides the local trains, and one TGV's. The TGV end can be confusing as sometimes they join two trains, going to two different destinations, which then split along the route. It's a bit hard deciphering that one when trying to find the correct part of the train....

If you have to pick up tickets there, the office is a little french and can take time to get seen...

Passport control can take a while. Last year the machines only did people who had signed up to a scheme... I went for a machine and then had to join the back of a queue. Curses...

[bitchstewie]

Thanks both, for anyone who stumbles on this in the future I found this site

https://parisbytrain.com

Has photos and full instructions of exactly what to expect upon leaving the terminal i.e. I will need to get my ticket from a blue ticket machine

[abzmike]

CdG can be pretty complicated, so keep an eye on the direction signs. Passport control can be painfully slow as well.

[Perik Omo]

Just a word of warning about the RER from CDG into Paris. Was talking to someone last night who had just flown into CDG and was on the RER into Paris and the person next to her was robbed by two mid-eastern looking blokes who legged it just as the doors of the train were closing, the guy lost all his money, cards, passport and visas that were in a carry-on type rucksack that they man-handled from him. The RER passes through some very dodgy areas on it's way into Paris so keep your belongings close or if possible out of sight.

[Challo]

Are you on your own? Standard cab rate into Paris is 50euro.

[rdjohn]

As a general rule, I think getting around airports is normally easy. I would say Heathrow is as hard as CdG.

CdG has 4 terminals and if you are on a low cost into T4, it is a drag to T2 where the TGVs leave from. There are shuttle busses, but they can be crowded and seem to take forever. If you are arriving into T2, then the walk to the station could not be simpler - the definition of an integrated transport system.

The last time I did it in 2015 was during the COP21 gathering immediately after the Bacalan shooting - even then, the queues were less than JFK.

But you will need to allow time to transit if you are reserving tickets on a TGV.