Charles de Gaulle Paris Airport
Charles de Gaulle airport , also known as l'Aéroport de Roissy is the most important airport in France and is among the busiest in Europe. It is located 23 km to the North-east of Paris. The airport consists of three terminals connected by a free bus. Terminal 1 is the oldest and terminal 2 was first used by Air France, but now it serves also other airlines. The third terminal (except T9) is for charter and low-cost companies. The three terminals (except 2G) are connected with the subway line CDGVAL.
Terminal 1 consists of one main building for check-ins and receiving one’s luggage with 7 satellites for arrivals and departures, as each of them can take on five planes. The train station (RER) for terminal 1 is quite away from it (it is closer to terminal 3) and therefore it is better to use the free subway line, CDGVAL. Terminal 2 is composed of 7 different terminals (2A -2G), as 2G (Schengen) is located 1 km from the remaining six and for transfers you should use a bus. To get to the departure hall of 2G from another terminal you should leave at least 20 minutes in advance. Under terminals 2A-2F there are railway stations of RER and TGV. Terminal 3 consists of one room, and is located 3 km away from terminal 1 if you travel by car. The trains of RER and CDGVAL are available at terminal 3.
Terminal 3 is located at a 5 minute walk from the tram station. Moreover, at each terminal only the planes from the given terminal are displayed. Sometimes the information directs people to terminal 2 for some airlines whose flights are actually performed by terminal 3. Therefore, it is better to have a little more time before your flight. Exactly the often the long time for transfer between the terminals is one of the things that is not appealing for the passengers.
Services
At each terminal you can find exchange bureaus, bank offices and ATMs. At terminals 1 and 2 there are post offices. There is a wireless internet everywhere and also you can rent a mobile phone. In each of the terminals there is a variety of bars and restaurants. They are most numerous in terminal 2. Terminal 1 and 2 offer the most variety of shops. For security reasons, however, there are no longer lockers for luggage. In each terminal there are rooms for prayers. At Terminal 1 and 2, you may be given medical assistance. Salons and massage therapy and manicure can be found also at these terminals. At Terminal 2 there is a playground for young children. At Terminals 1 and 2 there are special separate "work areas" where travelers can work and use or charge any electronic equipment (laptop, phone, etc.). The airport has excellent facilities for people with disabilities - appropriate parking lots, toilets, etc. are available.
Transportation to the City
By Car
From Paris you should take highway A1 (exit 6) through Porte de la Chapelle. An alternative is A3 (exit 3) through Porte de Bagnolet and then again A1. Follow the signs to the airport.
If you want to rent a car, at the airport there are offices of Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, National and Sixt.
By Taxi
The Taxi (Alpha Taxis, Les Taxis Bleus, Taxis G7) to the center of Paris costs around € 50 (daily tariff) and takes about 45 minutes. You can order a taxi at a fixed price from Aéroports Limousine.
By Train
Thanks to the high-speed TGV trains and regional trains RER, airport "Charles de Gaulle" has excellent railway connections with Paris, the rest of France and some other European cities. The railway station is located at Terminal 2, and you can find information about the schedule on the panels around the place for taking the luggage.
By Bus
The minibuses of Airport Connection (www.airport-connection.com) provides transport of the type of "to address" between the airport and the center of Paris (the time duration is about 75 minutes), but it is better to pre-book seats. Roissybus buses serve all three terminals, as they will take you to Place de l'Opéra where you can catch the subway (the time duration is about 45-60 minutes). They leave from Place de l'Opéra on every 15 minutes. During the night the buses Noctilien travel - three times between 00:30 to 05:30 from the airport to Paris.
