Paris Charles de Gaulle: Navigating One of Europe's Largest Airports

Understanding CDG's Complex Layout

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (IATA: CDG), known colloquially as Roissy, is Europe's second busiest airport by passenger numbers and the primary international hub for Air France and SkyTeam. It handled 67.4 million passengers in 2023 and serves as the most important aviation gateway to France for both leisure and business travellers. However, CDG is also widely acknowledged as one of the most confusing large airports to navigate in the world — a reputation that is, unfortunately, well-deserved.

The airport comprises three main terminal complexes — T1, T2, and T3 — but the reality is more complex. Terminal 2 is subdivided into six separate halls labelled 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, and 2G, each operating as essentially an independent terminal with its own check-in, security, and gate areas. Some of these halls are connected by covered walkways; others require taking the CDGVAL automated train or, in some cases, a bus. A passenger flying from 2A to 2F for a connection is navigating between physically separate buildings with a ten-minute transit between them, yet both are officially "Terminal 2."

The first step to navigating CDG successfully is to know your specific terminal hall before arriving, not merely "Terminal 2." Air France's website and check-in confirmation always specifies the hall — 2E for long-haul, 2F for medium-haul, 2G for domestic — and the difference matters enormously for calculating connection times and ground transport routes.

Terminal Guide by Airline

Terminal 1, the oldest building at CDG designed by Paul Andreu and opened in 1974, is the circular building that has become an architectural icon despite its operational inefficiencies. It handles a range of non-SkyTeam international carriers including United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, and several Gulf carriers. The building's circular plan with a central core and radial gates was architecturally experimental but creates wayfinding challenges that decades of signage improvements have not fully resolved. T1 is connected to T2 by the CDGVAL train, which runs every four minutes and takes approximately six minutes between the terminals.

Terminal 2 is the Air France and SkyTeam complex. Hall 2E is Air France's long-haul flagship and handles all intercontinental departures in the airline's business and premium economy classes, as well as Delta, Korean Air, and other SkyTeam long-haul partners. Hall 2F is adjacent to 2E and handles European and medium-haul Air France departures, connecting via a covered walkway to the Satellite 3 (S3) gate area. Hall 2G is newer and handles domestic Air France flights; it is connected to the RER B rail station by a covered walkway, making it one of the easier terminal halls to reach from central Paris.

Terminal 3, the smallest terminal at CDG, handles low-cost and charter carriers primarily serving beach holiday destinations in the Mediterranean, Canary Islands, and North Africa. It is a basic facility with minimal retail or lounge offering, consistent with its low-cost positioning. Several Vueling, Volotea, and Transavia (Air France's low-cost subsidiary) operations depart from T3.

RER B: Reaching Paris City Centre

The RER B regional express train connects CDG to central Paris in approximately 35–45 minutes, depending on whether the train is an express (skipping some suburban stations) or an omnibus (stopping everywhere). Trains stop at the Gare du Nord and Châtelet-Les-Halles before continuing south to St-Michel, Luxembourg, and Port-Royal. The fare from CDG to any Paris city centre station is EUR 11.45 using a single ticket; Paris Visite tourist passes cover the journey.

The RER B station is located between Terminal 2E/2F and Terminal 2G, accessible via the CDGVAL train from Terminals 1 and 3. The connection process from Terminal 1 to the RER B station involves: taking CDGVAL (6 minutes) to the Terminal 2 complex, following signs to the CDG2 RER station (5-minute walk), and descending to the platform. Allow 20 minutes from T1 baggage claim to RER B departure; from T2E/2F it is approximately 10 minutes.

A significant caveat applies: the RER B has a reputation for unreliability during peak hours and when RATP (the Paris transit authority) operates maintenance work, particularly on weekends and bank holidays. The alternative for travellers who need certainty is the Roissy Bus, an express coach service operated by RATP that departs from all three terminal complexes and arrives at the Opera district in central Paris in 60–80 minutes depending on traffic, for EUR 16.60. Taxis and Uber/Bolt operate from the designated pickup zones on the ground floor of each terminal; journey times to central Paris are 30 minutes at 6 a.m. and 60–90 minutes in afternoon peak traffic.

Air France Lounges

Air France's flagship lounge at CDG is the Salon CDG in Terminal 2E, known as La Première Salon for First Class passengers. The facility is notable for being one of the few airline lounges in Europe designed by a fashion house — the interior was created by Jouin Manku, the design studio that also works with luxury hotel and restaurant brands, and the aesthetic is distinctly Parisian in its use of materials (marble, polished concrete, warm wood) and its food philosophy. The à la carte menu is prepared by chefs from the Air France catering division and includes dishes from the airline's Paris-based restaurant partnership programme, with a rotating seasonal menu that changes every three months.

Air France Business Class passengers and Flying Blue Platinum/Gold members access the Business Lounge network, which is large and comfortable but not at the same quality level as the Salon. The food offer in the Business Lounges improved significantly following Air France's 2022 partnership with the Ducasse Paris culinary group to curate the hot food menus; dishes now include elevated French regional classics rather than the generic international hotel-style buffet that previously characterised the offer.

Priority Pass access at CDG is more limited than at Frankfurt or Amsterdam. The independent Icare Lounge in Terminal 2F is accessible to Priority Pass holders and offers an above-average food spread and shower access, but does not represent the same value proposition as the carrier lounges at airports with more generous inter-airline lounge policies. Travellers without access to carrier lounges at CDG are best served by the Food Court in Terminal 2E, which includes a dedicated section of French boulangeries and fromageries that significantly outperforms the standard airport food court in quality.