Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) Flights & Flight Status

Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) is the main airport serving Paris, France’s primary international gateway and one of the busiest airports in Europe. Also sometimes known as Roissy Airport, CDG enjoys nonstop flights to more than 100 destinations throughout Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. I’ve flown through this Paris airport dozens of times over the years, and am here with tips and insights to make your journey smoother.

How to get to and from CDG and Paris?

It’s easy to travel between CDG and central Paris, whether you go by rail, bus, taxi or rideshare. If you aren’t bound for Paris itself, high-speed TGV trains can take you directly from the airport to destinations throughout France.

I almost always use the RER B commuter rail line to reach central Paris upon arriving at CDG. In addition to its stop at Gare du Nord Railway Station, it connects directly to popular Paris stops such as Luxembourg and Chatelet-Les Halles. Much of the rest of Paris is accessible on a one-stop basis, given how many Paris Metro Lines connect to the various RER-B stations.

In some cases, the RER is impractical, whether due to overcrowding or because of strikes of rail workers, which are much more common in France than they are in the US. In these cases, I usually take the Roissybus, which departs frequently and is bound for Paris Metro’s Opera Station.

If you’re traveling in a group or have a lot of luggage, the value proposition of a taxi or Uber might be greater. While it’s expensive for individual travelers and couples, it can make more sense the more people you split it between.

Conveniently, if you’re bound for destinations beyond Paris, the TGV high-speed train station beneath Terminal 2 can take you directly to popular cities like Bordeaux, Nice and Rennes. After a long flight, I like not having to deal with the stress of a trip into central Paris if I’m not planning to spend any time there.

Navigating security lines at CDG

As is the case throughout the rest of Europe, security checks at CDG are extremely thorough, in my opinion more so than they are in the US these days. Compounding this is the fact that unless you’re in first or business class or have airline elite status, the main security queues can be very long.

If you’re flying within Europe’s Schengen area, this security check is the only thing separating you from your departure gate. Some European destinations, including the UK and Russia, are not in the Schengen area, so make sure to verify this prior to arriving at the airport.

If you’re bound for a destination outside of Schengen, you’ll need to clear passport control after getting through the security line. Depending upon how busy the airport is, this can add anywhere between 15-60 minutes to your total waiting time. Automated kiosks are only available to travelers who have European passports.

Because of how long security (and, where appropriate passport control) can take, I’m very mindful of my airline's recommendation for how early to get to the airport. I’ve almost missed my share of flights from CDG by cutting it too close, so you’re definitely better safe than sorry!

Airline lounges and alternatives at CDG

A variety of airlines operate lounges at CDG, with most of these belonging to home carrier Air France. Priority Pass, unfortunately, has very limited use here. Travelers who want to use lounges in Paris must have airline elite status if they aren’t flying in first or business class.

Air France operates a whopping six lounges, spread across two sub-terminals of Terminal 2. The crown jewel of these is the opulent La Première lounge, accessible exclusively to passengers in La Première first class.

Featuring chic French design, fine multi-course dining and private suites, it’s known among aviation enthusiasts as one of the most impressive airline lounges in the world. Once you finish in the lounge, a Porsche Cayenne will take you directly to your aircraft!

If you aren’t traveling in first class, you’ll have your choice of five business class lounges. Although these lounges vary in size, they each offer a similar experience. This includes a full bar and rotating food buffets, as well as quiet areas where you can get work done. I usually decide which one to use based on where my boarding gate is.

Air France’s business class lounges are also accessible to business class passengers on other SkyTeam airlines like Delta and China Airlines, as well as passengers with SkyTeam elite status traveling in any class of service.

If you aren’t flying Air France or one its SkyTeam partners, you may still be able to access a lounge at CDG. The most useful ones are the Star Alliance Lounge and Qatar Airways Premium Lounge in Terminal 1 and The Emirates lounge in Terminal 2C.

As a general rule, premium passengers and elite flyers for all Star Alliance airlines can use the Star Alliance lounge, while the Qatar Airways lounge permits access for oneworld elites and those traveling in first and business class on airlines like American and Japan Airlines.

A notable exception to this is if you’re traveling on Air Canada, which is the only Star Alliance airline to use Terminal 2. As a result, it operates its own Maple Leaf Lounge there.

CDG is not currently home to any airport lounges that participate in the Priority Pass program, which I find to be unfortunate as a Priority Pass holder. If I’m flying through CDG but am not sitting in a premium cabin or don’t have elite status, I typically just explore the airport (particularly Terminal 2, whose architectural style I find fascinating) or watch planes take off from my gate.

All terminals at CDG airport also have a variety of shops, cafes and restaurants that range from take-away stalls to sit down French cuisine, although I rarely get to the airport early enough to take advantage of these places.

Luggage storage at CDG

The airport has one luggage storage facility, which is located in the TGV station of Terminal 2. Operated by the airport’s parent corporation under the brand Bagages du Monde, it offers storage by the hour or by the day, with prices that vary depending upon the size of each of your bags.

I mostly utilize this service if I have a long layover at the airport, but want to go into the city rather than relaxing in a lounge or watching planes take off.

Transfers at CDG

If you’re connecting from Paris to a destination within Europe’s Schengen area, you will need to clear immigration and customs before proceeding to your onward flight. Depending upon which airlines are on your itinerary, you may also need to change terminals.

If you’re flying Air France, the most common airline for connecting at CDG, you’ll need to transfer from Terminal 2E to Terminal 2F. Changing terminals is easy, whether you use the CDGVal airport rail or the shuttle bus. Both of these services depart frequently and are completely free to use.

For international-to-international connections on Air France, you can simply follow “International Connections” signs where, after a security check, you can proceed to your connecting gate, which will also be within Terminal 2E.

Connecting between other airlines is rare, since no other airlines maintain a hub at CDG. However, you may need to transit between airlines that use different terminals if you’ve constructed your own itinerary. If you’re arriving on Air France, for example, and departing on Qatar Airways, you’ll need to clear immigration and customs in order to transfer from Terminal 2E to Terminal 1.

Connections to Orly, Paris’ other airport

In rare cases, you may purchase an itinerary where one flight arrives at CDG and connects at Orly (ORY), the other airport that serves Paris, or vice-versa. In this case, you’ll need to clear immigration and customs at your arrival airport. You’ll then need to travel between the airports.

If you’re traveling exclusively on Air France, you can ride the airline’s shuttle, which travels between the airports several times per hour and takes around an hour one-way, for free.

Non-Air France passengers have two main options. They can board the Air France shuttle for a fee, or taxi an Uber or taxi, which takes 35-40 minutes. There are some bus and rail routes between the airports, but these are either too circuitous or take too long to be useful.

In general, I recommend leaving a minimum of three hours to connect between CDG and ORY airports, and a bit longer if you aren’t traveling on the same airline. With Air France-only itineraries, staff at each airport are aware of delays and other operational snafus, and will be better able to accommodate you in case any difficulties come up.