Everyone loves the concept of travel. Discovering new countries, learning about new cultures and having new experiences… and perhaps most importantly, learning about yourself! However, the air travel part is probably everyone’s least favourite. No one enjoys being stuck in a pressurised tin tube for hours on end, having to contort yourself into positions you never thought possible just to get comfortable… unless you’re in business class of course!
It’s not just the plane itself but also airports than can induce anxiety. You see, whole experience begins before you even check-in for your flight and extends all the way through until your head finally hits that wonderful soft, fluffy pillow at your destination hotel. Everything in between is simply a necessary pain. This is because airports are horrid places where we endure removing belt buckles, shoes, phones and placing laptops in plastic trays before awkwardly reassembling ourselves after the security scan.
Why, in this day and age, we can’t x-ray through a laptop is beyond me. If I was an evil arch nemesis and wanted to build a secret lair, I’d cover the walls in laptops. Surely it would be the most impenetrable fort in the world!
Anyway, after going through all this, the last thing you want to do when you finally hit the ground is board more public transport and fight queues and confusion to try and get out of the airport.
Paris is indeed the city of love but that loving relationship doesn’t start until you’re at least a few kilometres away from the airport. Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris is the second busiest airport after Heathrow and accommodates 65 million passengers every year. It’s in the northeast region of Paris, about 23 kilometres from the city centre. There are many transport options to get from the airport to the city centre or Disneyland, so let’s have a look at what the options are and decide which one is the easiest.
Taxi
Of course, there’s the good old taxi. Legitimate taxis in Paris are marked by yellow lights on the roof, and a fare to Paris city is approximately 50 – 60 euros depending on what time you arrive. Peak time is typically between 5pm – 7am. There are taxi ranks at all terminals so just follow the taxi signs to take your place in the queue. It helps to have your destination written down in French in case there are any language barriers with the driver.
Train
The train runs from Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris city centre between 4.46am – 11.56pm Monday – Sunday. You can buy tickets from the blue ticket machines or from a railway employee. The train runs along the RER B (Blue) line which stops at Terminal 2 and 3. If you find yourself arriving at Terminal 1, you can get the shuttle bus to terminal 3 and take the train from there. Tickets are 9.25 Euros and the journey takes 50 minutes to reach Paris city.
Bus
The ‘Roissybus’ runs from all three terminals at Charles de Gaulle to the centre of Paris every 15-20 minutes between 6am and 11pm every day. Tickets also cost 9.25 Euros and can be bought on the bus. The bus takes about one hour, terminating at Opera area.
Pre-booked Transport
While all the options above are viable, they all require you having to use your jet-lagged brain to try and figure out where to go, where to buy tickets, and how to get from the drop-off points to your actual hotel. The other downside is you will need local Euros on you which most people don’t upon landing. In my opinion, the best option is to pre-book your transport through companies such as T2Transfer. They are the number one airport taxi and shuttle company that can transport you to your desired destination (not just a drop-off point) in down-town Paris or, take you straight to euro Disneyland.
Their drivers are professional and speak fluent English and their vehicles are comfortable. The best thing is that you can book and pay online so everything’s in place as soon as you land with your own driver waiting for you.
They not only service Charles de Gaulle airport but also Beauvais and Orly airports. See here for their rates and make your booking easily, knowing that you will have your driver waiting for you on arrival. T2Transfer’s support team also keep an eye on cancellations and delays so you can be sure that there will be someone waiting for you even if your flight arrival time is delayed.
CdG Paris Airport Terminal
So, like any airport, there are a myriad of options available. Personally, the last thing I want to do is navigate the unknown logistics of foreign transport options. Therefore, wherever I fly, (whether Paris, New York, or Rome) I always book pre-arranged transfers to make my arrival that bit easier.
Sit back, relax and enjoy the city of love!