Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), located in Roissy-en-France, is the second largest airport in the world. The airport is an international hub of travel and one of the busiest in Europe. In 2019, the airport served over 69 million passengers—coming in second to London-Heathrow. Arrivals and departures at Paris-CDG service over 320 destinations, including long-distance international flights, short-haul flights, and domestic flights.
The airport is owned and operated by the French government, and is a part of the Paris-Aeroports; the chief organization overseeing aeronautical activities in the Paris metropolitan area. Paris-CDG was named after Charles de Gaulle, the French statesman, who was instrumental in the founding of the European Union.
Paris-CDG offers three terminals, all of which are spacious, modernly equipped, and quickly laid out. Terminal 1, the original and largest, opened in 1974 and is currently used by Air France and its partner airlines. Terminal 2 is made up of seven separate buildings labeled 2A to 2G and is mainly used by carriers such as British Airways and Lufthansa. Terminal 2F was built as a hub for budget airlines like EasyJet, Vueling, and Norwegian Air Shuttle. Terminal 3 serves most of the remaining carriers, as well as some of the airline alliances.
Each terminal has a shopping area, cafes and restaurants, Duty-Free stores, lounges, and interactive info-kiosks. Wi-Fi is available throughout the terminals, as well as power outlets for charging devices. There are many services to ease the needs of transit travelers, aiding in a smooth travel experience.
To make your travel arrangements, Paris-CDG proudly offers a variety of transportation services. Those without pre-arranged transportation can take advantage of the taxi, public bus, Car Rental, and city bus services available. Car hire is available in the car rental lot located on Level 2 of Terminal 2E. Shuttles are available to get passengers to each terminal and the Train station.
Paris-CDG also offers a convenient rail option, the RER B, to get to the city center effortless. It operates weekdays 6:00 to 11:30 and weekends 6:30 to 11:30. Tickets can be bought in the departure hall of Terminal 2, located at Level 0. Passengers can then take the Train to cities like Gare du Nord, Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame, and Gare Montparnasse.
Parking is available at the airport for both short-term and long-term stays. Both terminals 1 and 2 offer parking garages. Long-term parking can be found at the City Parking Lot CDG, a large parking area close to the airport.
For travelers wanting to stay the night, there are hotel accommodations available at Paris-CDG such as the Best Western CDG Airport hotel, which is situated just a few minutes from the terminals. There are a few other hotels around the airport, offering different styles and prices for different needs.
The airport has had its own theatre since 2006, which is free for all passengers—it screens a variety of short films from France, Europe and then rest of the world. Paris-CDG has also become a green airport, with a large garden inside Terminal 2E and 2F with over 1,000 species of plants, a bee-nursery, and a bee observatory. It is also the first European airport to get the BREEAM-in-use certification.
In total, the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is a state-of-the-art facility that can make a traveler's journey comfortable and efficient. With its variety of services, transport options, and attractions, it is no wonder why over 69 million people chose the airport in 2019.
