Paris CDG Airport Guide 2026: Terminals, Map and Tips
Paris CDG Airport — Roissy-Charles de Gaulle to the French — is one of the largest airports in Europe, and its three terminals confuse even frequent flyers. This guide maps out every terminal and hall, how to move between them, where the trains are and what to expect at arrivals and departures, written by a team that drives to CDG several times a day.
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- Three terminals. Terminal 1 (the round one), Terminal 2 (seven halls, 2A to 2G, the Air France hub) and Terminal 3 (low-cost and charter, at Roissypôle).
- Moving between them: the CDGVAL, a free automatic shuttle train, links Terminal 1, Terminal 3/Roissypôle and Terminal 2. Inside Terminal 2 you walk from hall to hall, except 2G, which has its own shuttle bus.
- Trains: two RER B stations (Aéroport CDG 1 at Terminal 3/Roissypôle, Aéroport CDG 2 TGV inside Terminal 2) and a TGV station at Terminal 2.
- Distance to Paris: about 25 km to the northern edge of the city and around 35 km by road to the Eiffel Tower — 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 by car depending on traffic.
- The one thing to check: the terminal and hall printed on your boarding pass. At Terminal 2, the difference between 2A and 2F is a long walk; between 2F and 2G, a bus.
Official, real-time information (gate changes, works, disruptions) is published by Paris Aéroport on parisaeroport.fr. Everything below is the stable picture you can plan around.
Terminal 1 — the round terminal
Terminal 1 is the airport's original building, opened in 1974 and instantly recognisable: a concrete ring with a hollow centre crossed by glass escalator tubes. Check-in and the main services sit in the central building; boarding takes place in satellites reached by underground walkways from the ring, so your gate can be a longer walk than the compact look suggests. The terminal was extensively renovated in the early 2020s and now has a modern international departures area in the centre.
Terminal 1 handles a large share of the non-Air France international traffic: many Star Alliance carriers and other long-haul airlines fly from here (see the airline table below). Arrivals come out into the ring at the lower level; the CDGVAL station is signposted from the arrivals area and is the way to reach the RER B, Terminal 3 and Terminal 2.
Tip: Terminal 1 has no train station of its own. If you are taking the RER B, allow time for the CDGVAL ride to Terminal 3/Roissypôle, where the Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 station is.
Terminal 2 map: halls 2A to 2G explained
Terminal 2 is not one building but a chain of halls laid out along a central roadway. Halls 2A, 2C and 2E stand on one side, 2B, 2D and 2F face them on the other, with the RER and TGV station in the middle between the C/D pair and the E/F pair. Hall 2G is a separate, smaller building further east, outside the main loop. Air France and its SkyTeam partners dominate Terminal 2, but many other airlines use 2A to 2D.
Terminal 2A and 2B
The two oldest halls of Terminal 2, at the western end. 2A is used by several international and long-haul airlines; 2B reopened after a full renovation and is now connected to 2D by a shared building. Both are compact: arrivals and departures are close together, and the walk to a taxi, a pre-booked car or the car parks is short.
Terminal 2C and 2D
2C sits next to 2A and the two are linked behind security, so you may walk from one to the other without leaving the secure area; 2D is linked to 2B in the same way. 2C and 2D are the nearest halls to the RER B and TGV station, a few minutes on foot via the covered walkways.
Terminal 2E — halls K, L and M
Flying from 2E? Our CDG Terminal 2E guide covers halls K, L and M, connections to 2F and 2G, and arrivals in detail.
2E is the flagship long-haul terminal, home to Air France intercontinental flights and most SkyTeam partners. It is divided into three boarding halls: Hall K inside the main building, and Halls L and M, two satellites reached by a short ride on an automatic shuttle from the main 2E building. All three share the same check-in area, the same border control and the same arrivals level — you cannot arrive at L or M and leave the airport without passing through the 2E building. Your boarding pass shows the letter; allow a few extra minutes if it reads L or M, and check the screens, as hall allocations can change. Air France La Première passengers have a dedicated entrance on the 2E departures level.
Terminal 2F
2F faces 2E across the station and is Air France's main Schengen hall, with many short- and medium-haul European flights. It is bright, open-plan and quick to cross; connections between 2E and 2F are the most common at the airport, and signage is good. The shuttle bus to 2G leaves from the 2F side.
Terminal 2G
2G is the small regional terminal, set apart from the rest of Terminal 2 and used for short European and domestic flights on smaller aircraft. You reach it by a dedicated shuttle bus from 2F, so build that ride into your timing in both directions. It has its own small arrivals hall, which is why a pre-booked driver collects you at 2G itself rather than making you take the bus back to 2F.
Terminal 3 — low-cost and charter flights
Terminal 3 is the simplest of the three: a single, functional building at Roissypôle, used by charter operators and several low-cost airlines. There are no air bridges, so you walk or take a bus to the aircraft. Its great advantage is the RER B: the Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 station is a few minutes' walk away, under cover, and the CDGVAL stop for Terminals 1 and 2 is on the same Roissypôle plaza.
Expect fewer shops and seats than at Terminals 1 and 2, and queues at peak holiday periods. If you are being collected by car, the arrivals exit leads to a short walk to the pick-up area.
Which terminal is my airline at CDG?
Terminal allocations below are long-standing and apply to most flights, but airlines do move halls for works, seasons or specific routes. Always check the terminal and hall on your booking confirmation or the official Paris Aéroport flight pages before you leave.
| Airline | Usual terminal at CDG |
|---|---|
| Air France — long-haul and most non-Schengen | 2E (halls K, L, M) |
| Air France — Schengen / Europe | 2F |
| Air France — regional flights | 2G |
| Delta Air Lines | 2E |
| Lufthansa, United, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Singapore Airlines | Terminal 1 |
| American Airlines | 2A |
| British Airways | 2B |
| Emirates | 2C |
| Charter and several low-cost airlines | Terminal 3 |
Check before you fly: terminal and hall are shown on your boarding pass and on the departures and arrivals pages of parisaeroport.fr.
Moving between terminals
CDGVAL — the free shuttle train. The CDGVAL is a driverless, ticket-free light train that runs between Terminal 1, Terminal 3/Roissypôle and Terminal 2, with intermediate stops at two long-stay car parks. Trains are frequent and the ride is short; it is signposted from every arrivals hall. It is the only practical link from Terminal 1 to the RER B and to Terminal 2 — do not try to walk it.
Inside Terminal 2. Halls 2A to 2F are connected by covered walkways on the public side; A and C, and B and D, are also linked behind security. Walking from one end (2A/2B) to the other (2E/2F) takes a while with luggage, so if you are connecting between airlines in different halls, give yourself a comfortable margin.
Terminal 2G. Only reachable by the dedicated shuttle bus from 2F. Factor the bus in both for a connection and for a pick-up: a driver who knows CDG will meet you at 2G directly.
Between the airport and a car. Each terminal has its own drop-off kerb, short-stay car park and taxi rank; pre-booked chauffeurs park in the terminal car park and walk in to meet you, so there is no kerbside hunt for a number plate.
Paris CDG Airport train stations
Two stations serve the airport, and picking the right one saves a CDGVAL ride.
- Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 — at Terminal 3/Roissypôle. RER B only. Walk from Terminal 3; take the CDGVAL from Terminal 1. Despite its name it is not inside Terminal 1.
- Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV — inside Terminal 2, between the C/D and E/F halls, directly below the Sheraton hotel. RER B to Paris and the TGV high-speed trains that link the airport with Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg and other French cities without going through central Paris. Air France sells some of these trains as flight connections.
The RER B takes you to Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les Halles and the Left Bank stations; expect stairs, crowds and a final metro or walk. For a comparison of the train with taxi, bus and private chauffeur, read our CDG to Paris transport guide. Fares and timetables change — check them on the day of travel.
Paris CDG Airport arrivals: what to expect
Passport control
Arriving from outside the Schengen area, you pass border control before baggage claim. Automated e-gates are available to holders of biometric passports from the EU and a list of other countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia, for adults; everyone else queues for a manned booth. At 2E, border control is in the main building, after the shuttle if you landed at L or M. Queues are longest when several long-haul flights land together in the early morning; a 60-minute margin is sensible on a night flight. Non-EU travellers are now registered in the European Entry/Exit System on first entry, which can lengthen the process on busy days.
Baggage and customs
Baggage belts are signposted by flight; trolleys are free. After the belts you pass customs (green or blue channel if you have nothing to declare) and come out into the public arrivals hall. Ignore anyone approaching you inside the hall to offer a taxi — only the official rank outside and a driver you have booked in advance are legitimate. Our CDG arrival guide covers the four mistakes to avoid.
Where your driver waits at CDG, terminal by terminal
CDG has three terminals, one of them split into seven halls. A pre-booked driver spares you the search: he knows which door you will come through.
- Terminal 1 — Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, United. Your driver waits at the baggage-claim exit.
- Terminal 2, halls 2A to 2F — Air France and Delta (2E), American Airlines (2A), British Airways (2B), Emirates (2C). He stands at the exit of the hall on your ticket. At 2E, whichever satellite you dock at (K, L or M), you come out through the 2E arrivals level, where he waits; Air France La Première passengers are dropped at porte 17.
- Terminal 2G — regional flights, linked to 2F by bus. Skip the bus: your driver comes to 2G.
- Terminal 3 — charter and low-cost flights. Arrivals hall, then a short walk to the car.
You receive his name and mobile number before landing. If you do not spot him, one call and he is a few metres away. Give us your flight number and we follow the aircraft, not the timetable: 60 minutes of waiting after touchdown are included, enough for passport control and the baggage belt after a night flight. Details and prices on the CDG airport transfer page; for premium meet and greet and fast-track options, see VIP transfers at CDG.
Paris CDG Airport departures: timing and tax refund
How early to arrive
The usual rule holds at CDG: two hours before a European or Schengen flight, three hours before a long-haul departure, and your airline's own advice if it says otherwise. Add a margin if you are flying from halls L or M at 2E (automatic shuttle to the gates), from 2G (bus from 2F), if you need a tax refund, or on a day of industrial action. Check-in counters, bag drops and security lanes are separate for each terminal and hall, so arriving at the wrong one costs real time.
Tax refund (détaxe)
Visitors resident outside the European Union can reclaim VAT on purchases made in France above a minimum amount per shop and day, provided the retailer issued an electronic tax-free form. At CDG the form is validated at the PABLO self-service kiosks, found in the departure areas of each terminal, by scanning its barcode; do this before checking in any bag that contains the goods, as customs may ask to see them. Refund desks for cash or card reimbursement are nearby. The rules and thresholds are set by French customs — confirm them on the official sites before you shop.
Security and duty free
Liquids are limited to 100 ml containers in a clear bag unless the lane is equipped with new-generation scanners, which are being introduced progressively; follow the signs on the day. Once airside, each terminal has duty-free and luxury boutiques, with the widest choice at 2E and Terminal 1; prices are duty-free for non-EU destinations only.
Practical information: Wi-Fi, lockers, strikes
Free Wi-Fi
Paris Aéroport provides free Wi-Fi in all terminals; connect to the airport network and accept the portal. Power sockets are available in most seating areas and lounges.
Luggage storage
There are no self-service lockers in the terminals. A staffed, paid left-luggage service operates at Terminal 2 — check its location and opening hours on parisaeroport.fr before relying on it. If you simply want your bags out of the way between a morning landing and an afternoon check-in, a chauffeur by the hour keeps them in the boot while you move around Paris.
Strikes and disruptions
French air-traffic-control, airline and airport strikes are announced in advance and usually lead to a percentage of flights being cancelled rather than a full shutdown. Check your airline's app and the Paris Aéroport site the evening before and the morning of travel, and allow more time for security on strike days. Rail strikes affect the RER B far more than the roads; our guide to strikes and protests in Paris explains how to keep moving.
Getting from Paris CDG Airport to the city and the Eiffel Tower
The airport lies north-east of Paris, about 25 km from the périphérique and roughly 35 km by road from the Eiffel Tower, which stands on the western side of the city. By car, count 45 minutes on a clear road and up to 1 hour 15 in weekday peak traffic. Your options, in short:
- Private chauffeur — door to door, fixed price from €119 to Paris, driver in the arrivals hall with your name, flight tracked, 60 minutes of waiting included. CDG airport transfer.
- Taxi — regulated flat fare to Paris from the official rank outside each terminal; queue on arrival, no booking in your name.
- RER B, Roissybus and shuttles — the budget options, compared honestly in our CDG to Paris guide.
Onward from CDG without entering Paris: Disneyland Paris is east of the airport, reached by motorway without crossing the city; Orly Airport is on the south side and the transfer between the two is timed to your first flight's real landing.
Frequently asked questions
How many terminals does Paris CDG Airport have?
Three. Terminal 1 is the round building, Terminal 2 is a chain of seven halls (2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F and 2G) and Terminal 3 is the simple low-cost and charter terminal at Roissypôle. The free CDGVAL shuttle links all three.
Which terminal does Air France use at CDG?
Air France operates from Terminal 2: long-haul and most non-Schengen flights from 2E (halls K, L and M), Schengen flights mainly from 2F and regional flights from 2G. The hall is printed on your boarding pass — always check it, as allocations can change.
What is the difference between halls K, L and M at Terminal 2E?
Hall K is in the main 2E building; halls L and M are satellites reached by a short automatic shuttle from the main 2E building. You check in and clear border control in the same place whichever hall you fly from, so allow a few extra minutes for L and M. On arrival, all three halls bring you out through the same 2E arrivals level.
How do I get from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 at CDG?
Take the CDGVAL, the free automatic shuttle train. It runs from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3/Roissypôle and on to Terminal 2, with stops at two car parks. It is signposted throughout the airport and needs no ticket.
Where is the train station at Paris CDG Airport?
There are two RER B stations: Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1, at Terminal 3/Roissypôle (reach it from Terminal 1 by CDGVAL), and Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV, inside Terminal 2 between the C/D and E/F halls. The TGV high-speed station for the rest of France is the same Terminal 2 station.
How far is Paris CDG Airport from the Eiffel Tower?
About 35 km by road. Count 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 by car depending on traffic, the Eiffel Tower being on the west side of the city, further from the airport than the Right Bank centre. A pre-booked chauffeur drives you door to door for a fixed price from €119.
Where does a private driver wait at CDG?
In the arrivals hall of your terminal, at the exit of baggage claim, holding a sign with your name. At Terminal 2 he stands at the exit of the exact hall on your ticket; at 2G he comes to the terminal itself so you skip the shuttle bus. You receive his name and mobile number before landing.
How early should I arrive at CDG for my flight?
As a rule, two hours before a European or Schengen flight and three hours before a long-haul departure. Add time if you need a tax refund, if you are flying from halls L or M at 2E, or on a strike day. Your airline's recommendation always takes precedence.
Travelling for work?
Companies open a corporate account: colleagues book their own rides, prices stay visible to managers only, and everything is settled on one monthly invoice. Corporate accounts.
Land at CDG, leave the terminal behind
Book a flight-tracked CDG transfer from €119 — a chauffeur waiting at the right hall with your name, 60 minutes of waiting included, fixed price, door to door.
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