Comparison guide · Airports
How to get to CDG airport from Paris : every option, straight to the point
RER B, Roissybus, shared shuttles, taxi, private chauffeur: each option has its own territory. Here is how to choose yours, based on your flight time, how much luggage you carry and how many people travel with you.
The essentials in 30 seconds
The RER B remains the cheapest way to Roissy-CDG, provided you accept connections and occasional disruption. The Roissybus runs straight from Opéra but shares the motorway with everyone else. Shared shuttles pool the waiting. A taxi gives you door-to-door service with no guaranteed availability. A pre-booked private chauffeur adds flight tracking, no-surcharge waiting on delays, luggage assistance and a name-board welcome: the reassuring choice for a dawn flight, a family, heavy bags or a business trip.
The starting point
Where Roissy-CDG sits
and why the trip needs planning
Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle lies north-east of the capital, some twenty kilometres from the centre. The distance is not what complicates things — what surrounds it is. The A1 motorway saturates at peak hours, and the airport sprawls across three terminals, Terminal 2 alone being split into halls A to G.
The free CDGVAL shuttle links the terminals. It works well, but it adds minutes, and those minutes weigh heavily when you are pushing two suitcases with a child in hand. The trip to CDG is therefore measured in safety margin, not only in kilometres.
The decisive factor is the hour. A five-in-the-morning departure and an eight o'clock one have nothing in common: the first runs on an empty A1, the second can grind to a halt. Conversely, a late flight depends on public transport that thins out and then stops. The right question is not how long it takes, but how much delay your flight can absorb.
Option 01
The RER B
the most economical solution
The RER B connects Paris to the terminal stations — Aéroport CDG 1 and Aéroport CDG 2 TGV — on its own tracks, free from the A1 traffic jams. On paper it is often the fastest option when the roads are busy, and by far the lightest on the wallet.
Its limits are well known. The line is busy, exposed to operating incidents, engineering works and industrial action that sometimes imposes a replacement bus. From most Paris addresses you need a metro connection to reach it: stairs, corridors, platforms — hardly compatible with bulky luggage.
Comfort becomes a real question very early in the morning and late at night, when the carriages empty out. For a solo traveller, travelling light and confident with the network, the RER B is unbeatable. For a loaded family, a dawn flight or a first visit to Paris, it demands a genuine tolerance for the unexpected.
Option 04
The Paris taxi door-to-door, on the spot
Paris taxis apply a regulated flat fare between Paris and Roissy-CDG, which depends on which bank of the Seine you start from. That is their main reassurance: the meter does not run in traffic jams, and nasty surprises are ruled out.
They offer door-to-door service with no booking required — you hail one, or take one from a rank. That is also their limit as soon as demand rises: early in the morning, on a rainy day, on a Sunday evening of returning weekenders, availability is never guaranteed and the wait grows at the worst possible moment.
This is exactly where a private chauffeur differs. A taxi is an opportunistic service: efficient, but unplanned. It does not track your flight, does not turn up at an hour agreed weeks in advance, and does not greet you with a name board in the arrivals hall.
Option 05
The private chauffeur
a journey settled before the day itself
A private chauffeur — a pre-booked car — works on the opposite logic to a taxi: everything is settled before departure. I know your pick-up address, your time, your terminal and your flight number. The car is outside your door at the agreed hour, and on the way back your chauffeur waits for you at the agreed spot.
Flight tracking changes everything on an airport transfer. If the plane is late, the pick-up time adjusts: waiting is part of the service and never turns into a chase or a surprise charge. You walk out of baggage reclaim and the car is there — no queue, no hunting for a rank.
Add to that a high-end vehicle, help loading the cases, and the option of a Mercedes V-Class van when the family or the group will not fit in a saloon car. The fare is confirmed at the time of booking: you know what to expect before you get in, with no meter running.
It is the reassuring choice in precise situations: a very early or very late flight when transport thins out, children and car seats, bulky luggage, a business trip where being late is not an option, or welcoming international visitors. We have been looking after that clientele since 2012, in the three languages of the house: French, English and 日本語.
A good transfer to CDG goes unnoticed: the car is there, the flight is tracked, the cases are taken care of. The rest is just travelling.
Sanaâ — Rogsan Prestige, since 2012
The full picture
Summary table
which option for which need
A quick read, with no figures: every option has its own territory. Cross it with your own priorities — budget, peace of mind, luggage, timing, party size.
| Option | Relative cost | Door-to-door | Luggage | Timing reliability | Group / family |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RER B | Lowest | No | Awkward | Variable (connections, incidents) | Poorly suited |
| Roissybus | Low | No | Decent hold | Traffic-sensitive | Average |
| Shared shuttles | Moderate | Partial | Adequate | Pooled waiting | Acceptable |
| Taxi (flat fare) | High | Yes | Good | Good, availability not guaranteed | Van on request |
| Private chauffeur | High | Yes | Handled for you | High (flight tracked, booked) | Ideal (van, minibus) |
Frequently asked
What I am asked
most often
The questions that come back on the phone about the Paris–Roissy-CDG journey.
01
How long should I allow between Paris and CDG by car?
Off-peak and at night, the A1 runs quickly. At morning and evening rush hours the same trip can double. I always think in terms of safety margin rather than a fixed duration: for an important flight, it is better to leave early than to hope for a clear road.
02
What happens if my flight is delayed?
With a private chauffeur your flight is tracked and the pick-up time adjusts. Waiting on a delay is part of the service and never becomes a surprise charge: that is precisely the point of booking ahead rather than looking for a car at the last minute.
03
Can I book for a very early morning departure?
Yes, the service runs 24/7. For a dawn flight, booking ahead is strongly advised: that is exactly the window where public transport is missing and where a car waiting outside your door proves its worth.
04
Which terminal should I give when booking?
The one printed on your ticket — 1, 2A to 2G, or 3. Roissy-CDG is vast and the terminals are far apart: knowing the right drop-off point avoids a detour via the CDGVAL. If in doubt, send me your flight number and I will check for you.
05
Is the fare known before departure?
Yes. Unlike a taxi meter, a private chauffeur's fare is confirmed when the booking is made, once your request has been reviewed. You know what to expect before getting in, with no variation caused by traffic.
06
Can the chauffeur welcome travellers who speak no French?
Yes, we welcome guests in French, English and Japanese. The name-board pick-up is especially appreciated by international visitors discovering Paris for the first time.
Going further
Still unsure about the budget to plan for? I explain in how much a private ride costs in Paris the criteria that make a chauffeured journey vary, with no rigid grid and no empty promises.
Also worth reading
Book your transfer
A transfer to CDG,
booked in advance with Sanaâ
One single contact, a fare confirmed before the ride, flight tracking and waiting at no extra cost. Describe your journey and you will receive a clear proposal. Available 24/7, in French, English and 日本語.
Decision help
How to choose
for your own situation
Six concrete cases are worth more than a long speech. Find the one that most resembles your departure.
Flight before six a.m.
Public transport is sparse or not yet running. A vehicle booked the day before guarantees pick-up at the exact hour, without depending on an uncertain first train.
Travelling with children
Car seats, a pushchair, a safety margin: a private chauffeur removes stair connections and platform waiting. The van offers room for everybody.
Bulky luggage
Large suitcases, professional equipment, sports gear: a van's hold and help with loading bear no comparison to a crowded RER at rush hour.
Leaving as a group
Beyond four or five people, adding up tickets and coordinating several taxis costs time and energy. A van, a minibus or a coach on quotation keeps everyone together.
International arrival
After a long flight, in an unfamiliar city, a name board and a chauffeur who speaks your language simplify everything. That is our daily routine with international travellers, Japanese ones in particular.
Budget above all
A solo traveller, travelling light, comfortable with the network and with time to spare: the RER B or the Roissybus remain the most economical options, and I will say so plainly.