Landing at Charles de Gaulle in a few weeks and wondering how to actually get into central Paris? Good news: you have options. The less good news: which one suits you depends entirely on what you’re willing to trade off between cost, speed, and peace of mind. Here’s what each option is really like, no marketing spin.

The RER B: cheapest, if you can handle a bit of chaos

This is the famous one, and for good reason: around €13, roughly 45 to 50 minutes to Châtelet-Les Halles or Saint-Michel. On paper, nothing beats it on price. In practice, it’s a different story if you’re hauling two large suitcases on a Friday evening — crowded platforms, station changes on foot, and that familiar uncertainty regular users know all too well about whether the line will run on schedule. Fine if you’re travelling light with no time pressure. Less fine after an eleven-hour overnight flight with a toddler who’s done standing up.

The Roissybus: simple, not always fast

A direct run to Opéra, no changes, for around €14. It’s easy to understand, which matters on your first trip to Paris. The catch is traffic: what should take 60 minutes can stretch to 80 during rush hour. You trade predictability for simplicity.

Taxis: the default option, with the usual limits

Paris taxis charge a flat rate for airport-to-city trips, which at least removes any meter anxiety. It works well if you find the official taxi rank without a long wait — not guaranteed during peak hours or a strike day. And the flat rate doesn’t scale with your luggage; the boot space still belongs to an ordinary sedan.

A private chauffeur: comfort and price meet in the middle

This is where it gets interesting. A pre-booked chauffeur removes the guesswork entirely: your driver tracks your flight, adjusts pickup if you land late, and waits for you right at your terminal exit — including the notorious Terminal 2E, where nobody quite knows which gate they’ll come out of. At Crénolia, the price is fixed from the moment you book (€70 to Paris, €135 return), in an electric SUV, with luggage help included. It’s not the cheapest option here. It’s the only one where you don’t have to think about anything except walking out of the terminal.

One thing worth knowing: CDG isn’t just one terminal

This trips up a lot of travelers, usually right when it’s too late to plan around it: Roissy-CDG spans three terminal complexes (T1, T2 with its eight sub-terminals from 2A to 2G, and T3), connected by a shuttle that can take a good twenty minutes. If you’re taking public transport, double-check which terminal you’re leaving from — the RER station or bus stop isn’t always next to your exit gate. It’s exactly the kind of detail where a private chauffeur earns their keep: they already know where to find you, whichever terminal you land at.

So, which one?

Travelling solo, light, with no deadline to meet? The RER B does the job well. Arriving as a family, late at night, after a delayed flight, or just wanting your Paris trip to start without any logistics stress? A private driver genuinely changes the experience. It’s not only about comfort — it’s about not having to handle the unexpected on your own, in an airport you may not know at all.

You now know what each option is really worth. The rest is up to what matters most for this particular trip.

See full pricing on our dedicated CDG transfer page.