Layover in Paris. Charles de Gaulle Airport
How to travel between terminals at Charles de Gaulle?
If you arrive and depart from Terminal 2, you can travel between 2A, 2C, 2D, etc., on foot or by special buses that run between the terminals.
The CDGVAL train runs between Terminals 1, 2, and 3.
Visa-free transit in Paris
If you arrived in Paris from a non-Schengen country and are departing to a country also outside the Schengen area, and you do not plan to leave the airport, then you do not need a transit visa. For example, a Moscow-Paris-New York flight. If you are flying from Paris to a country within the Schengen Agreement, for example, Moscow-Paris-Barcelona-New York, then a Schengen visa is required in this case.Countries included in the Schengen Agreement: Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, and Estonia.
You can travel between terminals 2A-G and 1 without leaving the transit zone. For this, there are special buses that run between the terminals.- The Green shuttle runs between Terminals 1 and 2 (A and C) from 5:00 to 24:00
- Blue - between Terminals 2AC-2D-2F-2E from 5:00 to 23:45
- Yellow - between Terminals 2F-2E-2G-2F from 5:30 to 21:45
- Red - between Terminals 2G-2E from 5:30 to 02:00
About luggage...
If you are flying with one airline or airlines belonging to the same alliance, your luggage will be checked through to your final destination. For example, if you fly Moscow-Paris-New York with Air France, you will only receive your luggage in New York. If the Moscow-Paris leg is operated by Aeroflot, and Paris-New York by Air France, your luggage will also be checked through to New York, as these airlines are part of the same alliance - SkyTeam. However, if you fly Moscow-Paris with Aeroflot and Paris-New York with United Airlines, and you purchased 2 separate tickets (i.e., first bought Moscow-Paris, then Paris-New York), you will have to collect your luggage in Paris. In this case, upon arrival in Paris, you must exit the transit zone (a Schengen visa is required for this), collect your luggage, check in for your flight, and re-check it. If you checked in online in advance, luggage is dropped off at the Drop-off counter.Star Alliance: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, All Nippon, Airways, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Swiss, TACA Airlines, TAP Portugal, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines.
SkyTeam: Aeroflot, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air France, Alitalia, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines, Xiamen Airlines.
Oneworld: Аirberlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan, Airlines, LAN, TAM, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines.
If you are connecting flights yourself (and not the airline or a flight booking service automatically providing options), then allow sufficient time for the layover. The airport is very large, and you may also encounter queues at passport control or security, or possibly both. For reliability, you need at least 2 hours for a layover. Additionally, keep in mind that your flight may be delayed. If the airline connects the flights and you received boarding passes for both flights at once, then 45-50 minutes will be enough for the layover.Can we see Paris during a layover?
It all depends on your free time. It takes about 1 hour to get to Paris from the airport, so allow time for the round trip, plus time at the airport for security control and boarding (about 1 hour), as well as time to walk around the city.
To walk around Paris, take a photo at the Eiffel Tower, or stroll along the Champs-Élysées without worrying about missing your flight, you should have at least 6 hours for a layover. Those who have been to Paris before might manage in 4.5-5 hours.
If your layover is 7 hours or more, you can use the services of "Pariscityvision" and go on a bus tour of Paris. "Air France" customers receive a discount. To do this, you will need to enter the promo code PTT2013AF when paying for the tour on the Pariscityvision website.
Many interesting excursions in Paris can be found and booked on the Sputnik8.ru website. If you have very little time in Paris, we recommend taking a sightseeing bus tour, so you can see all the main attractions of the city in a short time.Where can you spend the night at the airport?
If you do not have a Schengen visa, the only option is on the couches in the transit zone. However, if you took care of the visa in advance, you can use hotel services.
Located directly at the airport are:
- Sheraton - in Terminal 2 (E, C, F) near the TGV/RER train station
- Hilton, Ibis, and Novotel - near Terminal 3 (reachable by CDGVAL train).
