Average time to get through CDG process for a 7AM weekday arrival

Given that it takes about 50 minutes by car to get from CDG to Louvre (you can see Google Maps and also set time to morning local time to figure out traffic patterns), you would only have about 60 minutes for plane to taxi, deplane, go through immigration, get baggage, and go through customs. It doesn't seem like a lot of time.

While it may look possible we’ve never seen it that quite that quick. Early AM is when a lot of flights arrive and it is generally busy. Just getting to the point to get our luggage in early December took over 2 hours. The there is the 30-45 minute travel time from CDG to the center of Paris.

No chance in getting to the Louvre by 9 am. Or at least very slim chance.

The airport is huge. It’ll take 15 minutes to de-plane, if you’re lucky. There will be lines at immigration. You will have to wait for luggage. Then wait in line for a taxi. Then get to central Paris. Traffic in Paris is bad. CDG is at least 35 minutes away, but it took us an hour and a half once due to an accident. 10-11:00 is probably more realistic.

Thanks for your responses.

So much for hoping that maybe the foot traffic at the airport and the time spent from deplaning through getting to the train/cab might not be as bad as pre-pandemic.

Is my understanding with this correct? -> As of now, there's no need to have a PCR or antigen test anymore so long as you show you're fully vaccinated (we've gotten 2 Modernas/Pfizers plus booster)? But upon arrival, you still have to go to certain pharmacies to get the health pass to be permitted into certain establishments?

“Is my understanding with this correct? -> As of now, there's no need to have a PCR or antigen test anymore so long as you show you're fully vaccinated (we've gotten 2 Modernas/Pfizers plus booster)? But upon arrival, you still have to go to certain pharmacies to get the health pass to be permitted into certain establishments?”

Yes…no negative testing needed for arrival for fully vaccinated folks. And yes 2 Modernas/Pfizers + booster = good to go!!

Yes…regarding the Pass Vaccinal right now. When are you traveling? It may go away in March.

Regarding CDG…I went thru in October. It took 30 minutes from the door of the plane to standing in the line for a taxi. My friend was in a wheelchair so we were fasttracked. Still, the line at Immigration was not long. The thing that took the longest was the taxi in to town. It took a good hour and a half which was way longer than the usual hour I’ve had in the past. By the way, also went out to CDG to meet someone and that taxi back in to town took at least 1.5 hours again.

I would also take a taxi from the official taxi rank. Don’t go with someone who comes up to you and asks if you need a ride. This was prevalent pre-covid and I did not see any of them in the terminal this last trip so may not be a problem. If you take the train in you’ll have to switch to a metro and Line 1 where the Louvre stops are located was jammed on October. Back to precovid ridership I’d guess.

There is no average time at CDG immigration. On a recent trip, I was the second person to arrive at Immigration with no line at all. Immigration took seconds. Other times I have waited up to one hour. There are simply too many variables to be able to anticipate any specific time required.

The current Covid protocols only require visitors to have 2 shots and an mRNA booster (with some minor exceptions).

For transportation into Paris, use taxis (not VTCs such as Uber), and take advantage of the fixed fares of 53€/58€ to the Right Bank (le Louvre)/Left Bank respectively. Do not accept rides from clandestine drivers, proceed to the official taxi queues. Taxi drivers are not tipped.

Traffic into Paris on a weekday morning can be horrendous between 7h00 and 10h00. I would allow at least 60 minutes for the taxi, maybe more if it is raining. If you have a 07h00 scheduled arrival, I should think it very unlikely that you could be at le Louvre by 09h00.

However, if you arrive on time, the line at immigration is short, you receive your luggage quickly, and you really want to try for a 09h00 rendezvous at le Louvre, get a quick ticket at the RER station, 10.30€, disembark at Châtelet, take either métro 1 or métro 7, whichever you find first, as they both go to the Palais Royal/Musée du Louvre métro station, and see if you make it. This route should take about 45 minutes.

As long as there is no transit strike like today! Today you would have to disembark at Gare du Nord, then get another, separate RER train to get to Châtelet, then transfer to the 1 to get to Palais Royal-Musee du Louvre.

A taxi from the airport will cost you and arm and a leg. Take the train.

A taxi from the airport will cost you and arm and a leg.

geovagriffith - How much is this in euros?

Maybe he meant “an arm OR a leg”
53 Euros for an arm
OR
58 Euros for a leg

WE were at our apartment in two hours when we arrived last September but we were in business class and so first off the plane and got to Immigration with no line ahead of us. On other occasions we have had a couple of jumbo jets in front of us. And luggage is incredibly slow at CDG.

When we arrived this fall, the CDC cards were checked as soon as we exited the debarkation ramp -- it was then a long long long walk to immigration. I would not get a timed ticket for anything sooner than 3 hours after ETA.

Thanks for the additional helpful responses.

We will be traveling to Paris on March 30 to celebrate our 5-year anniversary (but a decade of being together). I'll try to keep watching out for any changes to the entry as well as health pass guidelines until then.

Re the 9AM timeframe I mentioned was something I was just hoping for to try to check in at the hotel, maybe get the health pass from a certified pharmacy when we show our CDC vaccine cards (if it guideline still applies then) then head to the Louvre for a 10AM+ entry.

If we took the train instead given that from most of the feedback there could already be traffic 7-9AM, should we get the Navigo Decouverte or the Easy metro card? We plan to use a metro card to get around Paris for 3 days using the train and perhaps bus as well, including a trip to Versailles.

Thanks!

If we took the train instead given that from most of the feedback there could already be traffic 7-9AM, should we get the Navigo Decouverte or the Easy metro card?

I don't know the answer to that but I do have a tip. Stop at one of the visitor info centers in CDG listed in https://www.visitparisregion.com/en/services/tourist-information-centres/pit-aeroport-paris-charles-de-gaulle They sell RER and other transit passes, much easier than trying to buy them at the CDG RER station where the machines don't always take every US credit card (or at least they didn't on our last visit). At the TI they accept US credit cards and there's almost never a line, plus they speak English

should we get the Navigo Decouverte or the Easy metro card?

The train has faster en route times, but you will be handling your own luggage and finding your own way to your hotel. A taxi is fixed price, door to door service. I use both depending upon with whom I am traveling.

If taking the train, there are two types of tickets:

1. A paper ticket purchased at either the kiosk or sales window. Cost is 10.30€.

2. Purchasing a Navigo Découverte card (5€), and loading a zone 1-5, weekly/monthly pass 22.80€/75.20€. The weekly passes are sold though Thursday for use during the current Monday to Sunday week. Passes purchased on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday will not be valid for travel until the following Monday. The Navigo Découverte card is nontransferable and is not valid for travel until the bearer's photo and name are included within the spaces so provided. Do not attempt to use the ND card without a photo or name. I have seen inspectors at the CDG RER entrance gates checking these items and fining violators.

Note: CDG has two RER sales and boarding locations: Roissypôle and terminal 2.

Navigo Easy cards (2€) are transferrable and maybe loaded with tickets t+ or a ticket for the Roissybus to Opéra. Tickets t+ are not valid for travel on the RER outside of Paris (zone 1). CDG is zone 5.

It has been years since I have heard of anyone having problems with US credit cards at the kiosks. If there is an issue using a kiosk, there are, as previously mentioned, two sales windows at which an agent can manually process your credit card.

My 5 year old and I arrived at CDG this past Friday. Landed and deplaned by 11:15. We were though passport control, had luggage claimed, breezed through customs and had Pass Sanitare in hand at 12:30 when we slid into the cab. And this was all on a day with train workers striking. If alone, without luggage and waiting on a slow walking kid I could have been through much quicker.

Traffic to the Gare de Lyon area took more time than our trek though the airport. If the tourist situation doesn’t pick up in the near future, getting through the airport should be quick.

curious: why is everyone suggesting taxis vs. Uber? Thx.