CDG to Beaune

Posted by jonathanhandrews on 05/03/24 06:49 PM

Our flight lands at 12:10 on September 21. We are traveling to Beaune same day. It looks like it could be a three hour journey if we catch all the right trains, or possibly considerably longer if we don't.

What are the chances of catching a train scheduled to leave the airport at 1:53? the ultimate goal is to get to Gare de Lyon in time to catch a 2:52 departure. Otherwise it seems like we are adding at least 2 hours to the journey.

Given the dates and route, how necessary is it to book in advance?

I'm open to other travel ideas, but flying doesn't seem like a great option and I would only want to drive the day I arrive as a last resort.

I read on previous threads to allow 3 hours, but that seems pretty cautious. I've done similar things at Heathrow, Schiphol, Brussels and Prague within the last 2 years in about an hour. Is CDG really that much slower?

Posted by Judy

Long Beach, Ca, usa

05/03/24 11:41 PM

1327 posts

jonathanhandrews,
You have about 2 1/2 hours between scheduled arrival and train departure. If the train to Beaune left from CDG I would say that is enough time. With having to get to Gare de Lyon by about 2:30, I would say you are cutting it close. Remember arrival time is when the plane arrives, not when you have your feet on the ground. You have to disembark, go through passport control (and possibly baggage claim?) and get to the metro station at CDG. CDG is big, so I would check a map of CDG to see how far away your possible arrival gate is from the metro stop. In my experience, some of the walks just to the exit are pretty lengthy. A 1:53 metro train to Gare de Lyon should get you there on time, but Lyon is not a small station in my opinion, and I can't say how much walking you need to do to get to your departure platform. I guess I am overcautious about time, but I don't walk fast, especially with my carry on bag.
Others on the forum could probably give you more detailed help re trains, stations, terminals at CDG, etc. (I rarely take the train from Paris, and on arrival at CDG we are lucky to always have family who pick us up, so I am very ignorant of what you should expect.)
Best of luck!

Posted by Tocard

Panguitch, Utah

05/04/24 02:16 AM

2702 posts

Your flight is scheduled to land at 12h10. You cannot know when it will actually land, which is one of the many reasons I allow at least 3 hours for train departures from CDG, 4 hours for departure from a Paris station.

Posted by balso

Paris

05/04/24 07:48 AM

7300 posts

Landing at 12:10 to catch a 14:52 train out of Gare de Lyon is not impossible, especially if you take a taxi out of CDG (faster than the RER on a Saturday - little traffic), but it is not certain you'll catch it. I'd say, maybe 80% chance.

I would still attempt the 14:52. The 15:34 out of Gare de Bercy (direct) works as a backup plan; you do not need reservations for this one. You can cancel the 14:52 on the go and buy a ticket for the 15:34 if you feel that you won't make it. Note than Gare de Bercy and Gare de Lyon are different but nearby places: if you are travelling by taxi, you can redirect the driver on the go, and if by transit, arriving at Chatelet Les Halles from CDG on RER B, just take line 14 instead of RER A. Travel time is maybe +10 min vs Gare de Lyon, but the station itself is much smaller.