Paris to CDG

Take a taxi. The set rate is 50 or 55 euro depending if you are on the right or left bank. Be kind to yourselves.

We used to take the train -- but now in our 70s we are nicer to ourselves. Call G7 English line for a taxi the night before -- it will cost 55 plus 7 to reserve. Life is short, don't break a hip hauling a suitcase up a staircase.

stay at a hotel right by the airport the night before if you can

If you have trouble carrying luggage up the stairs, you should really take a taxi.
It' s not going to be possible if you plan to take Metro/RER and have to be at the airport 3 to 4 hours ahead of time.
The first trains start running around 5:45 AM, so you wouldn't make your flight.

I'd recommend that you call G7 Taxis or book online - in English - the day before.
Allow at least 1 hour travel time, plus the recommended time for check in for your airline.
You will receive an SMS giving the make and color of the taxi that will pick you up. Be outside on the sidewalk about 10 minutes ahead of scheduled pick up time.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I actually need to be at the ticket counter for Air Tahiti Nui, terminal 2A, by 8 AM although I would prefer to be there earlier. So I think the RER could get us there in time if I can just figure out the best way to do this. Does anyone have any experience with the Denfert-Rochereon or Luxembourg RER stops? If we could pick up the RER at one of those stations it looks like we can avoid changing trains at the dreaded les Halles/ Chatalet RER stop, which seems to go on for miles and miles. Any advice about the location of final RER B stop at CDG?
That said, taking a taxi is looking better and better. Will be staying with people in Paris in order to keep this trip financially viable. In any case, thanks again so much for your advice.

we use the Roissy bus. CDG>Opera >CDG dedicated service-- picks up and drop off every 15 minutes, beginning 6a.m. Cost about 12E. We have used about 6 times and like the service.

You can take the RER B from Luxembourg directly to CDG. No changes. There are frequent trains, but be sure to get on the correct one. The line splits up north, so you need to be on the aeroport train. Do NOT get on the Mitry train. I can't remember how many steps there are at the Luxembourg stop, but it's not a big stop and I don't recall it being a problem. Sorry I forget where it stops at CDG.

I don't think the Roissy bus will work for you since you are staying nowhere near the Opera.

WE had an encounter with the most aggressive pickpockets we have yet met at the Denfert Rochereau stop; three large adult men surrounded my husband and frisked him as he carried our two larger bags down stairs (I was stupidly out ahead with the smaller messenger bags. They didn't get anything because he wasn't carrying a wallet in his pocket; I carry the valuables in a money belt under my clothes when we are in transit. But this will give you a straight shot to the airport -- just be sure you are pickpocket proof while carrying all your good stuff. You also get a straight shot at Luxembourg.

Be sure to choose the train going to CDG as half the trains are going elsewhere. We made this mistake decades ago and luckily noticed we were the only people on the train who seemed to be hauling major luggage and asked and were able to get off the train and wait for the next one before it had branched. The destination and stops are on large electronic boards over the tracks and the destination is on the front of the train (which will be CDG for the train you want)

If you are at the far south end of Rue Mouffetard, you can get the No 27 bus on Rue Claude Bernard to Luxembourg RER station, which has escalators. First bus is at 6:05 am.

I used to recommend the RER to CDG, but after some recent bad experiences with the RER I will not take it anymore if I care about the schedule at all. In May, my RER train to CDG was more than 30 minutes delayed (we stopped twice for long periods), and someone traveling a few days earlier told me she had a similar experience. Fortunately, I was not trying to catch a flight - I was trying to get to an airport hotel in the evening. I'd hate to think of the stress of getting to CDG 30+ minutes late before a flight - or needing to worry to plan extra time to get there early. Next time, I think I'll take one of the airport buses.

Denfert-Rochereau does have Metro RER B.
There are stairs, but it's a relatively small station.
But walking through the terminals at CDG can be a long trip and confusing.
I would try to economize and take a taxi.

If your flight destination is outside the EU (e.g. the USA) - be SURE to figure in ONE HOUR MINIMUM (yes that is MINIMUM) to get through Passport control. It seems over the last few years at CDG there is/are only one or two people staffing the control desk to process planeloads of passengers outbound. Good luck.

Three words for you: US Travel Ban.

I would plan to be in the Passport Control line 2 hours - at a minimum - and follow your airline's recommendation for check in time.
If you decide to go by Taxi, plan on at least 1 hour to get to the airport.

Three words for you: US Travel Ban.

I would plan to be in the Passport Control line 2 hours - at a minimum - and follow your airline's recommendation for check in time.
If you decide to go by Taxi, plan on at least 1 hour to get to the airport.
If you decide to take RER B I'd - allow more time.
Here is a handy website which shows where all the trains arrive and depart:
easycdg.com

Or one word -- Ibis. For about $100 you can sleep right AT the airport and have one less thing to worry about that morning. The first time we did this, there was construction on the RER which slowed us down by at least an hour -- no big thing when you're going to the airport the evening before your flight, but would have caused panic if it was morning-of!

The delays on the REAR B are so frequent that the REAR B commuters staged a strike of some sort a few years ago. It carries twice the load it was built to carry. I'm with Janet and chexbres on this one: take a taxi because it will be door-to-door. Economize on something else.

Thanks again, everyone. At this point we are planning to take a taxi or possibly a shuttle which can stop directly across the street from where we are staying. We have done this before but, as it is a shuttle picking up people from various locations, they have arrived 15 or 20 minutes after they told us to be out front. Which, of course, is not a reassuring thing. We will check when we arrive in Paris about the cost of the shuttle. If it is not significantly less than the taxi we will just arrange for a taxi. Thanks especially for the heads up on the delays on the RER B and the website for the stops at CDG. I will look at that for a future time. I will also check out the Hotel Ibis. It couldn't hurt to know all my options.

Denfert-Rochereau is close to where I usually stay. There is an elevator from the ticket level down to the RER. Just take the first train that shows up. The express train is faster, but it's not going to pass the train you are on so you will actually get there later if you wait on it, then just get on the first train.

I have been in and out of this station literally hundreds of times with no problem.

I would probably take the train, but am in m 50's so.....

I'm not sure why Carol says an express won't pass an omnibus/local. Yes an express passes a local and gets there faster. All trains stop at all stations within Paris, but once outside, the express passes the local.

Here are some rates out to CDG for two:
RER: 20 euros--another station is Port Royal, between Denfert and Luxembourg. I don't remember if they've put escalators in.
Shared Supershuttle with up to 8 passengers: 40 + tip
Taxi: 55 + tip and a 7 euro reservation fee

The RER station is between terminal 2E and 2F. It's a hike around to 2A and the terminals are jammed with people flying all over the world at that time of the morning. You have to be careful because there are a lot of moving luggage carts and lines to get around everywhere. It's a morning madhouse. Each of these terminals is about the size of a medium US airport. See:
http://easycdg.com/airport-guide/travel-between-terminals-move-around-paris-cdg-airport/on-foot-terminal-2/

Take an Uber! Likely closer to 30/35 Euros depending on where you are and a pleasant, reliable experience. Everyone during our recent Paris trip recommended Uber over taxis and they were right. Be sure to arrive 3 hours early to CDG as well.

We made the mistake of taking a shuttle recommended by our hotel on the last night (after Ubering all over the city the previous week). He arrived 10 min late, ferried us all over the city picking up 4 more stops, got stuck in rain and arrived 2.5 hours early to complete mayhem in the airport. BARELY made our flight with 5 minutes to spare.

Thanks for the suggestion, Chris. I was wondering about Uber, having read recently about a big clash between taxi drivers and uber drivers last month. I believe this was between Paris and CDG. I also read, I think it was yesterday about the European courts deciding that Uber had to register the same way as taxis and pay the same fees which I would imagine would increase the rates they must charge their writers. In any case, I've never used Uber but I've heard that people around here (Berkeley/Oakland/San Francisco) like them a lot. How would I find out about the current cost, or rather the cost in Sep, of taking Uber from the left bank to CDG?

And thank you, Bets, for your very helpful detailed information. I understand the security lines now are just awful and I know the CDG is a huge airport. I imagine this might be even worse at the end of Sep as one of 2 things will probably happen by then: 1) CDG and the airline I'm flying, Air Tahiti Nui, comply with the "requests" à la Donald Trump for "enhanced" security which would mean even longer delays or 2) either or both CDG and Air Tahiti Nui do not sufficiently comply with these new requests and we will be forced to check all of our electronic devices larger than our cell phones, which to me does not sound like a very good idea and will probably somehow result in more delays. In any case, it's worth it to be able to visit la belle France again. So again, as always, merci beaucoup.

The passport control line at CDG for me in May was about 10 minutes. It took me an hour to get from the airport shuttle drop-off to my gate, including a stop at the Delta desk to change my flight, having my small carry-on bag completely emptied for a security check, and a tram ride out to my gate at 2E. Two hours just for passport control??? In that case, lots of people would be missing their flights - or the airlines would delay them to wait.

Uber is not allowed to use the express Taxi lanes and cannot drop off or pick up passengers at either airport.

You will risk being late, due to the fact that Taxis can use the dedicated express lanes, while Uber is not allowed to do so.

I wouldn't advise using a shuttle service, if you have to pre-pay, and if there are other passengers who aren't going to your terminal. It takes a lot of time to remove and re-arrange other people's luggage.

I agree with Laura B. Stay at the Ibis right at the airport and walk to your terminal the next morning. This will eliminate all of the variables the morning of your flight. We even ate dinner in their restaurant and it was acceptable. Why create stress with connections, delays, traffic and long lines??

Thanks again, everyone. So, I can walk from the Ibis hotel to CDG? Any idea how far it might be?

The Ibis is AT CDG, terminal 2.

One year, I stayed at the Sheraton CDG using points and was able to walk to the terminal - that was super nice. In May, I stayed at the Hyatt at CDG - not walkable but still just a quick shuttle ride away, and shuttles ran often. Sometimes I'm tempted by cheap "airport hotels" near CDG on Priceline or Hotwire, but I hear that some of them aren't actually that close to the airport. I am not familiar with the Ibis, but it sounds like a good option.

Thanks Again!

The passport control line for me at CDG last week was 50 minutes. That's in addition to the 50 minutes I waited in the Delta line to check my bag.

As someone said earlier and I know Chexbres also said, allow one hour minimum to get through passport control. Somebody's passage in 10 minutes in May doesn't mean anything now.

"How would I find out about the current cost, or rather the cost in Sep, of taking Uber from the left bank to CDG?"

Kay—I see Chexebre said Uber can't pick up/drop off at CDG but according to Uber, they can. There's also a hot link in this article to a fare calculator:
https://newsroom.uber.com/france/using-uber-at-charles-de-gaulle-airport/

A bit off-track, but I'm confused. If it's 50 minutes through passport control and you aren't checking baggage (party of 2, one is a child) how far in advance do you need to get to the airport for a flight?

When are you flying out, and are you flying out to the states or to another European city?

I heard horror stories in May about long lines everywhere at Delta, including people being asked to check their carry-on bags, so I got to the airport three hours early and it was way more than enough time; I had more than an hour to spare, and no one said a word about my carry-on bag.. (I mentioned my ten minutes wait at passport control five weeks ago to point out that not EVERYONE has to wait 1-2 hours in line there, and not everyone is flying out right now.) I heard the airport got busier an hour after I arrived. In other words, had I arrived only two hours early, I might have waited in longer lines and might have wished for more time. So arriving three hours early for an international fight to the states is probably a good idea. I'd feel the need for less time if catching a flight another European city.

Chis - if you use Uber's app, you can get picked up and dropped off at CDG or ORY or any train station, because you have paid for their service in advance.
Otherwise, if you do not use their app, this is illegal.

Thanks again, everyone. We will be flying to the US and the airline, Air Tahiti Nui, has told us to be there at least 3 hours in advance. But one cannot check-in online with these folks. Primitive, but true. So we should probably allow some additional time to check in. It looks like it's €80 from my location to CDG using the 1st 2 of uber's choices or €50 using uberX or ubergreen. I'm thinking that if it's €62 for a cab (€55 plus €7 reservation fee) that's pretty close to the same price. I think the 1st 2 choices might be where we are the only passengers and the €50 being shared transportation, which I would imagine, might take longer. Are there other reasons to take uber rather than a traditional taxi? I'm thinking more and more that the next time we do this to stay at the Ibis right at the terminal. Way less stress, it sounds like. For this trip we've already made arrangements to stay in Paris the last night.

I waited on the Express train once due to the argument above that the express will pass the local train. Guess what...

When I got to CDG the people who were on the RER platform with me, but didn't wait on the "express" were in front of me in line to check in... Hmm.....

And if you look at this schedule, i can't see a train that arrives at station in question that gets to CDG prior to the train just before it at the station.

Uber is not allowed to use the express taxi lanes to the airports. So there is a good chance that you will be stuck in traffic.
I'd take a regular taxi, which will be faster.
Call or reserve online with G7 Taxis the night before - it's a very reliable company.
They send an SMS giving you the make and colour of the taxi that will pick you up.
But if you're staying in an airport hotel, you're good.

Thanks. A regular taxi it is! I knew this was possible to figure out. Again, many thanks to all.

I have no experience in France, but I have come to realize one thing. They say that you mostly remember what you did last -- i.e. if you're on vacation, and it's all very good, but you have a bad experience near the end -- that that is what you'll recall most readily.

I've economized (and continue to, when it lends itself) on my transportation to a European airport returning home, but taking public transport always proves to be stressful and that takes its toll. By the time I've concerned myself with all the logistics, then concerns about pickpockets while most vulnerable (in transit, with all my belongings), then waited at the airport with tooooo much time to spare (because I had to be EXTRA early -- just in case)... and then flown back to Canada... and THEN had to drive another 3.5 hours, in the dark (after finally getting to our parked car from the airport) to drive home (PLUS, picking up our dogs from the sitter en route)... all extremely exhausting, we've decided that it is just wasn't worth it to set out that way. We will now pre-book a driver, relax in the back seat, and it just sets a different tone for the remainder of what will be a very long day.

Last October we had a driver take us to the airport in Athens, and not only was it lovely door-to-door service, the driver was extremely interesting to talk to. It made our trip to the airport more like a tour -- so it really added value to the ride.

Cheers,
Vivian

Next time you travel anywhere, it's wise to keep taxi fare apart from your daily money. That way, you won't have to worry about it.