Gateways to Europe: How to take a train from Areoport CDG

Taking a train on to a final destination having flown to Europe can often be the way to go:

• Access to locations not served by air travel.
• Room to breathe having spent many hours confined to the cabin on a jet.
• It's more eco-friendly.
• If the timings line up, it can be easier too.
• Beginning a Eurail trip by heading long-distance away from an airport, can be a better idea than relying on a long-distance rail journey to make a connection into a homeward flight departure.

The main airport which serves the capital of France, Aéroport de Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, has a double bonus.

1. It is the primary gateway to France from non-European destinations.
2. It has a station on the French network of dedicated high-speed rail lines - on which trains travel at more than 280 km/h!

Because more than 30 yeas ago French rail travel management had the bright idea of opening a high speed rail link, the LGV Interconnexion Est, which by passes central Paris.  

It is over to the east of the capital because that's where both the Aeroport CDG and Disneyland Paris are located.

Why Planning A Rail Journey from/to CDG is a good idea

The CDG Airport station isn't therefore on a route from and to central Paris, which has these consequences:

1. The number of high speed long-distance trains per day which call at the airport is tiny, compared to to the volumes of trains from/to the stations which serve central Paris.
2. The trains which do connect Aeroport CDG with central Paris have to use suburban rail routes, that they share with comparatively slow commuter trains - the CDG Express won't be available until March 2027.
3. Rail journeys from CDG require a connection when travelling to/from these main rail terminals in Paris - Gare De Lyon (easy cross-platform transfer), Gare de l'Est (long walk between lines), Gare Montparnasse (awkward as not step-free), and Gare St Lazare (long walk between lines).

Plus on most routes, those long-distance trains which do serve the airport are randomly split between regular trains and more-basic, but lower cost trains.  
Those more basic Ouigo trains don't have first class or catering, plus they have less luggage storage space.

Between CDG Airport and central Paris

This guide below has detailed info how to take the RER trains to and from the city centre:

The key things to know are:

1. RER line B connects CDG to central Paris.
2. It has two stops at the airport, it shares the station named Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV with the long-distance trains, but it also stops at Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1.
3. The city centre stops include Gare Du Nord (connect for RER lines D and E) and Châtelet - Les Halles (journey time = 35 to 40mins) and Saint-Michel Notre-Dame (connect for line RER line C) and Luxembourg.
4. Single tickets from and to the airport cost a special price of €13.
5. They have to be loaded on to plastic Navigo cards, or purchased in the Navigo app - the article below explains how to do this.

Long-Distance Rail Journeys to / from Aeroport CDG

When planning a long-distance journey by train from and to Aeroport CDG,  factoring in the flight arrival / departure times is obviously required, but be careful to avoid assumptions.

Conductor Sam isn't aimed at air travel, so check with your airline or other Q and A services what you need to know.

For example, Chat GPT, typically suggests a minimum of 60-90 mins between leaving an aircraft and being on the platform at the long-distance rail station - which is named  'Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV'.
If you'll be taking a large long-haul aircraft, you may want to add another 15mins, in case you are sat in the rear of the plane.

Hence selecting an onward rail journey from Charles de Gaulle Airport, to another location away from Paris, can be a choice between:

• A = Reaching a destination quicker if you connect in central Paris OR B = hanging back to take a direct train from Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV.
• A = heading to central Paris to take a train from one of its main stations to your final destination OR B = taking a train from Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV to a station and connecting there into a train on to a final destination.
• A = hanging back to take regular TGV InOui train OR B = taking a conveniently timed Ouigo train instead.

Choosing those B options is likely to be the way to go, unless;

1. you'll want first class travel on the train, or
2. it involves spending most of the day hanging around the airport, or
3. you'll be spending more than two to three hours between trains at the transfer station.

So if you have a choice of flights to Paris check the onward rail connections - see below on how to do this, before booking the plane tickets.
You may discover that one flight arrives an optimum two to three hours prior to the departure of an onward train, but another will require a four hour plus wait at CDG airport.

Destinations which don't have direct trains:

Locations in France typically served by TGV trains, but not by direct trains from and to Aeroport CDG include:
Antibes, Bayonne, Beziers, Biarritz, Brest, Colmar, Dijon, La Rochelle, Lourdes, Metz, Mulhouse, Nancy, Narbonne, Nice, Perpignan Quimper, St Malo and Toulouse.

Because only TGV, Ouigo (and RER) trains call use Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV station, there are no direct trains between the airport and these destinations, which are comparatively near Paris:
Antibes, Beauvais, Fontainebleau, Orleans, Reims and Rouen.

International connections:

These rail links from and to CDG may be worth considering if you can find flights to/from Paris at a much cheaper price than journeys to other European airports.

The only location outside of France with direct trains from and to Aeroport CDG is Bruxelles.
Journeys between GDG and Geneva can be taken with a connection in Lyon.
However, journeys by train between CDG and other locations in Switzerland require a journey through the Gare De Lyon in central Paris.

Other journeys from / to CDG that only require one connection include:

• Antwerp, Amsterdam, Bruges, Cologne and Luxembourg - by connecting in Bruxelles
• London - by connecting in Lille
• Basel, Karlsruhe and Stuttgart - by connecting in Strasbourg
• Milan and Turin - by connecting in Lyon.

Summaries of direct long-distance trains from Aeroport CDG

The major cities in France which do have direct trains from/to Paris Charles De Gaulle are:

• Bordeaux; trains also call at Angoulême, Massy (see below) and Poitiers; some trains also call at St Pierre-des-corps for Tours
• Lille; most trains continue to/from Bruxelles
• Lyon
• Marseille; all trains also call at Avignon, some trains also call at Aix-en-Provence TGV
• Montpellier; all trains also call at Nimes and Valence
• Nantes; all trains also call at Angers and Massy (see below); trains also call at Le Mans or St Pierre-des-corps for Tours
• Rennes; all trains also call at Le Mans and Massy (see below)
• Strasbourg
• Toulon

Massy TGV station is located on the south-western edge of Paris.
Some of the trains between central Paris, at Montparnasse station, and Bordeaux, Nantes and Rennes also call at this station.
So journeys between CDG and Bordeaux / Nantes / Rennes, plus locations also those routes, can involve making a connection between trains at Massy TGV.
This is a simpler than taking the route which involves travelling through Paris-Montparnasse.

The summaries below are based on the typical timetable when all routes are operating per the schedule, additional departures may be available in July to August.
Confirm all connections and ticket availability pre the booking of your trip.

Periods of time between departures have been rounded up or down for clarity.

to Bordeaux calling at Angouleme and Poitiers

• 3 x TGV InOui trains per day
• 1 x Ouigo train per day; the first departure of the day is a Ouigo service
• typical journey time = 3hr 55min
• no departures by direct train between 08:10 and 16:10 / 4:10pm
• potential to connect in Bordeaux for multiple locations including Agen, Bayonne, Bergerac, Biarritz, Libourne and Toulouse, depending on the departure taken from Aeroport CDG.

The alternatives:

1. There are trains from Aeroport CDG to Massy TGV which typically depart CDG shortly after 12:15 and 19:20 which usually have connections on to Bordeaux.
2. Head to the Gare Montparnasse to take a train on to Bordeaux; The transfer to Montparnasse = a RER line B train to Denfert-Rochereau + Metro line 6 to Montparnasse–Bienvenüe (direction Charles de Gaulle–Étoile). The connection at Denfert-Rochereau is by stairs.

to Bruxelles

• 8 x TGV trains per day
• typical journey time = 1hr 40min
• no departures between 16:05 and 19:05
• connect in Bruxelles for multiple locations including Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Luxembourg and Rotterdam

The alternative:

Take a RER line B train to the Gare Du Nord and connect there for a Eurostar train on to Bruxelles.

to Lille

• 14 x TGV InOui trains per day
• 5 x Ouigo trains per day
• typical journey time = 1hr
• potential to connect in Lille for multiple locations including Amiens, Antwerp, Arras, Boulogne, Dunkerque, Gent, London and Mons depending on the departure taken from Aeroport CDG.

The trains to Lille either arrive at Lille Europe station or Lille Flandres station - the Ouigo trains only go to Lille Flandres.
If your journey will be finishing in Lille it doesn't matter at which of these stations your train will arrive at.
However, the onward connections to Boulogne, Dunkerque and to London, will depart from Lille Europe, but the trains on to Amiens, Antwerp, Arras, Gent and Mons depart from Lille Flandres.

to Lyon

• 8 x TGV InOui trains per day to Lyon-Part Dieu
• typical journey time = 2hr 5mins
• potential to connect in Lyon for multiple locations including Annecy, Antibes, Beziers, Chambery, Geneve, Grenoble, Narbonne and Toulouse depending on the departure taken from Aeroport CDG.

There can be gaps of more than three hours between the departures of the regular TGV In Oui trains to the main station in Lyon.

The alternatives:

1. Taking one of the 3 x Ouigo trains per day to Lyon-St Exupery + an express tram to Lyon-Part Dieu.
2. Head to the Gare de Lyon to take a train on to Lyon; The transfer to Gare De Lyon = a RER line B train to Gare Du Nord + simple cross platform transfer to a RER line D (Sud) train.

to Marseille calling at Avignon TGV

• 4 to 6 x TGV InOui trains per day
• 3 x Ouigo trains per day
• average journey time = 3hr 35mins
• potential to connect in Marseille for multiple locations including Antibes, Cannes, Nice and St Raphael depending on the departure taken.

The Ouigo trains can plug gaps of more than four hours between the departures of the TGV InOui trains.

The alternatives:

1. taking a train to Lyon Part-Dieu and connecting there for another train on to Marseille.
2. Head to the Gare de Lyon to take a train on to Marseille or Avignon; The transfer to Gare De Lyon = a RER line B train to Gare Du Nord + simple cross platform transfer to a RER line D (Sud) train.

to Montpellier calling at Nimes

• 3 or 4 x TGV InOui trains per day
• 1 x Ouigo x train per day
• on Mon - Weds and Saturday, no direct trains between 11:55 and 17:55
• on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, no direct trains between 11:55 and 16:25
• typical journey time = 4hrs
• potential to connect at Montpellier St Roch station for multiple locations including Beziers, Carcassonne, Narbonne, Perpignan and Toulouse, depending on the departure taken.

The alternatives:

1. taking a train to Lyon Part-Dieu and connecting there for another train on to Montpellier.
2. Head to the Gare de Lyon to take a train on to Montpellier; The transfer to Gare De Lyon = a RER line B train to Gare Du Nord + simple cross platform transfer to a RER line D (Sud) train.

The trains which typically depart Aeroport CDG before 09:00 (this is the Ouigo train) and before 12:00 noon go to Montpellier Sud de France station instead of the city centre station, Montpellier St Roch.
Though the combination of a train to Sud de France + the bus and tram connection to Montpellier city centre, is an easier option than heading to the Gare de Lyon in order to take a train from there to Montpellier-St Roch.

to Nantes, calling at Angers

• 4 x TGV InOui trains per day
• typical journey time = 3hr 30mins
• potential to connect in Nantes for multiple locations including La Roche sur Yon, La Rochelle, Le Croisic, Rennes and St Nazaire, depending on the departure taken.

The alternatives:

1. take the Ouigo train which typically departs at around 07:20 to Massy TGV and connect there for a TGV InOui train on to Nantes via Angers.
2. Head to the Gare Montparnasse to take a train on to Nantes; The transfer to Montparnasse = a RER line B train to Denfert-Rochereau + Metro line 6 to Montparnasse–Bienvenüe (direction Charles de Gaulle–Étoile). The connection at Denfert-Rochereau is by stairs.

to Rennes, calling at Le Mans

• 3 x TGV InOui trains per day
• the typical departure times are after 08:45, after 12:15 and around 18:50
• typical journey time = 3hrs
• potential to connect in Rennes for multiple locations including Brest, Lorient, Nantes. Morlaix, Quimper, and St Malo, depending on the departure taken.

The alternatives:

1. take the Ouigo train which typically departs at around 07:20 to Massy TGV and connect there for a TGV InOui train on to Rennes via Le Mans.
2. Head to the Gare Montparnasse to take a train on to Rennes; The transfer to Montparnasse = a RER line B train to Denfert-Rochereau + Metro line 6 to Montparnasse–Bienvenüe (direction Charles de Gaulle–Étoile). The connection at Denfert-Rochereau is by stairs.

to Strasbourg

• 5 x TGV InOui trains per day
• typical journey time = 2hr 10mins
• all trains have connections at Champagne-Ardenne TGV station with trains on to Reims
• potential to connect in Strasbourg for multiple locations including Colmar, Frankfurt (Main), Karlsruhe, Mulhouse and Stuttgart depending on the departure taken.

The alternative:

Head to the Gare de l'Est to take a train on to Strasbourg; The transfer to Gare de l'Est = a RER line B train to Gare Du Nord + Metro line 5 to Gare de l'Est (direction Place d'Italie).  

to Toulon

There is typically a daily direct Ouigo train to Toulon that departs Aeroport CDG at 11:00.
It is due to arrive in Toulon at 15:10 and it typically has easily timed connections on to Antibes, Cannes, Hyeres, Nice and St Raphael.

The alternative:

Head to the Gare de Lyon to take a train on to Toulon; The transfer to Gare De Lyon = a RER line B train to Gare Du Nord + simple cross platform transfer to a RER line D (Sud) train.

Taking a long-distance train to Aeroport CDG

Those 'Trains To' guides above can also be applied to journeys in the other direction towards the airport.
The numbers of direct trains and the journey times mirror each other.

When travelling to CDG from locations along the rail routes which connect Bordeaux, Nantes and Rennes to the airport, there will be some long gaps between the direct trains.
There are usually alternatives available, which like the outward journeys either involve connecting between trains at Massy TGV or taking trains to Paris Montparnasse + travelling on to CDG airport from there.

Similarly when travelling to CDG from locations along the rail routes which connect Marseille and Montpellier to the airport, there are usually alternatives available, which plug the gaps between the direct trains
Mirroring the outward journeys these will either involve connecting between trains at Lyon-Part Dieu or taking trains to Paris Gare de Lyon + travelling on to CDG airport from there.  

Looking up the journey / Booking tickets

SNCF Connect has a dual function as a journey look up and ticket booking service.

Though it has several atypical features that differ from how rail journeys can be looked elsewhere including Britain and the USA.
Hence the guide on how to use it - Though a key thing to be aware of is that you first tell it your destination; and then you choose a starting point.

When looking up a journey from CDG Airport when you enter Ae into the From box, you the list of From stations will include Paris Aéroport Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle (Gare TGV et Ouigo - CDG 2, à 25 km de Paris) - this is what you need to select.

The timetables tend to run ahead of when tickets will be placed on sale, so it's usually possible to look up journeys from around 6 months ahead of travel.

Tickets will typically available around 4 months ahead, but as the guide below explains, this can be variable.

Though because...

1. There are comparatively few departures from Aeroport CDG
2. Most travellers logically want to take the next available train after the flight arrival, regardless.
3. The alternatives of travelling via central Paris are mostly much more awkward

...tickets tend to be comparatively expensive when taking direct long-distance trains from CDG
Prices on the trains from a Paris terminal can cost a lot less - Though when making a comparison, you'll need to add on the exceptional €13 charge for taking the RER (+ Metro) between CDG and the Paris rail terminals.

Good to know re: the ticket booking

If you book in advance to save money for a journey by the InOui or Ouigo trains from CDG, the tickets you purchase can't be exchanged to a later train departure.
So you will in effect be committing to taking a specific departure when making a booking.

According to Chat GPT it can typically take between 60 and 90 mins from arrival at the airport stand to being at the TGV station.
If you get to the station after your booked train has departed for whatever reason, including a flight delay or a longer than usual queue at Passport Control, you will have to re-book the train, paying the more expensive last minute rate!

The only exceptions are the (much) more expensive Optimum tickets for travel in 1st / Premier class on the TGV InOui trains.
However, these tickets can only be swapped to an alternative departure if you get to the Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV station, less than 30 mins after your booked train has departed.

Because booking in advance therefore has this element of risk, many French travellers evidently wait until they are at the TGV station to book last minute.
I have been at Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV station twice on afternoons in Spring and Autumn and each ticket machine had queues of more than ten people, because there was a long line at the ticket desks.

So if you'll want to buy a ticket(s) at the station pre-boarding, its a good idea to add another 30 - 45 mins between flight arrival and train departure, when planning the journey.

For peace of mind the best option can be prioritizing ease over speed - Booking a train journey online ahead, which departs around 2 to 3 hours after a flight arrival, can therefore be a good idea.
You'll then have contingency time in the event of any delay and if all goes super smoothly, there are multiple locations in and around CDG where you can then relax and await a train departure.

Beginning and / or Finishing a Eurail trip at CDG

If you're planning a wonderful rail adventure around Europe with a Eurail pass + Paris is on your must-visit list + you've found a good price on flights to / from CDG airport, beginning your adventure by spending time in the French capital seems to make sense.

At face value, going long-distance on a train immediately after stepping off a long flight may not seem ideal.
However, from a potential for travel stress perspective, a post-flight relaxing journey on a high speed train, can win out over a slow journey by RER train from the airport into the whirlwind of central Paris.

So saving Paris as the final destination on your itinerary can make sense - Planning that short trip from the city centre to CDG will be a lot simpler than hoping that that a long-distance train will get you to the airport in time for a flight check-in.

Though the decision will inevitably depend on your flight arrival and departure times:

• A morning flight arrival will allow the time to travel away from CDG to a more distant location - By the evening you could be in Amsterdam, Beziers, Colmar, Bordeaux, Bruges, Gent, Geneva, Marseille Montpellier, Nice, Turin, or dozens of other beautiful locations.
• An early morning flight departure can be made easier to manage, by taking a day before long-distance rail journey to CDG, so that you can then spend the night in an airport hotel - If this works, then heading to central Paris on arrival at CDG becomes the obvious option.

If your planned itinerary includes a journey by TGV InOui train from and / or to CDG, these trains have mandatory reservations for Eurail pass users.
However, the number of places for Eurail users will be limited on all of these departures - and they can sell out on the most popular trains months in advance!

Therefore booking these reservations as soon as possible, prior to booking any accommodation dependent on these journeys, is highly recommended. 

Also note that the Eurail pass (+ the reservation) can be used on the TGV InOui trains from and to CDG, but not the alternative Ouigo long-distance trains - Or the RER trains to and from central Paris.

Though depending on the gap between flight arrival and train departure -  Buying a ticket for a Ouigo train from the airport to Avignon, Bordeaux, Nimes, Marseille or Montpellier + Then making Day 1 of your Eurail pass your first journey on from those cities, can be the way to go.

Orly as an alternative to CDG

Orly airport doesn't have a station used by long-distance trains, but it does have a new direct link by Metro line 14, with both Paris Gare de Lyon and Paris St Lazare.

Many locations south-east of Paris have direct trains from the Gare De Lyon, but no direct trains from Aeroport CDG.
These destinations include Aix-Les-Bains, Annecy, Antibes, Besancon, Beziers, Cannes, Chambery, Dijon and Nice.
Plus there are more trains from the Gare De Lyon than from Aeroport CDG, when heading to the likes of Avignon, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nimes and Valence.

So if there is a choice between flying to/from Orly or CDG, then Orly can be a good option if you'll be heading to/from these locations in France.

Also Aeroport CDG has a comparatively awkward rail connection to/from Paris St Lazare.
However, thanks to the new direct line 14 link between St Lazare and Orly, taking flights from and to Orly can be a good option, if your end-to-end journey involves taking a train between St Lazare and the likes of Bayeux, Cherbourg, Caen, Le Havre or Rouen.