Quick answer: The cheapest way from Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to central Paris is the RER B train (about €11.80, 35–50 minutes to Châtelet–Les Halles). For groups or lots of luggage, official flat-fare taxis are simplest: €56 to the Right Bank, €65 to the Left Bank.
Your options compared
| Option | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| RER B train | 35–50 min | ~€11.80 |
| Roissybus (to Opéra) | 60–75 min | ~€16.60 |
| Official taxi (flat fare) | 40–60 min | €56–65 |
| Uber / private transfer | 40–60 min | €45–70 |
Which should you choose?
Take the RER B if you’re on a budget and not staying far from a station — it’s the fastest into the centre. Choose a flat-fare taxi if you have heavy bags, arrive late, or are travelling as a group, since the fixed price removes any meter surprises.
Tips
Buy your RER ticket from machines (keep it until you exit), only use the official taxi rank — never accept a ride from someone approaching you in the terminal — and check for occasional RER B strikes or works, when a taxi or bus is safer.
FAQ
Cheapest way from CDG to Paris? The RER B train (~€11.80).
How long does it take? 35–75 minutes depending on mode and traffic.
How much is a taxi? A fixed €56 (Right Bank) or €65 (Left Bank).
Planning Paris? See our best time to visit France.
Every way into Paris: exact 2026 costs and times
Here is the honest 2026 lineup, with real prices and door-to-door reality, not brochure times.
- RER B train — €14 (adult), €7 (child 4–9). The fastest and cheapest serious option. Gare du Nord in ~30–35 min, Châtelet–Les Halles ~33 min, Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame ~36 min. The flat “Paris Region Airports” fare covers all zones 1–5 plus two hours of metro/RER transfers, so your onward Métro leg is included. Trains run roughly every 6–15 min from about 4:50am to around midnight. Downsides: stairs, crowding, and a real pickpocket reputation on this line.
- Official taxi — €56 flat to the Right Bank, €65 flat to the Left Bank. Set by ministerial decree, identical 24/7, luggage and tolls included, up to 4 passengers. Roughly 45–60 min depending on traffic. The most stress-free door-to-door choice with bags.
- Uber / VTC — typically €40–€75. Often cheaper than the taxi in off-peak hours (~€44 average), but surges past €70 at peak. You must walk to the designated VTC pickup zone, not the taxi rank.
- Heads-up: the Roissybus to Opéra was permanently discontinued on 1 March 2026 — ignore any older guide that still lists it.
What I’d actually book, by traveler type
The “best” route depends entirely on your bags, your budget, and where you’re sleeping.
- Solo traveler or couple traveling light, on a budget → RER B (€14 each). Nothing beats it on speed-per-euro. You’ll be at Gare du Nord in around half an hour while the taxi is still crawling the A1.
- Two to four people, or anyone with heavy/large luggage → official taxi (€56 / €65). Split four ways, the Right-Bank taxi is €14 a head — the same as the train, but door-to-door with zero stairs or line changes. This is the clear winner for families.
- Late-night arrival (after ~11pm) or very early flight → taxi or Uber. RER B service thins out and stops around midnight, and the line feels sketchier late. Pay for the certainty.
- Staying on the Left Bank (5th–7th, 13th–15th) → weigh the €65 taxi against RER B to Saint-Michel. The fare jumps €9 simply for crossing the Seine, so if you’re at a Saint-Michel-adjacent hotel, the train drops you almost at the door.
- Price-sensitive but hate the Métro with bags → compare Uber live before committing; off-peak it can undercut the taxi by €15+.
Tickets, where to buy, and the scams to dodge
Two 2026 changes trip up almost everyone, plus one airport hustle that’s been running for years.
- Paper tickets are dead. Cardboard ticket sales ended November 2025 and they’re invalid across the whole network by mid-2026. For the RER B you now buy the €14 airport fare onto a reusable Navigo Easy card (a small one-time card fee, about €2) or load it to your phone (Apple Wallet / the Île-de-France Mobilités app).
- Where to buy: the staffed ticket windows and the green automated machines inside the CDG train stations (signposted from arrivals). Machines take contactless cards and have an English option. Quirk: you can’t keep both the airport fare and regular t+ Métro tickets on the same card simultaneously — buy the airport fare alone for the trip in.
- The strike/private-driver scam: a well-dressed man, sometimes wearing a fake airport lanyard, approaches you in the hall claiming “there’s a taxi strike, no taxis today — I’ll take you for €100.” It’s a lie. There is no strike.
- Beat it cold: follow the signs to the official taxi rank; an airport agent assigns you a licensed cab there. Never accept a ride from anyone who approaches you, and confirm the driver honors the €56/€65 flat fare before you load bags. Asking for a mid-trip stop voids the flat rate and switches on the meter.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.