Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport Terminals

The 3-Terminal Complex of the Main Airport in Paris
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Paris International Airport (CDG) › Guide › Terminals

Paris CDG Airport’s Layout

Charles de Gaulle Airport is a large aviation hub consisting of 3 terminal buildings. The airport welcomes more than 200.000 passengers daily, being among the ten busiest airports worldwide. The ever-increasing CDG passenger traffic has led to plans for the construction of a fourth terminal. Nevertheless, due to the covid pandemic and the potential environmental impact, those plans came to nothing.

The Terminal 1 of CDG Airport

Terminal 1 is the oldest building of Charles de Gaulle Airport, serving mostly international flights, exempt from Air France’s routes handled by terminal 2. That being said, a few Air France international flights depart from T1 as well. T1 is built looking like a huge octopus, spread into 5 levels. Although its main services are located in the circular central area, the boarding gates are scattered through 7 satellite buildings interconnected to the main terminal area but not between them. In any case, T1 ground level isn’t accessible to passengers. The other four floors house the airport’s facilities and amenities Explicitly:

  • Level 2: hosts the CDGVAL Station, some shops, and a food court, as well as check-in desks 5 and 6.
  • Level 3: houses the Departures. Check-in areas 1-4 and all the ticket offices lie here.
  • Level 4: the airside boarding floor. Apart from the Duty-Free zone, Level 4 provides access to the 7 boarding areas located at the 7 satellite buildings around the central terminal. Reaching each boarding zone is possible via tunnels with moving walkways.
  • Level 5: the Arrivals area. The 5 floor hosts the baggage claim zones. What’s more, from this level, passengers have access to the bus stop, the taxi stands, etc.

The Terminal 2 of Roissy Airport

Terminal 2 is, without any doubt, the reason why CDG Airport is considered to have a complex layout. T2 consists of 7 sub-terminals, which serve different purposes. In general terms, T2 is dedicated to Air France flights.

CDG Airport T2A

T2A houses Check-in areas 1-8, as well as Boarding Gates A and C. It is spread into 2 levels: the ground level hosts the Arrivals and the first one the Departures. 

CDG Airport T2B

T2B, now reopened after a long renovation period, shelters Check-in zones 1 and 2 and Boarding Gates B and C. 

CDG Airport T2C

T2C is split into two floors, with the first floor housing the Arrivals and the second the Departures (Gates C). 

CDG Airport T2D

T2D has the same layout as T2C. Here the Boarding Gates D are to be found. 

CDG Airport T2E

T2E serves international flights to and from non-Schengen destinations and the airlines that are members of the SkyTeam alliance. It is the largest department of T2. It features Check-in areas 2-13 and Boarding Gates K, L, and M. Please note that Boarding Areas L (Satellite S3) and M (Satellite S4) are accessible only via the airport’s transit train. Overall, T2E welcomes many transit passengers while hosting the airport’s hotel, Yotel Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, which is available only to passengers with a T2E boarding pass (that is, passengers from out of Schengen destination). 

CDG Airport T2F

On the other hand, Check-in areas 1-7 and Boarding zone F are to be found in T2F, also serving many transit travelers. 

CDG Airport T2G

Last but not least, T2G is the smallest facility of T2 and the only one completely separated from the other sections. T2G lies 800m away from the rest of the T2 complex and handles flights from Schengen destinations along with Air France’s domestic and European routes.

Our Tip: T2G was initially constructed to serve Air France’s needs exclusively. 

The Terminal 3 of Roissy Airport

Terminal 3 of CDG Airport lies right opposite T1, at a 1 km/0.6 mile distance, and serves charter flights and low-cost air carriers. It is composed of one building, hosting the Arrivals (on its north side) and the Departures (on its south). The Departures area is subdivided into two zones, Hall A and Hall B.

Transfers between Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport’s Terminals

The three Paris airport terminals are connected via the CDGVAL automatic shuttle and the free shuttle buses. In detail, terminal 1 is linked to T3 by the free CDGVAL shuttle train, operating daily from 04:00 am to 01:00 am at a 4-minute frequency and traveling between terminals in about 8 minutes. Alternatively, travelers can catch an airport taxi to reach terminal 3. The CDGVAL train also handles connections between the T1 and T2 terminal buildings. On the other hand, for connecting flights, the free blue shuttles, run from T1 to T2A, T2B and T2C, T2F and T2E (Gates L and K), every 8 minutes from 05:00 am to 11:30 pm. 

As far as the “maze-like” T2 is concerned, the sub-sections T2A-T2F are walkable and connected via pedestrian walkways. Nevertheless, T2G is located 800m away, reachable only via free shuttles, while free shuttle services are also available to passengers who don’t want to move around on foot. Explicitly:

  • N1 Shuttle: The free N1 Shuttle stops at all T2 sub-terminals (except for T2G), the PW Car Park, and the SNCF Railway Station. It has available routes every 10-15 minutes around the clock. 
  • N2 Shuttle: The also free N2 connects T2E and T2F to the remote T2G. The shuttle operates from 05:30 am to 11:00 pm with routes every 5 minutes, and its itinerary takes around 15 minutes.
     Important Note: The shuttle stops at T2E only from 09:30 pm to 11:00 pm!

The following multi-colored CDG airport shuttles only handle rides between connecting flights.

  • The Purple Shuttle: The shuttle service that links T2E Gate M to T2F and T2E Gate L. It operates every 4 minutes from 05:30 am to 04:00 pm and every 11 minutes at other times.
  • The Yellow Shuttle: The route connects T2A/C to T2G and the Gate K of T2E/G to Gate K of T2E and T2A/C. Moreover, it offers connections from Gate K to T2A/C and T2G. It operates from 05:30 am to 09:45 pm.
  • The Red Shuttle: This is an express route linking T2G and Gate M of T2E. It runs from 05:30 am to 02:00 pm.
  • The Orange Shuttle: If you have a Schengen connection at CDG Airport, the Orange Shuttle will transfer you from T2F to T2G, running from 05:30 am to 11:00 pm at a 6-minute frequency.
  • The Grey Shuttle: During international connections, the Grey Shuttle transfers passengers from T2G to Gate L of T2E from 05:30 am to 09:45 pm.

Finally, to reach the other two terminals from T3, you can choose between the CDGVAL driverless train or an airport taxi.  

Important Note: The yellow, red, and grey shuttles are currently not operating.

FAQs

How many terminals are there at Charles de Gaulle Airport?

Paris Roissy Airport has 3 terminal buildings. Terminal 1 is the initial airport’s terminal, looking like a giant octopus, with a central area housing its services and 7 “tentacles” where the boarding gates are to be found. On the other hand, T2 is subdivided into 7 sections (basically 7 sub-terminals), whereas T3 consists of one single terminal building.

Which terminal does Air France use at CDG?

Air France flies from and to Paris airport terminal 2. Specifically, France’s flag national air carrier uses the sections T2E, T2F, and T2G for its routes’ departures and arrivals. That being said, a few Air France flights fly from T2B and T2D and from terminal 1 as well.