Express train between central Paris and Charles de Gaulle airport to launch in 2027
The ‘CDG Express’ will run four times per hour and connect airport to Gare de l’Est in 20 minutes
Direct link will be fastest way to reach airport from central Paris
BalkansCat / Burning Bright / Shutterstock
A new train service connecting Paris Charles-de-Gaulle airport and the city centre will launch next year, providing a direct link to France’s busiest airport from its capital.
Dubbed the CDG Express, the service will run between Terminal 2 of the airport and the Gare de l’Est station in the 10th arrondissement.
Due to launch on March 28, 2027, daily services will run every 15 minutes, from 05:00 to midnight and will be direct without any intermediary station stops.
Prices are yet to be confirmed, but under-16s accompanied by family will travel free of charge.
Holders of a Navigo pass – the Parisian public transport card – will reportedly receive a 30% - 40% discount.
Although not yet confirmed this is expected to be limited to residents of the Île-de-France region who use their Navigo pass for monthly or annual subscriptions, and not the paper-style top-up or single-use cards available for tourists / occasional users.
Alongside the CDG Express, a foot tunnel linking Gare de l’Est with the nearby Gare du Nord is also set to open in 2027.
Direct service will provide quickest connection
A fast train link without any stops between Paris and its largest airport has long been desired by travellers.
The airport does have a train station, Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV, located in Terminal 2, providing several daily services.
Trains depart the airport to other major cities in France such as Nantes, Lille, Toulon, and Strasbourg, as well as Brussels in Belgium.
The RER B train line links Charles de Gaulle to Paris, taking around 34 minutes to reach the airport from Gare du Nord, stopping at several intermediary stations in the suburbs.
As a commuter rail route, it can often be busy and has limited space for luggage, a frequent criticism from tourists.
It costs €11.80, but is free for Île-de-France residents with a monthly or annual Navigo subscription.
Travellers can take bus 9517, which connects the airport to Saint-Denis Pleyel (the end of Metro Line 14). Bus lines 350 and 351 serve Paris from Charles de Gaulle, taking 70 minutes plus.
Night buses N143 and N140 also run between the airport and Paris Gare de l’Est.
Otherwise, travellers need to book a taxi to reach the airport directly, which comes with a fixed price depending on which side of the Seine they are being picked up from.
Major Metro expansion to airport by 2030
In comparison, Orly airport to the south of the city now has a direct connection to the capital through Metro Line 14.
Opened in June 2024, it links Orly to the Châtelet-Les-Halles station in the city centre in around 25 minutes.
A ticket costs €14, however all journeys on Line 14 are included as part of a Navigo subscription for Île-de-France residents.
As part of the ‘Grand Paris Express’ project to expand the Parisian Metro into the suburbs Line 17 will connect Charles de Gaulle Airport to Saint-Denis Pleyel, passing through the northern suburbs.
The line will partially open in 2027, but not connect Saint-Denis and Charles de Gaulle airport until 2030.
The Saint-Denis Pleyel terminus is set to be a central hub of the project, with travellers from Line 17 able to connect to services on Line 14 to reach the city centre, or Lines 15 and 16 to access Paris’ suburbs.
