Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)

The terminals at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

Charles de Gaulle airport has three terminals, 1, 2 and 3, and the airport's site has a page to find your airline's terminal before you travel. The airport is in Roissy-en-France, and it is a major hub for international flights.

The CDGVAL shuttle connects the terminals and the parking lots, with stops at terminals 1, 2 and 3 and at the TGV station, and it is free. Terminal maps are available online and in the airport, and orientation signs are placed to help you find your gate.

Getting to and from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

The RER B connects Paris directly to the airport, and mainline trains, including the TGV high-speed trains, link it to cities such as Lyon and Lille. The Roissypôle station near the airport gives access from Gare du Nord.

Bus 9517 provides the route between Paris and the airport and leaves from Saint Denis Pleyel station on metro line 14. Shuttles also run between the airports, for example from Charles de Gaulle to Orly, and to destinations such as Disneyland Paris. Taxi stands are at the exits of the terminals, with fixed fares between Paris and the airport.

What happens when you arrive at CDG

If you need assistance for a passenger with reduced mobility, the airport asks you to notify your airline or your travel agent at least 48 hours before the flight to guarantee it. Help points and designated areas are in every terminal, and the service covers the whole way from arriving at the airport to boarding, with wheelchairs, help with the baggage and an escort to the aircraft door.

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport with children

Every child travelling by air, including a baby, needs an identity document in their own name: a family record book is not enough. A child who is an EU citizen can fly inside France and across the European Union with a national identity card, and a passport works too. A child who is not an EU citizen needs their own valid passport even for those flights, and a visa if their nationality requires one. For a flight outside the European Union and the Schengen area every child needs a passport, and for some destinations a visa in their own name. A child who lives in France and travels abroad without a parent or another person with parental authority needs a parental authorisation to leave France (AST); a child who lives outside France and is only visiting or passing through does not need one.

A stroller is accepted free of charge, either in the hold or in the cabin, depending on the airline's rules, and there are dedicated areas for families in the terminals so that travelling and waiting before the flight is easier.

The airport's page on travelling with children gives tips for the security check: put the child's toys and their comfort toy in the carry-on bag, hold your baby in your arms to go through the security gates or let the child through alone if they are able to, and put the diaper bag and the stroller on the conveyor belt. If you travel with a child under two you may bring baby bottles, baby food, infant formula, medication, milk, water and juice, and these have to be handed to a control officer for a separate check. The security team may also ask you to taste the baby food you are carrying, so bring it in resealable containers and avoid glass.

Plan your stop at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

If a child travels alone, many airlines offer a service to accompany them, and the airport's page says that this service is usually for children aged 4 to 12 and that it varies from airline to airline, so ask your airline before you book. Before you travel, ask the embassy or consulate of each country on your route which documents your family needs to enter it.

Sources

• Official page of Paris Aéroport on Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport: the airport is located in Roissy-en-France and is a major hub for international flights, served by the RER B, which connects Paris directly to the airport, and by mainline trains (TGV and high-speed lines) to cities such as Lyon and Lille, with the Roissypôle station near the airport giving access from Gare du Nord. Bus 9517 provides the route between Paris and CDG, departing from Saint Denis Pleyel station on metro line 14, and shuttles also connect the airports and destinations such as Disneyland Paris. Taxi stands are at the exits of the terminals, with fixed fares between Paris and the airport. The CDGVAL shuttle connects the terminals and the parking lots and serves terminals 1, 2 and 3 as well as the TGV station, and it is free. It links to a page to find your airline's terminal. On finding your way in the terminals it says that terminal maps are available online and in the airport, and that orientation signs are strategically placed to help passengers find their boarding gate or the services they need. — parisaeroport.fr (checked 21 October 2026)
• Official page of Paris Aéroport on travelling with a child: an identity document is required for all children, including babies, when travelling by air, and a family record book is not sufficient because the child must have identity documents in their own name; a parental authorisation is mandatory for minors travelling alone or with an accompanying adult who is not one of the parents; pushchairs are accepted free of charge, either in the hold or in the cabin, depending on the airline's rules; and dedicated areas for families are available in the terminals. The page also gives the security tips for a family: put the child's toys and their comfort toy in the cabin baggage, hold your baby in your arms to go through the gates or let the child go through alone if they are able to, put the nappy bag and the pushchair on the carpet for the security check, and if you travel with a child under two you may bring baby bottles, baby food, infant formula, medication, milk, water and juice, which must be submitted to a control officer for separate inspection. It also says that the security team may ask you to taste the baby food you are carrying, so bring food in resealable containers and avoid glass. The page also sets out which document a child needs for which flight: a national identity card for flights in France and across the EU, with a passport also accepted, a passport for international flights outside the EU and the Schengen Area, and a visa in the child's own name for some destinations. On a child travelling alone it says that many airlines, but not all, offer a dedicated service to accompany children travelling alone, often at an extra cost, and that this service is usually available for children aged 4 to 12, but that this varies from airline to airline. — parisaeroport.fr (checked 21 October 2026)
• French version of the Paris Aéroport page on travelling with a child: its tips for the security check say to hold your baby in your arms to go through the walk-through security arches (“franchir les portiques”) or let your child go through them alone if they are able to, and to put the things you use for your child, such as the diaper bag or the stroller, on the conveyor belt for the security check (“sur le tapis pour le contrôle de sûreté”). — parisaeroport.fr (checked 21 October 2026)
• Official page of Paris Aéroport on assistance for passengers with reduced mobility: dedicated support is available for passengers with reduced mobility from arrival at the airport to boarding, and the passenger should notify their airline or travel agent at least 48 hours before the flight to guarantee the assistance; help points and designated areas are located in every terminal for easy pick-up; the services include wheelchairs, baggage assistance and escort to the aircraft door; any disabled person can benefit from priority passage before the security checks and the border police controls; there are changing and care rooms, anti-fatigue seating, adapted toilets and raised seats in each boarding lounge; and wheelchairs are available for rent at the mobility assistance points, though they are not electric, so the travelling companion has to be able to push them. — parisaeroport.fr (checked 21 October 2026)
• Official French government page (Service Public) on the autorisation de sortie du territoire (AST): a minor who lives in France, French or foreign, and travels abroad without a parent or another person with parental authority needs an AST, signed by one parent; a French minor who lives abroad and stays in France does not need one to leave France, a foreign minor who lives abroad and stays in or transits through France does not need one, and neither does a child travelling with only their father or only their mother. — service-public.gouv.fr (checked 21 October 2026)
• Official EU page (Your Europe) on travel documents for non-EU nationals: a national of a country outside the EU who wishes to visit or travel within the EU needs a valid passport and possibly a visa, depending on their nationality; children and minors must have their own passport and visa, if required; and for the exact requirements you should contact the embassy or consulate of the EU country you intend to visit. — europa.eu (checked 21 October 2026)