Your flight has just touched down at Charles de Gaulle and your chauffeur is waiting, somewhere. CDG processes 72 million passengers a year across three terminal complexes that are emphatically not interchangeable. Send a driver to "Terminal 2" without a sub-terminal letter and you've sent them to a building with seven distinct arrivals halls, each with its own exit doors and pickup zones, and up to 800 metres of distance between them.
Understanding the CDG Terminal 1 vs Terminal 2 transfer difference is the practical information that determines whether your journey into Paris begins smoothly or starts with a frantic phone call while you're dragging luggage through a shuttle bus in the dark.
Three Terminal Complexes, Not One Airport
Charles de Gaulle is built as three distinct complexes connected by the free CDGVAL automated shuttle. Each leg of the CDGVAL circuit takes approximately 4 to 6 minutes. Walking between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 without the shuttle takes 15 to 25 minutes via internal corridors. Terminal 3 handles low-cost and charter carriers and is rarely relevant for passengers arriving on private chauffeur bookings.
Terminal 1 opened in 1974 as CDG's original structure. circular design with a central hub and seven satellite boarding areas connected by underground walkways with moving floors. One building, one arrivals level, one primary exit corridor. The circular geometry that makes it architecturally distinctive also makes it navigationally predictable.
Terminal 2 expanded across decades into seven separate sub-terminals: 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, and 2G. Each has its own check-in halls, security lanes, and arrivals exits. T2E is Air France's primary long-haul hub and CDG's busiest sub-terminal. T2G sits 800 metres from the rest of the T2 cluster, accessible only via the free N2 shuttle bus. detail that catches experienced business travellers off guard as often as first-timers.
Who Flies Into Which Terminal
The general rule: Terminal 1 is the home of most Star Alliance airlines; Terminal 2 is Air France's hub and handles most SkyTeam carriers. But airline terminal assignments change by route, season, and aircraft type, always verify from your boarding pass, not from any general guide including this one.
| Airline | Primary Terminal at CDG |
|---|---|
| Air France, long-haul international | T2E, T2F |
| Air France, short-haul European | T2G |
| Delta Air Lines | T2E |
| KLM Royal Dutch Airlines | T2E |
| Air Canada | T2E |
| British Airways | T1 (most routes) |
| United Airlines | T1 |
| Lufthansa | T1 |
| Emirates | T1 |
| Singapore Airlines | T1 |
| American Airlines | T2B / T2G (varies by route) |
| Easyjet | T2D |
Arriving at Terminal 1: One Building, One Exit Flow
T1's circular design actually simplifies arrivals. Passengers exit baggage claim onto Level 5. top floor, through a limited number of exit doors. This funnel effect makes private chauffeur meet-and-greet services more predictable than Terminal 2: your driver positions at the arrivals exit with your name on a board, and there is only one direction passengers come from.
The standard PrivateDrive pickup position at T1 is the designated professional chauffeur zone near Exit 24 on the Arrivals level. For premium bookings, our chauffeurs coordinate deeper within the terminal, meeting you at the baggage claim exit itself, before you step into the general public area. The CDGVAL shuttle to Terminal 2 and the RER B station depart from Level 2; follow the blue signage after clearing customs.
Non-Schengen arrivals at T1 face immigration queues that typically run 30 to 75 minutes during peak afternoon periods. A tracked transfer with included waiting time absorbs this automatically.
Arriving at Terminal 2: Seven Sub-Terminals, Seven Pickup Points
Terminal 2 is where CDG transfer confusion originates. Each sub-terminal has its own pickup logic, and T2G operates on entirely different geography:
T2A: Arrivals level, Door 5.
T2B: Arrivals level, central exit area.
T2C: Arrivals level, Door 12.
T2D: Arrivals level, Door 6.
T2E: CDG's busiest sub-terminal. Arrivals level, Gate 6 exit. Non-Schengen immigration queues regularly reach 45 to 90 minutes during peak periods. A quality private transfer service tracks your flight in real time and adjusts the driver's position accordingly. is where complimentary waiting time earns its value.
T2F: Arrivals level, Door 10.
T2G: The outlier. Served by Air France short-haul European routes, positioned 800 metres from the rest of T2. No internal walking connection exists, access requires the free N2 shuttle bus, or a specific T2G pickup arrangement confirmed before your driver departs. Book T2G explicitly; "Terminal 2" is not sufficient.
Sub-terminals 2A through 2F are connected by internal pedestrian corridors, with 10 to 15 minutes between adjacent halls. The SNCF TGV station sits within the T2 complex, relevant for passengers continuing by train. Passengers arriving at T1 who need the train must transfer via CDGVAL first.
T1 vs T2 for Private Transfers: The Practical Comparison
| Factor | Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Layout complexity | Low, one building, one exit corridor | High, 7 sub-terminals, shuttle for T2G |
| Chauffeur meeting point | Arrivals Level 5, Exit 24 | Varies by sub-terminal (T2E: Gate 6) |
| Congestion risk | Lower | Higher, especially T2E peak hours |
| CDGVAL access | Level 2 | Integrated at T2E / T2F |
| Late-night public transport | RER B until ~00:30 | Same, private transfer only after midnight |
| Distance to Paris centre | ~35 km, 40 to 60 min | ~32 km, 35 to 55 min |
Both terminals are served by the same fixed-rate private chauffeur pricing. The cost difference between T1 and T2 is minimal. 2026 CDG transfer pricing guide covers the full fare ranges you should expect, regardless of terminal. For companies managing multiple executive arrivals across both terminals, a Paris corporate transport account consolidates all sub-terminal billing into one monthly invoice.
Four Things That Go Wrong at CDG Transfers
The most common CDG transfer failure is the simplest: a passenger books a transfer and tells their driver "Terminal 2." The driver picks T2E, logically, as it's the largest, and waits there while the passenger exits T2G after an Air France domestic connection. CDGVAL plus the N2 shuttle adds 20 minutes minimum, and the passenger who assumed the transfer was organised is standing alone outside an empty pickup zone at 11 PM.
The second failure is underestimating immigration time at T2E on a Thursday afternoon during a major congress week. A 13:30 landing from New York can take 90 minutes from touchdown to exit. Drivers not tracking the flight in real time and carrying free waiting time built into the fare will leave before you appear. Confirm your service includes flight tracking and at least 60 minutes of complimentary waiting, charged into the fixed rate rather than invoiced as an extra.
For night arrivals, the RER B stops running around 00:30 and CDGVAL suspends service between approximately 01:00 and 04:00. When your flight lands at 02:15 after a delay, a pre-booked private transfer is the only guaranteed door-to-door option. Our CDG transfer cost breakdown covers what you should budget for any arrival window, including late-night pickups with complimentary waiting time built into the fixed fare.
The third failure: not confirming whether your driver meets you inside the terminal at the baggage claim exit versus at the kerbside. For business travellers moving through CDG regularly, an inside meeting shortens exposure and removes the moment of uncertainty entirely. The fourth: trusting your original booking confirmation's terminal rather than your final boarding pass. Terminal assignments shift between initial reservation and departure, always read the boarding pass you scanned at the gate, not the itinerary email from three weeks prior.
PrivateDrive chauffeurs are briefed with the exact sub-terminal before every CDG pickup. Your driver tracks your inbound flight in real time, adjusts position to your actual exit, and holds your name at the arrivals barrie, you land on schedule at T2E or step off a delayed connection at T2G ninety minutes later than booked.