You just landed at Charles de Gaulle. You’ve been in the air for seven, nine, maybe fourteen hours. Your bags are heavy, your body clock is somewhere over the Atlantic, and the moment you walk out of arrivals, five different people with laminated signs are trying to make eye contact with you.
Every option in front of you has a catch. The taxi queue is longer than you expected. Uber’s surge pricing just kicked in because it’s Friday at 7 PM. The RER B platform has a sign warning you about pickpockets, in three languages. And the private driver guy with the iPad is charging what, exactly?
This is the guide you needed before you booked your flight. Real numbers, no spin, including the honest case against booking PrivateDrive when it isn’t the right call for your situation.
The Official Paris Taxi, Straightforward, Mostly
Paris taxis operating from CDG aren’t just metered cabs, they run on regulated fixed fares introduced in 2024 and upheld for 2026. The principle is simple: you pay a flat rate regardless of traffic, time of day, or how grumpy the driver is.
- Right Bank destinations (Marais, Châtelet, Opéra, most tourist hotels): €56
- Left Bank destinations (Saint-Germain, Eiffel Tower, Montparnasse): €65
That’s fair for a private vehicle door-to-door. So far so good. Here’s where it gets messier.
The extras nobody mentions upfront
- +€4 if you book by phone instead of taking a cab at the rank
- +€7 if you book in advance (same-day or next-day)
- +€5.50 per passenger from the 5th person onward, so a family of five pays extra
- A small luggage surcharge if the driver feels like it (technically not regulated, occasionally enforced)
Real price for two people booking in advance to a Right Bank hotel: closer to €63-67, not €56.
The queue reality
At Terminal 2E on a Saturday afternoon, that taxi rank is a 20 to 40-minute wait. Not because Paris is inefficient, simply because hundreds of flights land in the same windows, and the licensed taxi pool isn’t infinite. If you’re arriving at 8 AM after a transatlantic flight, factor that in.
The meter trap you need to know
The fixed fares only apply within Paris (intra-muros, roughly zones 1-4). If your destination is outside the Périphérique, the meter runs. Heading to La Défense? €55-70. Versailles for a day trip? €80-100. Disneyland for the kids? €65-85, depending on terminal and traffic. Always confirm before you get in.
What’s good about the taxi: Regulated, traceable, decent value for a single traveler going to central Paris. The driver is licensed, the price is capped for your destination, and there’s no app to fuss with at the airport.
What’s not: You get whatever car shows up. No English guaranteed. No one helps with the bags. No one knows your flight was delayed 45 minutes. You queue.
Uber, Bolt & Heetch from CDG, The Gamble
Rideshare apps work at CDG. That much is true. Here’s the rest of the truth.
The price range is wider than you think
UberX from CDG to central Paris: €42 to 95. Dynamic pricing means the fare depends entirely on demand at the moment you request. On a quiet Tuesday afternoon, you might land at the low end. On a Friday evening or during school holidays, expect the upper range, or higher.
Bolt and Heetch are often slightly cheaper: €38 to 80 for the same route. Their algorithms price differently, which can save you €5 to 15 during moderate demand. But the same surge logic applies: when demand spikes, so do their fares.
Some users have reported over €130 during major events (Roland-Garros final weekend, Bastille Day, fashion weeks). You won’t know what you’ll pay until you open the app on the ground.
The P3 parking lot problem
Here’s something travel blogs routinely skip: rideshare drivers at CDG do not come to arrivals. You walk to them, specifically to the P3 parking structure (or the designated pick-up zones depending on terminal). After a long-haul flight, with two bags and potentially kids in tow, that walk is not trivial. Add rain, and it becomes unpleasant.
Cancellations: the cost nobody talks about
This is the real problem with rideshare at CDG, and it’s worse than the pricing. Drivers routinely cancel rides. Your flight lands 30 minutes late, normal at CDG, and the driver who accepted your ride has already moved on to another fare. You rebook: the price has spiked because now it’s peak hour. Another driver accepts. You start the 10-minute walk to P3. Halfway there, cancelled again. You’re now standing in a parking garage, exhausted, rebooking for the third time at a higher price.
This isn’t an edge case. It’s the standard experience for a significant number of CDG passengers, particularly during busy periods. Drivers have no obligation to wait, no penalty for cancelling, and every incentive to take shorter, easier fares nearby.
The wait adds up fast
Even when a driver doesn’t cancel, the actual wait time from “ride requested” to “in the car moving” is rarely the 5 minutes the app promises. Factor in the walk to P3 (10 to 15 minutes), potential driver reassignment (5 to 10 minutes), and the driver navigating CDG’s pickup zones (5 minutes). Realistically, you’re looking at 20 to 30 minutes from landing to departure, and that’s when everything goes right.
The honest take: Uber, Bolt and Heetch are excellent for short city rides and last-minute bookings when timing is flexible. For an airport transfer where you have luggage and a schedule? The risk of cancellation, the unpredictable pricing, and the P3 walk make it a genuine gamble. We break this down in detail in our analysis of the CDG Uber gamble.
RER B & Roissybus, The Budget Play
Let’s be completely honest here: for the right traveler, the train is brilliant. For the wrong traveler, it’s miserable.
RER B: €11.80 per person
The commuter train runs from CDG (Terminals 1, 2, and 3 each have a station) to central Paris in about 35 to 50 minutes when it’s running smoothly. Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les-Halles, Saint-Michel, all served. For a solo traveler with a carry-on, there is no cheaper or faster way into the city.
But. Several things to know:
It is crowded. At peak hours, you’re sharing a car with commuters, students, tourists, and a full spectrum of Paris. Standing room only with a roller suitcase is uncomfortable. With two suitcases it’s an ordeal.
The pickpocket risk is real. The Paris prefecture issues warnings specifically about the RER B corridor. Keep your phone in a front pocket, your bag in front of you, and your awareness switched on. This isn’t scaremongering, it’s what Parisians tell each other.
Strikes. France has them. The RER B cancels. There’s rarely advance notice useful to someone mid-flight.
No service after midnight. If your flight lands at 1 AM, the RER B is not an option.
The math that changes everything for groups: RER B costs €11.80 per person. Four people = €47.20. A private car starts at €105 for the whole vehicle. Do the arithmetic.
Roissybus: €16.60 per person
The dedicated airport bus runs from all CDG terminals to Opéra Garnier (9th arrondissement) in 60 to 75 minutes depending on traffic. More comfortable than the RER B, marginally. Still crowded. No help with bags. And if your hotel is on the Left Bank, you’re still navigating the Metro with luggage once you arrive at Opéra.
Who the train and bus are right for: Solo travelers and backpackers arriving in daylight with light luggage, zero time pressure, and a taste for adventure. You’re saving real money and the experience is part of the trip.
Who they’re wrong for: Anyone arriving late, with a family, with significant luggage, running to a meeting, or whose tolerance for potential chaos is low after a long-haul flight.
Private Car Service, What the Price Actually Buys
A private chauffeur sedan from CDG to Paris runs €105 fixed for the standard Mercedes E-Class and destination. PrivateDrive’s pricing is fixed at booking, no surcharge, ever. Let’s break down what that number means in practice, because comparing it to a €56 taxi or an €11.80 train ticket without context misses the point.
What’s included, all of it
- Real-time flight tracking. Your driver monitors your flight from the moment it takes off. If you land 40 minutes late, they already know. Your booking doesn’t change. Your driver is still there.
- 60-minute free wait. From wheels down, you have a full hour to clear customs, collect bags, and walk out. No extra charges, no stress-texting a driver asking where they are.
- Name board greeting at your terminal. You walk out of arrivals and your name is on a board. This is not a luxury detail, when you’re jet-lagged and disoriented, knowing exactly who to walk toward is worth something.
- Luggage handling. The driver takes your bags. You don’t wrestle them into a boot.
- Premium vehicle under 2 years old. Mercedes E-Class, S-Class, V-Class for groups, not a battered taxi with 400,000 km on the clock.
- Water, charger, WiFi. Standard inclusions, not extras.
The pricing model that matters most: fixed
This is the part that’s different from everything else on this list. The price you see when you book is the price you pay. No surge. No meter. No “actually traffic was bad so it’s extra.” No surprises on the invoice.
For a business traveler expensing the trip, there’s a clean PDF invoice and a fixed amount your accounts team will thank you for.
The per-person math for groups
€85 ÷ 4 people = €21.25 per person, door to door, in a comfortable vehicle, with no queuing, no dragging luggage through turnstiles, and someone waiting for you by name. That’s not a premium, that’s arithmetic.
The honest limitation
For a single traveler going from CDG to a hotel in the 1st arrondissement at 2 PM on a Wednesday, the €56 taxi is perfectly fine. If your priority is lowest possible cost and you’re going alone to central Paris during the day, a taxi or off-peak rideshare is more economical. That’s the truth. Other options exist and they work.
Where private car becomes the obvious choice: groups of two or more, business travel, arrivals after midnight, travelers with significant luggage, clients who simply don’t want to think about it.
The Comparison Table Nobody Else Will Give You
| Taxi | UberX | Bolt / Heetch | RER B | Roissybus | Private Car | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listed price | €56 to 65 | €42 to 95 | €38 to 80 | €11.80/pp | €16.60/pp | €105 (fixed) |
| Pricing model | Fixed (prefecture) | Dynamic surge | Variable | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed, no surcharge |
| Wait time at airport | 20 to 40 min queue | 20 to 30 min (walk + wait) | 20 to 30 min (walk + wait) | Per schedule | Per schedule | 0 min, driver waits for you |
| Cancellation risk | Low | High, drivers cancel frequently | High, same issue | N/A | N/A | None, driver committed |
| Flight tracking | No | No | No | N/A | N/A | Yes, real-time |
| Meet at terminal | No | Parking P3 | Parking P3 | N/A | N/A | Yes, name board at arrivals |
| Vehicle choice | No | Limited | Limited | N/A | N/A | Yes (sedan, SUV, van) |
| Luggage help | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Price locked at booking | Partial | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes, 100% |
| Available after midnight | Yes | Yes (surged) | Limited | No | No | Yes, same price |
| Best for | Solo, central Paris | Solo, flexible, off-peak | Budget alternative to Uber | Backpackers, one bag | Solo, light luggage | Families, business, groups, night |
Our Honest Verdict, Which One Should You Book?
There’s no universal answer. There’s only the right answer for your specific situation.
Solo traveler, carry-on only, arriving in daylight: Take the RER B at €11.80. Fastest option, works well, and you’ll have a story. Watch your pockets.
Solo traveler with a proper suitcase, going to central Paris: Take the taxi at €56-65. It’s regulated, reliable, and the fixed fare protects you. Book from the official rank, not from someone approaching you in arrivals.
Two or more people with luggage: Do the math. A private car at €105 total is cheaper per person than most alternatives, and nobody cancels on you, nobody makes you walk to P3, and someone carries your bags.
Business traveler: Private car, no discussion. Clean invoice, professional image if you’re meeting someone, zero risk of “driver cancelled because your flight was late.” The productivity you get in the back seat with WiFi is a bonus. See our executive’s guide to CDG business transfers for itinerary ideas.
Arriving after midnight: Private car or taxi only. The RER B stopped hours ago. Uber surge pricing will be punishing. A pre-booked private car is the same price it was at 2 PM.
First time in Paris, anxious about navigating an unfamiliar city in a new language: Private car. The value here isn’t the vehicle, it’s that someone walks toward you with your name on a board, takes your bags, and delivers you to your door. You don’t have to figure anything out. After fourteen hours in economy class, that’s not an indulgence. That’s a reasonable decision. Read our guide to the 5 mistakes first-time visitors make at CDG, it’ll save you the headache.
Need a car for a full day to explore the region? Consider hourly hire, same driver, same comfort, billed by the hour. Arriving by private jet? Read our insider’s guide to Le Bourget Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a taxi from CDG to Paris in 2026?
The regulated fixed fare is €56 to Right Bank destinations (Marais, Châtelet, Bastille, Opéra area) and €65 to Left Bank destinations (Eiffel Tower, Saint-Germain, Montparnasse). These rates are set by the Paris prefecture and apply to all licensed taxis from CDG. Additional charges apply for phone/advance bookings and groups over four.
Is Uber cheaper than a taxi from CDG to Paris?
Sometimes. During off-peak hours on weekdays, UberX runs €42 to 55, which can beat the taxi rate. Bolt and Heetch can be slightly cheaper at €38 to 50 off-peak. During peak periods, Friday evenings, weekends, public holidays, surge pricing pushes UberX to €70 to 95+. The bigger issue: drivers frequently cancel, especially when flights are delayed, leaving you rebooking at higher prices.
How much does a private car from CDG to Paris cost?
€105 with PrivateDrive, all-inclusive and fixed. That price covers the vehicle, professional driver, real-time flight tracking, 60-minute wait time, name board greeting, luggage handling, water, and WiFi. The amount you see when you book is the amount on the invoice, no surge, no meter, no extras. No cancellation risk.
What’s the cheapest way to get from CDG to Paris?
The RER B at €11.80 per person is the cheapest option by a significant margin. It takes 35 to 50 minutes to reach central Paris stations including Gare du Nord and Châtelet. The caveats: no service after midnight, crowded during rush hours, pickpocket risk on certain sections, and cancelled outright during French transport strikes. It’s a great option for the right traveler.
Should I pre-book my CDG transfer?
Yes, particularly if you’re booking a private car (which guarantees your rate and availability regardless of what time your flight lands) or a taxi (which saves the 20 to 40-minute queue at the rank). For Uber and Bolt you can book on arrival, but if it’s a peak period and pricing is surged, you’ll have little leverage. Pre-booking a private car is the only option that eliminates all variables. For a broader overview covering both CDG and Orly, see our complete guide to Paris airport transfers.
If a private car makes sense for your trip, and for most international travelers arriving with luggage, it does, you can lock in your CDG transfer at a fixed price before you board your flight.
Your driver gets your flight number. They track it in real time. They’re there when you walk out. That’s the whole thing.