I saved $50 by taking the train from the Paris airport… Was it worth it?

Paris’s luxurious experiences are famous—and a big reason that the city is so popular with tourists. But as a Paris resident, I’ve learned what’s not worth spending on and what’s worth a splurge. For example, I don’t think it’s worth spending a lot of money to get around Paris in most cases.

But on my most recent trip back to Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport, I realized that there was one area in which I was splurging. And I didn’t have to! I usually take a taxi from the airport. With the fixed pricing, this costs me 56 euros plus a tip to my Right Bank apartment. (It would cost 65 if I lived on the Left Bank).

The RER commuter train from the airport to the city center only costs 11.80€, though. There’s also a new Métro stop at the Orly airport that’s even cheaper to access (4.30€). In other words, I thought it was time to begin exploring public transportation options.

Are you interested in saving money the second you set foot in Paris? Follow in my footsteps! Here’s what happened when I took the train from Charles de Gaulle.

The Pros & Cons of Paris Airport Taxis

Once I’d collected my bag, I started heading toward the taxi line automatically. Charles de Gaulle makes it incredibly easy to catch a taxi. There are taxi ranks by all the baggage claims. You should always follow the official signs. Unofficial drivers will try to approach you, but you should never follow them.

My first hitch came when I saw the length of the taxi line at my terminal. There must have been at least 50 people in front of me. The airport taxis generally come quickly and there’s a supervisor present. However, sorting passengers and luggage takes time. After my eight-hour flight, I was impatient to get home.

The fixed prices do make taxis appealing. You won’t be left wondering how much your ride will cost you. And while I didn’t have any cash for a tip on me, you can ask the driver to put a larger amount on your card. The more bags you have, the more you should tip.

In other words, ease is the main benefit of an airport taxi in Paris. But this trip would take a lot of waiting and tax my already overextended budget.

Why Did I Choose the RER? Price and Timing

Looking at that line, I realized I only had one bag and several large totes with me. I didn’t really need a driver’s help with it. And if that was the case, the train was suddenly an option.

A glance at my banking app confirmed it. My two months of travel had cost me. This was the perfect time to try the budget option in Paris. So, I turned around and followed the signs to the RER.

I’d taken the RER to the Paris airport from the city center years before. What would it be like if I paid the train fare instead of the taxi fare to get back to my apartment? 

I wasn’t sure about lugging my 50-pound bag and carry-on totes through multiple subway transfers. But on the other hand, it was also a summer morning—prime time for traffic jams.

A taxi from the airport to my apartment normally takes around 40 minutes in light traffic. But if there was heavy traffic, it could be an hour or even 90 minutes, as I knew from experience. The RER plus the Métro transfer takes just under an hour and is much more predictable. (It can take a lot less time if you’re staying closer to an RER B stop.)

My mind was made up: I’d take the train.  

The RER is Paris’s Commuter Train Option

The RER isn’t the same thing as the Paris Métro, but it’s not a series of long-distance trains, either. Instead, it’s a network of short to medium distance trains serving the wider Paris area. A single ticket’s price depends on which zone or zones you’re going through. Fares begin at €2.15. From the airport, the ticket costs 11.80€.

The branch of the RER that serves Charles de Gaulle is the RER B. There are two official stops. “Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1” serves Terminals 1 and 3. “Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV,” serves Terminal 2. Depending on where your flight lands, you may need to take a shuttle or walk a fair distance to get to one of these stations.  

If your flight lands in the early hours of the morning, the RER isn’t a good plan. It runs between 5 am and midnight. But during that period, a train comes around every 15-20 minutes.

The RER B train then takes you into central Paris. It’s worth using Google Maps or another service to see what transfer, if any, you’ll need to make, and what stop you should use. There are seven stops around the city, all with direct connections to Métro lines. 

Using the Charles de Gaulle RER Stops

I’d landed at Terminal 1. I didn’t know that I’d have to take the CDGVAL shuttle, an automated 6-minute train, to the RER. Following the signs for public transportation led me to it, though. It took me around 15 minutes to get to the station.

The station was enormous and airy, with doors to the outside. On either end, there was a flight of stairs and an escalator going down to the platform. I walked all the way to one entrance before realizing I needed a ticket to access the platform. After a few inquiries, I found the ticket machines in the middle of the hall. It may seem like the obvious place to look, but I’d missed it!

A guide oversaw and helped travelers with their purchases. However, this was in the summer of 2024, when Paris hosted the Olympic Games. I’m not sure if this is a permanent feature. Anyway, in a few minutes, I had my ticket, paid for with my American debit card.

Riding the RER: Prepare to Consolidate Your Bags!

The signs for the Paris platform were well-marked. The next train wasn’t coming for 10 minutes, so I sat on a bench along the platform. I parked my suitcase between my knees and propped my tote bags on top of it, grasping onto them for safety.

As someone who tries to travel with just a carry-on, I’m also used to having layers of tote bags stuffed into one big bag as my personal item. This way, I can pull the smaller bags out once I’m on board and have easy access to my organized items. But as I tried to put the smaller bags into the larger bag while waiting, the zipper on the larger bag broke. I was stuck with three heavy tote bags along with my suitcase.

When the train pulled up, this didn’t seem like it would be an issue. It was almost totally empty, and I took a seat and put my bags on the seat next to me with relief. The train had great ventilation and was clean and comfortable.

But as we moved forward, I realized that I’d forgotten. The RER doesn’t take you directly into Paris. You stop in several other suburbs first. As more and more commuters got on, I got increasingly dirty looks at all of the seats my bags were taking up. I piled them on my lap, but the suitcase in front of me still blocked that seat.

Eventually, the only fair thing to do was to stand with my luggage. By this point, we were only a few minutes away from my stop at Châtelet in central Paris, though, so it wasn’t too big a deal.

Transferring from the RER: Plan on a Hike

The main issue I’d anticipated on my ride was the transfer from the RER to the Métro. Châtelet is one of the places I try to avoid in Paris. It’s a huge station, and transfers between lines can take fifteen minutes or more. There’s even an airport-style moving walkway.

This isn’t the case for every RER stop in Paris, by the way. The Luxembourg and Palais-Royal stops, for example, are at much smaller stations. This was just the only route that made sense for me.

At this point, my tote bags were cutting into my shoulders and my suitcase felt like I’d packed it full of lead. But while the ten-minute transfer wasn’t my favorite experience, it was definitely doable. A few stops later, I was back home.

Would I Do It Again?

So, would I take the train from Charles de Gaulle again? Absolutely! However, I’d make a few changes. First, I’d plan my transportation before packing. Mailing my bag ahead of me or packing just a carry-on would have made my trip a lot easier. Minimizing my totes would also have been a good idea. A packing list would certainly have helped!

Overall, the RER service was a great experience, and it’s one I plan to repeat. But next time, I’m going to be prepared!

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Thanks for reading! Next, read my article “I tried getting around the French countryside without a car. Never again.“