You, Your Child & Charles de Gaulle. Traveling to Paris is the dream of so many of us and few of us ever get the chance to make it come true. When we do, finally, we arrive full of excitement and enthusiasm – well, as much as possible after a transatlantic passage. What do we see upon entering Paris? We’re face-to-face with one of the world’s largest, and easily it’s most confusing, airport – Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). With a curved design giving you the sense that you’re in a piece of macaroni, the entire place is an enigma. Its minimalist to the point of being bare in places, yet its layout is completely counterintuitive at first glance. This little guide should give you the highlights for your next visit.
Airport Basics Travelers Expect
The airport is massive and handles over 60 million people every year traveling on more than 150 airlines. That’s a whole lot of people to entertain while they await their flights, so CDG has crammed in as much as possible to make those layovers and delays a bit less stressful than they would otherwise be. Let’s take a quick look at a few:
Information Points: Identified by the international symbol for information, the lowercase “i”, these kiosks are located throughout CDG and will give you the information you need to make your way around. All will have an English speaker as well, which can come in handy when you need a specific answer. Ask for a free map of the airport just in case you need it later.
Lost & Found: You can use the map from the information desk to locate the airport Lost & Found for the terminal where your item went missing. It’s a good place to start and will put you in contact with the appropriate people.
Charging Ports & Internet Access: What would your time be at the airport if your phone or tablet dies? Even worse, what if your child’s entertainment goes dark? We’ve all been there and know it’s to be avoided at all costs. CDG offers a variety of charging and internet-ready areas where you can get your batteries charged and all your online browsing accomplished – for a small fee. Unfortunately, internet access is treated as a luxury at CDG, so be prepared to use your data plan or pay for access. Believe it or not, your kids will love the courtesy PS4 playrooms located in each terminal. These, unbelievably, are free to enjoy. Adjacent to these spots, you’ll find the Gulli areas which are child-friendly interactive playgrounds.
Bathrooms & Changing Rooms: Every terminal is well-apportioned with restrooms and related facilities. If you look over your map of CDG, you can identify the specific facilities that have showers, cleaning areas, and changing stations. There are shoeshine stations located near most restrooms as well.
It’s Paris…There Are Shops
Basically, the shops can be broken into broad categories – of which there are five. Obviously, there are the liquor and tobacco retailers found in every terminal. Here you can stock up on all the things that either A.) Make the vacation better, or B.) Ruin it completely. It’s up to you. You’ll also find the usual cosmetics, produce, wine, and champagne.
Yes, there are tons of fashion boutiques and stores that carry nothing but perfumes. There are Virgin stores devoted to consumer electronics and jewelry stores that will make you question whether or not you’re still in an actual airport. Much of what you’ll discover will make you feel that way. In fact, you may walk away thinking it was the best “mall” you’ve ever been to.
Places for Food & Drink
With so many terminals to wander through, and so many different airlines and nationalities represented, there are near-limitless food and beverage choices available. While some of the options are terminal-specific, meaning they only have a location in one space, many are found throughout the airport. Below is a quick breakdown of what you’ll find in each terminal:
- Terminal 1 – Starbucks, Caffè Ritazza, Le Grand Comptoir, Hippopotamus Steakhouse, La Terrasse de Paris, and, of course, McDonald’s
- Terminal 2A – Caffè Ritazza, Bistro Fontaine des Halles, Café Sélect, Les Marchés de Paris, and, of course, McDonald’s
- Terminal 2B – La Terrasse de Paris, Café Sélect, Pizza Hut, Salmon House, and, of course, McDonald’s
- Terminal 2C– Vins et compagnie, Caffè Ritazza, L’Escale Parisienne, and Les Halles de Paris
- Terminal 2D – Bill Bentley’s, Caffè Ritazza, Café Sélect, and Hippopotamus Steakhouse
- Terminal 2E – Illy Café, Paul, Taste’n’Fly, Le Comptoir Quotidien, La Terrasse, Le Rythmo, and Méli-Mélo
- Terminal 2F– Illy Café, Columbus Café, Le Comptoir Quotidien, and Les Quais de Seine
- Terminal 2G – Illy Café, Paul, Bert’s, Brasserie Flo, and Maxim’s Bar
- Terminal 3 – Pergola, Caffè Ritazza, L’escale parisienne, and Bar de l’Escale
Traveling Around CDG
Charles de Gaulle is massive. Trying to walk all around it would take far too long, so the airport has a free shuttle train – CDGVal. This train runs 24 hours a day with five stops between the “three” terminals. It also stops at Roissypôle, which is a hotel and office park on the airport property, and the two long-term parking structures the airport maintains – PX and PR. CDGVal stops at terminals 2 and 3 where you can connect with the train into Paris, the RER Line B, but terminal 2 is only a one-stop affair, so if you have to go somewhere else within the airport terminal itself, you’ll have to wait for the free shuttle bus.
Don’t Be Afraid – You’ll Be OK
It may seem confusing to the point of being intentionally designed to be that way, but remember millions and millions of people make their way through there and to there every single month. You, and your child, can do it just as well if you stay focused on each other, the map you picked up, and your surroundings. That’s all it takes. Plus, you can always ask a kind attendant a question. As long as you’re mannerly and respectful, they will be too. After all, that’s their job.