Best way to get to/from CDG if you're not flying AF or SN?

[tolipanebas]

I know SN has a daily morning flight to permit connectivity to/from AFI and AF has all-day-long train services to/from Brussels-South, but what If you haven't booked a flight with either of them, but rather fly on a more exotic airline from CDG on your own; what is the best way to get to and from the Parisian main airport using public transportation?

[Airbus A330]

I know that Singapore Airlines & Vietnam Airlines PAX from Belgium may also take the TGV (operated by AF) from ZYR to CDG...

[tolipanebas]

But the train is however NOT bookable at SNCF, thalys or NMBS, so it seems you need to get an invitation from your airline... which is nice if you fly AF, SQ or VN, but what if you fly Air Mauritius just to give an example?

[Airbus A330]

Euh... I will try to check on Amadeus on Wednesday

[sdbelgium]

Amadeus gives you a nice 45-minutes connection on LH via FRA actually

Code: Select all

Carrier   Flight From Depart    To   Arrive    A/C  St   
--------- ------ ---- --------- ---- --------- ---- ---- 
SN/5O     3631   BRU  09:40     CDG  10:40     733  0    
LH        4593   BRU  07:15     FRA  08:15     733  0    
--> LH    4212   FRA  09:05     CDG  10:15     321  0    
LH        4583   BRU  18:35     FRA  19:35     735  0    
--> LH    4234   FRA  20:20     CDG  21:30     321  0    

First flight is the Europe Airpost of course, but the other two give nice connections...

This is an example of schedules on 03MAR09.

[cathay belgium]

Hi,

Also love planes !
(Flown AMS-BRU once,10 year ago on F50, included in KLM flight to CUN-BRU via Tampa-Memphis-AMS)

BUT... NOWADAYS.. BRU-CDG ?? Come on..
TGV-THALYS 1h20 very easy,no incheck,fast ...
you can't do this on a plane.. travel time..
also think ecologist !!

Maybe if the flight is cheaper but AF/SN/LH ??? NOT!!
or have you money enough..??
there are nicer planes in europe on domestic routes for just to fly with it..
thinking of some isles of the UK served by BA ?
if you have money enough , think of me !
I will search you out a nice trip ( if you take me with haha! )

Greetings
CX-B

[euroflyer]

Hm, if you really want to go all public transport the only solution is the train.

Either you take the Thalys from Bxl-Midi to Paris Gare du Nord and than via Metro/RER to CDG, however this will take some time actually. With all exchanges necessary I guess it will be around 2.5 hours (1h20 Bxl-Midi to Gare du Nord, 45 min or so to CDG; all times just from my memory ... ). And than it depends from which terminal you fly in CDG, if it is T1 you have to connect to the airport train (is it called CDGVAL?) to connect from the TGV station to T1 if I remember this correctly.

Or, but I am not 100% sure if this is still up to date, there are some normal TGV trains running either direct from Bxl-Midi I think to Lyon and Marseille or from Lille Europe (which you can reach by Eurostar from Bxl-Midi) to Strasbourg, Lyon, etcetera and they do stop at CDG, as they bypass Paris City Centre. However I think those connections only work a few times each day?

[tolipanebas]

TGV-THALYS 1h20 very easy,no incheck,fast ...

The point is that it doesn't seem to be possible to book the non-stop TGV to CDG, unless you fly on one of the participating airlines. But what if you happen to have a ticket on a non-participating airline ex CDG?

Is the only possibility really to book a seperate (train) ticket with AF to CDG and pay the full fare (i.e. 300€)?

[gumblebee]

As far as I know you can book the ticket separately, I believe the trains between Brussels-South and CDG are no longer run by Thalys, but by the SNCF, so you have to look on their website (quite complicated). I'm quite certain it's usually possible to find a ticket at a reduced rate, more so if you book sufficiently in advance. If not, your best option may be to take the Thalys to Paris Nord, and from there the RER to CDG.

Of course if you have seperate tickets, you're on your own in case of delays, more so if you have a reduced price ticket.

If you arrive too late at CDG for the last train to Brussels, you could try to take a train to Lille, and arrange for somebody to pick you up there. Also, there are traditional trains (i.e. none of this reservation hassle) from Lille to Antwerp, you need to change stations, but it's a short distance.

[Air Key West]

If you live in Belgium, you can book a train ticket from Brussels Midi/Zuid to CDG on http://www.b-rail.be
If in another country : try http://www.tgv-europe.com, but my experience is that this web site does not always work properly. At least, it has some occasional dysfunctionings, because - I think - it is still fairly new.

[skydreamer]

hello,

from Brusselsmidi to cdg there are 7 tgv's per day.

Fare: 71€ in second class one way
106€ in first class one way

bookable via voyagesncf.com you pay with credit card and they send you your ticket at home (it works very well i did it several time) or go to any belgian station and buy your ticket at the international desk.
this the best way to go to cdg from bru, you arrive in the heart of the terminal 2.

07h31 - BRUXELLES MIDI

08h46 - 08h46> via AEROPORT CDG 2 TGV 09802 Durée 01h15

10h21 - BRUXELLES MIDI

11h36 - 11h36> via AEROPORT CDG 2 TGV 09826 Durée 01h15

11h10 - BRUXELLES MIDI

12h47 - 12h47> via AEROPORT CDG 2 TGV 09832 Durée 01h37

12h09 - BRUXELLES MIDI

13h46 - 13h46> via AEROPORT CDG 2 TGV 09828 Durée 01h37

15h09 - BRUXELLES MIDI

16h47 - 16h47> via AEROPORT CDG 2 TGV 09834 Durée 01h38

16h09 - BRUXELLES MIDI

17h46 - 17h46> via AEROPORT CDG 2 TGV 09836 Durée 01h37

20h36 - BRUXELLES MIDI

21h50 - 21h50> via AEROPORT CDG 2 TGV 09846 Durée 01h14


timetable from cdg to Brussels midi check on voyagesncf.com

cheers

[Wim fan]

It is possible your travel date is too much in the future to book a seat on your desired train.

TGV tickets are bookable 3 months ahead. It is advised to book as early as possible to get the best fares (25 eur / one way).

I flew Aeroflot to Hanoi (via Moscow) out of CDG in August and bought my TGV ticket seperately, everything went smooth.

Have a nice trip

[tolipanebas]

Thanks for the replies, guys (and girls, if any)!

Still weird it's that hard to find the correct website for a very well known train link.

But once you know where to look for it, it's a piece of cake indeed.

[regi]

some remarks by my own experience:
I don't know where you live. But it could be a good idea not to depart from Brussels Midi , but to take the TGV from Lille station. ( as I did )
In that case, you simply book it as a national ticket on the website of the SNCF.

But that was just the easy bit.

Much of the quality of travel depends on how , with who you travel. Imagine you travel with a wife and baby, than as the husband you must get the 3 suitcases down the stairs to the train platform. At the platform, it is not very clear to find the right train vehicle. ( your place is reserved and you must be in the right bogie )
Ok, that went fine. So you arrive at CDG terminal 2. If your flight departs from Terminal 2, no big worries. But first take some tranquilizers if you need to take the shuttlebus to Terminal 1 from the Flinstone era.
Because you need to take an elevator upstairs ( 1 elevator working, 15 minute cue ), stand in wind and rain at the wrong side of the road to wait for the bus, fight to get a place on board ( together with luggage and rest of family if possible ) and drive 20 minutes on a whirling sick making trip to Terminal 1.
At Terminal 1 your fate will have decided that your check in gate will probably be just at the other side of the UFO shaped building. So you need to push your chariot all the way around, through zombie like passenger groups, breast feeding african mommies, lines of abandoned chariots, check in lines, whatever.
After check in, you go upstairs and arrive in a desperate looking waiting area without decent services.

Returning from your exotic destination you will be confronted with the worst luggage pick up area of entire Europe. ( it took us > 1 hour for the 3 suitcases ) Please do remember that CDG was collectively elected as the worst airport. It are not my words...
read fine horror stories at airlinequality.

So if you still can change it: don't depart from CDG. Certainly not if it is from Terminal 1 and you intend to go by TGV to Terminal 2.
Or first get a family prescription of Valium first.

[Stij]

It's funny... because it's true!

Never got the AF logic either:

- Stand in line in Brussels-South for boarding passes
- Carry your luggage to the platform and on the train
- Carry your luggage from the train and into the airport
- Stand in line again to check-in your bags

I just don't get how people can find this "well organised" and "easy"...

And I LOVE to fly AF long-haul...

Cheers,

Stij

[Sikiri]

So you arrive at CDG terminal 2. If your flight departs from Terminal 2, no big worries. But first take some tranquilizers if you need to take the shuttlebus to Terminal 1 from the Flinstone era.
Because you need to take an elevator upstairs ( 1 elevator working, 15 minute cue ), stand in wind and rain at the wrong side of the road to wait for the bus, fight to get a place on board ( together with luggage and rest of family if possible ) and drive 20 minutes on a whirling sick making trip to Terminal 1.
At Terminal 1 your fate will have decided that your check in gate will probably be just at the other side of the UFO shaped building. So you need to push your chariot all the way around, through zombie like passenger groups, breast feeding african mommies, lines of abandoned chariots, check in lines, whatever.
After check in, you go upstairs and arrive in a desperate looking waiting area without decent services.

I did the same trip TGV Lille-CDG Terminal 2 in May 2007, and I must say I did not have any problems. I don't know how long ago it was that you had this experience. But I just took the CDGVAL, a free automatic shuttle rail service. It's fairly easy, just get in and in a few minutes you arrive in Terminal 1 (or 3, wherever you need to go). More info about the CDGVAL: http://www.easycdg.com/pages/cdgval_light_railpag.html
Also, when I was there all elevators and escalators seem to work.

[regi]

Dear Sikiri,
my experience was 4 years ago and I had no knowledge about that rail connection. I had asked around months before, checked the website and at the airport the only sign was to get that shuttle bus.
I am happy for you that all the elevators worked. It was a very bad start of my holiday . ( I had no tranquilizers on hand )
You seem to be happy with the general lay out and offered quality of Terminal 1 as well ?

[Sikiri]

Regi, I have to agree with you that the layout of CDG T1 is rather confusing, and not the best around. But it's not the worst either. Any average human being should be able to find his way in any airport. And for a flight that is a lot cheaper then one through BRU, or AMS I don't mind that I have to look around to find my gate.

[regi]

right, same reason why I departed from CDG (with Gulf Air) - because of the price.
But with family, luggage, train, terminal changes, I have decided "no more" and our next family trip will be from ...Brussels !