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Roissy Bus from CDG Airport to Paris

Kim Riemann (Kim)

When I was planning my arrival into Paris, I found three options for getting from Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG) into the city: limo or shuttle service, taxi, or RER train. As we were trying to do this trip "on the cheap," I immediately ruled out the first two options and focused on the third.

The RER train provided a few obstacles to my traveling sensibilities:

• It required me to enter the almost impossible debate on what type of pass to purchase for the Paris Metro.
• It required a change from the RER train to the local train within Paris.
• It required some semblance of intelligence in determining how to use the trains, make the transfer and navigate to my hotel, all after an overnight flight from the states.
• It required me to schlep my luggage down stairs and up stairs, all without the help of my trusty Sherpa, my husband, Chris.

Then someone on the SlowTalk message board mentioned a new option, the Opera bus. Opera bus? I didn't want to see an opera, what did this have to do with my transfer from the airport to downtown Paris? Plenty!

The Roissy Bus, nicknamed the Opera bus because it disembarks its passengers across the street from the Opera Garnier on the Rue des Scribe (near the corner of the Rue Auber), is named after the town (Roissy) in which the Charles Des Gaulle airport is located. The Roissy Bus provides a transfer service from the airport to the ninth arrondissement in Paris. Since I was staying near there, on Boulevard Haussmann, this seemed like the perfect solution, and it was!

Finding the Roissy Bus (Opera Bus) at the Airport

The Roissy Bus pickup stops are well marked within the terminals. From terminal 2A you pick it up right outside door nine (gate nine). Here are all the pickup locations:

• Terminal 1 - Arrival level (5), door 30
• Terminal 2A - outside door 9
• Terminal 2B - use Terminal 2B's pickup outside door 11
• Terminal 2C - use Terminal 2A's pick-up outside door 9
• Terminal 2D - outside door 11
• Terminal 2E and 2F – use the pickup near door 5 in La galerie, connecting the two terminals
• Terminal 3 - near Arrival sections, by the taxi stands

Sign in Terminal 2A for the Roissy Bus

Buying Tickets for the Roissy Bus

The one way ticket costs 8.50 Euro and is one of the better bargains in Paris these days.

You have four options for purchasing tickets for the bus:

• From the machine in terminal 2A near door 10 (gate A 10) - see photo to right.
• At the ticket counter at in terminal 2D at Gate D 11.
• On the bus from the driver.
• If you have a Paris Visite valid for zones 1 to 5, you can use that.

My guess is that terminals 1, 2E, 2F and 3 have corresponding areas for purchasing tickets near the pick-up point, but I am not certain.

They request that you purchase tickets ahead of time, but the day I traveled, the machine was not working, and I did not want to cross the busy street between terminal 2A and 2D to purchase a ticket at the ticket counter, so I bought my ticket on the bus. The bus driver didn't flinch. Yes, it does require you to have euro when you arrive, but there are ATMs in the airport.

About the Roissy Bus

From 6:00am until 7:00pm, the bus runs every 15 minutes. From 7:00pm until 11:00 pm, every 20 minutes. (Note, these are the times from the website. The sign for the bus says every 15 minutes until 8:00pm.) The bus runs seven days a week. The travel time into Paris, once you leave the airport (which can take 30 - 40 minutes because it stops at every terminal), is about 60 minutes.

It is not a "coach bus" in that it has no place to store your luggage underneath, but is like a city bus, with an accordion center connecting two halves. At the front and in the middle of the bus are two small shelves to store luggage.

If you're staying near the Opera, or don't mind transferring to another form of transportation once you arrive, the Roissy Bus is a great alternative to a high-priced taxi or the RER train.

You can use the Roissy Bus to return to the airport, picking it up on the same corner that you disembarked (Rue des Scribe). Buses run from Rue des Scribe starting at 5:45am until 11:00pm with the same frequency as mentioned above.

Roissy Bus Stop and Ticket Machine on Rue Scribe

Disadvantages to Taking the Roissy Bus

There are disadvantages to taking the bus.

• You stop at each and every terminal in the airport, so if like me, you pick up the bus at terminal 2A it could be 30 – 40 minutes before you even leave the airport grounds.
• You can and probably will end up sitting in traffic on your way into Paris, but this is no different than if you were in a taxi, limo or shuttle.
• If you're not staying in the vicinity of the Opera, you'll still be required to either take a taxi (still much cheaper than taking one all the way in from the airport) or transfer to the metro or a bus. Close by metro lines: 3, 7 and 8 (at the Opera stop, on Boulevard des Capucines) as well as RER A (on Rue Auber). Close by bus lines: 21, 27, 29, 68, 81, 95, on the same corner that you disembark and plenty of others around the corner on Rue Halévy.

Kim and her family love to travel. In recent years, they've visited London, Paris, Italy and Israel. Upcoming plans include Vermont with returns to Paris and Italy. Kim is a Slow Travel Talk message board moderator. You can read about Kim's travel adventures on her Slow Travel Member page, and her blog, Kim's Musings.  

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