Charles de Gaulle airport to the Eiffel Tower is about 35 km (22 miles) by road: 45–60 minutes by car in normal traffic. The easiest option is a pre-booked private transfer or an official taxi, which charges a regulated flat rate to the Left Bank, where the tower stands. The cheapest is the RER B to Saint-Michel Notre-Dame, then the RER C to Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel, about 60–75 minutes on one Paris Region airport ticket.
Landing at CDG with luggage?
Book a private transfer to your Eiffel Tower area hotel: driver in arrivals with a name sign, flight tracking, free child seats and a fixed fare shown before you confirm.
How far is Charles de Gaulle from the Eiffel Tower?
Charles de Gaulle (CDG), also called Roissy, lies north-east of Paris. The Eiffel Tower is on the opposite side of the city centre, on the Left Bank of the Seine in the 7th arrondissement. The road distance is about 35 km (22 miles), and the straight-line distance is a little under 30 km. Drivers usually take the A1 motorway south into Paris and then either cross the centre or follow the Boulevard Périphérique ring road round to the west before coming in along the river.
Distance is not what decides your journey time; traffic is. The A1 and the ring road are among the busiest roads in France, so the same trip can take 35 minutes at 23:00 and well over an hour on a weekday evening. Public transport has the opposite profile: slower when roads are clear, but steady at rush hour.
| Option | Journey time | Changes | Price basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-booked private transfer | 45–60 min (35 min at night, 75+ min at peak) | None, door to door | One fixed fare per vehicle, shown before booking |
| Official taxi from the rank | 45–60 min | None | Regulated flat rate to the Left Bank |
| RER B + RER C | 60–75 min | One, at Saint-Michel Notre-Dame | Paris Region airport ticket per person |
| Roissybus + Metro line 8 | 75–90 min | One, at Opéra | Per-person bus ticket plus Metro ticket |
Times are typical door-to-door estimates from leaving the terminal and vary with traffic, engineering works and your exact hotel. Check RATP or Île-de-France Mobilités for current public transport fares and disruptions.
Option 1: a pre-booked private transfer
A private transfer is the simplest way from Charles de Gaulle airport to the Eiffel Tower. You give your flight number when booking; the driver tracks it, waits in the arrivals hall with a name sign, helps with bags and drives you to your hotel door. Child seats are fitted free on request, and sedans and vans cover larger groups. The fare is fixed per vehicle and shown in the booking tool before you confirm, including any night supplement for pickups from 22:00 to before 06:00. See our taxi CDG Paris service for details, or the transfer from CDG to Paris page for every central Paris address.
Option 2: an official Paris taxi at the flat rate
Licensed Paris taxis (with the illuminated “TAXI PARISIEN” sign on the roof) wait at the signed ranks outside each terminal. Journeys between CDG and Paris are charged at a regulated flat rate, the forfait, rather than on the meter. There are two rates from CDG: one for the Right Bank and a higher one for the Left Bank. The Eiffel Tower is on the Left Bank (rive gauche), so if your hotel is beside the tower, in the 7th, 15th or most of the 6th arrondissement, expect the Left Bank rate. The flat rate covers the trip itself; a booking fee can be added if you reserve by phone or app. Ignore anyone offering a ride inside the terminal: they are not licensed taxis.
Option 3: RER B and RER C
This is the cheapest route from CDG to the Eiffel Tower and the most reliable at rush hour.
- Buy a Paris Region airport ticket. It covers the RER from the airport and connections in Paris (14 euros per adult in 2026), loaded on a Navigo Easy card or in the official transport apps.
- Take the RER B towards Paris from the Aéroport CDG 2 station (Terminal 2) or Aéroport CDG 1 (reached from Terminals 1 and 3 by the free CDGVAL shuttle).
- Change at Saint-Michel Notre-Dame, after about 35–40 minutes. Follow the signs for the RER C.
- Take the RER C westbound (direction Versailles Château Rive Gauche or Pontoise; check the screen) and get off at Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel, about 10 minutes later. The tower is a few minutes’ walk away.
The RER C section is often affected by planned engineering works, particularly in summer, when part of the line through central Paris can close. If it is closed, stay on the RER B to Denfert-Rochereau and take Metro line 6 to Bir-Hakeim, which is also a short walk from the tower.
Option 4: Roissybus and the Metro
The Roissybus runs from the CDG terminals to Opéra in central Paris. From Opéra, Metro line 8 runs direct to École Militaire, a short walk from the Champ de Mars. It avoids the RER B but is exposed to the same road traffic as a car, so it is rarely faster than the train.
Charles de Gaulle to the Eiffel Tower step by step on arrival day
- Before you fly: decide on your option and, for a car, book with your flight number so the driver adjusts to delays.
- After landing: passport control and baggage at CDG usually take 30–60 minutes; allow more for non-EU passports at busy times.
- Meet your driver or find the transport: private drivers wait in the arrivals hall; taxi ranks and bus stops are signed outside; the RER is signed “Paris by train”.
- On the road or rails: 45–60 minutes by car, 60–75 by RER.
- At the hotel: many Eiffel Tower area hotels will store bags before check-in, so you can go straight to the tower or a Seine cruise.
Luggage tips for the CDG to Eiffel Tower trip
- Large suitcases and the RER: stations such as Saint-Michel Notre-Dame have stairs and long corridors, and lifts are not guaranteed. With more than one big case each, a car is far easier.
- Pushchairs and children: trains do not provide car seats; a private transfer fits them free on request.
- Rush hour: avoid the RER B with luggage between roughly 07:00–09:30 and 16:30–19:30, when trains are packed with commuters.
- Late arrivals: trains thin out late in the evening; a pre-booked car or taxi is the reliable option after about 22:00.
Visiting Disneyland Paris too?
Plenty of travellers combine the Eiffel Tower with a few days at Disneyland Paris, about 45 to 60 minutes east of central Paris. Our Disneyland Paris to Eiffel Tower taxi covers trips between the two, and the Paris airport transfers page lists fixed-fare routes from CDG, Orly and Beauvais to the city and the resort. As a dedicated Paris taxi service for Disney visitors, we run every route 24/7.