The connection process in four steps
Most connections at Paris Charles de Gaulle follow the same steps. What changes between journeys is which checks apply and how far you need to walk or ride:
- Land or keep flying? You step off one aircraft and, in most cases, stay inside the airport until the next one.
- Follow the yellow signs. “Transfer / Correspondance” signs lead connecting passengers through CDG.
- Clear the checks that apply to you — border control and/or security, depending on direction and tickets.
- Reach your departure terminal and gate. Terminal-to-terminal movement uses walking routes, free shuttle buses, the CDGVAL metro or the automated shuttle inside Terminal 2E.
Know your terminals first
CDG has three terminal areas: Terminal 1 (a circular building with satellite gates), the Terminal 2 complex (halls 2A–2G, with Terminal 2E split into boarding halls K, L and M) and Terminal 3. You cannot walk between every Terminal 2 hall inside the secure area — that is the single biggest driver of your connection time.
Useful facts about moving between them:
- 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D share a connected public area: you can walk between them landside.
- 2E and 2F connect on foot inside the secure area, with moving walkways.
- 2G is a separate building reached by a free shuttle bus from the 2F transit area (about 15 minutes).
- The free CDGVAL automated metro links Terminal 1, Terminal 2 (Roissypôle) and Terminal 3.
The one question that decides your checks
Write down your direction before anything else:
| Direction | Passport control |
|---|---|
| Schengen → Schengen | Not required |
| Schengen → Non-Schengen | Exit border control |
| Non-Schengen → Schengen | Entry border control (EES registration for non-EU passports) |
| Non-Schengen → Non-Schengen | Not required only if you stay in the international transit zone |
“Staying in the transit zone” no longer applies the moment you must collect baggage, change terminals through the public area, or stay overnight outside the international zone — in those cases you formally enter France.
Baggage in one paragraph
On a single booking, baggage is normally checked through to your final destination and you skip it entirely during the transfer. On separate tickets, plan to collect and re-check unless your airline has explicitly confirmed through-checking — the destination printed on your baggage tag is the most useful clue you have.