Paris–Charles de Gaulle: The Gateway to France

The Eurodrive guide

Paris, where every road trip should begin.

You've landed at Europe's second-busiest airport, the keys to a brand-new car in your hand, and the whole of France spread out before you. Charles de Gaulle, north-east of the capital, is the perfect springboard: Paris itself is barely 40 minutes away, and beyond it lie châteaux, vineyards, beaches and mountains. Whether you're easing into the city first or about to set off on the open road, here's how to begin well.

First things first: the practical essentials

Refuelling near the airport. If you didn't take the optional full-tank service at pick-up, you can refuel near the airport — there's no obligation to return the car full. The handiest stop is the TotalEnergies “Le Cèdre” station beside the A1, open daily 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. — easy to reach without leaving the airport road. A second TotalEnergies sits right by the terminals on Rue de l'Or, useful but often busy with other returners.

Getting into the city. The RER B train links CDG to central Paris (Gare du Nord, Châtelet) in around 35 minutes. By car, the A1 motorway runs straight into the city — expect heavy traffic at peak hours — while the A104, “la Francilienne”, lets you skirt the capital toward other regions.

Where to spend your first night. To avoid plunging straight into Paris traffic, the Roissy hotel cluster is convenient for an early getaway. For a first night in the city, the Marais and Saint-Germain are central and full of charm.

Your vehicle. Your factory-fresh Renault is waiting at the airport delivery center, ready to drive off the moment you land, under the short-term lease programme.

Versailles, a grand day out south-west of the airport.

Paris's essential sights

The Eiffel Tower and the Seine. Start with the icon: climb the Eiffel Tower or admire it from the Trocadéro and the Pont de Bir-Hakeim — the very view that opens this page. Then follow the river past the Île de la Cité and Notre-Dame, reopened in December 2024 after its careful restoration.

The Louvre and the great museums. The Louvre alone could fill a day; across the river, the Musée d'Orsay with its Impressionists and the intimate Orangerie with Monet's Water Lilies are unmissable. For modern art, head to the Centre Pompidou.

Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur. Climb the hill to the white basilica for one of the finest views over Paris, then lose yourself in the village lanes around the Place du Tertre, where painters still set up their easels.

The Marais and the Champs-Élysées. Wander the medieval Marais and the arcaded Place des Vosges, then swing west for the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe. Give the city at least two or three days — Paris rewards slow exploration as much as ticking off landmarks.

Montmartre's village charm.

Foodie Paris: markets, bakeries and bistrots

The markets. Paris eats well at its markets: the covered Marché des Enfants Rouges in the Marais (the city's oldest, since 1615), the lively Bastille market on Thursdays and Sundays, and the food street of Rue Montorgueil. They're the best place to assemble a picnic before hitting the road.

Bakeries and pâtisseries. The Parisian baguette — its craft now on UNESCO's heritage list — is a daily ritual: buy one warm, still crackling. Save room for a flaky croissant, a Paris-Brest (the praline wheel invented for the Paris–Brest–Paris cycle race) or a pistachio éclair.

Bistrots and terraces. For the real thing, sit down to steak-frites, soupe à l'oignon or a simple jambon-beurre, and linger over a coffee on a café terrace — a Parisian institution in its own right. In the Marais, the falafel counters of Rue des Rosiers are a local favourite.

The Loire châteaux, a road trip south.

Your first road trip out of Paris

Charles de Gaulle sits at the crossroads of France's motorway network, so the whole country opens up from here. Within an hour lie the palace and gardens of Versailles to the south-west and Disneyland Paris to the east — ideal if you're travelling with children. Push a little further and the Loire Valley's châteaux (Chambord, Chenonceau) are about two hours south-west, Normandy's D-Day beaches and Monet's garden at Giverny make a memorable westward journey, and the champagne cellars of Reims are barely an hour east on the A4.

The perfect first-day loop. Rather than diving straight into Paris, head north from the airport into the green Oise: the Château de Chantilly and its Grandes Écuries (with the Living Horse Museum) are just twenty minutes up the A1, set in a forest laid out by Le Nôtre. Carry on to the medieval town of Senlis, with its Gothic cathedral and cobbled lanes, then loop back — about 60 km that ease you into French driving before you tackle the city.

When to come: climate and seasons

Paris is a year-round city with a mild, changeable oceanic climate — pack a light layer and something for the rain in any season. Spring (April–June) is the loveliest: gardens in bloom, long light evenings and café terraces coming back to life. Summer is warm and lively, with long days for driving; in August many Parisians leave, so the city feels calmer (though a few small shops close). Autumn brings golden light and thinning crowds, ideal for museums and road trips. Winter is cool and grey but festive — Christmas markets, illuminations along the Champs-Élysées and quiet galleries. Rain is the main thing to plan around: on wet motorways the limit drops to 110 km/h. There's no winter-tyre rule in the flat Paris region, but if you push on to the Alps, Vosges or Jura between 1 November and 31 March, France's Mountain Law requires winter tyres or chains in designated communes.

Driving tips for France

Tolls: many French motorways are tolled, and the fast routes south and east from Paris (A1, A4, A10) are among them. Most toll gates take contactless bank cards — keep one within reach.
Speed limits: 130 km/h on motorways (110 in rain), 80 on main roads, 50 in towns — and 50 km/h on the Paris ring road (the périphérique).
Fuel: “essence” (SP95/SP98) for petrol engines, “gazole/diesel” for diesel.
City driving: Greater Paris is a low-emission zone (ZFE). Good news: your brand-new Eurodrive vehicle meets the cleanest category and is exempt — no sticker is needed.

How far by car?

Approximate driving times from the delivery center.

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Photos : Alexandre Duret-Lutz (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Basile Morin (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Terragio67 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Benh LIEU SONG (CC BY-SA 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons.