Guide de ville
Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) CDG: What to Do on a Layover
Montmartre espresso in 4 hours: Sacré-Coeur, a croque-monsieur, no tourist crowds.
Getting from the airport
CDG to city center: 61 minutes by rail (B). Trains run every 3 minutes. Service runs 05:00 to 23:30. Skip the taxi unless your connection is under 5 hours.
What to do in Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)
The stops worth making: Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Montmartre, Seine river cruise. Rated above 4.4: Eiffel Tower (4.7), Louvre Museum (4.7), Arc de Triomphe (4.7), Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris (4.7), Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre (4.7). You do not need the full tourist circuit. Pick two and commit.
Visa and entry
Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) is visa-free for US passports. No application, no fee. The border process at CDG is standard. Budget 30 minutes.
How long do you need
The minimum useful layover is 5 hours. That gives you 61 minutes in each direction plus about 88 minutes on the ground. Up to 72 hours is a proper overnight.
CDG airport
CDG has 18 lounges. For short connections under 4 hours, the terminal is the destination: food options, showers, and enough space to reset before the next leg.