Paris - Roissy Charles de Gaulle
	Click on the spots on the map and you will see examples of pictures taken from this spot.

General
top

Paris is the capital of France and as in this country almost anything is focused on Paris, you can find here the most traffic on all French airports. CDG is the base of Air France, Star Airlines, Europe Airpost, Axis Airways, Blueline and some others.
If you have never been to Charles de Gaulle, which is sometimes also called Roissy Charles de Gaulle, you will be fascinated by the traffic and the possibilites to take photographs, although a lot has changed during the last years. The wonderful spot at the zone technique is blocked now with a double fence and so it is not good for pictures anymore.

Spot A
top

200mm for nearly all traffic on the farer taxiway
28-200mm for traffic on the nearer taxiway

good in the morning until noon

taxiing aircraft on the two taxiways (widely used)

Spot A is located next to the train station and the Hilton Hotel. From here you can take perfect shots of aircraft taxiing between the 2 terminals or the 2 runways. You will need lenses between 28 and 200mm depending on which taxiway is used. The sun is good here from the very early morning until noon. As there is a hill you don't need a ladder. This is by far the best spot.


aircraft taxiing on the nearer taxiway		aircraft taxiing on the farer taxiway

Spot B

top

	28-200mm for aircraft on the apron
	good from mid morning until afternoon
	aircraft parked on the T9 apron or taxiing in or out of the T9 apron)

Spot B is next to terminal T9, which is the charter terminal at CDG and there are the French and foreign charter airlines. You have to take a 3 steps ladder with you to take good pictures. A lens with 200mm should be enough here, but the view is sometimes obstructed by catering vehicles and others. The sun is good from the morning until the late afternoon, depending on the aircraft stand where the aircraft is parked.

aircraft parked on its stand next to the fence

Spot C

top

	200mm for nearly all traffic on the farer taxiway 28-200mm for traffic on the nearer taxiway 70-300mm for aircraft on the apron around terminal T1 200-300(+)mm for aircraft coming out of the apron around terminal T9
	good from afternoon until sunset
	taxiing aircraft on the two taxiways (widely used) aircraft taxiing in and out of terminal T1 apron aircraft taxiing in and out of terminal T9 apron

In the afternoon there is spot C which is opposite and a bit north of spot A. There is a motorway bridge where you can take good shots.


aircraft taxiing on the nearer taxiway	aircraft taxiing on the farer taxiway	aircraft taxiing in to terminal T1 apron	aircraft taxiing in to terminal T9 apron

Spot D

top

	200mm for nearly all traffic on the farer taxiway 28-200mm for traffic on the nearer taxiway
	good from afternoon until sunset
	taxiing aircraft on the two taxiways (widely used) aircraft taxiing out of terminal T2 apron

Another spot on this side is spot D which is opposite and a bit south of spot A. Here the fence runs very close to the taxiway and for a B747 on the nearer taxiway a 28mm lens is needed. This spot is great for photography and I would say this is the best spot in the afternoon.


aircraft taxiing on the nearer taxiway		aircraft taxiing on the farer taxiway

Spot E

top

	28-200mm for aircraft taxiing around terminal T1 or parked on the stands
	good from mid morning until afternoon
	aircraft taxiing around terminal T1 or parked on the southern stands

Spot E means all positions south of terminal T1. Here you can take pictures of aircraft parked on the southern positions or aircraft that are always taxiing always anti-clockwise round the terminal T1, but the view is sometime obstructed by buses and ground equipment parked here. Lenses between 28 and 200mm are recommended.


aircraft parked on one of T1s southern stands	aircraft parked on the southern part of the apron	aircraft taxiing around terminal T1

Spot F

top

	300+mm for all traffic
	good from mid morning until afternoon
	aircraft landing on the runway taxiing in and out of terminal T2 for take off/after landing. Also aircraft on the apron nearby.

I discovered spot F during my last visit and this spot is only good if you have a long lens with you. You can take pictures of aircraft landing on the runway or coming out from terminal T2 or going from the runway to terminal T2. For the taxiing aircraft a 300mm lens is needed.


aircraft parked on the apron next to spot F	aircraft parked on the southern part of the apron

Spot G

top

	200-300 mm for traffic taxiing to the runway or in and out of the cargo apron
	good in the late evenings in summer
	aircraft taxiing for take off taxiing in and out of the freight aprons

At spot G you can take pictures of freighters taxiing in and out of the freight aprons. Also some aircraft that have to use the full runway length for take off can be photographed when they are taxiing to the runway. To find this spot follow the signs for Fret 1 and try to find a dead end road that leads to a gate next to an Air France bus garage.

going to line up

Pictures of approaching aircraft

top

Can be taken at each end of the runways, but the aircraft are quite high, or too far away for good pictures. I would not recommend this spots unless you have digital equipment and a very long lens (~300mm or even more).

Accomodation

top

There are several hotels located at the airport or in the villages next to it and there are also many cheap hotels there such as Formule 1 or Etap. We often stay in the Formule 1 in Goussainville.

If you are interested in Business Jets, even larger ones up to Boeing 747, you should visit also Paris - Le Bourget, as this is the major Business Jets airport of Paris. It is only a 10 minutes drive away from CDG. Head towards Paris and leave at Parc d'exposition. There is also a large maintenance area at LBG and a museum with Air France Boeing 707, Boeing B747 and Concorde, an Air Inter Dassault Mercure, an Air Provence SE-210 Caravelle and a Concorde prototype and some other interesting stuff.

Paris - Roissy Charles de Gaulle