Charles de Gaulle International Airport - Paris
Also known as Roissy Airport, the Charles de Gaulle (CDG) International Airport is France’s main international airport. The airport is situated in Paris and it acts as one of Europe’s main aviation centers. In fact the Charles de Gaulle Airport is ranked second in Europe in terms of passenger traffic, being beaten only by Heathrow Airport. However the airport handles more cargo and more planes than both Heathrow and Frankfurt. The Charles de Gaulle Airport took about ten years to build and it is located on the northeast end of the city. It is named for the leader of the Free French Forces, Charles de Gaulle, who also went on to found the French Fifth Republic – a fitting tribute to one of the great heroes of France.
The Charles de Gaulle International Airport is a public airport which is operated by Aéroports de Paris. Of course it serves mainly the city of Paris but this responsibility is shared by another two large airports in the vicinity. The airport has three terminals although contruction on a new terminal building that will be linked to Terminal 2 by an automated rail transit service is under construction. This is just one of the many expansion plans that are well underway. CDG also has four different runways. The first is 13 829 ft (4 215 m) in length while the second is 13 780 ft (4 200 m) in length and the third is 8 858 ft (2 700 m). All three have asphalt surfaces. The fourth is 8 858 ft (2 700 m) in length and has a concrete surface.
The CDG is connected to the rest of Paris by the RER urban rail network and the high-speed TGV network so access to and from the airport is easy. Further to this the airport is also incredibly beautiful. It features plenty of avant-garde architecture which gives it a rather unique and airy feel. Of course CDG offers all the modern conveniences that a traveler could possibly need and it is the most likely place for a foreigner to touch down should he or she decide to visit France. However, the Orly Airport also conducts quite a bit of traffic and you should definitely consider using this airport too.
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