2. Roissy-en-France
Why Roissy-en-France
This quiet town, except for the airplanes landing at nearby Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG), has quite a bit of history and gives you a good taste of French culture.
Roissy-en-France City Center
Where
Roissy-en-France is the town where the main airport, Paris-Charles de Gaulle International, for Paris is located. It is a small town that still has cobblestone streets and quaint French homes. A great sight to see.
Roissy-en-France – Main street Rue Dorval
How To Get Here
By Train
There is no train service directly to this area. You have to take the train into the center of Paris and then the RER B out to the airport at Charles de Gaulle. Then take a local bus or hotel shuttle bus to the area.
By Air
Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) is the home of Air France (AF), a founding member of the SkyTeam Alliance. As such, you can get to the village of Roissy-en-France from many places in the world. There are flights from all the major cities in the world to Paris.
Once you arrive at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG), take the CDG Val to the Roissy Pole/Terminal 3 stop for ground transportation to the hotels in the Roissy-en-France area. From here, you may also take a taxi, local bus or the special hotel buses (recommended). There is a schedule of the buses posted just outside Roissy Pole station where you wait for the bus. Head towards the airport side of this station. You can also contact your hotel and they will give you the schedule. There are different color buses so ensure you take the correct one.
Here is a list of some of the airlines serving the Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport:
Aegean Airlines (A3), Aer Lingus (EI), Aeroflot (SU), Aerolineas Argentinas (AR), Air Algerie (AH), Air Canada (AC), Air China (CA), Air Europa (UX), Air France (AF), Air India (AI), Air Malta (KM), Air Serbia (JU), Air Transat (TS), El Al Airlines (LY), Alitalia (AZ), American Airlines (AA), Asiana Airlines (OZ), Belavia Belarusian Airlines (B2), Blue Air (OB), British Airways (BA), brussels airlines (SN), China Airlines (CI), China Eastern Airlines (MU), Croatia Airlines (OU), Czech Airlines (OK), Delta Air Lines (DL), EasyJet (U2), Egyptair (MS), Emirates (EK), Etihad (EY), Ethiopian (ET), Eurowings (EW), Hainan Airlines (HU), Iberia Airlines (IB), Jetairfly (TB), Jet2.com (LS), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL), Korean Airlines (KE), Kuwait Airways (KU), Lufthansa German Airlines (LH), Luxair (LG), Meridiana Airlines (IG), Middle Eastern Airlines (ME), Monarch Airlines (ZB), Montenegro Airlines (YM) , Neos Air (NO), Norwegian Air (DY), Norwegian Air Shuttle (D8), Pakistan International Airlines (PK) , Qatar Airways (QR), Royal Jordanian (RJ), Ryanair (FR), SAS (SK), Tarom (RO), Saudi Arabian Airlines (SV), Singapore Airlines (SQ), SunExpress (XQ), Swiss Airlines (LX), TAP Portugal (TP), Thai Airways (TG), Turkmenistan Airlines (T5), Turkish Airlines (TK), Ukraine International (PS), United Airlines (UA), Uzbekistan Airways (HY), Vueling (VY), Wizz Air (W6) and XL Airways France (SE).
By Bus
You can take several bus lines such as OUIbus to the Charles de Gaulle Airport. Then take the hotel shuttle bus to the area or a local bus from the airport.
By Car
You can use a mapping service such as Google Maps for directions.
Where To Stay
As with many airport towns, you can find many different hotels with differing standards. Here are some of the hotels in the area:
- Holiday Inn Paris-Charles De Gaulle Airport
- Hotel Best Western CDG Airport
- Hotel Ibis Styles Roissy Charles de Gaulle
- Hotel Mercure
- Millennium Hotel Paris Charles de Gaulle
- Paris Marriott Charles de Gaulle
- Quality One Suites CDG Airport
This is a link from the CDG Web site. Zoom in on the left side of the map to see the hotels.
Roissy en France Holiday Inn Paris Charles de Gaulle
You can find a list of hotels here.
Where To Eat
There are a few restaurants, cafes and Carrefour Express grocery store in the area. I did take a walk down to the grocery store and picked up some baguettes, a bottle of wine and some cheese. Perfect as you are in France after all.
Roissy-en-France – Kerwin after buying baguette
Things To Do
This is a historic village and much of the history is preserved in black and white photos around the village. It’s great to see as you can compare the current view to the black and white photo view. Many of the village’s charm is still retained.
Below you can see what used to be the busiest street in the village leading to the communal oven, the wine press and the windmill.
Roissy-en-France – former busiest street
Take some time to walk down the narrow streets and enjoy the architectural designs of the homes where the modern mixes with the old.
The main area attraction is the Vestiges du château de Roissy (remains of the Roissy Château) which dates back to the middle ages. This area was fertile land and Lords lived in the Château. You can find historical information here.
Not much of the Chateau remains except for a few walls, however, there is the history of the Chateau and what it stood for on signs around the area which is actually on the edge of a Park and at the end of a housing settlement.
Roissy-en-France – Vestiges du château de Roissy
Also ensure that you do not miss the Church of Saint Eloi which dates back to 1570. Once inside you can view the amazing glass windows.
Roissy-en-France – Saint Eloi Church
Roissy-en-France – Saint Eloi Church stained glass windows
You may also check Viator for additional things to do.
Additional Information
Don’t forget to check out other areas in France such as Chartres, that are also unfamiliar destinations.
