Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Louvre / Châtelet

There is a particular kind of traveller who plans a Paris trip around opening hours at the Louvre rather than dinner reservations, who wants to be standing beneath the glass pyramid before the coach parties arrive and back among the Dutch masters after lunch. If that is you, then Châtelet is your natural anchor. It sits at the transport heart of the city, a few minutes' walk from the world's most-visited museum, and it is the second core stop on the RER B line that runs out to Charles de Gaulle. In other words, the airport and the greatest art collection on earth are joined by a single train — which makes the roughly 25 kilometres between them feel less like a transfer and more like the opening movement of the pilgrimage.

Why the historic centre proves its worth

Basing yourself around Châtelet–Les Halles is not merely convenient; it is strategic. From here the Louvre is a stroll along the rue de Rivoli, close enough that you can pop back to your room for a rest between the Denon and Sully wings rather than surrendering the whole day to sore feet. The same address puts the Île de la Cité, the Marais, the Pompidou and the Seine bookstalls within an unhurried walk. For a first visit especially, this is the ideal base: everything the guidebooks promise radiates outward from your doorstep, and you spend your energy on paintings rather than on plotting your way across the city. An art pilgrim measures a hotel not by its stars but by its distance from the ticket queue — and on that scale, the centre is unbeatable.

The one train that does the work

The purist's route is the RER B. It leaves from the stations inside the airport and runs direct to Châtelet–Les Halles for a flat €14, with departures roughly every ten to twenty minutes across the day. Expect about forty minutes underground before the doors open onto the busiest interchange in Paris, from which the Louvre is a short walk or a single metro hop. A few practical graces make the difference between a serene arrival and a flustered one. Keep your ticket until you have passed through the barriers at the far end, because you will need it to exit. Travel light if you can; Châtelet is a cathedral of corridors and staircases, and a modest bag is far kinder than a wheeled trunk at rush hour. And if you land bleary-eyed, remember that the train delivers you into the thick of things rather than a quiet side door — take a breath, follow the signs for the Louvre or your line, and let the crowd carry you.

When a fixed fare to the door wins

Not every arrival suits the RER. Late flights, heavy luggage, tired children or simply the wish to watch Paris assemble itself through a car window all argue for a taxi. The official Paris cabs operate a reassuringly transparent system: a fixed fare of €56 for the Right Bank, which the Louvre and Châtelet both sit upon, so the meter holds no surprises whatever the traffic. You will find the ranks clearly marked outside each terminal, and they run around the clock. Resist the touts who approach inside the hall; the honest queue is outside, and the fixed price is your protection.

For a still smoother landing there is the pre-booked private transfer, with firms such as Welcome Pickups or Blacklane meeting you in arrivals and delivering you door to door, typically for around €60 to €80. It is the option to choose when you want the transition from aeroplane to hotel lobby to be entirely frictionless — worth the modest premium on the day you have travelled a long way to see the Mona Lisa.

A word on the car, and on rhythm

Hiring a car — Hertz, Avis and Sixt all keep desks in arrivals, from around €45 a day — makes sense only if the Louvre is a single stop on a wider itinerary through the Loire or Normandy. For a stay centred on the museums, a car is a liability: parking in the first arrondissement is scarce and dear, and every great sight you have come for is walkable or a metro ride away. My counsel, born of many such pilgrimages, is to arrive by train or taxi, drop your bag, and walk straight to the pyramid to buy your bearings before the light goes. Book your museum slot in advance, let the RER do the heavy lifting, and keep the driving for the countryside. The centre rewards those who move on foot — and so does the Louvre.