There are two international airports in Paris, Roissy Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY). Both airports offer numerous transport options that will take you to and from Paris city centre. We know airport transfers can be stressful, which is why we’ve brought you this basic guide to Paris airport transfers – the sooner you get to your hotel the sooner you can start ticking the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and all the other stunning sights off your hit list!
Charles de Gaulle transfer options
Trains to Central Paris
Paris is home to one of Europe’s best transit rail systems, the RER. Luckily, Charles de Gaulle has two stations within the airport. The first is entitled ‘Terminal 1’ and is located between the terminals, the second, ‘Terminal 2’ is, as it sounds, situated beneath Terminal 2. Tickets can be purchased from ticket booths or machines.
Tip: Do not attempt to buy RER tickets from yellow machines, these only sell TGV tickets.
Flying into Terminal 1
You can take the airport shuttle from your terminal to the “railway station”. Once there, purchase tickets for the RER by asking for tickets for Paris zone urbaine.
Flying into Terminal 2
If you fly into Terminal 2, the train station is in the terminal so you should be able to find it easily by following signs for Gare TGV/Railway station. Ask for tickets for Paris zone urbaine.
Buses from CDG
If you’d rather soak up some window sight-seeing on your journey to central Paris, this option’s for you. Charles de Gaulle airport offers two express bus operators that can help take you to your destination: Roissybus and Les Cars Air France.
The Roissybus can pick you up from Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 and travels from CDG directly to Place de l’Opera in Paris’ 8th district. Grab one every 15 minutes between 6am and 11pm.
Les Cars Air France is operated by Air France and offers two services to central Paris, Line 2 and Line 4. These buses pick up from both Terminal 1 and 2 and will take you directly to Porte Maillot which is next to the Paris Convention Centre.
Orly Transport Options
Trains
Orly airport does not have an in-house RER station like CDG, however the nearest station can be accessed via a light-rail connection, the Orlyval. Orlyval connection lines are quite frequent and will take you to Antony station in approximately 8 minutes. Here you can to the RER B line for a direct journey to Paris.
Buses from Orly airport to Paris
The Orlybus shuttle leaves the airport every 15-20 minutes and will take you direct from your arrival terminal to Denfert-Rochreau Metro/RER station in the south of Paris. Journey time is approximately 30 minutes. Once here, you can change and take either the Metro or RER to central Paris.
Air France also runs a service from Orly airport to central Paris. The first stop is Gare Montparnasse railway station and the next stop, Invalides, will take you within a 5 minute walk of the Eiffel Tower.
Air France buses operate between 06:00 and 23:40 7 days a week from Orly, at approximately every 20 minutes. Group discounts are available for 4 or more adults travelling together.
Taxis
Owing to the traffic, taxis aren’t always the best option to transfer to Paris but if needed, taxis are available from all terminals at CDG and Orly. The average cost is between €40 and €50 (as of December 2014), but this may be more depending on the time of day and destination.
If you need any further tips on getting around in Paris, take a look at the links below. Good luck on your Parisian travels!
Paris metro/RER map: http://www.parisdigest.com/photos/paris_metro_map.pdf
Paris bus timetable: http://parisbytrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/bus_paris.pdf
Images courtesy of Mark Fischer, Loic, Metro Centric, Pedro and Moyan used under the Creative Commons Licence.