Paris Airport Transfers: Getting from the Airport to the City

Getting from the airport into Paris

Paris has three airports and they behave very differently. Charles de Gaulle is 25 km north-east and has a direct train; Orly is 18 km south and now sits on métro line 14; Beauvais is 85 km away and is only ever a budget-airline compromise. Journey times below are typical door-to-door for central Paris, not best case.

Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) — 25 km north-east of the centre

Three terminals connected by the free CDGVAL shuttle. Terminal 2 has the direct RER B station; from Terminal 1 or 3 you must take CDGVAL first, which adds 10–15 minutes. Allow more time than the raw train timetable suggests.

• RER B train

  30–40 minutes to Gare du Nord or Châtelet, plus terminal transfer. Around €12 one way. Best for solo travelers and couples with light luggage heading to the Right Bank or Latin Quarter.

• Official taxi (flat fare)

  45–75 minutes depending on traffic. Regulated flat fare — roughly €56 to the Right Bank, €65 to the Left Bank. Best for late arrivals, families, and anyone with more than one large case.

• Pre-booked private transfer

  45–75 minutes. Typically €60–90 for a sedan, more for a van. Best for groups of three or more, or arrivals after midnight when taxi queues are long.

• Roissybus / airport coach

  60–75 minutes to Opéra. Around €17. Best for travelers staying near Opéra who want a single seat with luggage space and no stairs.

Paris Orly (ORY) — 18 km south

Closer than Charles de Gaulle and, since the métro line 14 extension, usually the easier arrival. Line 14 runs direct into the centre without a change and takes luggage better than the RER.

• Métro line 14

  About 25–30 minutes to Châtelet. Airport-zone fare, around €13. Best for almost everyone — it is the fastest and simplest public option.

• Official taxi (flat fare)

  30–50 minutes. Regulated flat fare — roughly €36 to the Left Bank, €44 to the Right Bank. Best for early departures and travelers with luggage.

• Orlybus

  30–40 minutes to Denfert-Rochereau. Around €12. Best for left Bank stays in the 13th, 14th and 5th.

Beauvais-Tillé (BVA) — 85 km north

Marketed as Paris but genuinely far. Only worth it if the fare saving clearly exceeds the transfer cost and the two extra hours each way.

• Official shuttle coach

  75–90 minutes to Porte Maillot. Around €17 booked in advance. Best for the only sensible option; book with your flight.

• Taxi

  90 minutes or more. €150+. Best for rarely justified except for group late-night arrivals.

Which option should you choose?

Two rules save most of the friction. First, only use the official taxi rank — Paris airport taxis charge a regulated flat fare to the city, so the marked queue is both cheaper and safer than anyone approaching you in arrivals. Second, if you land after 23:00, pre-book: RER B stops running around midnight, and the taxi queue at Charles de Gaulle can run 40 minutes on a late bank of arrivals. A rental car is not the answer for a city stay — central parking runs €30–45 a day and low-emission rules apply — but it makes sense if you are collecting on the way out for the Loire or Normandy.

Arriving by train

Six major stations connect Paris to the rest of Europe by TGV, Eurostar (London) and Thalys (Brussels/Amsterdam).

Entry and arrival formalities

Schengen external-border checks apply at CDG/ORY for non-EU arrivals.

France is in the Schengen Area. Many nationalities enter visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; ETIAS pre-authorisation applies once launched. Others require a Schengen short-stay visa.