Paris Muse

There are plenty of transportation options in Paris, so if you’re arriving in the city, you shouldn’t be worried at all. First find out ahead of time which airport you will be landing at, because there are as many as 5 airports in Paris. However, the most important ones are Charles de Gaulle (CDG) in the northern end of the city, and Orly in the south. These two airports together handle 75 million passengers every year. Flights depart and arrive from 132 countries.

How do you reach the city once you have landed at the Orly or the Charles de Gaulle?

Getting to Paris from Orly

Train – Take the shuttle bus from the airport to catch your train for Paris. You can take the RER train (either line B or C). Line C will take you to the central stations like the St Michel-Notre-Dame, Invalides and the Austerlitz. Line B will take you to Luxembourg, Denfert-Rochereau, St-Michel-Notre-Dame, Gare du Nord (this is where you can catch the Eurostar). Information on the rail networks is always in English, French and other main languages.

Bus – The Orlybus shuttle leaves from Gate G of the airport. It also leaves from Orly Ouest in the West, and Orly Sud in the South. There’s also Bus 183 which connects Paris (Porte de Choisy station) and Paris-Orly. Air France also offers a coach service.

Taxis – You can easily find a taxi outside all the terminals. It can cost you between €40 and €50 to reach central Paris from Orly.

Getting to Paris from Charles de Gaulle

Train – You can take the RER rail line B to reach many central stations in Paris such as Luxembourg, Port Royal, Denfert-Rochereau, Châtelet-les-Halles, Gare du Nord and St-Michel-Notre-Dame. It will take you between 35 and 45 minutes to reach most of these stations. Don’t worry, information is available in English. The trains run from 5 in the morning to midnight.

Bus – Take the Roissybus if you want to reach the 9th arrondissement close to the Opéra. This is the only place in central Paris you can reach with this service. The bus leaves from all the terminals of de Gaulle. It will take you about an hour, and costs €9.40.

Driverless shuttle – There is the CDGVal shuttle service that is driverless, extremely fast and efficient. If you have arrived at terminal 1 or 3, you must head to Charles de Gaulle station 1. Those who arrive at terminal 2 should go to Charles de Gaulle 2.

Taxis – You can book your taxi from a booth inside the terminal or you can catch one outside it. Your trip to central Paris will cost you about €50.