Getting Into Paris

Buying tickets for the RER train into Paris at Charles de Gaulle.

Charles de Gaulle information

For information about bus, RER and taxi service from Charles de Gaulle to Paris, read our guide to Charles de Gaulle.

Airport Bus Connections

The airports Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Orly are both served by buses operated by Air France and the RATP. After arriving in Paris, follow the signs to the Air France or RATP bus stop and purchase a ticket at the stand or from the bus driver. Both the RATP and Air France buses depart every 15-20 minutes. For more information visit the Air France buses Web site or the RATP Web site.

For information about bus service from Charles de Gaulle to Paris, read our guide to Charles de Gaulle.

Orly

From Orly, the Air France bus line 1 stops at Montparnasse, Etoile and Invalides. It will also stop at Porte d'Orléans or Duroc, but you have to request these stops. The bus runs at regular intervals between 6:00 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. It costs €12 for a one-way fare or €20 for a round-trip ticket; a child's ticket costs €6.

Additionally, you can buy your ticket online in advance at the Air France buses Web site and receive a small discount.

The RATP Orlybus runs every 15-20 minutes between Orly and Denfert Rochereau from 6 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. (12:30 a.m. on the weekends). A ticket costs €7. The total travel time is about 30 minutes.

Beauvais

Ryanair operates a bus service between Beauvais airport and the 17th arrondissement in Paris. Beauvais airport is far afield and driving time is approximately one hour. At Beauvais, follow the signs to the bus. The Ryanair bus leaves approximately every 20 minutes after flight arrivals.

When departing France, catch the Ryanair Coach at "Paris-Beauvais-Shop" on boulevard Pershing, close to the Porte Maillot Metro station. Make sure to arrive at the bus three hours and 15 minutes before your scheduled flight. This is the sole scheduled public transportation to and from Beauvais, so if you miss the bus you will need to arrange your own transportation. The Ryanair bus runs €15 one way and the bus accepts cash only.

Metro/RER Connections

The RER is the regional rail system linking the suburbs to the Paris Metro. Trains run every 15 minutes (every eight minutes during peak periods). The RER is seamlessly linked to the Metro. The two transit train lines share the same stations within Paris city limits.

For information about Metro and RER service from Charles de Gaulle to Paris, read our guide to Charles de Gaulle.

To get to Paris from Orly, take the "Orlyval," which connects to the RER at the Antony Metro station. It will cost €8.40 (adult) or €4.20 (child) to go as far as Antony, and €10.90 (adult) or €5.45 (child) for the full fare into Paris.

Airport Shuttle

The door-to-door Paris Airport Shuttle is available for journeys between Paris and Charles de Gaulle, Orly, and Beauvais. Shuttles can be reserved months in advance. After making your reservation, you will receive a voucher specifying where to catch the shuttle. Once the shuttle arrives it will generally complete its circuit of the airport to pick up other passengers (as the bus does) before dropping you off at your final destination in Paris. Your voucher will also notify you when you will be picked up for your shuttle ride toward the airport.

A one-way Airport Shuttle journey between Paris and Charles de Gaulle or Orly costs €30 for one person. For groups of two and three, the one-way cost is €19.90 per person. For groups between four and seven people, the one-way shuttle journey costs €17 per person.

A one-way journey between Paris and Beauvais costs €38 for one person. For groups of two and three, the one-way rate is €29 per person, and for four to six people, the one-way fare is €25 per person.

Taxis

Taxis in Paris aren't cheap, but they can be affordable if you are traveling with a group. A taxi from Charles de Gaulle into Paris will cost you around €50. From Orly, expect to pay about €25.

Note: Fares after 7 p.m. will be €5 more than daytime fares, and heavy luggage is subject to an additional charge of €1 per item.

Arriving by Train

The six train stations of central Paris are all located within the city limits and have Metro stops right in the stations. For example, the Gare du Lyon (with service all over France and to London) connects directly to the 1 Metro line and two RER train lines. The Montparnasse train station has connections with the 4, 6, 12 and 13 Metro lines.

Basically, if you're arriving in Paris by train, you'll already be in the center of town. Hop on the subway or grab a cab to get to your hotel. For more help with this, read this article on understanding which train station you'll be coming into in Paris.

More information on flying into Paris

Visit our France budget flights section for more information on low-cost airlines flying into and out of Paris.

About the author: Tom Meyers is the Editor in Chief of EuroCheapo.com.

Related posts from our blog

• Airline Baggage Fees for US to Europe Carriers
• Paris: Finding budget flights to and from Paris
• New trains, new routes: exploring Europe by rail in 2011