From the airport to Paris

Nobody lands in Paris itself, only at one of three airports, and choosing among them is a trade between hours and euros. Two of them sit on rails, the third is a bus ride of well over an hour, and the first evening in the city looks different from each.

Which airport, and what that means for your first day

Charles de Gaulle and Orly connect to the centre by train and metro, and both use the same airport ticket at €14. The bus leaves the airport for Porte Maillot, about 84 km from the centre, and the fare is €16.90 when bought online. Expect an hour and a quarter on the road, and up to an hour and a half when traffic is heavy.

Beauvais makes sense when the flight costs clearly less than the one into Charles de Gaulle or Orly, and the saving has to pay for the hours. Add the bus time to the flight time before comparing fares. Add the return as well, because the operator advises leaving the city three and a half hours before a flight from Beauvais.

Taxis from Charles de Gaulle and Orly have a fixed fare per vehicle, depending on the bank; from Beauvais there is no fixed fare.

The RER B is the default way out of Charles de Gaulle. It reaches Gare du Nord in about 35 minutes, and from there the metro fans out across the city. The fare is the airport ticket, €14. Ignore any older guide that sends you to the Roissybus, which no longer runs.

After the trains stop, two night buses, the N140 and the N143, run to Gare de l'Est. A taxi is the other late option, and its fare is fixed at €56–65, depending on which bank of the Seine you end up on. The right bank is the cheaper one, the left bank the dearer.

Orly joined the metro in June 2024. Line 14 does the rest. It takes 23 minutes to Gare de Lyon and under 25 to the Châtelet stop, which puts most of central Paris within one change. A taxi runs €36–45 at a fixed fare, the left bank costing less than the right.

The bus from Beauvais takes you to Porte Maillot, on the western edge of the city. Online the fare is €16.90, and the departures are timed to the flights, so you do not choose an hour so much as accept the one that matches your landing. From Porte Maillot, metro line 1 carries you on into the city.

Count on a long arrival. The road takes an hour and a quarter at best and an hour and a half in traffic, and a taxi from Beauvais has no fixed fare, so the bus is the sensible route, and a seat on it is worth securing before you leave home. Book the ticket before you fly, and set the alarm for the way back with those three and a half hours in mind.

Landing late at night

Late landings need a plan before takeoff, because the last departures vary and no single hour holds for every line. Look up the last train or bus on the day you travel. From Charles de Gaulle the N140 and N143 run overnight. At Orly the fallback is the taxi at €36–45, and at Beauvais the buses are timed to the flights.

Before you fly back

The journey home needs the same attention as the arrival, and it starts the evening before. Walk through the list below once, and fill the gap between the hotel and the airport with a margin instead of a hope.

• From Beauvais, leave the city three and a half hours before the flight.
• RER B and line 14 both run on the return, so buy the airport ticket again.
• Know your terminal before you board the RER B, because the line stops at more than one place at Charles de Gaulle.
• Do not plan around the Roissybus, which has stopped running.

3 daysThe itinerary page picks up on the first day, once you have reached the centre.Paris in 3 days →

Where to stayWhere to stay covers the neighbourhoods, and a stop on the airport line helps after a late landing.Where to stay in Paris →

BudgetThe budget page sets the fixed taxi fares against the rest of the day's costs.What Paris costs →

Day tripsThe day-trips page covers excursions beyond the city once you are settled.Day trips from Paris →

Hidden gemsThe page of tips collects the small habits that save time on arrival and departure days.Paris past the postcards: the Arc on Wednesdays, free views →

Getting aroundThe getting-around page lists the RER B stops by terminal, the night bus 9517 and the Navigo Easy pass.Getting around Paris →

FoodThe food page suggests where to eat after you land.What to eat in Paris →

When to goWhen to visit helps you pick the month before you pick the airport.The best time to visit Paris →

MistakesThe mistakes page explains why an ordinary metro ticket does not take you to the airport.Mistakes everyone makes in Paris →

MuseumsThe museums page fits a last free day before the flight home.Museums in Paris →