Paris Transport

Paris has three airports which handle both international and domestic flights. 

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), also known as Paris Roissy, is the largest airport in Paris and the second busiest passenger airport in Europe after London Heathrow. It has three terminals offering an array of facilities and services including an excellent choice of restaurants, bars and shops, plus banking and currency exchange, a business centre, first aid, car rental, and special needs amenities.

The three terminals are connected by free shuttle buses. Terminal 1 handles international flights, excluding Air France, Terminal 2 handles Air France and other airlines flying to European destinations and Terminal T9 handles charter flights exclusively. Flight information is available 24 hours in English or French on 01 48 62 22 80 or 08 36 68 15 15. CDG is located 23 km north-east of Paris, and offers numerous transport links into the city by road and rail.

Paris Orly Airport (ORY) is the second largest airport in Paris, located 14 km south of Paris. Orly Airport Paris mainly handles domestic and charter flights. ORY Airport's two spacious terminals provide a range of amenities including duty-free shops, restaurants, bars, banking, post offices, business centre, first aid, family and special needs facilities. Paris Orly Airport also showcases a notable art collection and has a large observation deck. Orly Airport is only 14km south of the city, allowing for fast transfers by rail to central Paris.

Beauvais Airport is located at Beauvais, 80km north of Paris and is used mostly by charter companies and the discount airline Ryanair for its flights between Dublin, Glasgow and Paris.

Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), a.k.a. Paris Roissy Airport, is located 23 km north-east of Paris and offers numerous transport links into the city by road and rail.

Bus
Roissy Bus service departs from all three terminals every 15 to 20 minutes to Place de l'Opera in Paris. Journey time is 45 minutes. Air France Coach Line 2 provides transport to Porte Maillot and Etoile every 15 minutes. Line 4 travels to Gare de Lyon and Montparnasse every 30 minutes. Air France Coach also provides a link to Orly Paris Airport. RATP buses also run to Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est and to Porte de Bagnolet. The Airport Connection is a door-to-door mini-shuttle bus service to Paris.

Rail
The RER rapid TGV train service reaches central Paris in approximately 45 
minutes, Disneyland in 10 minutes and Lille and Brussels in an hour. There is an SNCF help desk on the 4th floor of Terminal 2. RER B train runs from the airport to Gare du Nord, Chatelet-les-Halles, St Michel and Denfert-Rochereau and connects with the Metro. Shuttle buses from the airport connects with the TGV-RER train station North Terrace. From Terminal 1 take the green shuttle and from Terminal 2 take the blue shuttle. Trains leave every 4 to 15 minutes.

Taxi
Aeroports Limousine Service (Tel: 01 40 71 84 62) provide chauffeur driven cars to Paris for around 115 Euros. Paris Taxis charge around 45 Euros from the airport to central Paris.

Paris Orly Airport (ORY) is 14km from the city, allowing for fast transfers by rail to central Paris.

Bus
Jetbus runs between Orly airport and the Villejuif-Louis Aragon Metro station (line 7) Buses leave every 15 minutes and the journey time is 15 minutes. Orlybus runs to Denfert-Rochereau. Buses leave every 15 to 20 minutes and the journey time is 25 minutes. Air France Coach to Paris stops at Porte d'Orleans, Gare Montparnasse, Duroc and Gare des Invalides. Buses leave every 15 minutes. Air France Coach also provides a service between Orly and Charles de Gaulle Airports. RATP buses provide services to various destinations in Paris and the city limits.

Rail 
The ADP Shuttle provides the link with the SNCF Train to Gare d'Austerlitz, where RER rapid trains line C runs to St Michel, Invalides and Port Maillot. Trains leave every 15 to 30 minutes and the journey time is 35 minutes. The Orlyval & RER B to Paris by train trip starts with the Orlyval Shuttle link to Anthony Station with Metro connections to Denfert-Rochereau, ST Michel and Chatelet-les-Halles and to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Trains leave every 4 to 8 minutes and the journey time is 30 minutes.

Taxi
Aeroports Limousine Service (Tel: 01 40 71 84 62) provide chauffeur driven cars to Paris for 100 Euros. Paris Taxi fare to central Paris costs about 40 Euros. Suburban Taxi also provides services to various destinations at somewhat cheaper prices. Negotiate fares before departure.

Beauvais Airport is serviced by an express bus which takes about one hour to reach Parking Porte Maillot at 1 blvd Pershing, 17th arrondissement (Metro: Porte Malliot). The bus leaves the airport 20 minutes after each arrival. Tickets can be purchased from Ryanair at the airport or at Porte Malliot in the city. Buses leave Porte Malliot 2.5 hours prior to each Ryanair departure.

service is free for Air France passengers making flight connections. 

A taxi between the two airports costs around 55 Euro.

Paris’ public transportation is one of the cheapest and most efficient in the Western world. RATP operates most of the metro, RER trains and bus routes and provides a free map available at most metro station ticket windows and RATO information counters.

Bus
Eurolines run buses between Paris and most European cities, including London. The international bus terminal is in the inner suburb of Bagnolet. Contact the main Eurolines office on 01 43 54 11 99 / 08 36 69 52 52 for more information.

Due to the efficiency of the metro and train lines, buses routes are limited and operate at odd hours. The only time you may want to use the bus is after 1am when the metro stops running. Night buses run every half hour from 1am to about 5am daily. Look for the Noctambus symbol of a little black owl silhouetted against a yellow quarter moon. Noctambus links the place du Chatelet, 1st arrondissement, and avenue Victoria just west of Hotel de Ville, 4th arrondissement.

Train 
Paris has six major train station operated by the SNCF. Each station serves different parts of France and Europe and also has a metro station bearing its name. Contact the SNCF 24 hours on 08 92 35 35 35 for mainline services and on 08 36 67 68 68 / 01 53 90 20 20 for suburban service information.

Bicycle
There are about 165 kilometres of bike lanes throughout the city, making cycling an enjoyable and safe way to explore Paris. Most of the bike lanes run around Parc de la Villette, Canal Saint Martin, Dois de Boulogne, Bois de Vincennes, and along the south bank of the 108km Canal de l’Ourcq. Be aware that cyclist can be fined for not using bike lanes. Bicycles are not allowed on the metro. Some RER train lines allow bikes on weekends and public holidays all day, and during the week on off-peak hours (before 6:30am, between 9am and 4:40pm and after 7pm).

The best place to rent a bicycle is the RATP-sponsored Maison Roue Libre at the Forum des Halles from 9am to 7pm daily. They are located at 1 passage Mondetour, 1st arrondissement. Metro: Les Halles. Tel: 01 53 46 43 77.

Boat
From April to October, the Batobus River Shuttle provides a scenic way of getting around the city. Boats depart every 25 minutes from 10am to 7pm (9pm June to September). Boats connect the following docks: Champs Elysees, Museum d’Louvre, Hotel de Ville, Notre Dame, Saint Germain des Pres, Museum d’Orsay, Effeil Tower.

Metro 
The metro is fast and efficient with some 370 stations. Each metro train is known by the name of its terminus, which means that trains on the same line have different names depending on the direction in which they are travelling; hence a RATP map is essential (available at most metro stations). Metro trains stop running at 1am. Tickets are valid on the RER trains as well.

Taxi 
Taxis are not cheap, but tend to be less expensive than most European capitals. Flag fare starts at 2 Euro within the city limits and 0.60 Euro per kilometre during the day and 1 Euro per kilometre during the night. Most drivers refuse to take more than three passengers, or they will charge and extra 2.50 Euro for taking a fourth. There are surcharges for pick ups from SNCF mainline stations and any bag over 5kg. Waiting time costs 25 Euro per hour. The usual tip is between 0.50 and 1 Euro.

Train 
The RER train network is faster than the metro, but the stops are much further apart. Some attractions, particularly on the Left Bank (eg, the Museum d’Orsay, Effeil Tower) can be reached far more conveniently by the RER than by the metro. Unlike the metro, the RER has a choice of 1st or 2nd class seating. Tickets are valid on the metro as well.

Travel Passes 
The cheapest and easiest way to use public transport is to get a Carte Orange pass which combines metro, RER train and bus routes. The pass comes in weekly and monthly versions costing around 13.25 Euro and 44.40 Euro respectively. Even if you’re in Paris for a few days, it may be worth it to buy a weekly Carte Orange pass. To purchase the pass, take a passport-size photo of yourself to any metro or RER ticket window.

Vehicle Hire 
Driving in Paris can be nerve-racking and is not for the faint-hearted or indecisive. The fastest way to get around town is via the blvd Peripherique – the ring road that encircles the city. Parking can be expensive in many parts of Paris, so can parking fines. Major car companies such as Avis, Hertz and others have offices at the airports and around town.