Paris – the capital and largest city in France – is located on the River Seine at the heart of the Ile-de-France region of northern France.
The most convenient route to Paris is by air to either Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), located 23km (14mi) northeast of Paris, or Paris Orly Airport (ORY), located 13km (8mi) south of Paris.
Alternatively, Paris is also well serviced by frequent trains from every capital city in Europe.
From the United Kingdom, the super-fast Eurostar Express offers an hourly passenger service from London (St-Pancras station) to Paris (Gare du Nord) and Brussels via the Channel Tunnel.
The 50km (31mi) journey takes 2 hrs 16 min (actual time spent in the Tunnel is 19 min), with 18 services per day and 20 on Fridays starting from 5:40 am to 8:01 pm.
Ferry and hovercraft services also operate across the English Channel with connecting trains linking the London to Paris route at Dover and Folkstone in England to Calais and Boulogne in France.
The following are the most convenient and quickest routes to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), the largest international airport in France.
From United Kingdom: British Airways, Air France, Flybe and easyJet offer the most convenient flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
London to Paris is 1 hr 15 min, direct flight
Manchester to Paris is 1 hr 25 min, direct flight
From Ireland: Aer Lingus and Air France offer the most convenient flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
Dublin to Paris is 1 hr 45 min, direct flight
From Germany: Air France, Eurowings, Lufthansa, Ryanair and easyJet offer the most convenient flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
Berlin to Paris is 1 hrs 45 min, direct flight
Dusseldorf to Paris is 1 hrs 15 min, direct flight
Frankfurt to Paris is 1 hrs 10 min, direct flight
Hamburg to Paris is 1 hrs 30 min, direct flight
Munich to Paris is 1 hrs 35 min, direct flight
From United States: Air France, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines offer the most convenient daily flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
Atlanta to Paris is 8 hrs 22 min, direct flight
Boston to Paris is 6 hrs 40 min, direct flight
Chicago to Paris is 8 hrs, direct flight
Dallas-Fort Worth to Paris is 9 hrs 10 min, direct flight
New York to Paris is 6 hrs 55 min, direct flight
Miami to Paris is 8 hrs 55 min, direct flight
Los Angeles to Paris is 10 hrs 30 min, direct flight
San Francisco to Paris is 10 hrs 45 min, direct flight
From Canada: Air Canada, Air Transat and Air France offer the most convenient daily flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
Toronto to Paris is 7 hrs 10 min, direct flight
Montreal to Paris is 6 hrs 40 min, direct flight
Vancouver to Paris is 9 hrs 30 min, direct flight
From Australia: Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Etihad, Qatar Airways and Air France offer the most convenient scheduled flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
Adelaide to Paris is 22 hrs 550 min, connecting flightˆ
Brisbane to Paris is 22 hrs 40 min, connecting flightˆ
Sydney to Paris is 23 hrs 10 min, connecting flightˆ
Melbourne to Paris is 23 hrs, connecting flightˆ
Perth to Paris is 19 hrs 25 min, connecting flightˆ
From New Zealand: Air New Zealand, American Airlines offers the most convenient scheduled flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
Auckland to Paris is 23 hrs 55 min, connecting flightˆ
From Singapore: Singapore Airlines and Air France offer the most convenient scheduled flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
Singapore to Paris is 13 hrs 20 min, connecting flightˆ
(ˆincludes transfer time.)
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), also known as Roissy Airport, is located 23km (14mi) northeast of Paris.
Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are linked by the CDGVAL airport Métro line. Shuttles operate between the various parts of Terminal 2 and the long stay car park, as well as to the more distant Terminal 2G.
Taxi: Taxi companies at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport include Alpha Taxis (tel: +01 49 69 63 55), Les Taxis Bleus (tel: +33 1 4152 5425), Taxis G7 (tel: +331 41 27 66 99).
A taxi to central Paris takes around 45 minutes, and the average fare is around €50-60, depending on the time of day and traffic conditions.
Shuttle: The Val d'Europe Airports shuttle (VEA) operates services between Paris hotels, Disneyland and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, with a fare of €23.
Bus: Local buses 350 and 351 connect central Paris to the airport, taking around 70 minutes with a fare of €6. Roissybus (www.ratp.fr) serves all three terminals and runs to Place de l'Opéra linking with the Paris Métro taking around 45-60 minutes, with a fare of €11.
The Noctilien night service has three routes linking the airport with various destinations in Paris (and vice versa) between 0100 and 0400, taking around 30 minutes with a fare of €8.
Coach: Air France coaches (tel: +33 1 64 02 50 14; www.lebusdirect.com) depart from Terminals 1 and 2 to several central city destinations including Montparnasse and Gare de Lyon. They also provide connections to Paris-Orly Airport, from Terminals 1 and 2.
Rail: RER trains (www.ratp.fr) serve the airport in conjunction with ADP shuttles. The RER B Regional-Express airport city train service from Charles de Gaulle to Paris runs north-south through the centre of Paris, with stops at all the major Paris Métro stations, including the Gare du Nord (the London - Paris Eurostar station) and Châtelet Les Halles. You can choose from two services – express, and non-stop express – depending on your destination.
Trains run every 15 minutes, taking only 32 minutes from the Aeroport CDG Terminal 1 station to Châtelet Les Halles, and 40 minutes to Gare du Nord. The fare is €9.75.
The rail line continues south towards Orly Airport (requiring a transfer onto the OrlyVal metro at station Antony).
Car hire companies at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport include Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Firefly, Hertz, and Sixt, all of which have offices in Terminals 1 and 2.
Money: There are Bureaux de Change and ATMs in each of the three terminals. A bank branch is located in the train station between terminals 2D and 2F.
Food: A wide choice of bars, cafés and restaurants serving French and international cuisine are found in all terminals.
Shopping: There is a good variety of shops in all three terminals, including duty-free shopping and VAT refunds for passengers leaving the EU.
Wi-Fi: Free Wi-Fi internet access is available throughout Charles de Gaulle Airport (along with a paid-for premium service offering faster connection speeds). Post offices can be found in Terminals 1 and 2, and mobile phone rental is available.
Other: Medical, massage and beauty services are available in Terminals 1 and 2. Children's play areas can be found in Terminal 2. Prayer rooms are available.
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport has excellent facilities for disabled travellers. Information desks also offer a special welcome service for disabled passengers. Lifts and ramps connect all floors and reserved car parking spaces are provided in designated areas. Discount on parking rates is available on presentation of a valid disability badge.
Paris Orly Airport (ORY) is located 13km (8mi) south of Paris.
There are no direct train lines from Orly airport to Paris city centre. You need to take the Orlyval metro to station Anthony, then change to metro lines RER B or RER C; the total journey takes around 60 minutes.
A passport valid for at least six months beyond intended period of stay, a return/onward ticket and proof of sufficient funds. No visa is required for a stay of up to 90 days.
Apart from walking – always a pleasure in Paris – the efficient and inexpensive Paris Métro (underground rail) system is the easiest and most convenient way of getting around Paris.
Taxis, buses, hire cars and bicycles are also available; and a fleet of glass-covered boats ply the Seine offering a hop-on hop-off service along the river.
While hire cars are available, driving in central Paris is usually more trouble than it's worth. Parking is difficult (illegally parked cars are towed away) and traffic jams are frequent. Petrol stations are also difficult to locate and access.
Public transport in Paris is plentiful, easy to use and good value for money. Free transport maps are available at Paris Métro stations, bus terminals, hotels and tourist offices.
For more information: how to get around Paris…
Latest update: How to get to Paris: 12 May, 2022
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