Paris is a bustling capital known for its culture and many landmarks, and it’s served by three airports: Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), Paris-Orly Airport (ORY), and Paris-Beauvais Airport (BVA). The French capital offers travelers several options for arriving into and getting around France and Europe. In this guide, I’ll cover all three airports in Paris to help you decide which is best for planning your trip and flights and what you need to know once you get there.
Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport
The busiest airport in France, third in Europe and among the top ten in the world, Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport in Paris is a major gateway for travelers arriving from all parts of the world.
CDG is like its own mini-city, home to an array of services and amenities for travelers arriving or who have connecting flights in Paris. As Air France’s main hub, CDG caters to a wide range of major international airlines, such as American Airlines, Delta, KLM, United Airlines and more, plus low-cost local and international carriers like easyJet and Transavia.
Getting to Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
An hour-long RER train and métro journey to central Paris, or a 30- to 45-minute taxi ride (if there’s no traffic), Charles de Gaulle Airport is the main Paris airport, with three expansive terminals connected by trains and shuttles.
The RER B line runs every 10 to 15 minutes on weekdays from the airport to métro stations throughout the city (it’s about 25 minutes to Gare du Nord, 28 minutes to Châtelet-Les-Halles and 35 minutes to Denfert-Rochereau, and the cost is €11.80, or about $13, one-way).
Taxis are often a convenient choice to get to the airport, since they’re readily available in multiple locations throughout the airport and offer fixed rates between CDG and the Right Bank (€55 or $60) and Left Bank (€62, or $68). I tend to use the car-share service Bolt, which is often more affordable than Uber.
Shopping and dining at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
Don’t worry if you forgot to pick up a gift for a friend back home – the shopping at CDG is as luxurious as if you were strolling the Rue Saint-Honoré. Get ready for spectacular window shopping at luxury shops, plus more boutique offerings like L’Artisan Parfumeur.
In addition to takeaway chains like Starbucks, Naked, YO! sushi and Eric Kayser Artisan Boulanger, travelers can take a seat at restaurants like Japanese-style Kirei in Terminal 1 or 70-seat champagne bar and eatery I Love Paris by Guy Martin, the Michelin-starred chef behind fine-dining spot Le Grand Véfour in Paris’s Palais-Royal.
Things to do at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
Since I rarely have lounge access (and the lounges are often packed), I’ll usually browse duty-free for last-minute gifts for family members before sitting at the counter for seafood and champagne at Caviar House & Prunier Seafood Bar.
Throughout the airport, you’ll also find free arcade gaming areas with ‘80s throwbacks like Pac-Man and Space Invaders, plus the latest PS5 game consoles and even a museum space in Departure Hall M in Terminal 2E, featuring two annual exhibitions with works by the likes of Joan Miró and Marc Chagall.
Other amenities at Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
If you have a layover in Paris and want to stay the night, you’ll find more than a dozen hotels within a free shuttle ride of all three terminals – plus YotelAir inside Terminal 2E. You’ll also have access to SkyTeam, Star Alliance and Oneworld lounges in terminals 1 and 2.
Paris-Orly Airport (ORY)
Closer to the city center, Paris-Orly Airport (ORY) is home to a range of large international carriers, low-cost European and domestic airlines. While most travelers from the US fly into CDG, you can fly direct to ORY on budget carrier French Bee to Miami (MIA), Newark (EWR) or San Francisco (SFO), or to Newark on the all-business La Compagnie.
It’s worth adding Fast Track Airport Service to your booking if you don’t have airline status. When security and passport control lines get long during school holidays, it’s much easier to speed through the VIP lines.
Getting to Paris-Orly Airport (ORY)
The closest airport to Paris, Orly (ORY) is less than 30 minutes from the city on a good day (meaning no traffic), and taxis cost significantly less than from CDG (around €35, or $38, to the Left Bank). You can also take the RER to the métro or the 30-minute direct Orlybus shuttle to Denfert-Rochereau in the city center. Just keep in mind that these buses get busy, so if you’re carrying heavy or multiple pieces of luggage, you may want to opt for a taxi instead.
All four of Orly’s terminals are connected, so if traffic is building up out front, I’ll hop out of my taxi as soon as I arrive at the airport and walk to my terminal instead.
Shopping and dining at Paris-Orly Airport (ORY)
While much smaller and more manageable than CDG, Orly still offers travelers similar services, including arrivals level restaurants, cafés and pâtisseries like Paul and Ladurée Paris. Once you pass through security, you’ll come across everything from gourmet burger joint Vivanda, created by Michelin-starred chef Akrame Benallal, to sleek counter Le Bar, a great spot for pre-flight coffee, cocktails or wine.
Paris Beauvais-Tille Airport (BVA)
Most travelers coming from the US probably haven’t heard of Beauvais, the smallest of the city’s three airports, since it’s outside Paris and caters to low-cost domestic and European flights.
But don’t let its small size fool you – Paris-Beauvais Airport (BVA) now ranks tenth-busiest in France, with airlines flying to nearly 80 destinations in 29 countries (mostly in Europe, Morocco and Amman, Jordan). A hub for low-cost carriers like Ryanair, Wizzair, easyJet, Laudamotion, HiSky and Volotea – with flights everywhere from Porto (OPO) and Barcelona (BCN) to Sofia (SOF) in Bulgaria and Zaragoza (ZAZ) in Spain.
Getting to Paris-Beauvais Airport (BVA)
The two-terminal airport sits about 50 miles northwest of the capital, in the town of Tillé. A 75-minute non-stop shuttle ride from Porte Maillot in Paris (near RER line C and métro line 1) is the easiest and most cost-effective way to reach the airport, unless you have a car rental and plan to drive in France.
From the nearby regional TER Beauvais train station, which connects to Paris’s Gare du Nord (the trip is 75 minutes, not including the bus or taxi from the Beauvais station to the airport), you can connect to other cities in France, the closest being Creil, a town north of Paris.
The trip to the airport via taxi from Paris takes between an hour and an hour and a half, but the fare is much steeper (from €185, or $202, one-way during the day). Since this airport services secondary cities and some European capitals, if you need to connect for a flight to ORY or CDG, expect taxi rates to be just as high (fares are around €230, or $250, to Orly, to give you an idea).
Shopping and dining at Paris-Beauvais Airport (BVA)
In both of the departures lounges, you can shop duty-free alcohol, electronics, gastronomy and sweets, perfume and cosmetics, and more at Aelia. In the Terminal 2 departure lounge, you’ll also find a Relay, which offers travel accessories, drinks and snacks, magazines and books, and souvenirs. Both terminals also feature small cafes and spots with takeaway sandwiches and salads, but the only sit-down restaurant in Brasserie Le Faubourg in the public area of Terminal 2.
It might be easier to book a connecting flight out of ORY or CDG, but if you do fly from Beauvais, you’ll find duty-free shops and restaurants in both terminals.
Orly vs. Charles de Gaulle Airport: Differences between ORY and CDG
While Orly is easier to navigate (and often less crowded) than the maze-like Charles de Gaulle, and it’s a quicker ride into central Paris, you’ll find much more in terms of shopping and dining at CDG. Usually less chaotic (unless it’s the height of the summer holidays), Orly is the closest airport to Paris and often a better choice if you’re debating between a similar flight leaving from CDG or have an early-morning journey.
The downside of ORY: the airport doesn’t have a hotel within the terminals or luggage storage lockers like CDG (which are located at Terminal 2 Gare TGV-RER, across from the Sheraton hotel). Both, however, do have health care services and international vaccination centers, in case you need an appointment for an impromptu trip. You’ll also find plenty of comfortable places to post up while charging electronic devices or waiting for your flight to board.
If you’re browsing the boutiques at either airport, you can shop duty-free prices (you’ll just need to show your boarding pass) and even score discounts and special offers throughout the year. If you’ve already purchased items in France and are leaving the EU, don’t forget to claim the VAT back at the airport by presenting your documents at the tax refund desk or kiosks (détaxe) in the departures terminal before passing through security.
Best Paris airport to fly into
The most convenient airport to fly into from the US is CDG, since it offers the most direct and connecting flight options. Orly’s direct flights to the US are only to a few cities on low-cost carrier French Bee, or all-business La Compagnie, which only offers a non-stop service to Newark, NJ. Most flights from the US and major international cities outside Europe fly into Charles de Gaulle, while Orly offers plenty of daily domestic and European flights.
How was this guide created
Over the past decade working and living in France as a travel journalist, I’ve flown in and out of Paris’s airports more times than I can count, experiencing everything from five-star service on business-class flights to shorter, budget-friendly journeys on low-cost carriers that are often cheaper than local trains. I’ve learned that it never hurts to arrive early, pay in advance for luggage and book fast-track services if I’m not flying Sky Priority.
If you are flying in more international destinations, then more of KAYAK’s expert airport guides are here to guide you.
Disclaimer: Prices and information are correct as of 02.21.2024 and may vary with time.