Choosing the Right Airport for Paris

CDG is 25 kilometers northeast of the city and it has three terminals arranged around a large ring. Terminal 2, split into 2A through 2G, handles most of the long haul and Air France flights. Terminal 1 handles a mix of European carriers. Terminal 3 is a lower cost terminal used mainly by charter and some low cost operators.

The best transfer from CDG is the RER B train, which runs to Gare du Nord in about 35 minutes and continues into the Chatelet interchange. It costs around 11.80 euros. The train is fine during the day. Late at night it can feel tired. From Terminal 2, the station is a short covered walk. From Terminal 1, take the free CDGVAL shuttle first, which adds seven minutes.

Alternatives are the Roissybus, which goes to Opera in about 60 to 75 minutes for 16.60 euros, and taxis, which are on a fixed fare of 56 euros to the Right Bank and 65 to the Left Bank. Uber can be cheaper off peak and more expensive during rush hours.

Orly is only 14 kilometers south of Paris and it has been getting better every year. The extension of metro line 14 to Orly, completed in 2024, changed the calculus. From Orly, line 14 reaches Chatelet in about 25 minutes for 13 euros with the special Orly fare. This is faster than CDG and requires no transfer for anyone staying on the central section of line 14.

The older option, the Orlyval light rail to Antony followed by the RER B, still exists and is slightly cheaper. Taxis to central Paris cost a fixed 36 euros to the Right Bank and 44 to the Left Bank.

Orly makes sense for anyone flying with Vueling, Transavia, or Air France on European routes. For anyone staying in the Left Bank, Orly is often the better choice than CDG even when the airfare is a few euros higher.

Beauvais is 85 kilometers north of Paris. It is used almost exclusively by Ryanair and Wizz Air. The only reliable transfer is a coach that runs to Porte Maillot in central Paris and takes 75 minutes on a good day. It costs 16.90 euros one way if booked in advance and more at the counter.

The airport itself is small, and if your flight is delayed the last coach can leave without you. Taxis to central Paris from Beauvais run around 170 euros. This is the mathematics that makes the cheap flight less cheap than it looks.

Beauvais is only sensible if the flight is genuinely 100 euros cheaper than the equivalent flight to CDG or Orly, if you are not carrying much luggage, and if you land in daylight. In every other case, pay the extra and fly to the mainstream airports.

Late night arrivals change the equation entirely. The RER B stops running around 00:15. The Roissybus continues until 00:30. After that, the only options from CDG are a taxi or a rideshare, both around 60 to 80 euros. From Orly, line 14 runs until 01:15 on weekends. From Beauvais, if you land after 22:00, you are essentially trapped until morning.

For any arrival after 23:00, add a fixed 60 euros to the cost of the ticket in your mental math before comparing prices. This is the number that decides whether a low cost flight to Beauvais is still worth it. It usually is not.

If you have a choice of terminals within CDG, the ranking is roughly Terminal 2E and 2F for long haul, Terminal 2G for regional Air France, Terminal 2A and 2C for a mix, Terminal 1 for foreign carriers, and Terminal 3 last. Terminal 3 is functional but has fewer amenities and is a longer walk from the RER station. Long connections in Terminal 3 are unpleasant.