Transport

By Air

There are three airports serving Paris – Charles de Gaulle and Orly are the main hubs while Beauvais, a little further away, is served by low-cost airlines.

From Charles de Gaulle in Roissy, 25 kilometres north-east of the city, there’s a Roissyrail train connection on the RER (Réseau Express Régional) system, which departs four times an hour to Gare du Nord from terminals two and three. (A shuttle bus to the station is provided from terminal one.) Alternatively, there’s a Roissybus from terminals one and two to Opéra metro station, which also departs four times an hour.

Orly is approximately 15 kilometres south of Paris and has a twice-hourly Orlyrail connection to the city by shuttle bus then the RER system to Gare d’Austerlitz. There are several other regular shuttle services – Orlyval, Orlybus, Jetbus and Air France buses.

Beauvais is around 80 kilometres north of Paris but it has a good shuttle bus link which leaves around 20 minutes after every flight arrival. Alternatively, Beauvais train station is a 15 minute taxi ride from the airport and trains to Gare du Nord take around an hour.  

By Train

One of the fastest and most efficient ways to get to Paris from elsewhere in mainland Europe is by train. There’s an excellent national and international rail service and Paris has six major train stations, all of which have connections to the Métro system:

·       Gare du Nord – northern France and Germany, London Eurostar, Benelux and Scandinavia

·       Gare de Lyon – southeast France, Italy, Switzerland and Greece

·       Gare d’Austerlitz – southwest France and Spain

·       Gare St Lazare – northwest France

·       Gare Montparnasse – Atlantic coast and southwest France

·       Gare de l’Est – eastern France, south of Germany, Austria and eastern Europe

Métro

The Métropolitain underground system is an excellent way of getting around the city centre and it runs throughout most of the day and night. The lines are colour coded and the directions are always well signposted, so it’s easy to navigate. One day to five day passes are available and are good value for money, offering discounts to some attractions as well.

RER

The Réseau Express Régional is the commuter rail system that links the city centre to outlying areas and it’s integrated into the Métro network. It’s the best way to get out to the suburbs.