Although Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport has usurped the top spot in Paris (as well as France) in terms of giant international airports, Orly Airport (ORY) is still a popular international gateway for many travelers. And because Orly is actually closer to Paris’ city center than CDG, getting to Paris from Orly – or getting to Orly from Paris – is a quicker trip.

You have a few options for making the journey between Paris and Orly Airport, which you’ll find more information about below. Personally, I think taking public transportation is the easiest way to get back and forth, but even if you settle on that Paris still offers you a few choices. You’ll have to pick the best option for you based on your trip. And note that while I’ve listed the titles below as getting from Orly to Paris for when you first arrive in the city, the basic information will be the same if you’re in Paris and going back to Orly at the end of your trip. Ticket prices and travel times will be the same, it’s just departure times and stations for trains and buses that will be different.

Taking the RER Train from Orly Airport to Paris

The network of RER trains that covers Paris and the surrounding area stretches as far as both Charles de Gaulle Airport and Orly Airport – only at Orly you have to take a shuttle to get to the RER station (at CDG it’s right in the airport). Still, it’s a cheap and efficient means of getting back and forth between the airport and the city.

Both the RER B and the RER C trains connect Orly with Paris, and here are details about both:

Taking the RER B from Orly to Paris
The RER B station near Orly is called Antony, and it’s connected to Orly by the Orlyval light rail train, which stops at both Orly’s South terminal and West terminal. Once at the Antony station, you’ll take the RER B trains in the direction of Vers Mitry-Claye or Charles de Gaulle. RER B trains stop at Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame, Chatelet-Les Halles, and Gare du Nord in Paris. If you’re coming from Paris, you can get a train bound for Antony (and Orly) at any one of those stations, and you want to look for trains that are going in the Saint-Remy-les-Chevreuse direction.

Orlyval trains leave Antony starting at 06:00 and run until 23:00, and going in the opposite direction they start at Orly’s South terminal at 06:00 and run until 23:00. The Orlyval trip between Orly and Antony station is less than 10 minutes, (trains come every 4-7 minutes), and the trip between Antony station and Paris is roughly 25 minutes. A one-way ticket between Paris and Antony station on the RER B is €9.30 for an adult, and €4.65 for children aged 4-10. A ticket on the Orlyval between Antony station and Orly is €7.20 for an adult, and €3.60 for children aged 4-10). If you have a Paris Visite card that’s good in zones 1-5, that will work on this route, too.

Taking the RER C from Orly to Paris
The RER C station near Orly is called Pont de Rungis-Aeroport d’Orly, and you get there from the Orly airport terminal by taking the ADP “Paris par le train” shuttle bus. Shuttles stop at Orly’s South terminal at entrance F, and at Orly’s West terminal at entrance G on the arrivals level. These trains make several stops in Paris, at Gare d’Austerlitz, Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame, and finally Invalides. From Paris, you can catch the train from any one of those stations, and the one you’re looking for is the Pont de Rungis-Aeroport d’Orly direction.

The first RER C trains from Orly start at 05:01 and the last train leaves Orly at 23:30. The first trains from Paris to Orly leave Invalides station at 05:40, and the last one leaves Invalides at 22:40. Trains come roughly every 20 minutes on weekdays, and from Orly to Gare d’Austerlitz is only a 25 minute journey. A one-way ticket costs €6 for an adult, €4.25 for a child aged 4-10. If you have a Paris Visite card that’s good in zones 1-5, that will work on this route, too.

Taking the Bus from Orly Airport to Paris

There are several bus options to get between Orly Airport and Paris, so I’m going to list them individually here.

The Paris Shuttle company has regular shuttles that run between Paris and all area airports, including Orly. You can choose the more budget-friendly shared shuttle, or hire a private shuttle service. A spot in a shared van ranges from €27 for one person up to €16 or less per person if you’re a group of 4 people or more. Private transfers range from €60 for 1-2 people up to €100 for a group of 7-8 (and that’s per vehicle, not per person).

There’s also a Paris Shuttle that will get you back and forth between Orly Airport and Disneyland Paris, if that’s really your destination. Again, you can choose between a shared shuttle and a private transfer. Prices for a single spot in a shared van range from €60 per person down to €12.50 per person for a group of 8. Private transfers range from €75 for 1-2 people up to €100 for 7-8 people (again, that’s per vehicle).

>> More information about schedules and rates is online, and you can book Paris Shuttle airport service online, too.

The Orlybus runs regular service from both Orly’s South and West terminals and the city center of Paris. The Orly stops are at the South terminal’s entrance H and the West terminal’s entrance D (at the arrivals level), and in Paris the Orlybus stops at the Denfert-Rochereau station. The trip takes about 20-30 minutes, and buses leave every 15-20 minutes. The first Orlybus leaves Orly Sud at 05:35, the last at 23:05; the first bus leaves Denfert-Rochereau at 06:00, the last at 23:30. A ticket is €6.10, and a Paris Visite card good in zones 1-5 works, too.

>> More information about the Orlybus schedule and stops can be found on the Orly website here

Bus 183 runs between Orly and Paris’ Porte de Choisy station. The only Orly stop is at the West terminal, entrance D/G at the arrivals level. It’s a roughly 50-minute trip, and buses run every half-hour, but it’s a very cheap option – it’ll just cost you one regular RATP ticket (under €2).

>> More information about the bus 183 schedule and stops can be found on the Orly website here

Bus 285 runs between Orly and a couple stops near Paris – one is at the Juvisy station (which is an RER station), and another is the Louis Aragon station (which is a Metro station), so from either of those you can get into central Paris easily. The only Orly stop is at the South terminal. It’s only about a 15-20 minute trip, and buses run every 10-20 minutes on weekdays (every half-hour otherwise). Again, this will cost just one regular RATP ticket (under €2).

>> More information about the bus 285 schedule and stops can be found on the Orly website here

Air France’s Les Cars shuttles have three lines connecting Orly with Paris. Depending on the line you choose, you can connect with Paris’ Gare Montparnasse, Etoile or Invalides stations. There’s even a Les Cars shuttle that just runs back and forth between Orly Airport and Charles de Gaulle Airport. Prices range from €11.50-19.00 for a ticket.

>> More information about all the Air France Les Cars shuttles can be found by scrolling down on this page of the Orly website

Another company with service between Orly and Paris Disney is the VEA Shuttle company. They also connect with certain Paris hotels that are at the Disney resort. VEA Shuttles stop at Orly West (entrance C) and Orly South (bus station platform 2), and the trip takes about 45 minutes. Shuttles run every half-hour or so, and an adult ticket costs €17 (a child’s ticket, ages 3-11, is €13).

>> More information about the VEA Shuttles to Disneyland Paris can be found on the Orly website here

Taking a Taxi from Orly Airport to Paris

Although there isn’t a set of fixed price fares between Orly Airport and Paris like there is with some airports in big cities, the Orly website has published some “guideline fares” so that you can get an idea of what a basic trip will cost (barring excessive traffic, of course) before you call a cab. As you can imagine, it’s not a cheap ride – and be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to see additional charges that can get added onto a regular fare for things like extra luggage or an after-hours trip.

There are taxi ranks at both Orly Sud and Orly Ouest, so you don’t have to schlep your stuff from one terminal to the other. One thing to keep an eye out for, however, is that there are two different kinds of taxis – there are Paris taxis, which just head into the city, and suburban taxis, which cover the outskirts of the city. To catch one of the Paris taxis you’ll go to Orly South exit M, or Orly West exit B (arrivals level).

>> More information about taking taxis between Orly and Paris is on the Orly website here

Driving from Orly Airport to Paris

Generally speaking, unless you’re planning a trip to a bunch of places outside Paris but not actually going to spend much time in Paris, it’s easier to get around in the city by using public transit. But if your travel plans are to meander around the countryside, or you just really want to know what it’s like to drive around the Arc de Triomphe, then here’s what you need to know.

The Orly website has a tool that will help you figure out the best route to take – you plug in your destination address if you’re driving from Orly, or your departure address if you’re driving to Orly, and voila: driving directions straight from the Orly people.

Orly is off the A6 Autoroute. If you’re coming from Paris, pick up the A6 at the Porte d’Orleans exit on the peripherique, headed in the direction of Lyon.

Renting a Car at Orly Airport
There are many car rental companies at Orly, so you’ve got lots of choices. You’ll find information about all the companies that have desks at Orly on this page – be sure to look for the words “Paris Orly” under “Location” of each, because this list includes both Orly and Charles de Gaulle Airport.

photos, top to bottom, by slasher-fun, ArséniureDeGallium, Wikimedia commons, Hello Paris, alex-s, poeloq

A road trip in any country is a fantastic idea. A road trip in France is a ticket to see beautiful scenery, indulge in awesome cuisine and learn even more about the French culture.

France bus travel – mainly the regional bus travel – is not used to get between regions but it?s a great way to travel short distances. However, there is no national bus system in France so engaging in such a vacation will require a bit of planning. But that surely doesn?t mean it cannot be done.

A nice idea for a bus tour in France is to get from Marseille to Paris . No, there aren?t any direct bus links between the two cities and that makes it a great idea to begin with.

You can fly into Marseille from pretty much any large airport in Europe. Spend a day or two here exploring the city. Don?t forget to experience the outdoor food markets where you can enjoy a variety of interesting dishes. And please don?t miss trying the city?s signature dish, bouillabaisse ? a seafood stew.

Then it?s time to start your bus tour in France. Plan your first stop in Lyon. There are direct buses from Marseille into Lyon. Now it?s time to indulge in some more French cuisine. The Croix-Rousse is a must-see, with its steep slopes and narrow streets.

From Lyon you can take a bus to Paris. The capital is well known for its landmarks, romance, cafes and ? of course, cuisine. Hotels in Paris are affordable but you might need a bit of time to find the perfect one for you. Especially if you hunt for the Internet special offers, you can find rooms at just ?49 per night (2-star hotel).

Photo courtesy of Andrei and may not be used without permission.

Beauvais Airport is sometimes called Paris’ third airport, even though it lies quite some distance away from the city itself. But because it’s the only Paris airport with service from European budget air giant Ryanair, it still deserves to be considered as a target airport for flying into Paris.

For one thing, there are a couple good transportation options to get you into Paris from Beauvais. For another, if you’re not headed for Paris but for someplace generally north of Paris anyway, then it could be an even better option than either of Paris’ larger airports.

For those of you who are flying into Beauvais and then making your way into the French capital, however, here’s what you need to know about getting from Beauvais Airport into Paris. It’s important to factor in the cost of ground transportation to your overall travel costs, however, in order to be sure that the savings on that “budget flight” you took aren’t wiped out by a hefty pricetag on a train or coach ticket.

But first things first, let’s look at a map of northern France so you can see just where Beauvais Airport is in relation to Paris:

Hopefully seeing that distance will help you understand why transport times are longer from the airport to Paris.

Taking the Train from Beauvais Airport to Paris

There are trains that connect Paris’ Gare du Nord station with the main train station in the town of Beauvais. It’s a regional train, called a “TER,” and it’s part of the “Picardy” region – you can look up schedules on the TER Picardie site, which is (as far as I can tell) entirely in French. Train tickets between Paris Gare du Nord and Beauvais train station are €13-15.

To get to the Beauvais train station from the airport, you’ll have to catch a separate shuttle or a taxi. The time you’ll spend in transit is typically at least 1 hour 15 minutes and up to 1.5 hours – and that’s not counting the time you’re waiting for a shuttle or a taxi. Taxis between the airport to the train station charge a fixed price of €11 from 7am-7pm on weekdays and Saturdays, and €15 from 7pm-7am and on Sundays and bank holidays. If you opt for the shuttle bus instead, tickets for that are under €5.

>> More about train travel in France

Taking the Bus from Beauvais Airport to Paris

The official coach service partner of the Beauvais Airport is the SuperShuttle, and it’ll take you all the way into Paris from the airport – or to Disneyland Paris if you prefer.

What’s particularly convenient about SuperShuttle is that instead of having one central drop-off/pick-up site in Paris, it’s a door-to-door service.

The Beauvais Airport location for the SuperShuttle is their desk in the Terminal 1 hall.

A SuperShuttle ticket from Beauvais Airport into Paris costs €32 for the first adult passenger, €22 for a second adult, and €16 for kids. A Beauvais-EuroDisney ticket is €50 for the first adult, €30 for a second adult, and €20 for children.

Paris Shuttle is a service that runs regular shuttles to each of Paris’ airports. The company runs private reserved shuttles between Beauvais Airport and central Paris, and there are set prices per vehicle for any Paris destination with a zip code that begins with 75. The cost is per vehicle, and depends on how many people are in your group. For just 1-2 people you’ll pay €130, for 3-4 people you’ll pay €140, for 5-6 people you’ll pay €150, and for 7-8 people you’ll pay €160.

For those headed to Paris Disney, Paris Shuttle also has direct service from Beauvais Airport to Disneyland Paris and back. Again, only private reserved shuttles are available, and the price is per vehicle. For 1-4 people you’ll pay €145 (unless it’s 2 adults and 2 kids in the same family, in which case it’s €135), for 5-6 people you’ll pay €165, and for 7-8 people you’ll pay €184.

>> Book Paris Shuttle to/from Beauvais Airport

There’s a regular scheduled coach service that runs from Porte Maillot in Paris to Beauvais Airport (and vice versa). Porte Maillot is near the Palais des Congres to the west of the Arc de Triomphe, but it’s close to a Metro/RER stop to get you anywhere else you need to go in Paris. Tickets are €15 one-way (cash only, and you buy your ticket at the same place you board the bus). The schedule of the buses is directly related to the schedule of departures and arrivals at the airport – buses leave Paris three hours before each departure, and they leave Beauvais Airport 20 minutes after each arrival.

If you’re going to Disneyland Paris resort, you can also choose to take a VEA bus (Val d’Europe Airports). There are three daily departures from Beauvais Airport, and the buses stop at all the Disney-area hotels. On the way back to Beauvais, there are two daily departures at each of a few points in the Disney area. VEA buses cost €30 per adult and €24 for kids ages 3-11.

Driving from Beeauvais Airport to Paris

There are six car rental companies at Beauvais Airport – which is double the number of airlines serving the airport, so you shouldn’t have any trouble renting a car if you do it in advance. If your sole destination is Paris, it’s advisable to skip the car entirely and stick with public transportation – but if you’re planning trips around the area outside Paris, having a car may be a good idea.

Beauvais Airport is on the A16 Autoroute, so it gives you easy access to France’s highway system. You can see a not-to-scale map of the airport in relation to other cities around it on the Beauvais website, but I think the Via Michelin site is one of the best for getting specific driving directions – just plug in your starting and ending points and it’ll give you all the information you need. In addition to turn-by-turn directions, the site also gives you an estimate of how long it’ll take to make the trip, how many KM it is, how much you’ll spend in tolls, and roughly what you’d spend on fuel.

Taking a Taxi from Beauvais Airport to Paris

Taxi drivers who hear you want them to ferry you all the way from Beauvais Airport to Paris – or vice versa – may turn into the nicest taxi drivers you’ve ever met. Because that trip is not a cheap one. There’s no fixed rate, either, so the figures on the Beauvais Airport website are only guesses as to what it’ll cost. Still, they estimate the trip will run at least €100-120 during the day, and €140-160 after hours because of the “night charge.”

photos, top to bottom, by: Adam UXB Smith, Hello Paris, foundphotoslj

What the French Hotel Star Rating System Means

Hotels in Paris – and elsewhere in France – are graded on a star-system, and that might make you think you know what to expect from each star level. But the French star ratings are based on different criteria than the hotel rating systems in other countries. As this article on choosing a Paris hotel points out, the French hotel rating system is based on quantity – not quality. Because quality is, at least on some level, a subjective measurement, the French system has a checklist of items that they look at when rating hotels. A property achieves a certain number of stars based on how many of the criteria on that checklist are present.

As an example, a Paris blogger I know once booked a room at a French chateau that was high on the star rating system. Upon arrival, she found the reception and service so cold and unfriendly that she quickly made other accommodation arrangements. The 1-star attic-level hotel room she ended up in – overlooking a town square – turned out to be infinitely more charming, warm, and hospitable.

The maximum number of stars a hotel can receive in France is four, so looking for 5-star hotels in Paris will be a fruitless search. For most American visitors who are accustomed to mid-range hotels in the United States, looking at hotels in Paris that have at least three stars is probably a good idea. But if you’re on more of a budget, you don’t mind a smaller room, and you don’t need “extras” like WiFi or breakfast, then a 1- or 2-star may be sufficient. Just be sure to read about what each property offers.

Things to Know About Hotels in Paris

• Do not assume you’ll get spaciousness in Paris hotel rooms unless you opt for a 4-star hotel. Hotels are often in older buildings where it’s not possible to gut them during a redesign, and in order to squeeze a small ensuite bathroom into each room the rooms themselves get even smaller. With 4-star hotels, however, the rooms are more likely to be large – and by “large,” I don’t mean palatial. I simply mean they’ll be more the size of a typical American hotel room.
• Noise can be an issue in Paris. If you are sensitive to noise, ask for a room not facing the street. Your room may or may not have double glazed windows.
• Air conditioning isn’t a standard hotel feature in Paris. Always ask if air conditioning is available.
• Do not expect to find a king-size bed unless you are staying in a four-star hotel. Beds are normally either twins, double, or queen size as the largest (i.e 150-160 cm in width by 90 cm in length).

photo by garybembridge