|
|
|
|
|
|
 
|
Arrival/Departure: Paris: Airplane Arrival/Departure
by airplane: Note: Some of the prices mentioned below are estimates. Prices are subject to change and frequently do so. Paris Net recommends that you consult the websites of each travel provider (links provided below) before making travel decisions. Taxis: Taxi
service from both airports to Paris is excellent. Upon arrival at the
airport follow the signs to "Taxis" after picking up your luggage. You
will generally need to wait in line at the taxi stand but lines move quickly
(Orly airport has two different taxi lines, Paris and les banlieues (the
suburbs). Price: Verdict: A taxi is probably the most convenient means of travel to and from the airport, but it can often be expensive. Travel from the airport to Paris is easiest because there are almost always taxis waiting to pick up customers. Travel to the airport is more difficult. At rush hour (morning and afternoon) it is best to call a taxi several hours in advance of your departure time. Although the Metro is often quicker during peak hours, a taxi is much more convenient. In the case of early morning departures or late night arrivals, a taxi is sometimes the only sure means of transportation. Shuttle, bus and metro service do not operate 24 hours. Airport Shuttle: Airport Shuttle services are available between Paris and both airports. Travel can be reserved days, weeks or months in advance, but reservations must generally be made at least 48 hours in advance. When arriving at the airport you must call a special toll free number (before picking up your baggage) and you will be given a meeting point at your terminal. Once the shuttle arrives it will generally complete its circuit of the airport to pick up other passengers (as the bus does) then it will drop you off at your final destination in Paris. When going towards the airport you will be given a pickup time that will guarantee your arrival at the airport the required amount of time before your departure. Price (inside of Paris city limits) : 20/person for one person 16/person for two people or more Verdict: The airport shuttle is probably the best value for the money for travellers who want convenience for an economical price. The price is approximately equal to the bus + taxi combination, but once aboard the shuttle no additional waiting and transfers are required (as is the case with the bus or metro). Additional advantages include advance reservation, door to door service, an English speaking driver and a fixed price. Drawbacks include the waiting time for the shuttle bus upon arrival at the airport (it could be more than the 15 min wait for the bus) and the additional time required to drop off/pick up other passengers once in Paris. Travelers going to and from the suburbs cannot use the airport shuttle as it only serves points inside the city limits. More Information: Paris Net - Airport shuttle Airport Bus: The airports Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Orly are both served by busses operated by Air France and the RATP. Transfer time is approximately 45 minutes depending on traffic conditions. Air France also offers a bus transfers service between Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports. When arriving in Paris you must follow the signs in the airport to the bus stop and then purchase a ticket at the stand or from the bus driver. Once you have arrived at the bus stop in Paris you must still find a way to reach your final destination. That usually means that once the bus drops you off, you will need to take the Metro or a taxi. When going to the airport this process is reversed and you must find transportation from home to the bus stop. Transfer from Airport Charles de Gaulle to Orly Airport: Air France operates a transfer service between airport Charles de Gaulle and Orly airport. The bus departs from Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 (the same points as the Air France bus to Paris - see below) and it runs every 30 minutes from 6AM to 10:30PM. The price is 16 one-way. Charles de Gaulle: Air France has two lines running from Charles de Gaulle into Paris. The first line runs every fifteen minutes and has two stops, Place de l'Etoile or Porte Maillot and it departs from Charles de Gaulle terminal 1 & 2 (i.e. not terminal 3 which is primarily for charters and low-cost carriers like EasyJet) between 5:45AM and 11PM. The second line runs every 30 minutes (between 7AM and 9PM) and stops at Gare de Lyon and Montparnasse. The RATP bus departs from all three terminals (including Terminal 3 - where charter flights and low cost airlines generally arrive) every 15 minutes. It arrives in Paris and stops at Place de l'Opιra alongside the American Express office. Service is from 6AM to 10:30PM. Orly: Both Air France and the RATP run busses from both terminals of Orly airport into Paris. The Air France bus stops in Paris are at Montparnasse and Invalides. The RATP bus stop is at Denfert Rochereau. Beauvais: RyanAir operates a service between Beauvais airport and the 17th arrondissement in Paris. Beauvais airport is about 40 miles from Paris and driving time is approximately one hour. When arriving in Beauvais, follow the signs to the bus, it leaves 20 minutes after flight arrivals. When departing France, you can catch the RyanAir Coach at "Paris-Beauvais-Shop", 1, boulevard Pershing, close to Metro: Porte Maillot. The bus leaves 2.5 - 3 hours before the scheduled flight time.There is no other scheduled transportation to Beauvais, so if you miss the bus you will need to arrange your own transportation. Price: Verdict: The airport bus can be a good economical option for the budget minded traveler who has more luggage than can be comfortably carried on the Metro or for those who prefer the additional security and comfort offered by the bus. However, if your destination/point of departure is not in close proximity to one of the bus stops, for those traveling in groups of two or more the bus may turn out being just as expensive as a taxi . If you don't have private transportation, in order to get to and from the bus station in Paris, you must take another bus, taxi or Metro. All in all, in order to get to and from the bus station, you should count on an additional fee of 8 - 15 if you take a taxi (see details on taxis below), and about 140/person to take the bus or Metro inside the city limits. More Information: RATP website, Air France website Metro/RER:
The RER is the regional rail system that links the suburbs to the Paris
Metro. Trains run every 15 Going to Roissy/Charles de Gaulle, you must take the Metro to the RER line B, direction Roissy/CDG. Sometimes it is not easy to recognize which RER trains go to the airport and which turn off towards another destination once outside the city limits. You must be careful to get on the right train and it is usually prudent to ask somebody at the station which train is the correct one. Going to Orly is a little bit easier, you simply take the "Orlyval", which connects to the RER at the Chatelet Metro station (duration 32 minutes). Price: 885/person Verdict: For those on a tight budget the Metro presents the cheapest means of getting to airport Charles de Gaulle. It can also be the fastest method on some days when traffic is particularly bad. In the case of Orly airport, taking the Metro to the bus station will be slightly cheaper than taking the Orlyval train, but also less convenient. In both cases those unfamiliar with Paris should be very clear about their destination (i.e. Metro station or Airport Terminal) as a mistake could easily double your transportation time. Equally important, passengers taking the Metro should expect to carry their bags through long metro tunnels and from the Metro exit to their final destination. This means that if you have more than a small amount of luggage, you may want to consider a different means of transportation. More Information: RATP website updated April 2007
WEBMASTERS: This page is copyrighted. You may link to this page from your website. However, any duplication, all or in part, is prohibited. Violators will be prosecuted under the terms of the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) |
in
Southern Europe and around the Mediterranean. Both airports are served
by taxi, airport shuttle, the Paris Metro and two bus lines. Any of these
different means of transportation can get you to anywhere within the city
limits of Paris but each differs in cost and how long it will take you
to reach your destination. In the event that you arrive in Beauvais via
RyanAir, you will need to use the Coach service operated by Ryan Air (see
airport bus, below) or arrange a 
Many
drivers don't speak English so you may find it useful to have your destination
address written on a piece of paper. The name of the nearest Metro stop
can also be helpful for finding addresses that are less well known. Finding
a taxi to the airport can be more troublesome. Depending on the time of
day, it is often impossible to find a taxi, especially on rainy days in
the Summer. In order to ensure your timely arrival at the airport, it
is best to try to reserve a taxi several hours in advance, as most Parisian
taxi services will not accept reservations prior to the day of travel.
If you are staying in a hotel the reception desk can usually arrange a
taxi pickup at the desired time, as they often have special arrangements
with taxi services. But beware, in Paris the meter starts to turn from
the moment the taxi driver leaves to pick you up, so when the taxi arrives,
the meter will already show more than the minimum charge. Fees vary according
to time of day and your point of origin or departure in Paris. Additional
charges include approximately 1 per piece of luggage as well as an airport
fee of approximately 1. Most drivers will not accept more than three
passengers, but if you find one that does, the taxi is authorized to charge
an additional fee for the fourth passenger. 
minutes
(eight minutes during peak periods) and the trip takes approximately 35
minutes. The RER is seamlessly linked to the Metro and they share the
same stations inside the Paris city limits. Taking the RER to Paris from
the Airport is pretty simple. From Terminals 1 & 2 you can take the free
airport shuttle bus to the RER terminal. From Terminal 3 you can walk
by following the signs. Once at the terminal buy a ticket that is valid
for a ride to the center of Paris. This ticket is good for a transfer
from the RER to the local Metro system and an unlimited number of transfers
once you are inside the Metro (as long as you don't exit a metro station).
If you know the Metro station that is closest to your destination, then
you can consult the Metro maps inside the station to find the quickest
route to your destination.