Getting Around Paris: Transport Tips and Advice
- Paris Information
- Eating & drinking in Paris
- Night life in Paris
- Getting around in Paris
- Things to do in Paris
- Where to stay in Paris
- Paris street map
Paris is amply served by three airports with the largest, Charles de Gaulle, connected to the city by high-speed trains from Terminals 1 and 2 every 15 minutes. The journey to the center of Paris takes about forty minutes.
AirFrance fly in and out of Orly International Airport and the Orlybus is at hand to take you to the Metro Denfert-Rochereau. Jetbus also links both airport terminals with the Villejuif-Louis Aragon metro stop in approximately 15 minutes. Alternatively, the Orlyval shuttle train links Orly with the Antony RER station in 40 minutes.
The third airport is Paris Beauvais. A little further out, and popular with the budget airlines, it’s surprisingly well-served by a shuttle bus to the inner city.
Paris’ efficient Metro system runs from 5:30am until 12:30am and proves a great way of getting around. Single fare tickets are generally cheap, but buying a carnet of 10 rides reduces the price by about a third. A ‘Carte Orange’ – similar to London’s Oyster Card – is also available and can prove cost effective if you plan to stay for a length of time.
Paris also has another train system, the RER, which is a commuter train to the Parisian suburbs but doubles as an express route through the center.
Buses use the same ticketing system as the Metro and you can buy a ticket on board. There are three different timetables: the regular schedule runs from 6:30am-8:30pm, Autobus de Nuit until 1am and then Noctambus every hour from 1am-5am.
With the efficient transport network, many forget how easy it is to walk around Paris. It only takes a couple of hours to cross from one side of the city to the other and the scenery and architecture makes this a very pleasant way to get around.