Paris Airports

Aéroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

Also called Aéroport Roissy-Charles de Gaulle, CDG, 23 kilometers (14.5 miles) northeast of central Paris (map), is France's largest and most modern, and the second-busiest airport in Europe (after London's Heathrow). It handles mostly long-haul intercontinental, international and inter-European flights. Dozens of hotels are right near the airport, and lots of options for transport into the city.

CDG: 9 Passenger Terminals!

A free airport shuttle train called CDGVal Airport Shuttle connects Terminals 1, 2 and 3. Free shuttle buses (navette) connect the many buildings of Terminal 2; or you can walk among most of the buildings of Terminal 2.

Terminal 1

The oldest terminal, known to locals as le camembert because it resembles a round of that cheese, is relatively small and easy to manage. It's used by foreign (non-French) airlines.

Terminal 2

For Air France and its SkyTeam affiliates (Alitalia, Delta, KLM and others), this is the largest, and is actually seven terminals: 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F and 2G.

Terminal 2G, off by itself and reached only by shuttle bus, is for smaller planes (fewer than 100 passengers) on regional routes within Europe's Schengen Area.

Terminal 3

Next to the Roissypôle complex, Terminal 3 is for newer low-fare airlines. It's smaller and easier to negotiate than the vast and complicated Terminal(s) 2.

Train Stations

Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport has two train stations:

Aérogare 2

Located between Terminals 2C and 2E, this is the airport's main train station, serving SNCF TGV intercity trains to other parts of France and Europe. It is also the terminus of the RER Line B suburban trains to Paris and to Orly Airport.

Aérogare 1

This station in the Roissypôle complex near the airport bus terminal and Terminal 3 is a stop on the RER Line B train line to/from Paris. It does not serve any other trains.

Tracks 11 & 12 at CDG Aérogare 2: trains to central Paris Aérogare 2, CDG's main train station, Tracks 11 & 12: all trains to Paris.

Aéroport Paris-Orly (ORY)

Aéroport d'Orly (ORY), 14 kilometers (8-1/2 miles) south of the center of Paris (map), receives mostly domestic French, intra-European and north African charter and tour flights at its two terminals, Orly-Ouest (West) for French domestic flights, and Orly-Sud (South) for inter-European and intercontinental flights.

Shuttle buses (navette) connect the two terminals, or you can walk from one to the other in 10 to 15 minutes.

There are several ways to travel between Orly Airport and central Paris, including Le Bus Direct airport bus, the OrlyBus, the OrlyVal airport shuttle train to the RER Line B suburban train, the Pont de Rungis shuttle bus to the RER Line C train, and the JetBus to the Villejuif-Louis Aragon terminus of the Paris Métro Line 7.

Aéroport Paris-Beauvais-Tillé (BVA)

Beauvais Airport, in the northern French countryside of Picardie northwest of Paris, serves newer, low-fare airlines going mostly to leisure destinations. Transport and hotels are much more limited than at CDG and Orly.

Aéroport Le Bourget (LBG)

The famous Le Bourget Airport (LBG), where Charles A Lindbergh landed in 1927 at the end of his historic non-stop solo transatlantic flight from New York, is 11 km southwest of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). Le Bourget is no longer used for public commercial flights, only for general aviation (private planes). France's Air and Space Museum (Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace) is here.