Paris Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport CDG Paris Orly ORY

Paris Orly by Air France bus

a large stone arch with statues on it with Arc de Triomphe in the background

Paris Orly is the primary airport for domestic flights within France. I arrived to Paris from London Heathrow on an Air France flight into Paris Charles de Gaulle CDG. Roissybus was very convenient for 11 EUR with direct nonstop service to Paris Opera from the airport. The bus ride took about one hour.  My hotel InterContinental Le Grand is 200 meters from the Opera bus stop. There is also Opera Metro station for travel within Paris.

Travel to Paris Orly

My web research indicated I could take a Orlybus Paris Denfert-Rochereau metro station in southern Paris for 7.70 Euros. Orly Airport is 15 km south of Paris. The concierge team at InterContinental Le Grand discouraged travel to Denfert-Rochereau, stating it was a long travel time and required two different lines. They really pushed me to take a taxi. The concierge stated the cost was not much different for a taxi. That is relative to the traveler, since I consider 45 Euros a substantial price difference from 10 to 15 Euros for public transportation.

Paris Orly Airport

Les Cars Air France are buses, not cars, offering transportation to Paris Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports from a few locations in Paris. The easiest pick-up point for me from the InterContinental Le Grand was at Place Charles de Gaulle, location of the Arc de Triomphe, on Avenue Mac Mahon, about 100 meters outside Charles de Gaulle Etoile metro station. Air France Buses also have a major stop at Des Invalides. One-way ticket is 12.50 Euros. Credit cards accepted on the bus.

Paris Arc de Triomphe

The street view from outside Charles de Gaulle Etoile metro station revealed two of the main sites in Paris.

Paris CDG Etoile street view

Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe seen from outside Charles de Gaulle metro station steps.

The Air France bus stop was about 100 meters walking in a counterclockwise direction and obvious to spot with a line of around six Air France buses along the curb on Avenue Mac Mahon next to the Arc de Triomphe major traffic roundabout. The first couple of buses were for CDG airport and the buses to the back of the line were Paris Orly Airport. Be sure to verify you are on the correct airport bus.

Amazingly, I was standing outside the buses for ten minutes, yet I do not see that I snapped any photos of the Air France buses. They were mostly white, regular size coaches. Space for luggage underneath or on the bus.

The travel time to Paris Orly was about 60 minutes. Buses leave every 20 minutes. Paris Etoile is the initial stop so the bus was uncrowded and filled up after two more pickup locations to the south at Des Invalides and Montparnasse Station.

Paris Seine RIver

Crossing the Seine River. Des Invalides is south of the Seine.

Paris Grand Palais

Grand Palais, Paris is a Beaux-Arts style exhibition hall built in 1897 for the Paris Universal Exposition of 1900.

Invalides

Musee de l’Armee with Dome of Hotel des Invalides in background. The Air France bus stop is between the Invalides metro station and train station off the east side of the Esplanade des Invalides. The complex I a series of museums related to France’s military history. Napoleon’s tomb is here.

Orly Airport has good airport transportation information signs showing various options and price comparisons for buses, taxis and trains.

Orly Airport info

Orly Airport Air France

Orly Airport transportation

Related Loyalty Traveler Post:

Cheap RoissyBus Transportation Paris CDG to Paris Opera (Oct 1, 2015)

3 Comments

  • […] By Ric Garrido […]

  • Uri October 4, 2015

    I generally take the train/metro which is often quicker and always cheaper. The bus is nicer though and for women after dark much more hospitable.

  • Ric Garrido October 4, 2015

    I gave the simple directions for Air France bus based on how I should have gotten to Paris Etoile. In reality, I was hurried and fearing I was going to be late to Orly and mistakenly got on a bus going to Gare St. Lazare, got off and took the metro from Havre-Caumartin to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

    The metro was so packed that I had to move my luggage off the metro at stops so people could get out, and block passengers getting on so I could jump back in before I lost my space. I have been in NYC during big festivals and had an easier time. Then, at FDR I got on the train I should have taken initially from Auber to Charles de Gaulle Etoile for the Air France Bus. I had not been on any public transportation in Paris, so I did not have the knack of how to use it from this trip.

    The information booth lady in the metro listened to my questions in English and then gave me all the directions in French. I was getting on the correct Metro for FDR, but a man saw me looking at a map and confirmed the directions for me.

    The train was far less crowded from FDR to CDG Etoile.

    If I get back to Paris with my wife some day, I’ll ride the metro and trains enough to figure it out, or perhaps I won’t be in a rush to catch a flight.

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