How to Get to and Around Paris
Bonjour, welcome to DAY 3!
During the first day, you learned more about Paris and its districts. Yesterday, you booked your accommodation in Paris.
Today you will learn how to get to and around Paris, so it’s a very easy task! You don’t need to read the full post, only the sections that apply to your trip.
Traveling to Paris by Plane
There are three airports near Paris: Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), Orly Airport (ORY), and Paris Beauvais Airport (BVA), located more or less far from the city center.
HOW TO GET FROM CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT TO PARIS
The airport Paris Charles de Gaulle is located 30 km north of central Paris. There are many ways to travel from Charles de Gaulle to Paris – public and private. Check out our Paris Charles de Gaulle transportation guide.
HOW TO GET FROM ORLY AIRPORT TO PARIS
The airport Paris Orly is located 18 km south of central Paris. There are many ways to travel from Orly to Paris – public and private. Check out our Paris Orly transportation guide.
HOW TO GET FROM BEAUVAIS AIRPORT TO PARIS
Beauvais airport has a shuttle service from Paris Beauvais to Porte Maillot Bus Station (at the entrance of Paris). The journey of 1h 15min. Once you arrive at Porte Maillot Bus Station, you will need to take the metro (which is around the corner) to reach your final destination. The shuttle ticket does not include the Paris Metro ride.
Traveling to Paris by Train
» Paris train stations are located within the city. If you are traveling to Paris by train, the best way to reach your hotel or apartment in Paris is by metro.
- Gare de l’Est is connected to metro lines 7, 5 and 4
- Gare du Nord is connected to metro lines 4, 5 and train RER B
- Gare de Lyon is connected to metro lines 1, 14 and train RER A
- Gare de Montparnasse is connected to metro lines 4, 6, 12, 13
Getting Around Paris
» Paris is a very walkable city. If the weather is good, you will want to walk through the big avenues, explore the banks along the Seine River or the cobbled streets at Le Marais.
» The Parisian Metro is the most popular means of public transportation in Paris. You can also consider exploring Paris by bike.
Today’s Task
» Read our article on how to use the Paris Metro to get familiar with the most popular transportation in Paris and the ticket options.
» Download for free this Paris Metro Map (old style) or this free Paris Metro Application and get familiar with the metro’s different lines and metro stations.
» Look for the closest metro station to your accommodation in Paris. Does it make part of what metro line number? What color? If you booked your accommodation through booking.com, you could check it on your booking confirmation. A link to a map of Paris (Show Map link) below the property name shows your hotel’s location with information like metro stations or main sights.
» If you are flying to Paris, decide how to reach your accommodation from the airport. If you have lots of luggage, Welcome Pickups is a good option for door-to-door service. A cheaper alternative is shared transportation (up to 8 people) which costs no more than the RER train tickets.
» If you choose a transfer service, book it as soon as you can. They all offer FREE cancellation until a few days before your arrival.
That’s ALL for today! Look out for Day 4 of the challenge at the same time tomorrow.