Charles de Gaulle: the long-haul airport

CDG is the main hub for Air France and the SkyTeam alliance. It handles the vast majority of intercontinental routes: the Americas, Asia, the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa. Its three terminals and four runways process hundreds of rotations daily.

For a traveller arriving from New York, Dubai, Tokyo or Johannesburg, CDG is the natural point of entry. Terminal 2 handles most Air France long-haul flights. Terminal 1 serves the major foreign alliances. Terminal 3 is reserved for low-cost carriers.

Orly: domestic and regional connections

Orly primarily serves domestic French routes (Corsica, Nice, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux) and a selection of European and Mediterranean destinations. Since its complete renovation, its four terminals (ORY 1 to 4) offer a standard of comfort comparable to CDG for the aircraft and routes it handles.

Its geography is decisive: located 14 km south of Paris, versus 30 km to the north-east for CDG. For a programme concentrated in the 5th, 6th, 13th or 14th arrondissements, or for trips to Versailles and the Seine valley, Orly can cut journey time considerably.

Journey times and distance from Paris

From central Paris (8th arrondissement), the CDG transfer takes an average of 45 to 75 minutes depending on terminal, time of day and final destination. The Orly transfer takes 25 to 45 minutes under comparable conditions.

During peak hours (7–9:30am and 5–8pm), both airports experience similar delays on the ring road and main arteries. Orly retains a meaningful time advantage for most Parisian arrondissements.

What this means for your private chauffeur

Whether you arrive at CDG or Orly, the service protocol is identical: real-time flight tracking, name-sign meet and greet in the arrivals hall, included waiting time for international flights, fixed rate confirmed at booking. The only difference is the transfer price, which is proportional to the distance.

For a one-way journey from central Paris to CDG, rates start from around €100 for a sedan. For Orly, the starting point is comparable, with a natural advantage for the southern arrondissements and the southern suburbs.

Optimising your Paris programme

If your Paris schedule includes meetings in the north of the city, La Défense, Saint-Denis, or if you have an outbound CDG flight the following morning, using CDG on arrival simplifies the overall logistics. The chauffeur knows both airports equally well and can handle a CDG arrival with an Orly departure without any difficulty.

For travellers unfamiliar with Parisian geography, the recommendation is straightforward: provide your hotel or home address at the time of booking, and our team will advise which airport optimises your journey.

Rail connections from Paris mainline stations

Paris also has direct rail links to both airports. The RER B serves CDG from Gare du Nord, Châtelet and Denfert-Rochereau. The Orlyval connects Line B to Orly from Antony. These connections are useful for travellers arriving by train from other French or European cities.

For travellers arriving in Paris via Eurostar (Gare du Nord) or TGV (Gare de Lyon, Gare Montparnasse) who have a connecting flight later in the day, a private chauffeur on the station-to-airport axis is considerably more comfortable than changing trains with heavy luggage. This intermodal transfer is bookable on our booking page like any standard transfer.

For groups or families with substantial luggage, the rail option from CDG and Orly is technically feasible but rarely practical. A Mercedes V-Class Van XL takes seven passengers and twelve bags in a single journey, with no line changes and no navigating underground corridors with suitcases.

Alternatives for private and charter flights

Private jets and charter flights do not use CDG or Orly in the same way as scheduled services. Paris-Le Bourget (LBG) is the dedicated business aviation airport north of Paris. Paris-Pontoise (POX) handles small aircraft and some group charters within the Île-de-France region.

For travellers combining commercial and private aviation in a single trip (arriving at CDG in business class, departing by private jet from Le Bourget), ground-side coordination between the two airports is arranged through our aviation coordination service. The CDG–Le Bourget distance is approximately 20 km, around 25–35 minutes by sedan depending on traffic.