Paris

Getting in

• Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport: Take RER B to Gare du Nord, Châtelet–Les Halles, Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame, Luxembourg or Denfert-Rochereau: it is usually the fastest sensible choice for central Paris, about 30–45 minutes depending on stop, with a through airport fare listed at about €14. Follow signs carefully and use the official rail route rather than an unlicensed transfer pitch. At night, Noctilien N140 or N143 is the fallback after rail service.
• Paris Orly Airport: Métro line 14 is the cleanest central-city transfer: frequent, direct to central Paris and about 25–35 minutes to Châtelet depending on terminal and destination; the airport fare is listed at about €14. Do not take the older Orlyval–RER B combination unless line 14 does not suit your destination; it adds a change. Night arrivals rely on Noctilien buses.
• Beauvais–Tillé Airport: Use the official Beauvais airport shuttle to Porte Maillot, then the Métro/RER onward. It takes roughly 75–100 minutes in real traffic, not the flight-booking fantasy of ‘Paris airport’; the cited fare is about €16.90 online each way. Beauvais is 85 km away, so a taxi is rarely rational unless several people share it.
• Gare du Nord: For Eurostar and northern TGV arrivals, use Métro 4 or 5, or RER B/D, depending on your hotel; central connections take 5–20 minutes on a standard local ticket (about €2.50-ish). The station’s layered corridors and gates are genuinely confusing—do not make a tight connection.
• Gare de l’Est: Métro 4, 5 or 7 gets you into the centre in roughly 10–20 minutes for a standard local fare. It is the practical arrival station for eastern France and some international services; choose your onward line before descending into the Métro maze.
• Gare de Lyon: Métro 1 or 14 is usually fastest for the centre; RER A and D also run through the station. Expect about 10–20 minutes to central districts on a standard local ticket. This is the useful arrival for southeast-France and many Swiss/Italian connections.
• Gare Montparnasse: Use Métro 4 for Saint-Germain/Châtelet, 6 for the Left Bank and Eiffel Tower side, or 12/13 for other north–south routes; allow 15–30 minutes to most central hotels. It is the western-France and Brittany TGV station, and its long internal walks make the advertised platform time deceptive.
• Gare d’Austerlitz: Métro 5 or 10, plus RER C, connect it to the centre in about 10–25 minutes on a standard local fare. This is a quieter, more manageable arrival point for Intercités and many night trains.
• Gare Saint-Lazare: Métro 3, 12, 13 and 14, plus RER E, make this exceptionally well connected; allow 10–20 minutes to the central core. It principally serves Normandy and western suburban routes.
• Gare de Bercy: Take Métro 6 or 14; line 14 is the fast route toward Châtelet and Saint-Lazare. Central Paris is around 15–25 minutes away on a standard local ticket; the station handles a smaller set of intercity services.