Are you visiting Paris soon and want to know which is the best airport to fly into? Most will probably say Charles De Gaulle since it is the biggest, but other airports serve Paris that you may want to consider.
Paris has five airports: Charles de Gaulle, Orly, Beauvais, Vatry, and Le Bourget. CDG and Orly are actual Paris airports, whereas Beauvais and Vatry are located further out. Meanwhile, there’s Le Bourget, a municipal airport that caters primarily to business travelers.
CDG and Orly are the two busiest airports in Paris and all of France, with international flights reaching all corners of the globe. Meanwhile, for budget-conscious travelers, Beauvais and Vatry are popular choices.
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Airports In Paris
Here’s a quick guide to each Paris airport’s essential information.
1. Paris Airport-Le Bourget
Paris-Le Bourget Airport, which turned 100 in 2014, is a business-only airport located 7 kilometers from Paris and 20 kilometers from La Défense. It has three runways, two of which may operate independently, and covers an area of 553 hectares.
Paris-Le Bourget is a top industrial pillar in the Ile-de-France (Greater Paris) region, as well as the leading business airport in Europe, with 80 enterprises delivering airport and aviation services, including the big brands in business aviation.
Serves: Paris
Location: Le Bourget in Northeastern Paris
Airlines: No data available. The airport’s primary purpose is to service general aviation.
Ground/Cargo Handlers servicing Paris Le Bourget Airport
- Menzies Aviation
- Signature Flight Support
- Universal Aviation
Fuel & Oil Suppliers servicing Paris Le Bourget Airport
- Air BP
- Air TOTAL
- Shell Aviation
Amenities: Airport lounge, crew lounge, heated hangar (3,000 sqm)
Transport Options: car hire/chauffeur services
Trips: Across all Paris airports
2. Paris Orly Airport
The facility, formerly known as Villeneuve-Orly Airport, opened in the southern suburbs of Paris in 1932 as a backup to Le Bourget Airport. Orly was the primary airport of Paris until the establishment of Charles de Gaulle Airport in March 1974.
Today, Paris-Orly Airport is France’s second busiest airport, behind Paris-Charles de Gaulle, and is located around fifteen kilometers from Paris.
This French airport, which is spread out over 1,500 hectares and includes two terminal buildings, the South and West Terminals, can handle 30 million people each year. The majority of flights are between Europe and North Africa, plus a few long-haul destinations .
Serves: Paris
Location: Essonne and the Val-de-Marne, France
Airlines: Air France, EasyJet, Vueling, Royal Air Maroc, Aigle Azur, and Transavia.com.
Amenities: ATMs and currency exchange; Baby care facilities and children’s play area; Food, drink, and retail concessions;
Free Wi-Fi; information desk; Medical services and pharmacy; Post office; Restaurants and shops
Transport Options: Bus (Orlybus, Le Bus Direct, etc.), taxi, car rental, Uber
Trips: Flights operate to destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, Oceania, North and French Guana (South America).
3. Paris-Vatry Airport
The Paris Vatry Airport is a passenger airport with a focus on logistics and freight transport. It is located in the commune of Vatry. It connects Reims with Châlons-en-Champagne and is easily reached through the A26 motorway.
The runway at Paris-Vatry Airport is one of Europe’s longest at 3,860 meters. As a result, it can be used by any jet, including huge freight planes.
The runways of Paris Vatry Airport are designed to be used in all types of weather and have direct train connectivity.
In front of the terminal building, there is free and unlimited parking. Other services, such as automobile rental, are available at Paris Vatry Airport.
During the summer, the airport operates charter flights as well as scheduled flights to several European destinations.
Serves: Châlons-en-Champagne / Paris
Location: Vatry in Grand Est region, Northeastern France
Airlines: RyanAir
Amenities: duty-free shop, restaurant, bar.
Transport Options: Shuttle– Vatry Express connects the airport with Reims and Châlons-en-Champagne regularly TGV (high-speed train).
Trips: Marrakesh, Porto; Seasonal – Fez
4. Paris Beauvais Airport
Built in the 1930s, this airport was captured by the Germans in the June 1940 Battle of France. During the occupation, Beauvais was utilized as a military airfield by the Luftwaffe.
The Beauvais-Tillé Airport, located 70 kilometers from Paris, is France’s 9th busiest airport complex in terms of passenger traffic.
The airport serves more than 3.8 million passengers per year. Beauvais-Tillé Airport caters primarily to low-cost flights, with trips to more than sixty destinations carried by low-cost carriers.
Beauvais-Tillé Airport has two terminals with a total area of 10,500 m2. The departure lounge, as well as the majority of the airport’s stores, are located in the second terminal, which is larger.
Beauvais-Tillé Airport offers a convenient bus transfer service that connects travelers to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport and Disneyland® in Paris (Euro Disney).
Serves: Beauvais / Paris
Location: Tillé in Hauts-de-France region, Northern France
Airlines: Air Moldova, Blue Air, HiSky, RyanAir, SkyUp, Volotea, Wizz Air
Amenities: ATMs and currency exchange; Baby care facilities; information/reception center; Lost property hub; baggage services
Transport Options: shuttles to Paris – The airport has an official shuttle service that connects it to the capital of France. Everyone can use the shuttles; there is no need to purchase a plane ticket. The trip takes about 1 hour 15 minutes and is completely direct; TER train (Train Express Régional)
Trips: Flights operate to destinations in Eastern / Central/ Western Europe; Ukraine; various cities in the UK; Morocco and Cyprus
5. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
The Charles de Gaulle Airport is located in the Val-d’Oise, Seine-Saint-Denis, and Seine-et-Marne communes.
It is known as one of Europe’s busiest international airport complexes. In terms of passenger traffic, it is France’s busiest airport. Over 60 million passengers pass through Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport each year, and it serves more than 300 destinations around the world.
The airport is 3,257 hectares in size and has three terminals. International and European destinations are handled by Terminals 1 and 2, while charter flights and low-cost airlines are handled by Terminal 3.
Serves: Paris, France
Location: Roissy-en-France, France
Airlines: Air France, Air France Cargo, FedEx Express, Air France Hop, easyJet, Vueling
Amenities: ATMs and currency exchange; Tax refund; Baby care rooms; Information desk; Lost Property; Pharmacy, Photobooth
Transport Options: Airport buses that vary from exclusive coaches to low-cost bus services; public taxi, the Paris RER train, car rental.
Trips: Flights operate to various destinations in Europe, Africa, North and South America; Oceania; China, Russia and many other countries in Asia.
Hi, I’m Christine – a full-time traveler and career woman. Although I’m from the Philippines, my location independent career took me to over 40 countries and lived in 4 continents in the last 10 years, including France. A self-proclaimed Francophile, I love everything France.
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