Choosing between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly: Which airport is the best for your flight?

With its rich cultural heritage, illustrious history, and lively culinary scene, Paris stands as one of the most popular travel destinations worldwide. The French capital attracts both business and leisure visitors, and this year will see even greater crowds due to the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Paris features two primary airports—Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Paris-Orly Airport (ORY)—each offering distinct advantages and disadvantages. Here’s everything you need to know about both to help you decide which airport to fly into while visiting the City of Light.

Proximity to downtown and available transport options

Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements (municipal districts) arranged in a spiral formation, akin to a snail shell. The 1st arrondissement, where the Louvre Museum is located, is regarded as the city’s center, with arrondissement numbers increasing as you move outward in a clockwise direction.

A central and highly frequented spot in downtown Paris is the Notre-Dame Cathedral. This iconic landmark serves as an excellent point of reference for our comparison, as it is connected to the Paris Metro RER B line that directly links Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports.

(Please note that the Notre-Dame Cathedral suffered significant damage in a fire in 2019 and will remain closed until December 16, when it will reopen to individual visitors. Group bookings are anticipated to resume around late February 2025.)

Here’s how the two airports compare:

Charles de Gaulle Airport is situated to the northeast on the outskirts of Paris, while Orly Airport lies to the south of the city. Paris boasts one of the world's most extensive and user-friendly metro systems, making it easy to travel from either airport to nearly any destination within the city.

The RER B is an extensive train line that runs north to south across the city, featuring many cars and a long route. It connects both airports, although it's a bit more straightforward when traveling from CDG.

The RER B does not operate directly from Orly Airport. Instead, you’ll need to change trains at Antony station to reach the city center, where you can switch to the OrlyVal metro line.

If you're in a hurry to travel from central Paris to Charles de Gaulle, you can catch an express train that bypasses most downtown stops. Just ensure you're boarding a train heading to the airport and not one going to Mitry-Claye station in the north.

Choosing to drive or take a taxi from Charles de Gaulle means you'll be traveling about twice the distance compared to Orly, and ideally, it will take you twice as long. However, during heavy traffic, the journey could extend significantly.

Winner: Although Charles de Gaulle is farther from downtown and Notre-Dame, it is actually more accessible than Orly. Both airports require a similar number of stops, but express trains to Charles de Gaulle allow for a quicker journey to the city center, giving Paris' larger airport an edge in convenience and connectivity.

Airlines and flight choices

Charles de Gaulle ranks as the third-busiest airport in Europe, serving approximately 67.4 million passengers in 2023.

If you're traveling from the United States to Paris, you're almost guaranteed to land at Charles de Gaulle. Air France alone links this airport to over 20 destinations in North America.

The high demand for travel to and from Paris is evident in the large aircraft that arrive at the airport: Qatar Airways and Emirates frequently operate Airbus A380s, the largest passenger airliner in the world, while Etihad Airways has announced that it will also begin A380 flights to CDG this November.

Here are some popular and highly-rated airlines that fly to Charles de Gaulle:

• Cathay Pacific operates from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) using a Boeing 777-300ER.
• Singapore Airlines flies from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) with a Boeing 777-300ER and an Airbus A350-900.
• Japan Airlines connects from Tokyo's Haneda Airport (HND) using Boeing 777-300ERs, 787-9s, and 787-8s.
• All Nippon Airways services Haneda Airport with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
• EVA Airways flies from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) using a Boeing 777-300ER.

This list is by no means comprehensive and doesn’t even touch on the numerous short-haul regional flights to and from Charles de Gaulle. Several airlines operate routes between the U.K. and CDG, including British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, and EasyJet. However, if you're traveling from the U.K. to Paris, particularly from London, taking the international Eurostar train line is often a much simpler option.

On any given day, there are over 10 flights departing from Charles de Gaulle to major European airports such as Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) and Frankfurt Airport (FRA), offering travelers a wide range of options in terms of airlines and travel times.

In contrast, Paris-Orly Airport mainly caters to shorter flights and secondary markets. Approximately 50% of the flights to and from Orly are operated by budget airlines, as gate availability and departure slots are significantly more abundant and affordable than at Charles de Gaulle.

Nonetheless, Orly does offer a few noteworthy long-haul flights.

The low-cost airline French Bee flies to popular U.S. destinations like Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO), often at quite competitive prices.

Winner: While Orly excels in serving regional flights across Europe, Charles de Gaulle is the preferred choice for long-haul international travel. Additionally, with numerous Airbus A380 services operated by Gulf airlines, many global destinations can be reached with just one stop, solidifying Charles de Gaulle's status as the clear winner.

Airport amenities and perks

At first glance, a map of Charles de Gaulle may suggest a straightforward layout with its three terminals. However, the reality is that terminals 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, and 2F operate independently, leading to the confusion of navigating eight distinct terminals upon arrival or departure.

Terminal 1 hosts the majority of Star Alliance airlines and is favored by many travelers as it allows for a more organized experience compared to the multiple Terminal 2s.

Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Scandinavian Airlines, and Star Alliance all feature lounges in Terminal 1. (The Star Alliance lounge is accessible via Priority Pass.)

Upon entering Terminal 2, you'll discover lounges for Air Canada, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad Airways, and others, with several Priority Pass lounges located in terminals 2A, 2D, and 2E. Unfortunately, all these lounges are currently closed for renovations and are not expected to reopen until at least summer 2025. In the meantime, travelers with these airlines should utilize the Extime Lounge situated just before immigration in terminals 2B and 2D.

The standout lounge at the airport is undoubtedly the Air France La Premiere Lounge in Terminal 2E, which offers arguably the finest ground experience for first-class travelers globally.

Conversely, Orly presents a much simpler setup, typical of a regional airport. Terminal 1 features the Premium Traveller Lounge (formerly the Iberia Lounge), which is available to Priority Pass and DragonPass members.

Both Terminals 2 and 3 house Air France lounges accessible to eligible SkyTeam passengers, while Terminal 4 features Royal Air Maroc's Zenith VIP Lounge and the Primeclass lounge, which requires a fee for entry.

Winner: While navigating Charles de Gaulle can be frustrating depending on your departure terminal, once past security, you'll find a far greater variety of shopping, dining, and lounge options compared to Orly.

Final thoughts

Although navigating Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport can be a bit challenging at times, it typically offers greater convenience for international travelers. The Paris Metro RER B provides quick access to the airport from nearly any point in the city. Additionally, the variety of flight options, ranging from budget short trips to long-haul international flights, far surpasses what Orly can provide.