Paris CDG to Orly

By the Viamo editorial team · Editor Terje Moy · Last updated October 2026 · 5 min read

Charles de Gaulle and Orly sit on opposite sides of Paris, and despite both being major airports for the same city, there has never been a direct train or bus linking them — and the coach service that once did the job has been gone for several years with no replacement. The realistic choice is between a rail journey via the RER B, with a change onto either the Orlyval shuttle or the newer Metro line 14, and a taxi that avoids the change but is fully exposed to Paris traffic. See our wider Paris airports to the city guide for how Beauvais fits in if you're comparing all three.

There's no direct bus anymore

For years, a dedicated coach service ran between CDG and Orly without going through central Paris, and it's still commonly recommended in older travel advice. That service was permanently withdrawn some years ago and has not been replaced with anything equivalent — there is currently no direct bus between the two airports. If you're planning around an old itinerary or guidebook that mentions one, disregard it and plan on the rail or taxi options below instead.

The standard route: RER B, then Orlyval or Metro 14

The RER B suburban express line runs from CDG through central Paris, and it's the backbone of every rail option south. From CDG, you have two ways to finish the journey to Orly, both covered by the same type of ticket:

Via Antony and the Orlyval shuttle

Stay on the RER B to Antony, south of the city centre, then change onto Orlyval — a fully automated shuttle train that runs non-stop to Orly's terminals in well under 10 minutes. The change at Antony is a short walk between platforms. This is the older, more established route and tends to be the one most rail apps default to.

Via Châtelet–Les Halles and Metro line 14

Alternatively, change off the RER B in central Paris at Châtelet–Les Halles onto Metro line 14, which was extended to reach Orly's terminals directly in recent years. Line 14 is fully automated and generally very frequent, which can make it a more reliable choice than Orlyval at busy times, though the change at Châtelet involves a considerably longer walk between platforms than the one at Antony.

Either way, allow around 70 to 90 minutes station to station for the whole journey, and closer to 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours door to door once you add walking time at both ends, waiting for connections, and the fact that CDG's terminals themselves can involve a longer walk to the RER platform than you'd expect. A single Paris Region airports ticket loaded onto a Navigo Easy card covers the whole journey either way, provided you don't exit the barriers en route.

Taxi: no fixed fare applies to this particular route

Paris has had fixed, flat taxi fares between the airports and central Paris since 2016, which makes budgeting simple for an airport-to-city trip — but that fixed-fare scheme only covers journeys to and from the city itself, not airport-to-airport transfers. A taxi between CDG and Orly runs on the meter instead, which means the fare is exposed to traffic in the same way the journey time is. In reasonable conditions the drive takes roughly 45 to 70 minutes, skirting or crossing the Paris ring road depending on the route taken, but this can extend well beyond an hour during rush hour or when there's disruption on the périphérique.

How long to allow, and why CDG's queues matter

CDG is one of the busiest hub airports in Europe, and immigration and security queues can be substantial at peak times, particularly for arrivals from outside the Schengen area who need to clear border control before starting the transfer at all. As a rough planning figure, allow at least 3 hours from landing at CDG to being ready to clear security at Orly, covering immigration if relevant, the walk to the RER platform, the transfer itself with a realistic buffer, and check-in and security at Orly. Going the other way, from Orly to CDG, tends to be a little more forgiving since Orly's queues are generally lighter, but the same rail journey time applies in reverse.

If you're connecting on two separate tickets

Some travellers end up booking a flight into CDG and a separate onward flight from Orly (or the reverse) as two independent tickets rather than one connecting itinerary — sometimes because a budget carrier only uses one of the two airports. If that's your situation, this is a genuine self-transfer rather than a protected connection, and the standard airport minimum connection time figures don't apply, since they only cover transfers within the same airport. You'll also need to collect and recheck your own baggage, since nothing carries it across automatically between two separate airports. If your journey also involves entering the Schengen area for the first time on this trip, check how it interacts with the Schengen 90/180-day rule, since clearing immigration at either airport counts as entering the zone. Given how much of this transfer depends on the RER B running to schedule, build in a genuinely generous buffer if you're attempting it on separate tickets — several hours rather than the bare journey time above.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a direct bus between CDG and Orly?

No, not currently. A direct coach service that once linked the two airports was permanently withdrawn some years ago and has not been replaced. The RER B, combined with either Orlyval or Metro line 14, is the standard route.

How long does the transfer between CDG and Orly take?

Around 70 to 90 minutes station to station on the RER B plus Orlyval or Metro 14, and closer to 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours door to door once you add walking and waiting time at both ends.

Is a taxi between CDG and Orly a fixed fare?

No. Paris's fixed airport taxi fares only apply to journeys to and from central Paris, not airport-to-airport trips, so a CDG–Orly taxi runs on the meter and is exposed to traffic like the journey time itself.

How much time should I allow if I have a connecting flight between CDG and Orly?

As a rough figure, budget at least 3 hours from landing at CDG to being ready to clear security at Orly, more if you're on separate tickets, clearing immigration for the first time, or travelling at a peak period.