Which airport should you choose? Real transfer times, prices, and insider tips.

Which airport you land at shapes your entire first hour in France, and the three options couldn't be more different from one another in terms of distance, traffic patterns, and transfer options.

Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

The largest of the three and the most likely landing spot for long-haul flights. It's roughly 40–60 minutes from central Paris depending on traffic, with the widest range of transfer options of any of the airports.

Orly (ORY)

Closer to the city and generally calmer than CDG, Orly mainly handles domestic and European routes. Transfers tend to run a little shorter and a little smoother.

Beauvais (BVA)

Popular with budget airlines, Beauvais sits well outside Paris — closer to an hour and a half by road. It's worth checking your transfer time before booking a flight that lands late at night.

Whichever airport you land at, a pre-booked private transfer means no queuing for a taxi rank after a long flight — your driver tracks your flight and adjusts for delays automatically.