Les Cars Air France are luxury airport shuttle buses that provide easy transportation from downtown Paris to Aéroport Orly (ORY) and Charles de Gaulle (CDG).
Getting to Paris’s two main airports Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY) always seems a bit more complicated and complex than it should be (or actually is). Trains and local buses provide the cheapest public transportation but Les Cars Air France is a very comfortable option for passengers from Aéroport Charles de Gaulle and Aéroport Orly to downtown Paris. Les Cars Air France coaches also provide the best transit option for travel between Paris-Orly and Paris-Charles de Gaulle airports.
Les Cars Air France Shuttle Buses from Paris Airport CDG and ORY
Les Cars Air France are comfortable coaches that provide transportation from central Paris to Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports. Transit passengers between the two airports can also use a direct Les Cars Air France service. (“Cars” is the French word for coaches or luxury tour or limousine buses, not cars as in passenger motorcar or automobile.)
Travelers from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) can reach downtown Paris on public transportation for less than €10, however, after a long flight and especially when traveling with bulky luggage, Les Cars Air France’s €15 one-way fare is often a price worth paying. Les Cars Air France are air conditioned, do not require transfers and dragging luggage up and down station stairs, have special luggage compartments, are never overcrowded.
Small groups of four or more receive a discount of 15% on Les Cars Air France one-way tickets. However, for small groups a private airport shuttle service may be a viable alternative, especially if further transportation is needed from the downtown Paris stop to hotel accommodation. Many private airport shuttle minibus services are available from Paris to Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports – do compare prices as rates and service conditions vary widely.
Les Cars are not limited to Air France passengers. Any traveler may use these coaches. Tickets are available from any Air France office, airport ticket counters, or directly from the driver of the bus.
Les Cars Air France from Paris to Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
Two Les Cars Air France bus routes connect Paris and Aéroport Charles de Gaulle (CDG):
Les Cars Air France Line 2 from Etoile to CDG
Line 2 coaches run from Place de l’Etoile (Avenue Carnot / Arc de Triomphe) via Porte Maillot (Boulevard Gouvion St Cyr) to Aéroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Buses depart every 30 minutes between 5:45 am and 11 pm. Traveling time can be as short as 45 minutes but generally an hour or slightly more.
The one-way fare for Les Cars Air France Line 2 buses is €15 (€24 return) and €7.50 for children 2 to 11.
Les Cars Air France Line 4 from Montparnasse to CDG
Line 4 coaches run from Gare Montparnasse (Rue du Commandant Mouchotte) via Gare de Lyon (Boulevard Diderot) to Aéroport Charles de Gaulle every half hour between 6:30 am and 9 pm. Traveling time for Line 4 coaches is about an hour.
The one-way fare for Les Cars Air France Line 4 buses is €16.50 (€27 return) and €8 for children 2 to 11.
Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport is very big and often rather confusing on a first visit making it sensible to use the correct stop at the airport. Les Cars Air France buses departing for Paris use four different stops Charles de Gaulle Airport:
- Terminal 1 – Exit 34 (Arrivals level)
- Terminal 2A-2C – Exit C2
- Terminal 2D-2B – Exit B1
- Terminal 2E-2F – Gallery level, Exit 3
The closest stop to Terminal 2G is ExitC2 – use the gratis N3 shuttle bus to Terminal 2C (Exit 4). Passengers arriving at Terminal 3 should use the free CDGVAL shuttle train to Terminal 1.
Les Cars Air France from Paris to Orly Airport (ORY)
Public transportation between Orly Airport and tourist Paris is even more confusing and involved than from Charles de Gaulle. Few tired passengers will regret using the more expensive Les Cars Air France coaches rather than train and bus combinations.
From September 2010, Les Cars Air France has only one bus route connecting central Paris with Orly Airport (ORY). Line 1* and Line 1 have been combined into a single Line 1:
Les Cars Air France Line 1 from Etoile via Invalides and Montparnasse to Orly
Line 1 runs from Etoile (Avenue Carnot / Arc de Triomphe) via Invalides (Rue Esnault Pelterie) and Gare Montparnasse (Rue du Commandant Mouchotte) to Aéroport Orly. Traveling time is around 50 minutes (30 minutes from Gare Montparnasse).
Stops may be requested at Porte d’Orléans but only on buses traveling from Orly to Paris and not Paris to Orly.
Les Cars Air France buses depart two to three times per hour on the Orly route from around 6 am to 11 pm. One-way fares on Les Cars Air France line 1* are €11.50 (€18.50 return) and €5.50 for children 2 to 11).
The Cars Air France buses stop at Paris-Orly Airport at:
- Orly-Ouest / West Terminal – Exit H on the Arrivals Level
- Orly-Sud / South Terminal – Exit L (Use Exit K for Les Cars Air France transit buses to Charles de Gaulle Airport)
Les Cars Air France Transit Buses between Orly & Charles de Gaulle Airports
Transiting between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly airports can be a nightmare on public transportation. For transit passengers, Les Cars Air France buses are the most convenient option by far for getting from Orly to Charles de Gaulle airport or vice versa.
Les Cars Air France Line 3 coaches connect Orly Airport and Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) every half hour between 6:30 am and 10:30 pm. Transit traveling time between the two airports is around 50 minutes.
The one-way fare for Les Cars Air France Line 3 airport transit buses is €19 and €9.50 for children between 2 and 11. (No discounted return fares are available on this route.)
An alternative to Line 3 is the RER train line B but traveling time between the two airports will take well over an hour and require transfers. Taxis or a private shuttle may be cheaper than a missed intercontinental flight and may well work out cheaper for small groups too.
Les Cars Air France coaches is a comfortable option for especially solo travelers. Small groups may find better value in pre-booked private airport shuttle minibus services – but do compare prices first. Public transportation options to Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports are plentiful and cheaper but often take longer and require some transfers not designed with luggage schlepping intercontinental passengers in mind.
