It is easy and cheap to transfer between Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY) airport using public transportation RER B trains and metro M14 (or the Orlyval shuttle).
Transferring between Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY)airports in Paris is simple and cheap using public transportation. While there’s no direct train between them, the RER B suburban train line goes from Charles de Gaulle Airport to central Paris with easy connections by metro line 14 or the Orlyval shuttle train to Orly Airport. Book private car transfers in advance.
Transfer Between Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly Airports
Travelers using public transportation for transfers between Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Orly Airport (ORY) in Paris have two basic options: RER B and Metro 14 or RER B and the Orlyval shuttle. For both options, the following is valid:
- Estimated travel time: Just over 1 hour (station to station)
- Note: Allow extra time at the airports, especially at CDG, which can be sprawling and confusing to navigate.
- Ticket type: A standard Paris Region <> Airports ticket (covers the full journey)
- Correspondance is French for transfer or connection — follow these signs at both airports and stations.
Basic Paris Public Transportation Ticket Prices in 2025:
Single tickets: €2.50 for Metro-Train-RER, €2 for Bus-Tram, €13 for Paris Region <> Airports, and €12 for a day pass. See Guide to Paris Public Transport Tickets for prices and details.
Option 1: RER B + Metro Line 14 Between Charles de Gaulle and Orly Paris Airports
The easiest transfer option between Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports is probably RER B trains (light blue on most maps) and Metro line 14 (purple). All trains departing from the airports stop at the relevant stations.
From Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Orly (ORY):
- Board any RER B train heading toward Paris and get off at Châtelet–Les Halles.
- Transfer here to Metro Line 14, which now connects directly to Orly Airport.
- Metro station Aéroport d’Orly is inside terminal 3 — it is an easy walk to any of the four Orly terminals.
From Orly (ORY) to Charles de Gaulle (CDG):
- Take Metro Line 14 towards Saint-Denis Pleyel, and transfer to RER B at Châtelet–Les Halles.
- Only board RER B trains with Aéroport Charles de Gaulle as destination.
- Check before travel which Charles de Gaulle Airport station you should use — 1 or 2 TGV. (An error is corrected for free but it could be very time-consuming — the airport layout is very confusing.)
Option 2: RER B + Orlyval Between Charles de Gaulle and Orly Paris Airports
As with Option 1, travel to/from Charles de Gaulle is on RER B trains but here the transfer is to the Orlyval shuttle service rather than the metro.
From Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Orly (ORY):
- Take RER B4 trains (final destinations Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse or Massy-Palaiseau) and get off at Antony station.
- At Antony, transfer to the Orlyval light rail for a quick ride to Orly Airport.
- The airport has two Orlyval stations: Terminal 4 and Terminals 1-2-3.
From Orly (ORY) to Charles de Gaulle (CDG):
- Board the Orlyval to Antony.
- At Antony, transfer to RER B3 trains with Aéroport Charles de Gaulle as final destination.
- Check before travel which Charles de Gaulle Airport station you should use — 1 or 2 TGV. (An error is corrected for free but it could be very time-consuming — the airport layout is very confusing.)
Which is the Best Transfer Route Between CDD and ORY?
Both transfer options between Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly airports take about the same time and cost the same. However:
- If you’re already seated comfortably on a RER B train from CDG, staying on until Antony (for the Orlyval) can be more relaxing than navigating a crowded Metro Line 14 transfer.
- However, Metro Line 14 is newer, fully automated, step-free, and often easier to manage with luggage.
- From Orly Airport, you are likely to have a seat on Metro 14.
→ Always check Paris public transportation journeys before traveling at RATP or IDF Mobilités. It takes delays and closures into consideration for specific times and journeys. It seems to recommend Metro 14 more often than Orlyval for the transfer.
Paris RER Train and Metro Tickets
Paris reorganized its public transportation ticket system in 2025. Some guides may still have outdated information.
Travel to Charles de Gaulle or Orly Airports requires a Paris Region <> Airports ticket. It allows for travel on any metro and RER train in the larger Paris Ile de France region and on to any of the airports.
One ticket covers the full journey from Charles de Gaulle to Orly Airport (or v.v), as long as you don’t fully exit any station en route. (For longer journeys, the tickets are now cheaper than before.)
→ See Guide to Paris Public Transportation Tickets and Metro Prices for more on the new simplified system in 2025.
The Le Bus Direct (Line 3), formerly known as Les Cars Air France, which used to offer a direct shuttle between CDG and ORY, is no longer in service. Public transit is now the best option unless you opt for a taxi or a private transfer.
Public Transportation to Airports in Paris in 2025
Public transportation, especially the train and metro, is the best way to travel from Parisian airports to downtown Paris.
- Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG): RER B trains are the best public transportation option, but the RoissyBus still runs to the Opera. Buses are slower but cheap. Private airport transfers are best booked in advance and a comfort after a long flight.
- Paris-Orly Airport (ORY): easy transportation on Metro 14, or Orlyval shuttle from Antony on RER B, or cheapest on bus 183. Book private transfers in advance.
- How to Transfer by Train between Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly Airport.
- Paris-Beauvais Airport (BVA): cheap flights but long ground transportation to downtown Paris. Private transfers are expensive.
- Public transportation to Paris-Charles de Gaulle or Paris-Orly airport requires a standard Paris Region <> Airports Ticket, which covers any metro, transilien, and RER train in the larger Paris region, including all the way to Versailles.
- Guide to Paris Public Transportation Tickets and Metro Prices — a new simplified system was introduced in 2025. Longer journeys are often cheaper than before.
- Which Paris Airport is the Best to Fly Into? CDG or Orly? It doesn’t really matter much.
- Luxury buses of Le Bus Direct (previously Les Cars Air France) no longer operate. There is no similar limousine bus service from Parisian airports to downtown.
→ Always check Paris public transportation journeys before traveling at RATP or IDF Mobilités.
