Le Bus Direct (previously 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). The Le Bus Direct coaches usually run when trains are on strike!
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 Le Bus Direct (previously Les Cars Air France) is a very comfortable option for passengers from Aéroport Charles de Gaulle and Aéroport Orly to downtown Paris. Le Bus Direct coaches also provide the best transit option for travel between Paris-Orly and Paris-Charles de Gaulle airports. Suntransfers gives easy online quotes – for groups as small as three or four a taxi may be a good and convenient option.
Cheap Le Bus Direct Transfers to Paris Airports
Le Bus Direct is a comfortable and convenient coach service between Paris airport and downtown Paris and replaced the previous Les Cars Air France buses.
When buying tickets, note:
- Tickets bought online are not for a specific bus and valid for a year.
- Tickets bought from the driver have a €1 surcharge.
- Children 4 to 11 receive a discount.
- Babies up to 4-year travel for free but do not receive a seat.
- Groups as small as four traveling together receive discounts if booked online.
- Return tickets are slightly cheaper than one-way tickets.
Reservations for a specific bus time cannot be made – a seat is thus not guaranteed for a specific departure to the airport but similarly not forfeited when a flight arrives late.
In contrast to the previous Les Cars Air France, Le Bus Direct does not stop at Invalides.
Le Bus Direct Shuttle Buses from Paris Airport CDG and ORY
Le Bus Direct (previously 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 Le Bus Direct line 3 service. (“Cars” is the French word for coaches or luxury tours 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, Le Bus Direct’s slightly more expensive prices are often a price worth paying. Le Bus Direct coaches have UBS plugs, free limited wifi, air conditioning, special luggage compartments and are never overcrowded. Furthermore, passengers do not require transfers or dragging luggage up and down station stairs.
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. Suntransfers gives easy online quotations.
Le Bus Direct from Paris to Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
Two Le Bus Direct routes connect Paris and Aéroport Charles de Gaulle (CDG):
Le Bus Direct Line 2 from Tour Eiffel to CDG:
Line 2 coaches connect Aéroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle with the Eiffel Tower every 30 minutes between 5:45 am and 11 pm. Traveling time is around an hour but more during rush hour (and especially when other public transportation is on strike!)
Line 2 stops en route to the airport at:
- Tour Eiffel – 19 Avenue de Suffren (RER C, Metro 6)
- Étoile / Champs Elysées – 1 Av Carnot (RER A, Metro 1, 2, 6)
- Porte Maillot – 66 Boulevard de Gouvion St Cyr (RER c, Metro 1)
Line 2 currently does not stop at Trocadero.
The one-way fare for Le Bus Direct is €17 (€30 return) and for children €10 (€20 return) irrespective of which stop is used. Groups of four or more pay €13 one way – for larger groups a taxi or private shuttle van may work out cheaper.
Le Bus Direct Line 4 from Montparnasse to CDG:
Line 4 coaches run from Gare Montparnasse (14 Rue du Commandant Mouchotte) via Gare de Lyon (20 Boulevard Diderot) to Aéroport Charles de Gaulle every half hour between 5:30 am and 10:30 pm. Traveling time for Line 4 coaches is about an hour.
The one-way fare for Le Bus Direct Line 4 buses is €17 (€30 return) and for children €10 (€20 return) irrespective of which stop is used. Groups of four or more pay €13 one way – for larger groups a taxi or private shuttle van may work out cheaper.
Le Bus Direct Stops at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
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. Le Bus Direct buses departing for Paris use four different stops Charles de Gaulle Airport:
- Terminal 1 – Exit 32 (Arrivals level)
- Terminal 2ABCD – Exit C10
- Terminal 2E-2F – Gallery level, Exit E8 – F9 (This is the main airport stop.)
Passengers arriving at Terminal 3 should use the free CDGVAL shuttle train to Terminal 1. The free CDGVAL shuttle train connects the various terminals – get off at the right stop from the start as walking is rarely an easy option.
Passenger arriving / departing from 2G should use the free N2 shuttle bus to Terminal 2EF
Le Bus Direct Coaches 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 Le Bus Direct (previously Les Cars Air France) coaches rather than train and bus combinations.
Le Bus Direct Line 1 from Etoile via Montparnasse to Orly
Le Bus Direct Line 1 runs from Aéroport Orly to Etoile (Arc de Triomphe) and uses the following stops en route:
- Garre Montparnasse – 14 Rue du Commandant Mouchotte (Metro 4, 6, 12, 13, various trains)
- Tour Eiffel – 16 – 20 Avenue de Suffren (RER C, Metro 6) – out of use until mid-2018
- Trocadero – 10 Place du Trocadéro (Metro 6 & 9)
- Étoile / Champs Elysées – 1 Av Carnot (RER A, Metro 1, 2, 6)
Traveling time is around 60 minutes to Etoile or 30 minutes to Gare Montparnasse. Le Bus Direct coaches do no longer stop at Invalides, La Motte, or Porte d’Orléans.
Le Bus Direct buses depart two to three times per hour on the Orly route from around 6 am to 11 pm. One-way fares on Le Bus Direct Line 1 are €12 (€20 return) and for children €7 (€14 return) irrespective of which stop is used. Groups of four or more pay €9 one way – for larger groups a taxi or private shuttle van may work out cheaper.
The Cars Air France buses stop at Paris-Orly Airport at:
- Orly-Ouest / West Terminal – Exit D on the Arrivals Level
- Orly-Sud / South Terminal – Exit L on the Arrivals Level
Le Bus Direct 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, Le Bus Direct coaches are the most convenient public transportation option by far for getting from Orly to Charles de Gaulle airport or vice versa.
Le Bus Direct Line 3 coaches connect Orly Airport and Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) two to three times per hour between around 6 am and 10:30 pm. Transit traveling time between the two airports is around 1h15 minutes.
The one-way fare for Le Bus Direct Line 3 airport transit buses is €21 (€36 return) and for children €13 (€26 return) irrespective of which stop is used. Groups of four or more pay €16 one way – for larger groups a taxi or private shuttle van may work out cheaper.
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 – the break-even point is usually 4 or 5 traveling together.
Le Bus Direct coaches are 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. Suntransfers gives online quotations for private airport transfers without first requiring personal details or flight numbers. 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.