Flights to Paris — What to Expect
Paris is served by two main international airports: Charles de Gaulle (CDG), the big one northeast of the city handling the bulk of long-haul and European traffic, and Orly (ORY), smaller and closer in, which handles mostly domestic and short-haul European routes. A third option, Beauvais (BVA), sits about 85km north of central Paris and is used almost exclusively by Ryanair — factor in the €17 shuttle bus and 90-minute transfer before you get excited about that €19 fare. For most travelers, CDG is where you'll land. Flights to Paris from London run on British Airways, easyJet, and Eurostar (yes, the train is often faster than flying once you factor in airport time), while Air France, Vueling, Iberia, Lufthansa, KLM, and Transavia connect the rest of Europe. Budget carriers dominate short-haul routes, so flights from Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, or Rome regularly come in under €60 one-way if you book six to eight weeks ahead.
Pricing on flights to Paris varies sharply by season and how far in advance you book. From most Western European cities, a reasonable return fare sits somewhere between €80 and €200 in the shoulder seasons. Summer flights — particularly July and August — spike hard, especially on popular leisure routes from the UK, Spain, and Germany. If you're hunting Paris flight deals, the sweet spot is booking four to eight weeks out for spring or autumn travel, or going last-minute in January or February when load factors drop. Paris Charles de Gaulle is one of the world's busiest airports, which means competition keeps fares from going completely insane — there's almost always a decent deal if you're flexible on departure day or time.
Best Time to Visit Paris
April through June is genuinely the best time to visit Paris. Temperatures sit in the comfortable mid-60s°F (around 15–20°C), the city is green, café terraces are packed, and the light is extraordinary — that cliché about Paris in spring exists for a reason. June gets busy fast as school holidays kick in across Europe, so if you can go in April or early May, you'll find shorter queues at the Louvre and Eiffel Tower without sacrificing the weather. September and October are equally strong — crowds thin out after the August exodus, temperatures stay pleasant in the low 60s°F, and the city feels like it exhales. Parisians come back from their holidays, restaurants reopen, and fashion week adds a certain electricity in late September.
July and August are the peak months: hot (sometimes punishingly so during heat waves), crowded, and expensive. Half of Paris leaves for the coast while tourists flood in. If this is when you can travel, book everything months ahead and manage expectations around wait times at major sights. Winter (November through March) is low season — flights and hotels are cheaper, queues are shorter, and Paris in Christmas lights has its own charm. But days are short, temperatures dip to the upper 30s°F at night, and it rains steadily. If you're coming primarily for museums and food rather than outdoor exploration, winter is actually a smart play. March is transitional — occasionally lovely, occasionally miserable, but increasingly good value.
Getting Around Paris
From Charles de Gaulle, the RER B train is the only sensible choice for most travelers — €12.10 to central Paris stations like Châtelet–Les Halles or Saint-Michel, running every 10–15 minutes and taking around 35–40 minutes. Taxis are fixed-rate: €55 to the Right Bank, €62 to the Left Bank. Avoid unmarked cabs. From Orly, the Orlyval metro link connects to the RER B for onward travel. From Beauvais, a dedicated Ryanair shuttle drops you at Porte Maillot — budget 90 minutes minimum. Within Paris, the Métro is the backbone of daily life: 16 lines, cheap (€2.15 per single journey, or get a carnet of ten), and dense enough to put you within 500 meters of almost anywhere you want to be. The Vélib' bike-share system is excellent for short trips. Ubers work well and are often cheaper than taxis for airport runs if booked in advance.
Where to Stay in Paris
Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements that spiral outward from the center. For first-timers, the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 6th put you closest to the main sights — but hotels here are premium. The Marais (3rd and 4th) is the most livable central neighborhood: great food, galleries, walkable streets, and a mix of boutique hotels at €150–€300 per night. The 6th (Saint-Germain-des-Prés) is classic Left Bank Paris but prices reflect it. For mid-range options, look at the 10th, 11th, and 2nd arrondissements — genuinely Parisian neighborhoods, good restaurant scenes, and hotel rates that can dip to €90–€160 without sacrificing location. Budget travelers should consider the 18th (Montmartre) for atmosphere, or look at solid chain options like ibis or B&B Hôtel in the 13th or 15th where rates can fall under €80. Avoid booking purely on proximity to the Eiffel Tower — the 15th and 16th arrondissements around it are pleasant but oddly dead at night.
Top Things to Do in Paris
- Eiffel Tower: Book timed-entry tickets online weeks in advance — walk-up queues in summer can be three hours. The second floor is the sweet spot; the summit is worth it for clear days.
- The Louvre: Pre-book tickets, arrive when it opens, and accept that you cannot do it all in one visit. Pick three or four rooms you actually care about rather than power-walking past 35,000 objects.
- Musée d'Orsay: Often overlooked in favor of the Louvre but arguably more rewarding — Impressionist collection, manageable size, extraordinary building.
- Walking the Seine and Île de la Cité: Notre-Dame is reopening in late 2024 after its restoration — the exterior and surroundings are worth the visit even mid-construction.
- Pere Lachaise Cemetery: Genuinely one of the most interesting places in the city — Jim Morrison, Édith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, and extraordinary 19th-century funerary sculpture.
- Eating and drinking properly: Skip the tourist-trap brasseries around major sights. Duck into side streets in the 11th or Canal Saint-Martin area for neighborhood bistros where a three-course lunch with wine costs €20–€28.
Practical Travel Tips
Visas: EU passport holders need nothing. UK citizens can visit France for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa under current rules — but carry your passport, not just a driving licence. Note that the EU's ETIAS pre-travel authorization system is expected to launch in 2025; check current requirements before you book. Currency: France uses the euro. Card payments are near-universal in Paris — even market stalls increasingly accept contactless. Still carry €20–€30 in cash for small cafés, some boulangeries, and the odd taxi driver who claims the machine is broken. Tipping: Service is included by law in French restaurant bills. Leaving a couple of euros on the table for good service is appreciated but never expected — don't feel obligated. For taxis, rounding up is the norm. Safety: Paris is a safe city by global standards but pickpocketing is a real issue around the Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Cœur, and on the RER B from CDG. Use an inner pocket or money belt in crowded tourist areas and on public transport. The city's main safety issue is distraction theft, not anything more serious.
FAQ — Flights to Paris
How much do flights to Paris cost?
From most European cities, return flights to Paris typically range from €80 to €200 in shoulder season (spring and autumn). Summer fares — especially July and August — can push €250–€400 on popular leisure routes. Winter is cheapest: January and February returns from London, Madrid, or Amsterdam can fall below €60 if you book at the right time. Paris flight deals are most reliably found four to eight weeks before travel, or by setting fare alerts and being flexible with travel days.
Which airlines fly to Paris?
Air France is the flag carrier and operates extensive European and long-haul routes out of CDG. Budget and low-cost options include easyJet (strong from the UK), Vueling and Iberia (Spain), Transavia (Netherlands and beyond), Ryanair (to Beauvais, not CDG), and Wizz Air on Eastern European routes. Legacy carriers like Lufthansa, KLM, British Airways, and Iberia all serve Paris with multiple daily flights from their hubs. For competitive fares, checking both Air France and the low-cost carriers on the same route is always worth doing.
What is the cheapest month to fly to Paris?
January and February are consistently the cheapest months to fly to Paris — demand drops after the holiday period, and airlines discount heavily to fill seats. November is also good value, though some years see a small spike around Christmas markets season. If you want cheap flights to Paris but reasonable weather, early March and late October hit a decent middle ground: not quite as cheap as January, but far more pleasant than the dead of winter.
How long is the flight to Paris from London?
The actual flight time from London Heathrow or Gatwick to Paris Charles de Gaulle is around 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. However, once you factor in check-in, security, the journey to the airport, and the RER B transfer into central Paris at the other end, door-to-door is typically 4 to 5 hours. This is why the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord — 2 hours 20 minutes, city centre to city centre — is genuinely faster for most travelers and worth comparing on price before you default to flying.