France · CDG
Flights to Paris
Two main airports and a city that closes on days you might not expect
Paris is a short enough hop from the US East Coast to be a long weekend and a big enough city to absorb two weeks. The planning decisions that matter are less about the flight than about timing: which days museums close, and how much of the city shuts in August.
Fares into Paris are seasonal in a fairly predictable way, which works in your favour if your dates can move. A shift of a week either side of a school holiday often changes the picture more than switching airline.
Getting to Paris
Airports
Charles de Gaulle (CDG) north-east of the city takes almost all long-haul arrivals. Orly (ORY) to the south is closer in but mostly serves Europe and North Africa. Beauvais (BVA) is marketed as Paris but sits around 90 minutes away.
Flight time
About 7 to 8 hours non-stop from New York, roughly 9 from Chicago, and about 11 from Los Angeles.
Into the city
The RER B train from Charles de Gaulle reaches Gare du Nord in about 30 minutes and Châtelet in about 40. The Roissybus to Opéra takes around an hour and copes better with luggage. From Orly, the tram and metro combination or the Orlybus both run about 40 minutes.
When to go
Demand rather than price is described here on purpose. Any fare we show you comes from a live search on your own dates, so a fixed figure on this page would be out of date before you read it.
Busiest
June to August
Peak demand and peak heat. The city is beautiful and completely full, and air conditioning is far from universal in older hotels.
Best balance
April to May, September to October
The window most people who go regularly would pick. Comfortable temperatures, gardens at their best in spring, and shorter queues than July.
Quietest
November to March
Grey and cold, with the exception of the Christmas market weeks, but the cheapest fares and the easiest access to restaurants and galleries.
Good to know
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Language
- French
- Time zone
- Central European Time, one hour ahead of the UK
- Power
- Type E plug, 230V
- Entry for US passports
- Visa-free for short stays in the Schengen area, up to 90 days in any 180. The EU is phasing in new border and pre-travel systems, so check the current requirement before you fly.
Entry requirements change and we are not an immigration authority. Always confirm the current rules for your nationality with the relevant government before you book or travel.
Worth sorting before you fly
Check closing days before you plan a day
The Louvre closes on Tuesdays, the Musée d'Orsay on Mondays, and several smaller museums follow one or the other. An itinerary built without checking this loses a whole afternoon.
August is quieter than the guidebooks suggest
Many independent restaurants and small shops close for several weeks while owners take their own holidays. The landmarks stay open; the neighbourhood places you were hoping to find may not.
Book the headline sights with timed entry
The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and Sainte-Chapelle all sell timed slots, and turning up hoping to queue is a poor use of a short trip.
Rail can beat flying for a second city
If you are pairing Paris with London, Brussels or Lyon, the train is often faster door to door than a short flight once you account for airport transfers.
Other destinations
FAQ
Paris — common questions
Airports, timing, and when it is worth talking to an agent.
Is Charles de Gaulle or Orly better for a trip from the US?
Almost all direct flights from the US land at Charles de Gaulle, so in practice the choice is usually made for you. If an itinerary routes you through Europe and offers Orly, it is closer to the centre and generally calmer to navigate, but the connection adds time. Judge the whole journey rather than the final airport.
When are flights to Paris cheapest?
The late autumn and winter months outside the Christmas period are consistently the quietest, and the first half of March often still is. We do not publish fare figures because they change daily and any number we printed would be out of date within a week — the search on this page prices your actual dates.
Can an agent help combine Paris with another city?
Yes, and it is one of the clearer cases for calling. A multi-city trip through Europe can be built as separate tickets, one through-fare, or a flight in and a train onward, and the three price out very differently while also carrying different risks if a leg is delayed. Comparing them properly is fiddly in a self-service booking engine.
Still have a question? We're happy to explain — just call.
Call now — +1 (888) 410-4445 →