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What to Do on a Layover in Paris?

Its summer again in Paris and that means sunshine and sunbathing in the beautiful gardens of the city, taking a long and lazy stroll in the avenues of Paris.

For those having some time in the city on a layover, you’re in luck, as we’ll be giving you the top tips on what to do when you’re in the city! Perhaps you will soon have a stopover in Paris? Read on to find out what you can see and do!

Whatever the reason, you may have some time to kill in The City of Lights. Since layovers and stopovers are of different durations, I give you below what I consider to be the best use of your time on your short stops in the French Capital, depending on the time you have.

General Principles & Time required for a safe Layover

Paris Orly Airport – by Olivier CABARET – Wikimedia Commons

Before I begin, let me tell you what amount of time I consider necessary if you want to enjoy your time in Paris. Unless you have at least this amount of time available between your flights, don鈥檛 bother trying to reach Paris, you would only risk missing your connecting flight.

You should always keep some time to clear the border and sometime before your next flight. For international flights, allow at least 2 to 3 hours within the terminal itself. Also, before going further, remember to check with your airline, based on the types of ticket and connection you have, whether you are allowed to officially enter France and can exit the airport or not and must, therefore, remain within the international area of the airport.

If you arrive in France from abroad, chances are you will land at one of the major Paris airports. There are three of them: Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG), Orly (ORY) and Beauvais (BVA). CDG and ORY offer many options to get into Paris, while BVA is a bit less practical and much further away.

Therefore, depending on how long you have ahead of you, it will not always be easy to take in the sights within Paris. As a general rule of thumb, be aware that if you have less than 7 or 8 hours between your flights, you should NOT try to come into Paris. With that out of the way, let’s explore some options below!

Less than 3 hours between Flights

Charles de Gaulle Terminal 1 – Source : Pixabay.com CC0

With less than 3 hours between flights, you should not even consider venturing out of the airport. You still need to calculate the time needed to clear the border, the security, the potential check-in, etc. Moreover, you should always consider the possibility that your first flight might arrive later than it’s scheduled. This leaves you very little time for yourself.

While in a Paris airport, take advantage of this time to get a glimpse of what France has to offer. You may taste the excellent French gastronomy by sitting in one of the many restaurants and caf茅s your airport certainly offers. If you prefer spending your time shopping, head to the duty-free store for good deals on some French luxury products such as perfumes and jewels. Take advantage of the busy airport schedules to enjoy Paris.

However, that being said, if you are a good time manager, you can use the limited amount of time to explore the airport neighborhood. Note that this is a high-risk adventure that could cost you a flight. A stroll through Parc des Exposition would do you good. The park is just a few meters from the airport. In fact the park and the airport are separated by a thin path. A nature walk through the park is one refreshing experience before you embark on a long flight.

Less than 7 hours between Flights

Having less than 7 hours ahead of you is too short to attempt going all the way to Paris. However, this leaves you quite some time to enjoy your layover beyond the mere Duty Free shopping experience.

The “Instant Paris” lounge space at CDG. Photo : Beno卯t Prieur – Source : Wikimedia Commons

For instance, if you are at CDG airport, you may consider the following:

• Head to Terminals 1 or 2 and look for the art displayed there. Indeed, many French art institutions 鈥� including the Louvre 鈥� lend pieces of art to decorate the terminals and allow transferring passengers to enjoy them. .
• If your flight departing from Paris leaves from Terminal 2E, you may also head to the area named Instant Paris, at terminal 2E. This place is a free relaxing area with many entertainment options, in a cosy and classy environment. You may choose to immerse yourself in a virtual visit of Paris, to read a book, watch the news, relax in massaging chairs, and even play KAPLAS!
• If you wish to freshen up a little, you may also head to Terminal 2E and have a stop at the YotelAir. This is an area of the airport where you may have a shower in a private cabin (20鈧�) or book a room for a nap (bookable for 4 hours minimum).
• You may enjoy massages and a spa at the Be Relax spaces of the airport, located almost in every terminal for basic care, and at terminal 2E for the spa. Arrive earlier or choose a spa with fewer customers. Remember to go for a short massage. You are not on vacation. Don鈥檛 ask for a full body massage because you will be late.
• With free shuttle services available, a quick trip to Roissy Village will fit just within your schedule. The shopping centre also has a variety of places to choose from. Have a bite at a caf茅, or get some souvenirs from the store next to a restaurant.
• You may play some arcade games in the airport arcade area. Whether you like to win some prizes or stretch a little bit, there are games for everyone. There is basketball, shooting games, retro arcade games for you to choose. My advice for you is to choose a game that would fit in your schedule. Once again, don鈥檛 get consumed by these games and miss a flight.

If you are at Orly, you may also enjoy massages in smaller Be Relax spaces, see artwork across the Terminals, and enjoy a good book in the airport library. Who knew there’s an airport library at Orly, eh?!

Lastly, if you land in Beauvais Airport, you may take bus 6 of the Corolis network to head into the local town of Beauvais. Allow about 30min to Beauvais, and 30min back. In Beauvais, the impressive and atypical gothic cathedral is a must-see.

The vault of the Beauvais Cathedral is the tallest in the world. – Source: Pixabay.com CC0

It has a vault that is considered the tallest in the world even before Saint Peter鈥檚 in Rome. The main nave was never built, resulting in a surprising ensemble. Next to the cathedral is the cute (and free), which makes a nice stop.

More than 7 hours between your Flights

If you have more time – 7 hours being the very minimum – you may attempt to reach Paris to catch a glimpse of it.

First, consider your transportation options:

Arriving from CDG:

Charles de Gaulle Airport is located 25km (16 miles) north of Paris.
If you choose to take a taxi or a driver to Paris, transportation time varies depending on the traffic. It will take you at least 50 minutes to get into the Right Bank. However, I recommend you allow yourself one hour and a half each way and two hours if you choose to go to the Left Bank.

Parisian RER Trains – by Chabe01 – Wikimedia Commons

Charles de Gaulle Airport is located 25km (16 miles) north of Paris.
If you choose to take a taxi or a driver to Paris, transportation time varies depending on the traffic. It will take you at least 50 minutes to get into the Right Bank. However, I recommend you allow yourself one hour and a half each way and two hours if you choose to go to the Left Bank.

If you choose to use public transportation instead, you have several options: the suburban train (RER) line B runs directly from CDG to Paris (you may need to take the CDGVal free shuttle train to transfer from your terminal to the RER departure terminal) which costs less than 12鈧� and takes about 40 minutes.

You may check beforehand whether the service is operational . Line B of the RER is often the first line impacted in times of strikes, so don鈥檛 forget to check.

If you prefer buses, several options are available depending on where you wish to go. In all cases, allow one hour and a half to be safe and roughly 20鈧� for the ride to the final destination.

You may pick the RoissyBus if you go to Opera, the Bus Direct if you go to the Eiffel Tower or Montparnasse (), the bus 350 if you go to the Gare de l鈥橢st area (cost: 6鈧�), or the bus 351 if you go to the Nation area (cost: 6鈧�).

For a layover, the best option is to take RER B.

Arriving from ORY:

Orly is located 13km (8 miles) south of Paris. Using taxis or buses, you may expect roughly the same amount of time (from 45min to 1h30) as the one needed from CDG, as the roads south of Paris are generally saturated and delays are long.  From ORY you may take the Orly Bus leading to Denfert-Rochereau or the to the Eiffel Tower.

Paris Orly Airport – by Habib M鈥檋enni – Wikimedia Commons

DESIGN YOUR PRIVATE PARIS TOUR NOW 聽 禄

You may prefer the rail system, which is much faster (count 30 to 40min). Expect to pay 12.10鈧� if you choose to take the OrlyVal shuttle from ORY to 鈥淎nthony鈥� and take line B of the RER from Anthony into Paris.

Another option is to take the bus shuttle 鈥淕o C Paris鈥� from ORY to 鈥淧ont de Rungis鈥� and take line C of the RER into Paris (take trains named GOTA or NORA heading to Pontoise or Montigny)

From ORY the best option for a layover is to take OrlyVal and RER B.

Paris Beauvais Airport – by Rastrojo – Wikimedia Commons

Arriving from BVA:

Beauvais Airport is not convenient because it is located 75km North of Paris. There is a direct shuttle (), but it requires at least 1h15 (expect more than 1h45-2h) just to get you to the outer rim of Paris.

Considering these long travel times (at least 4 hours round trip), I don鈥檛 recommend doing a stopover in Paris if you arrive in Beauvais, unless you have one night between your flights.

Now, let鈥檚 consider that you managed to enter Paris. You now have a few hours ahead of you before needing to run back to the airport.

In this situation, I don鈥檛 recommend visiting specific places or museums. Indeed, Paris museums require you to purchase a ticket, and lines can be long. During a layover, you want to minimise wasting time.

Luckily, Paris is an interesting city to tour even without entering buildings. To optimise your visit, choose to discover the Right Bank if your airport is CDG or BVA and the Left Bank if your airport is ORY.

One of your best options is to book an hour or 90-minute tour to see the best of the French Capital. Remember that we at Discover Walks, offer both: a 90-minute sightseeing tour of the Right Bank and of the Left-Bank.

If times don鈥檛 fit your schedule, you may consider any of our other tours or choose to book a bus tour instead. A quick bus tour is like a summary of Paris. In less than two hours you would have had a glimpse of the famous Eiffel tower, Notre Dame among other iconic places.

If you prefer to see the French Capital by yourself, there are thousands of options as to what you can do. You may visit the air and space museum which is less than ten minutes away from the airport. It is a great way to pass time.

View from the Trocadero – Source : Pixabay.com CC0

Eiffel Tower

If you have never been to Paris, one good option on the Right Bank is to leave RER B at Ch芒telet-Les Halles, and walk to the yard of the Louvre. Then, walk across the Tuileries Garden and Place de la Concorde.

Walk the 颁丑补尘辫蝉-贰濒测蝉茅别蝉 all the way to the Arc de Triomphe and take Avenue Kleber all the way to Trocadero for a fantastic view out to the Eiffel Tower. From there, take line 9 back to the center and head back to RER B. You will need from two to three hours to complete this.

Although this is a short walk, it can be significant if you make use of it properly. If you have a camera, that is a plus for you. Take photos of the tower from as far as Avenue Kleber or Champ de Mars. You can also move closer, but you will not be allowed in because of limited time. A meal or a quick lunch at a caf茅 next to the tower.

Louvre Museum

Photo by on

The Louvre is located between two important landmarks of the capital, the garden of the Tuileries, and the Saint-Germain-l鈥橝uxerrois church, on the right bank. We don’t recommend standing in line unless you have an overnight stay in Paris. Being one of the most popular museums in the world, the lines are long and you won’t want to miss your flight!

The two closest metro stations are Palais royal 鈥� Musee du Louvre (lines 1 and 7), and Louvre-Rivoli (line 1). There are three main entrances to the Louvre museum Paris, by the Pyramid and the Carrousel gallery, by the Richelieu passageway, or by the lions鈥� gate. Don鈥檛 let this incredible museum experience consume all your hours in Paris.

If you are lucky to have an extra hour on your schedule, I highly recommend that you have a plan and stick with it. Make priority of what you want to see in the museum. May I remind you that there are over half a million paintings and sculptures. you can take years trying to see all of them.

Take line 9 back to the center and head back to RER B to Ch芒telet station then subway line 1 to Louvre-Rivoli station (55 min). You will need from two to three hours to see the Louvre from the outside and go back, but it’ll be a tight schedule!

Notre-Dame-de-Paris

Ile de la Cit茅 – by Benh LIEU SONG – Wikimedia Commons

On the Left Bank, consider leaving RER B at Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame for a great view of the Notre-Dame Cathedral.

From there, depending on the time you have, you may spend some time in the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain des Pr茅s. If you wish to see the Eiffel Tower, take line 10 at Od茅on and get off the train at La Motte-Picquet Grenelle, from where you will be able to walk to the tower.

The Latin Quarter

, , via Wikimedia Commons 

For the ones that love shopping, in one of the fancy boutiques and social interaction, make the Left Bank your friend. In approximately one hour, a taxi will drop you in the heart of the Latin Quarter.

Take a walk along the Seine River for short time or take a boat for an extra 15 euros. It may seem much but the trip will be worthwhile. Several cafes in the quarter are for visitors like you to utilise.

Jardin du Luxembourg

Are you a nature lover and prefer to discover Paris’s natural beauty and history all in one place? Then, head straight to the Luxembourg gardens in the centre of the city.

The gardens sit right on the border between two important Parisian neighbourhoods: 厂补颈苍迟-骋别谤尘补颈苍-诲别蝉-笔谤茅蝉 and the Latin Quarter. They鈥檙e on the Left Bank, and are known for being a cultural hub.

The easiest way to get from anywhere in the city to the gardens is to make use of the metro and ride it up until the Luxembourg stop. This is toward the north of the grounds, and there is another stop further south called Port-Royal. You have to take the RER B to Luxembourg station and back and you’ll need at least 2-3 hours to do this.

Only One Night in Paris

Paris – by Pierre Blach茅 – Wikimedia Commons

By far your best situation is having only one entire night in Paris. It is a great way to take some time without rushing.

All I have said before remains valid, but you can enjoy things in a much calmer way. Also, you know that I usually advise travellers to go beyond the tourist paths. I say that because I know that when you spend a full weekend or even a week in Paris, you always have time to do the 肠濒颈肠丑茅 activities, so I鈥檇 rather focus on the rest.

However, in this specific case of a stopover, I would say the exact opposite and advise you to see the 肠濒颈肠丑茅 Paris that makes us all dream! You only have a few hours before leaving Paris (or maybe even France) so you might as well make the most of it.

In addition to the tours I suggested earlier, why not spend your night in the Montmartre area, for instance? You could wander the winding old streets and enjoy the village feel, eat French food in good restaurants (see our great article here on where to eat), and, if your budget allows it, even spend the night at the Moulin Rouge!

The iconic Moulin Rouge – Source: Pixabay.com CC0

Another option could be to take a Bateau Mouche and see Paris from its most impressive: from the River Seine.

One piece of advice though: depending on your time of flight the next day, you may need to book a hotel next to the airport. If you do so, be careful for RER train service because it ends at 00:30AM at night. You may also consider booking a hotel near the train line, which is near Gare du Nord, Gare de l鈥橢st, or in the Marais near Ch芒telet-les-Halles.

You have a stopover in Paris coming soon? Tell us in the comments what option you have chosen!

Updated  by Farah in June 2022 and  Felix in May 2023