Gare du Nord to Orly Airport: Every Transfer Option Compared (2026 Guide)
You have just got off the Eurostar, and the platform at Gare du Nord is filled with suitcases and notices, while your Orly flight departs in three hours. So what do you do now?
Gare du Nord is in northern Paris; Orly Airport is about 18 to 20 km south, near Rungis. If you are traveling door to door, allow about 40 minutes to just over an hour, depending on the mode of transport and the time of day.
The guide applies to anyone traveling from north to south—for example, people arriving by Eurostar and then taking a flight, families returning home after a trip to the city, or business travelers with a short turnaround period. Since there is no direct train, this surprises many, and knowing your options in advance can help you avoid a stressful rush through the city.
Booking a private transfer in advance removes uncertainty from the process, but it isn't your only good option. Let's consider them frankly.
Quick Answer: The Best Way from Gare du Nord to Orly Airport
For most travelers the private transfer (€€) offers the best combination of speed, comfort and reliability since it has a fixed price and takes you door to door without requiring any transfers for your luggage. The RER B plus Orlyval (€) is the cheapest method and suits you well if you are carrying only a small amount of luggage. A taxi (€€€) is the quickest practical choice when time is short.
| Distance | Fastest option | Cheapest option | Most comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~18-20 km | Taxi (flat rate, reserved lanes) | RER B + Orlyval | Private transfer |
Understanding the Gare du Nord → Orly Airport Route
Gare du Nord is in the 10th arrondissement in north-central Paris. Orly is straight south, past the Périphérique. It is beyond Rungis and its wholesale market.
No single train provides this route; each rail journey requires at least one change, which often deceives first-time travelers who assume Gare du Nord has a direct connection to all the airports.
When taking the road, drivers generally leave the city and take the A6a and A106 motorways south of the Périphérique, passing close to either Porte d'Italie or Porte de Gentilly; licensed taxis are allowed to use the reserved lanes on these sections, which reduces the actual travel time.
Traffic tends to come to a standstill at the Périphérique junction near Porte d'Italie during the evening rush, and once more at the point where the A6 and A106 roads split near Rungis, since market traffic is also present there in the early morning.
Your Transfer Options, One by One
The relationship between price and comfort is predictable in this case: the more you pay, the fewer transfers you'll have to make and the less walking you'll do with your bags. Below is a breakdown of how each option performs on this particular route.
Private Transfer
Verdict: visiting homes without making any connections — exactly the option that most people wish they had booked after having stood at Antony with a suitcase.
A private driver will collect you at the platform exit or in the taxi rank area at Gare du Nord, track your flight, and take you straight to your Orly terminal.
- Price level: €€, per vehicle, not per person
- Time: roughly 40-55 minutes depending on traffic and time of day
- Luggage: as much as fits — no stairs, no turnstiles, no carrying bags through a station
Advantages include a single fixed price being agreed upon in advance, there being no need for transfers, and it being suitable for any group size up to that of a minivan.
Cons: It costs more than public transport when travelled alone; it is necessary to book in advance rather than hiring the vehicle on the spot.
RER B + Orlyval
Verdict: it's cheap and truly reliable most of the time, but you're having to do it all yourself with just a suitcase.
Get on the RER B at Gare du Nord and go towards Robinson or Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse — not towards Mitry-Claye or Charles de Gaulle, since that is a completely different line. After traveling for about 25 to 30 minutes, alight at Antony and then switch to the Orlyval shuttle, which runs every 4 to 7 minutes and takes you directly into the terminal.
- Price level: €, per person
- Time: around 45-55 minutes including the change at Antony
- Luggage: manageable if you're traveling light; the platform-to-shuttle walk has stairs
Pros: it is the most inexpensive realistic option, there are frequent departures, and there is no risk of traffic.
Drawback: You have to make a mandatory transfer at Antony and the tickets for Orlyval are not included in the standard Navigo Day, Week, or Month passes.
You can check official train schedules and connections on the SNCF timetable page
Metro Line 14 via Châtelet-Les Halles
Verdict: it is a good alternative to the RER B, particularly when the B line is delayed or on strike.
The southern extension of line 14 now goes directly to Aéroport d'Orly station, located in Terminal 3 and only a short walk from the other three terminals. However, if you are starting from Gare du Nord, you first have to get to Châtelet-Les Halles—this can be done by taking a few stops on the RER B or D, or by using a couple of metro lines—before boarding the M14 heading south.
- Price level: €, per person
- Time: around 45-50 minutes total once you factor in the connection to Châtelet
- Luggage: fine for a couple of bags; Châtelet-Les Halles is enormous and can involve a fair walk between lines
Advantage: it completely avoids the switch between Antony and Orlyval and provides a useful alternative in case the RER B is disrupted.
The downside is that the Châtelet-Les Halles interchange, which is one of the busiest stations in Europe, is not enjoyable when you have a full suitcase and a toddler.
Taxi
The decision is to go for the faster option, and the cost is easy to predict even if you're not familiar with the roads.
Licensed taxis are lined up outside the main entrance to Gare du Nord. Since Gare du Nord is situated on the Right Bank (Rive Droite), the fare you pay is the higher of the two regulated flat rates for Orly – the fixed price in question remains the same regardless of whether there is light traffic or if you have to cope with the crawl at Porte d'Italie.
- Price level: €€€, per vehicle, flat rate set by prefectural decree
- Time: roughly 35-50 minutes
- Luggage: unlimited within reason, no surcharge
Advantages include a fixed price no matter how much traffic there is, the ability to use the reserved lanes on the A6a/A106, and the fact that booking is not required.
Cons: The queues at that rank can become very long during busy periods; you are paying the rate of the Right Bank rather than that of the cheaper Left Bank.
Ride-Hailing App
The verdict is that it's acceptable if you aren't in a rush and can tolerate a certain amount of price uncertainty.
Uber and similar services operate around Gare du Nord, even if pickup requires a short walk to a designated legal pickup area rather than the curb.
- Price level: €€ to €€€, variable, can surge during peak commute hours
- Time: similar to a taxi, 35-55 minutes depending on traffic
- Luggage: depends on the car class you book
Pros: you can book it using your phone and the price is shown before you confirm.
Drawbacks include the fact that surge pricing during rush hour can raise the fare above that of a flat-rate taxi, and the drop-off points at Orly are not always located exactly at the terminal door.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Option | Door-to-door time | Price level | Luggage | Transfers needed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private transfer | 40-55 min | €€ | Unlimited | None | Families, groups, tight schedules |
| RER B + Orlyval | 45-55 min | € | Moderate | 1 (Antony) | Solo travelers, budget trips |
| Metro 14 via Châtelet | 45-50 min | € | Moderate | 1 (Châtelet) | Backup if RER B is disrupted |
| Taxi | 35-50 min | €€€ | Unlimited | None | Speed, last-minute plans |
| Ride-hailing | 35-55 min | €€-€€€ | Varies | None | App users, off-peak trips |
Which of the options is right for you?
For families with small children, a private transfer involves only one conversation about the car seat rather than having to go through the turnstiles with a stroller and a napping toddler. It's worth the euro on this route.
When four or more people are travelling: the cost of the private transfer can be divided among four people and in most cases this comes to approximately the same as four individual RER B and Orlyval tickets — without having to climb the stairs.
For people travelling on a tight budget: the RER B is actually quite good in this case provided that you are carrying a backpack and are willing to make one change at Antony.
For business travelers with a tight connection, it's best to arrange a taxi or private transfer; since the fare is fixed, you'll avoid the worry about the meter rising rapidly in traffic when you're already concerned about your flight.
For those travelling with a lot of luggage: just skip the Antony transfer altogether. Walking between the stairs of the RER B and Châtelet-Les Halles is a real ordeal if you have three suitcases.
For those visiting Paris for the first time, a private driver who is waiting around with a name takes one further unfamiliar choice off a journey which already contains many such choices.
For departures in the late night or early morning: the RER B and the Orlyval have services that do not continue around the clock. If your flight requires you to leave Gare du Nord at 4am, then you have no realistic choice but to take a taxi or to use a pre-booked private transfer.
The Case for Booking a Private Transfer with Top Paris Transfer
For four people going on an early flight from Orly, the total cost of four separate RER B and Orlyval tickets is nearly equal to that of one €€ private transfer—never mind the fact that there are the stairs to consider.
Since your driver keeps track of your flight or your train, you won't be left on a platform at Gare du Nord wondering whether anyone is coming if the Eurostar is delayed.
The meet-and-greet takes place at Gare du Nord and the drop-off is taken directly to the Orly terminal that you have named — either Orly 1, 2, 3 or 4 — there being no need to guess which exit leads to which terminal. Unlike a ride charged by a meter or one that is priced at surge levels during rush hour, the fare is set at the time of booking.
Child seats, additional luggage space, and 24 hour availability are included as standard, a feature that is important given that the RER B cannot serve a departure at 4am.
A recent example of this was a family of five who had been in Paris for a week and were leaving the airport at Orly 4, carrying two large suitcases and a car seat, and who booked a private transfer from Gare du Nord instead of making the change at Antony; the door-to-door journey took less than 50 minutes and involved no stairs or any stress.
👉 Book your private transfer from Gare du Nord to Orly Airport with Top Paris Transfer — fixed price, driver waiting at arrivals.
When to Travel: Traffic & Timing on This Route
Morning (7-9:30am): the Périphérique near Porte d'Italie backs up with commuter traffic heading into the city — the opposite direction from you, but it still slows the crossing points. Budget the higher end of the time range.
Midday (10am-4pm): generally the smoothest window on this route, both by road and by rail.
Evening (5-7:30pm): rush hour hits the A6a/A106 split near Rungis hard. A taxi's reserved lanes help here more than almost anywhere else on the route.
Night: RER B and Orlyval stop running in the small hours, so a taxi or pre-booked transfer becomes essential, not just preferable.
One seasonal note worth knowing: during the Rungis market's busiest early-morning hours, extra freight traffic can add unpredictable delays to the A6a stretch near the airport — factor in a little extra buffer if your flight is a dawn departure.
What This Route Really Costs (Including the Costs Nobody Mentions)
The RER B + Orlyval combination is the € option, priced per person — cheapest on paper, but split across a family of four it starts closing the gap with a private transfer priced per vehicle.
Taxis and private transfers sit at €€€ and €€ respectively, priced per vehicle rather than per head, which flips the math in favor of groups.
Hidden costs on this specific route include the Orlyval ticket, which isn't covered by a standard Navigo pass, and the fact that Right Bank taxi fares from Gare du Nord run higher than the Left Bank rate travelers starting south of the Seine would pay. Ride-hailing surge pricing during the evening rush window can also push an app fare well past what a flat-rate taxi would cost for the identical trip.
The realistic verdict for a typical group of two to four: a private transfer's flat, per-vehicle price is often within a few euros of the combined public transport tickets — for noticeably less hassle.
Mistakes to Avoid on the Gare du Nord → Orly Airport Journey
Boarding the wrong RER B branch. Trains heading to Mitry-Claye or Charles de Gaulle look identical on the platform to Orly-bound trains until you check the display. Confirm it stops at Antony before you get on.
Assuming a Navigo Day or Week pass covers Orlyval. It doesn't. You'll need a separate ticket or a Paris Visite 5-zone pass, and getting caught without one at the Orlyval gate wastes precious minutes.
Underestimating the Châtelet-Les Halles walk. If you're taking Metro 14 as a backup, the interchange there is one of the largest underground complexes in Europe — allow extra time with luggage.
Leaving Gare du Nord during the evening Périphérique crunch without buffer time. If your flight window is tight and you're driving or taking a taxi, add 15-20 minutes to whatever estimate you're given.
Forgetting which Orly terminal you need. Orly 1, 2, 3, and 4 replaced the old Orly Ouest/Sud naming, and drop-off points differ — confirm your terminal before booking any transfer.
Trying to save a few euros with a last-minute ride-hail during rush hour. Surge pricing on this route in the evening can outstrip a flat-rate taxi easily.
FAQ
Is there a direct train from Gare du Nord to Orly Airport?
No. Every rail route requires at least one change — either RER B to Antony then Orlyval, or a metro connection to Châtelet-Les Halles for Line 14. Budget 45-55 minutes either way.
How much does a taxi cost from Gare du Nord to Orly Airport?
Taxis use a regulated flat rate that depends on which bank of the Seine you're starting from. Since Gare du Nord is on the Right Bank, the fare is the higher of the two Orly flat rates—fixed regardless of traffic.
What's the fastest way to get from Gare du Nord to Orly Airport?
A taxi, thanks to reserved lanes on the A6a and A106 motorways, typically edges out the other options — though a private transfer runs a close second with far less hassle.
Can I take the RER B directly to Orly Airport?
Not directly. The RER B stops at Antony, where you switch to the separate Orlyval shuttle for the final leg into the terminal.
Is Metro Line 14 a good alternative to RER B for this route?
Yes, especially as a backup if RER B is delayed or on strike. It runs straight into Orly's Terminal 3, but from Gare du Nord you'll need to connect through Châtelet-Les Halles first.
Is a private transfer worth it for one person with light luggage?
Honestly, not always. A solo traveler with a backpack can manage RER B + Orlyval just fine. The value case gets much stronger for families, groups, or anyone with more than one suitcase.
What time does public transport to Orly stop running?
RER B and Orlyval don't run through the night. For very early or very late flights, a taxi or pre-booked private transfer is the only reliable option.
Do I need a special ticket for Orlyval or Metro 14 to Orly?
Yes — both require the dedicated Paris Region ↔ Airports ticket rather than a standard Navigo Day, Week, or Month pass, though a Paris Visite 5-zone pass is accepted.
