Dec 18 – Chatelet station on Paris Metro line 1. – RATP
There is no end date of the strike as of yet. Although parts of the Paris Metro network are being added back to service, very very slowly. As the days pass it seems like a handful of stations on a randomly chosen section of a Metro line are added back to service. No official word on whether or not this will continue. The labor unions are still on an “unlimited strike” meaning disruptions affecting Paris trains will continue until a compromise is found in the dispute.
CDG Airport Trains to Paris – RER B
Key Info:
RER B train from CDG to Gare du Nord running all day 4:56 – 00:06
New Year’s Eve four extra trains after midnight CDG to Gare du Nord: 01:24 – 04:24 (one per hour)
RER B train south of Gare du Nord running at 1/2 frequency during peak hours morning & early evening
6:29 a.m. – 10:11 a.m.
3:47 p.m. – 7:35 p.m.
RER B train south of Gare du Nord running at 1/3 frequency from 10:11 a.m. – 3:47 p.m.
RER B train last train at Gare du Nord heading south into Paris departs at 7:35 p.m. (19:35)
No RER B trains south of Gare du Nord after 7:35 p.m.
Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport trains are running at 1/3rd capacity, all day, morning, midday and evening with extra trains after midnight for New Year’s Eve December 31, 2019 of the Paris train strike.
Though RER B trains south of Gare du Nord (in Paris) are running from 1/2 to 1/3 frequency and are still closing early (7:35 p.m.) on December 31, 2019.
RER B airport trains will terminate at Gare du Nord during the Paris train strike. CDG Airport trains will stop & end service at surface level platforms, not underground at normal RER B platforms.
RER B trains in Paris center running 1/2 frequency during peak hours 6:29 a.m. – 10:11 a.m. and 3:47 p.m. – 7:35 p.m. on December 31, 2019.
Paris center stations are:
Gare du Nord
Chatelet les Halles
St. Michel Notre Dame
Luxembourg
Port Royal
Denfert Rochereau
Cite Universitaire
RER B trains not running / closed in city center early morning and evening:
No RER B trains in center before 6:29 a.m.
No RER B trains in center after 7:35 p.m.
After 7:35 p.m. RER B train service south of Gare du Nord will stop altogether until next midday / noon.
Timetables / schedules morning, midday and evening for RER B trains from CDG to Paris during Paris train strike for December 31, 2019:
Morning RER B train Timetable CDG to Paris during full-day strike service December 2019
RER B train Midday Timetable during full-day strike service December 2019
Evening RER B train Timetable CDG to Paris during full-day strike service December 2019
RER B Train Timetable CDG to Paris New Year’s Eve 2019 Extra Trains After Midnight
Another option for CDG to Paris is Roissybus CDG-Paris bus. Roissybus is running at full normal schedule for December 31, 2019.
Paris to CDG Airport Train – RER B
Key Info:
RER B train from Gare du Nord Paris to CDG running all day 4:53 – 00:37
New Year’s Eve four extra trains after midnight Gare du Nord to Paris: 01:27 – 04:27 (one per hour)
RER B train south of Gare du Nord running 1/3 frequency until early close at 7:11 p.m.
For December 31, 2019 of the Paris train strike Paris RER B trains going to Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport trains are running 1/3rd frequency, all day, morning, midday and evening. RER B trains from Paris Gare du Nord to CDG will run from 04:53 in the morning till 00:37 in the evening. After midnight for New Year’s Eve, four extra RER B trains from Gare du Nord to CDG will run once per hour starting at 01:27. See below for Paris to CDG RER B strike timetable for December 31, 2019.
First train from Paris to CDG Airport will leave Gare du Nord at 04:53 in the morning and arrive at CDG Terminal 2 at 05:32.
Last train from Paris to CDG Airport will leave Gare du Nord at 00:37 (12:37 a.m.) and arrive at CDG T2 at 01:16 on December 31, 2019 strike day.
Four extra Paris to CDG Airport trains for New Year’s Eve 2019 at 01:27, 02:27, 03:27, 04:27 from Gare du Nord
Paris to CDG Airport trains will depart from Gare du Nord, at surface level, during the Dec 2019 strike. If you are further south in Paris than Gare du Nord, you will need to take the RER B or Paris Metro to get to Gare du Nord, then transfer to surface level RER B trains departing from Grandes Lignes platforms to CDG Airport. (Platform displays will show Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 / TGV as the destination.)
Note that for December 31, 2019 RER B trains in Paris south of Gare du Nord, will stop running early. Last RER B Paris city center train departs Denfert Rochereau at 7:11 p.m. and arrives at Gare du Nord at 7:23 p.m.
After that, RER B trains in Paris south of Gare du Nord are completely stopped until next morning.
Paris center stations are (from North to South):
Gare du Nord
Chatelet les Halles
St. Michel Notre Dame
Luxembourg
Port Royal
Denfert Rochereau
Cite Universitaire
Timetable / schedule for RER B trains from Paris to CDG airport, morning, midday and evening during Paris train strike for December 31, 2019:
Morning RER B train Timetable Paris to CDG during full-day strike service December 2019
Midday RER B train Timetable Paris to CDG during full-day strike service December 2019
Evening RER B train Timetable Paris to CDG during full-day strike service December 2019
RER B Train Timetable Paris to CDG New Year’s Eve 2019 Extra Trains After Midnight
Another option for CDG to Paris is Roissybus CDG-Paris bus. Roissybus is running at full normal schedule for December 31, 2019.
Orly ORY Airport Train – RER B – Paris Train Strike December 31, 2019
The OrlyVal train from Orly ORY airport to Antony station along the RER B is unaffected by the Paris train strike in December 31, 2019. But, from Antony to Paris Gare du Nord, the RER B train will be running all day at 1/3 frequency with last RER B train departing Antony for Gare du Nord at 6:50 p.m..
ORY Airport / Antony station to Paris Gare du Nord RER B trains will start running at 6:18 a.m. (First RER B train from Antony/ORY to Paris departs at 6:18 a.m. / 06:18 during Dec 2019 strike.)
RER B Morning timetable strike service Antony (ORY airport) to Paris Gare du Nord
RER B Midday timetable strike service Antony (ORY airport) to Paris Gare du Nord
Last RER B train from Antony/ORY to Paris departs at 6:50 p.m. / 18:50 during Dec 2019 strike.
RER B Evening timetable strike service Antony (ORY airport) to Paris Gare du Nord
Paris Gare du Nord to Antony RER B Train Timetables
Paris Gare du Nord to ORY Airport / Antony station RER B trains will start running at 6:29 a.m. in the morning. (First RER B train from Paris Gare du Nord to Antony/ORY departs at 6:29 a.m. / 06:29 during Dec 2019 strike.)
RER B Morning strike service Timetable Paris Gare du Nord to Antony
RER B Afternoon strike service Timetable Paris Gare du Nord to Antony
Last RER B train from Paris Gare du Nord to Antony/ORY departs at 7:35 p.m. / 19:35 during Dec 2019 strike.
RER B Evening strike service Timetable Paris Gare du Nord to Antony
Paris Metro Train Strike December 31, 2019
Metro 1 & Metro 14: Operating normally
Last Paris Metro 1 train 01:45 on December 31 Last Paris Metro 14 train at 01:45 on December 31
Metro lines running at reduced capacity & limited stations: 2, 3, 3bis 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 mostly between hours of 6:30-9:30 a.m. and 3:30-6:30 p.m. (see details below). Last trains at 6:30 p.m.
Metro Lines Not Running on December 31, 2019:
Metro Lines – 7bis will not be running on December 31, 2019 due to Paris Strikes.
See Paris Metro Map.
Metro 2: running 9 minute frequency from 6:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. and 12 minute frequency from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. only between Porte Dauphine and Anvers stations.
Paris Metro line 2 map
Metro 3: running 12 minute frequency from 6:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. only between Pont de Levallois and Havre-Caumartin and 15 minute frequency from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. only between Temple and Pont de Levallois in the afternoon.
Paris Metro Line 3 Map
Metro 3bis: running from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. at 15 minute frequency, all stops
Paris Metro line 3bis map
Metro 4: running at 6-8 minute frequency with all stations open & served only from 6:30-9:30 a.m. and 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Paris Metro Line 4 Map
Metro 5: running at 12 minute frequency only between stations Bastille and Place d’Italie only from 6:30-9:30 a.m. and 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Paris Metro line 5 map
Metro 6: running at 6 minute frequency only between Place d’Italie and Nation stations only from 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Paris Metro Line 6 Map
Metro 7: 6-8 minute frequency with all stations open & served only from 6:30-9:30 a.m. and 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Paris Metro Line 7 Map
Metro 8: running at 10 minute frequency and only between stations Concorde and Créteil Pointe du Lac only from 6:30-9:30 a.m. in the morning
Paris Metro Line 8 Map
Metro 9: 6 minute frequency, all stops, 6:30 – 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Paris Metro Line 9 Map
Metro 10: running at 6 minute frequency only from 6:30-9:00 a.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m. with all stations open along Metro line 10.
Paris Metro line 10 map
Metro 11: 6-8 minute frequency and only from 6:30 – 9:30 a.m. in the morning and only between Mairie des Lilas and Chatelet stations.
Paris Metro Line 11 Map
Metro 12: running at 15-20 minute frequency, only from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. and only between Mairie d’Issy and Concorde stations.
Paris Metro line 12 map
Closed Metro Stations
The following Paris Metro stations are closed during the December 31, 2019 strike and no Metro trains will stop at these stations (on the specified line) :
Villiers (line 2, 3 closed only in afternoon)
Pigalle (line 2)
Place de Clichy (line 2)
Barbés Rochechouart (line 2, 4)
Stalingrad (line 2, 5, 7)
Jaures (line 2, 5)
Père Lachaise (line 2, 9)
République (line 3, 5, 8, 9, 11)
Opéra (line 3, 7, 8)
Arts et Metiers (line 3, 11)
Réaumur Sébastopol (line 3, 4)
Marcadet Poissonniers (line 4, 12)
Reaumur-Sebastopol (line 3, 4)
Gare de l’Est (line 4, 5, 7)
Montparnasse-Bienvenue (line 4, 6, 12)
Place d’Italie (line 5, 6, 7)
Oberkampf (line 5, 9)
Trocadero (line 6, 9)
Pasteur (line 6, 12)
La Motte Piquet Grenelle (line 6, 8, 10)
Miromesnil (line 9, 13)
Duroc (line 10)
Sèvres Babylone(line 10, 12 closed only in morning)
Place des Fêtes (line 11)
Disneyland Paris Trains (RER A) Strike December 31, 2019
Last RER train from Disneyland to Paris departs Disneyland / Marne la Vallée station at 6:29 p.m. (18:29).
First RER train from Paris to Disneyland departs Charles de Gaulle Etoile (Arc de Triomphe) station at 6:51 a.m. (06:51).
RER A trains from Paris to Disneyland will run at half frequency all day until early close (6:57 p.m.) on December 31, 2019 due to the Paris train strike. No Paris to Disneyland trains will run to Disneyland after 6:57 p.m.
RER A trains from Disneyland back to Paris will run between at half frequency all day until early close (6:29 p.m.) on December 31, 2019 due to the Paris train strike. No Disneyland to Paris trains will run after 6:29 p.m.
Paris to Disneyland Train Timetable
Morning Timetable – Paris to Disneyland
RER A morning timetable Paris to Disneyland half service Dec 2019 train strike
Afternoon Timetable – Paris to Disneyland
RER A afternoon timetable Paris to Disneyland half service Dec 2019 train strike
Midday (9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.) Paris to Disneyland trains will run at 30 minute intervals.
CDG – Bus 350 to Paris-Porte de la Chapelle (northern Paris 18th district) is running normally for December 31, 2019 throughout the day & evening with no changes to first/last buses.
CDG – Bus 351 to Paris-Nation (eastern Paris 12th district) is running normally for December 31, 2019 throughout the day & evening with no changes to first/last buses.
Orlybus is running at normal frequency for December 31, 2019 throughout the day & evening with no changes to first/last buses.
Noctilien Night Buses will be running at double frequency (about once every 30 minutes) for New Year’s Eve 2019.
An alternative train from Paris to Versailles during the train strike is the Transilien L train from Gare Saint Lazare to Versailles Rive Droite with severely reduced frequency.
Transilien L trains between Paris Saint Lazare and Versailles Rive Droite will continue to operate throughout the day/evening of December 31, 2019. Last train from Versailles Rive Droite to Paris departs Versailles Rive Droite station at 00:12 (12:12 a.m.).
The Paris train strike will affect RER B CDG-Paris train frequency (most likely 1 train for 3 normally scheduled) or stop RER B trains altogether during the strike (not likely).
The reduction in train frequency during the Paris train strike will greatly increase travel times on any affected train line. A normal CDG to Paris RER B train would take 40 minutes to get to Gare du Nord. During the strike expect airport trains to take 70-90 minutes with heavy crowding of trains due to the severely reduced frequency.
AFP/SdS
As the Paris train strike will likely affect Paris city buses as well, the Roissybus / Orlybus service will also be affected.
Alternate Paris airport transportation or ways to get from CDG to Paris / Orly to Paris, that will not be affected by the December 31, 2019 strikes include the following:
Taxi (50€ Paris north of Seine, 55€ Paris south of Seine, fixed rates for up to 4 people, no tipping nor extra charges for luggage)
Le Bus Direct to (18€ per adult / 10€ child 4-11 yrs)
*The Uber link is my personal referral code which provides a $2 discount for your first 3 rides if you are signing up to Uber.
Past Strike Information
The information below is kept only for historical purposes. The Paris train strike of 2018 is now over as of June 29, 2018.
CDG to Paris Train Strike Schedule
The next RER B strike train schedule for Wednesday June 27 and Thursday June 28, 2018 are now available. For June 27, 2018, RER B strike impact will be 1/2 normal frequency the entire day for RER B trains between CDG Airport and Gare du Nord with 2/3 normal frequency of RER trains between Gare du Nord and southbound through the rest of Paris.
Below is the CDG to Paris RER B train strike schedule during the Paris train strike on June 27 & 28, 2018.
During the Paris Train Strike RER B trains will terminate at Gare du Nord station in the north section of Paris (details further below).
Find columns of times that stretch between Aeroport CDG 2 TGV (for CDG Terminal 2) or Aeroport CDG 1 (for CDG Terminal 1 & 3) and Gare du Nord.
At the top of the red highlighted columns (in image below) are RER B train departure times from the two CDG airport train stations.
Bottom times are when the RER B train arrives at Gare du Nord.
When a column of times has no times listed for the Aeroport CDG2-TGV / Aeroport CDG 1 rows, those trains don’t service the airport (and are on a separate leg of the RER B line traveling from Mitry-Claye to Aulnay-sous-Bois where the RER B forks to either CDG or Mitry-Claye).
Four letter codes + number at the top of the schedule columns are marked on the front of each RER train & on overhead screens at train platforms, identifying which stations will be served by this RER train.
This is useful when your RER train could take multiple routes (possibly skipping your destination station), but isn’t necessary when taking RER B trains from CDG Airport to Paris which normally stop at all Paris stations. Normally…
During the Paris train strike, RER B Trains departing CDG Airport will terminate at Gare du Nord at surface level. Passengers wishing to travel further south along the RER B train line (towards Paris city center stations St. Michel-Notre Dame, Chatelet Les Halles, Luxembourg, etc.) will need to transfer to an underground RER B train at Gare du Nord (using the same RER ticket). Follow the RER B signs at Gare du Nord to find the underground RER B train platforms that will continue service south throughout the city.
RER B Trains from Paris to CDG Airport
RER B trains from Paris city center to CDG Airport will depart from Gare du Nord at surface level lanes 30 to 36 (the Grandes Lignes area) during the strike. Normally RER B trains depart Gare du Nord from the underground platforms, but not during reduced service period of the Paris train strike.
Due to Paris train strike on Wednesday June 27, 2018 and Thursday June 28, 2018 there will be only 1 RER B train for every 2 normally scheduled will be running between Gare du Nord and CDG for the entire day. The Paris train strike will also affect RER B trains between southern terminus stations (Robinson/St-Remy-les-Chevreuse), central Paris and Gare du Nord, reducing RER B trains by one-third during rush hours (7h-9h, 17h-19h), i.e. 2 trains for every 3 normally scheduled to run between Gare du Nord and south through Paris city towards Robinson / St-Remy-les-Chevreuse.
Again, trains leaving Paris for Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport will be leaving from Gare du Nord, from surface level lanes 30-36. If you’re on RER B anywhere south of Gare du Nord (say at Chatelet Les Halles, Luxembourg, etc.) you’ll need to switch to a surface level RER B train at Gare du Nord to get to CDG Airport.
RER A Trains between Paris and Disneyland
RER A trains from Paris city center to Disneyland Parisare not affected by the Paris train strike on Wednesday June 27 and Thursday June 28, 2018 and should run at normal frequency. Below is the schedule of RER A trains between Paris and Disneyland during the the last Paris Train strike day that did affect RER A on May 18, 2018 and will be updated for June 27 / 28, 2018 if there is strike disruption and once the RER A train strike schedule is made available from Paris train authority. RER A trains from Paris to La Défense will likely also be running at normal frequency during the strike. Usually only RER A trains running between Paris and Cergy & Poissy are affected & running at 1/2 frequency during Paris train strike days. Paris to Disneyland is usually not affected by strike.
Find your departure station in the vertical column of station names. Paris stations are highlighted in a red box, center-left.
Moving horizontally from your station name, find a column which shows a time for your station. This is the departure time from that station.
Then moving vertically down, check if a time is shown on the row for Marne la Vallée-Chessy station (circled bottom left). If a time is shown on the Marne la Vallée-Chessy row, this RER A train goes from Paris to Disneyland station, which is Marne la Vallée-Chessy.
In the red vertical highlighted columns of times, you’ll noticed a big gap without times. The Paris RER A Disney train will not stop at these stations.
RER C / RER D / RER E Trains
Paris Train Strike is affecting RER C/D/E at this time and running at 1/2 normal frequency.
RER C trains will be running at 1/2 frequency for June 27/28, 2018.
RER D trains will be running at 1/2 frequency for June 27/28, 2018.
RER E trains will be running at 2/3 frequency for June 27/28, 2018.
Transilien Trains – La Defense to Versailles
Due to Paris train strike there is currently a reduction in Versailles trains to 2/3 normal frequency from Paris St. Lazare to Versailles (Transilien L trains) for June 25/26, 2018. In addition trains will terminate (at St. Cloud) before the final station and a replacement bus will complete the trip. Note that after 10:10PM (22:10) the Paris-Versailles trains from Paris St. Lazare to Versailles Rive-Droite will terminate at St. Cloud and the remainder of the stations will be served by a replacement bus service to Versailles Rive Droite. Same thing in the reverse direction from Versailles Rive Droite to Paris St. Lazare, a bus service will run between Versailles Rive Droite to St. Cloud where the Transilien L train will take passengers to Paris St. Lazare. This is normally what happens along Paris-Versailles train line when there is a complete stoppage of trains along the Paris Versailles train line due to strike: a bus service will substitute train service between Paris and Versailles on Transilien L line.
No Strike action is planned for June 24 2018 through June 26, 2018 (inclusive) for the Paris Airport Train (RER B) and should not affect Paris Airport trains (RER B) on June 24 – June 26, 2018. This will be updated as train authorities publish Paris train strike information.
Note that the RER C, RER D and RER E are affected by strike action, reducing RER C/D/E frequency everyday to 3/4 normal frequency for RER C, 2/3 normal frequency for RER D and RER E.
General RER Strike Information
During strike action, Paris RER B trains from CDG Airport will run at 1/3rd normal frequency (one train in three) between CDG Airport and Gare du Nord station in Paris.
Here you can download a Paris Bus Map showing all Paris city bus lines throughout central Paris in PDF format (1.6 MB).
Paris Bus Map – PDF download 1.6 MB
This Paris Bus Map also shows tram lines around the circumference of Paris city center.
Black squares on the map are terminus bus stations where Paris bus lines begin & end service for that bus line.
Individual bus stops are not shown on this Paris bus map, just the route the Paris bus line will take, with major street names shown along the bus line.
Major Paris bus connections and interchanges are outlined by a grey line surrounding the area the Paris bus transfer / connections can be made.
Current & upcoming Paris train RER service disruptions affecting train times, frequency and running which may impact your travels to and from CDG Airport, Disneyland, Versailles, and other destinations in the Paris area.
For information on Paris train strike impact on Paris Metro, RER train & bus services, please see the Paris Train strike information page.
RER B is not currently affected by planned rail maintenance works
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RER C Versailles train disruptions
Rail maintenance will stop all RER C trains between Paris and Versailles Rive Gauche from July 15, 2022 to August 20, 2022. i.e. There will be no RER C train service between Paris & Versailles during this period (including Aug 20, 2022).
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The fastest way from Orly Airport to Paris is by train.
The Orly Airport train (OrlyVal) departs from both Orly Terminal West (Orly Ouest) and Orly Terminal South (Orly Sud) .
After arriving at Orly Airport, take the OrlyVal train from either Orly South Terminal or Orly West Terminal to Antony station, then transfer to RER B train to Paris. The RER B train to Paris will be traveling in directions of either Mitry-Claye or Charles-de-Gaulle (often shown as Aeroport Charles de Gaulle 1 & 2). Both of these Orly airport train directions will pass through Central Paris. The RER B train from Orly will make stops at Central Paris train stations of:
Denfert-Rochereau
Port-Royal
Luxembourg
Saint Michel Notre Dame
Chatelet Les Halles
Gare du Nord
Stade du France
… in that order, from South to North through Central Paris.
To find the OrlyVal train station entrance at Orly Airport, look for signs reading ORLYVAL (some signs may also show “Airport Shuttle”). Below is a photo of the Orly West terminal OrlyVal train entrance. (The big Christmas ornaments are there only during the holidays).
Orly Airport-West Orlyval Station Entrance
A photo of the OrlyVal Ticket Office and OrlyVal Ticket Machines at Orly West Terminal are below. Notice you can take the Orly train to Orly Sud (South) terminal in one direction and OrlyVal Train to Paris in the other direction. (Taking Orlyval between Orly terminals is free of charge.)
Orly Train Tickets
The ticket machines at the OrlyVal ticket office take Euro coins, credit and debit cards using chip + PIN technology. To purchase Orly train tickets in Euro cash, use the OrlyVal ticket booth visible on the left of the photo below staffed by vendors who will help you (or you can try to find the OrlyVal ticket vending machines that take cash, a few do, see second photo below). Although you could potentially purchase a Navigo card from the ticket booth, the Navigo passes are not valid on the OrlyVal train. OrlyVal is a short shuttle train owned & operated by a third party that is not part of Paris city transportation group (known as the RATP). For whatever reason the company operating OrlyVal do not have an agreement with RATP to allow RATP transit passes to work on OrlyVal. Thus the only pass valid for OrlyVal is Paris Visite ticket and only the 5 Zone (Paris Visite is also available in a 3 Zone version, but Orly Airport is in Zone 4).
Orly Airport OrlyVal Ticket Office
A few of the OrlyVal ticket machines at Orly Airport train station accept Euro cash notes for buying train tickets & passes. The train ticket vending machine photo below shows a cash slot at the far bottom right, showing the various bill denominations accepted (5, 10, 20, 50, 100 Euro notes). The Euro cash note / denomination the ticket vending machine will accept depends on the total purchase price of train tickets or train passes you are buying. The higher your total train ticket purchase, the larger the cash note you may use in the ticket vending machine. Change will be given, but only in Euro coins, arriving by the same slot your tickets will be dispensed into: the large central slot at the bottom.
Orly Airport Train Ticket Vending Machine with Cash slot
Other things to note about the train ticket vending machine at Orly train station
Visa and Mastercard are accepted (that use chip + PIN)
Carte Bleue (French debit cards) are accepted, but other debit cards with chip + PIN should work
the purple card holder area above the credit card slot / pin pad is for recharging Navigo passes at this train ticket vending machine
coin slot to the right of credit card slot / pin pad accepts Euro coins, minimum denomination is 5 cents
the metal roller between the two circular buttons is how you make selections on the screen, rolling up or down to change the highlighted item on the screen
the left red button cancels or goes back, the green button is an OK button
collect your train tickets, Euro coin change and receipts from the large central slot below the pin pad
The OrlyVal train towards RER B Paris city train line is quick & short, only one stop from Orly West (Ouest) and two stops from Orly South (Sud) to Antony station. A change of trains is required once you arrive at the OrlyVal terminus (last) station: Antony.
From Antony station, take the RER B train line in the direction of Mitry-Claye, Aéroport Charles de Gaulle, which passes through central Paris stations Luxembourg (Jardin du Luxembourg), Saint Michel Notre Dame, Chatelet Les Halles, and finally Gare du Nord before leaving central Paris and continuing onto Aéroport Charles de Gaulle in Roissy.
Travel time on OrlyVal + RER B train between Orly South and central Paris (station Chatelet Les Halles) is at longest 40 minutes, station to station, including changing trains at Antony. The travel time from Orly South to Antony is 8 minutes. If you’re leaving from Orly West, travel time to Antony is 6 minutes. From Antony to Chatelet Les Halles station in Paris along RER B train line travel time is 25 minutes.
Keep in mind that the Pass Navigo Découverte for Paris is not valid for the OrlyVal train. If you have a Pass Navigo with at least 4 zones purchased, it would be best to purchase a single ticket for the OrlyVal train just to Antony at a cost of 11.30€ and from there use your Passe Navigo for the RER B line to Paris. A single ticket (a billet Ile-de-France) for the entire journey between Orly and central Paris will cost 14.50€ (adult) and 7.25€ (children).
The cheaper option, avoiding the OrlyVal train fee altogether, would be to take the RER C line from Gare d’Austerlitz towards Massy Palaiseau getting off at station Pont de Rungis – Aeroport d’Orly and then taking the Aeroport de Paris shuttles to the Orly terminals.
Eurostar Paris to London train, with fastest travel time of 2 hours 16 minutes and lowest cost of £25 one-way (2019 promo), you can go from Paris to London, avoiding the hurry-up then wait stress & headaches of flying, arriving two hours before your flight and dealing with busy / invasive / restrictive airport security procedures. Another major benefit is the Paris-London train travels from a central Eurostar Paris station – Gare du Nord to central Eurostar London station (St. Pancras). Travel from downtown Paris to downtown London saves 30-45 minutes of travel time & cost getting back & forth to suburban airports of CDG / Orly outside of Paris and the same on the London side with Heathrow, Luton, Stansted, Gatwick, or London City airports, all of which are more than 45 minutes outside of London city center.
Ticket Prices => From 56€ one-way and 78€ return from Eurostar.com
Tickets and Schedules
The best way to search and buy Eurostar tickets is directly from Eurostar.com. The advantage of buying tickets directly from Eurostar.com is the ability to print your own tickets or to download them to a mobile device / Eurostar phone app, avoiding physical ticket delivery fees resellers may charge depending on your whereabouts. For example, Rail Europe charges $18usd for ticket delivery to a US based address.
The Eurostar train leaves Paris from Gare du Nord, one of the six major train stations in central Paris (see the Gare du Nord photo tour for more information). Check-in for the Eurostar train to London is done through a special upper level at Gare du Nord (Level 1 or Niveau 1 in French), separated from the rest of the station, where all Eurostar travelers must pass through both French and British passport control before boarding the train. (This is due to England’s partial implementation of the Schengen Agreement amongst European Union member countries).
Check-in procedures from the Eurostar starts with scanning your ticket through a turnstile machine. Keep the ticket printed side up (magnetic stripe facing down) when inserting your ticket. The ticket can be inserted at either end. The machine will eject your ticket out the top, whereupon you should take your ticket back and keep it for the rest of your journey. The turnstile gates will slowly open and you can then pass through onto passport control.
For passengers not holding a European Union passport, you’ll have to complete a declaration card for British Immigration control. This is just like landing cards you would fill out for overseas flights, asking the normal questions: name, date of birth, country of birth, where you’re staying in England.
After passing through French and British immigration control you’ll need to pass a security screening where your bags are scanned and you walk through a metal detector.
Finally you’ll arrive in the Eurostar waiting lounge. The first waiting lounge is for regular Eurostar ticket holders, with tickets for train cars (“voiture”) 6 to 18. A second smaller waiting lounge can be found further down the hall and is reserved for Eurostar Business and Premier clients, usually seated in train cars 1 to 5.
Boarding for the Eurostar train starts 20 minutes before departure. An employee will check your Eurostar ticket once more before allowing you to descend onto the dedicated Eurostar platforms at the western end of Gare du Nord. Immediately after this last ticket check, you can descend onto the train platform using either the moving sidewalk to your left, or via the stairs to your right. Often the stairs will be completely empty while the slow moving sidewalk will be full with a group of people waiting to descend. You might want to simply take the stairs if you’re not carrying much luggage.
To find where you’re seated on the train look at the center of your Eurostar ticket where there will be a car number (“Voit”, short for “Voiture” in French, meaning “Car”) and seat number printed, such as in in the following photo (showing Voit 17 seat 23).
To find your designated car along the train, look at the digital display screens located at the end of each train car, next to its entrance door. This screen will show a large car number from 1 to 18 along with the destination of the train. In the photo below we see train car number 17 and the destination of the Eurostar (this photo was taken for a trip going to Paris rather than going to London, stopping at Ashford International on its way).
When taking a Eurostar train from Paris to London, it’s common for the Eurostar to stop at Ebbsfleet (and sometimes Ashford) station 15 minutes before arrival at London St. Pancras / King’s Cross. Don’t mistakenly get off the train too early at these dark, uncovered stations outside of London. St. Pancras International train station on the other hand is well lit, enormous, with plenty of signage and the Eurostar will park itself underneath the covered area.
After arrival, you’ll make your way towards the atrium area with its gigantic clock on the center of the wall. You’ll descend down a moving walkway towards the customs area where you will pass British customs officers randomly screening passengers. After that, your options for ground transportation include London Underground Tube (subway) via King’s Cross station, connected underneath St. Pancras, or light rail via St. Pancras station. See the London public transportation site, tfl.gov.uk, for more information on subways, buses and trains within London.
RER B maps, schedules and ticket/pass information can be found below.
The RER B Paris train connects Paris city centre to CDG Airport, Orly Airport, Gare du Nord (Eurostar station) and other important destinations in the metro Paris area.
The above instructions provide information on taking the RER B from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris centre and vice versa. If you know which CDG Terminal you’re landing at see the detailed photo instructions for CDG Terminal 2 to Paris or CDG Terminal 1 to Paris. If you’re landing at Terminal 3, use the CDG Terminal 1 to Paris instructions.
The RER B remains the fastest way to get from central Paris to Orly Airport (ORY) at a total single ticket cost of 11.80€. Keep in mind that the RER B does not directly connect to Orly Airport, but requires a connection onto Orlyval, a dedicated airport train leaving from Antony station, south of Paris, along the RER B train line.
The largest underground station in the world, Chatelet Les Halles, connects to a multitude of Metro and RER train lines including: Metro 1, 4, 7, 14 and RER A, RER B & RER D.
If you’re going to Gare de Lyon and are changing trains from RER B to the RER A at Chatelet Les Halles, note that the two trains are on the same platform, just at opposite sides. Simple alight the RER B, walk to the other side of the platform and board the next train. The next stop will be Gare de Lyon.
RER B – Saint Michel Notre Dame
Conveniently, the RER B makes a stop just next to the famous cathedral of Notre Dame, immediately beside the river Seine in Paris’ 6th district. This station also serves as a connection to the RER C line traveling to Versailles.
RER B – Luxembourg
This station is located immediately east of the Jardin du Luxembourg or Luxembourg Gardens.
RER B – Denfert Rochereau
Second to last station within central Paris for the RER B, Denfert-Rochereau connects to Metro Line 6 which connects to Gare Montparnasse, another of Paris’ popular main large train stations serving TGV trains out to Bordeaux and other southern cities in France.
Here are RER C train schedules for common routes such as Paris to Chateau Versailles and Orly Airport.
The RER C train is complicated with its 8 different terminus stations (used to denote direction of travel).
RER C Schedule – Paris to Versailles (PDF) – If you’re going from central Paris to Chateau Versailles (station Versailles-Rive Gauche), this is your schedule. For weekend or statutory holiday travel, use the weekend RER C schedule (just fewer trains, although the timing is basically the same).
At the top of this RER C Timetable is a row for “nom du train“. These specify the train route and can be seen on the front of the train itself as it approaches a station. On the 2nd page with the purple highlighted train schedules, “VICK” designated trains (shown at the first/top row) all travel to Versailles Rive Gauche, the closest station to Chateau Versailles (Versailles Castle & Garden). “SARA” trains do not stop at Versailles Rive Gauche so if you’re looking to visit Chateau Versailles be sure to take VICK trains.
This RER C route travels past several central Paris stations (Gare d’Austerlitz, St Michel Notre Dame, Musée d’Orsay, Invalides, Pont de l’Alma, Champ de Mars/Tour Eiffel) on its way to Versailles Rive Gauche station in Versailles, the closest train station to Chateau Versailles. RER C trains making this route will be labeled with direction: “Versailles – Rive Gauche“. Be careful not to confuse this RER C train direction with “Versailles Chantiers – St Quentin en Yvelines”, which does not stop at Versailles – Rive Gauche station. The difference is that Versailles Chantiers station is about 15 minutes walk to the Chateau as opposed to 5 minutes for Versailles Rive Gauche.
RER C Schedule – Paris to Orly Airport (ORY) and Massy TGV Station, Monday to Friday (PDF) (Weekend schedule for RER C – Paris/Orly/Massy TGV) This schedule stars from Invalides (Army Musuem) RER C station and travels clockwise through Paris, stopping at Orsay Museum, St Michel, Gare d’Austerlitz amongst other stations before making its way to Aeroport d’Orly shuttle bus station (Pont de Rungis) and ends at Massy TGV train station. Note that the RER C does not stop directly at Orly Airport but stops at Pont de Rungis where you must transfer to a RATP bus to complete the journey to Orly Airport terminals West and South. RER C trains making this route will be labeled with direction: “Pont de Rungis – Aeroport d’Orly” or “Massy Palaiseau“. The trains will have four letter codes (nom du train) of either ROMI or MONA both on the top of the schedule and on the front of the trains.
For travelers going from Paris (Massy Palaiseau RER B station) to Orly Airport, here are the first and last trains (updated March 2019) from Massy Palaiseau to Pont de Rungis station (where a bus completes the journey to the airport):
First train from Massy to Pont de Rungis / Aeroport d’Orly 05:10
Last train from Massy to Pont de Rungis / Aeroport d’Orly 22:38
First train from Pont de Rungis Aeroport d’Orly to Massy 05:37
Last train from Pont de Rungis Aeroport d’Orly to Massy 22:08
Frequency of Paris Massy Palaiseau to Pont de Rungis/Orly Airport is one RER C train every 30 minutes
For travelers to and from Orly Airport, here are the first and last trains (updated March 2019) from Gare d’Austerlitz and Pont de Rungis station (where a bus completes the journey to the airport):
First train from Gare d’Austerlitz to Pont de Rungis Aeroport d’Orly 05:07
Last train from Gare d’Austerlitz to Pont de Rungis Aeroport d’Orly 00:30
First train from Pont de Rungis Aeroport d’Orly to Gare d’Austerlitz 04:53
Last train from Pont de Rungis Aeroport d’Orly to Gare d’Austerlitz 23:40
Popular Destinations along RER C train line in Paris
Library Francois Mitterand / Bibliotheque François Mitterand
Orly Airport shuttle bus station / Pont de Rungis-Aeroport d’Orly (RER C does not connect directly to Orly Airport, shuttle buses are required from Pont de Rungis station)
Here are the rules on bringing bikes/bicycles onto the Paris Metro, RER, trams, buses and trains:
Bikes Allowed on Paris Metro?
Bikes are not allowed on Paris Metro trains except Metro line 1 but only on certain days
Bikes are allowed on Metro line 1 only on Sundays and holidays, up until 4:30pm, but not after 16:30
To pass through Metro turnstiles or gates with your bike you have to first find the Metro/RER station entrance which has a manned ticket booth with agents who will open a manually operated fence barrier for you to pass through with a bicycle. There are multiple entrances/exits to every Paris Metro/RER train station and most will not have human staff, only automated ticket gates. Station entrances will usually have signage noting if entry into station is by pass or ticket only. If you see these signs, find another (larger) entrance. These automated entryways are usually quite small and tight, whereas the manned entrances are quite wide and large. After finding the personnel staff entrance visit the ticket office and show your bike (should be enough for them to get the idea) to request the agent to open the manual operation gate. Be sure to validate your ticket or pass in a turnstile/gate before going through the manually operated gate so that you have a valid fare for travel
Photo le Blog du RER
Bikes Allowed on Paris RER Trains?
Bikes are allowed on Paris RER trains Monday – Friday, except during rush hours
Morning rush hour is 6:30am to 9am
Evening rush hour is 4:30pm to 7pm
Bikes are allowed on Paris RER all hours on Saturday, Sunday and holidays
Bring bikes on RER train cars which have designated spaces for you to hold your bike while in the RER train car. To help find these bike dedicated train cars, the RER platform and/or train car may be marked overhead by one of the following bicycle signs near either end of the platform and on the train car itself.
Not all RER trains have these designated bicycle train cars, but those that do have them as the 2nd car from the front, at the forward most door. Newer RER trains (MI09 class trains, usually with green color accents as opposed to red/blue) will also have a 2nd bike dedicated train car 2nd from the last car, at the furthest back door.
Older RER trains (MI2N class) trains usually only have one bike designated train car, 2nd from the lead car, at the rearmost door of the train car
Note that it is possible for older and newer RER train cars to be mixed together in the same train so the locations of the bicycle designated cars may vary
For RER trains without designated bicycle train cars, the first and last train cars will have a space without seats near the bulkhead where you can simply hold your bike keeping it out of the way of passengers boarding and alighting the RER train
Bicycles on Paris Buses?
Bikes are not allowed on Paris Buses
Bicycles on Paris Trams>
Bikes are not allowed on Paris trams
Bikes on Paris Trains? (Versailles, Fontainebleau, etc. Transilien suburban trains)
Bikes are allowed on Paris suburban trains (Transilien) Monday-Friday except during rush hours of 06:30 – 09:00 and 16:30 – 19:30
Bikes are allowed on Paris trains (Transilien) all day Saturday, Sunday and holidays
There are no dedicated train cars for bicycles on Transilien brand suburban Paris trains so board train cars at either end of the train car, near bulkheads and stand & hold the bike in hand while traveling. Do not park your bike with a kickstand and leave it unattended, which may be subject to tipping over during travel.
TGV trains (high-speed) from CDG to Disneyland take only 12 minutes to complete the journey. TGV train ticket prices for CDG to Disneyland vary from as little as 19€ for 2nd class tickets to 47€ for first class tickets (slightly more legroom and wider seats). Tickets can be purchased ahead of time: see Buying TGV Tickets for more information. CDG to Disneyland tickets can also be purchased upon arrival at the CDG Airport Terminal 2 train station. A related article, CDG Terminal 2 to Paris, has some photos of CDG Terminal 2 that should help you get your bearings in this station.
RER trains (normal-speed) from CDG to Disneyland always require a transfer at Châtelet Les Halles underground station in central Paris. Ticket prices for RER train travel from CDG to Paris, then Paris to Disneyland at Marne La Vallée station cost 16.85€ as of January 4, 2024, requiring two tickets to complete the journey. Travel time is roughly 80 minutes, station to station.
Here is a panoramic photo of Marne La Vallée station and Disneyland® Paris, accessible by RER A train from central Paris stations Gare de Lyon and Chatelet Les Halles. (Click photo for larger version). Paris Disneyland is also accessible by TGV train from CDG to Disney, taking only 10 minutes to make the voyage.