Paris Orly Airport to City Centre: Metro, Taxi & Prices (2026)

Disclaimer: All prices, schedules and service details in this article reflect information available in June 2026. Transport fares and timetables change regularly — always verify the latest information on the official websites of each provider before you travel. The author and Faretus accept no liability for any inaccuracies, changes, or decisions made based on this content.

Paris Orly Airport (ORY) sits about 14 kilometres south of the city centre — and it has had a complicated relationship with public transport for most of its existence. For decades, getting into Paris from Orly meant either a taxi, a series of clunky connections, or a dedicated bus service that somehow managed to be both slow and expensive. That has now changed. The extension of Metro Line 14 to Orly, completed in 2024, turned a genuinely awkward journey into a simple one: board the metro at the airport station, ride for 25 minutes, arrive at the centre of Paris. Done.

There are, however, a few things worth knowing before you arrive. The Paris ticket system was completely reorganised in 2025, which means a lot of information online — including on sites that should know better — is out of date. The old Orlybus no longer runs. Magnetic cardboard tickets no longer exist. The pricing structure is different. And the taxi fare is fixed and regulated in a way that makes it genuinely competitive for groups, once you know the numbers.

There are five realistic options for getting from Orly to Paris. All of them are below.

One important note: tickets have changed in 2025–2026

Paris phased out its zone-based paper ticket system entirely. Since June 2026, magnetic cardboard tickets are no longer valid on any part of the network. All tickets now run through a Navigo Easy card (a reloadable contactless card costing €2, available at all metro stations and the airport) or via a smartphone app (Île-de-France Mobilités). If you arrive expecting to buy a paper ticket from a machine and tap it on a turnstile, you will be confused. Buy a Navigo Easy card at the airport ticket desk or machine, load your ticket onto it, and tap normally.

There are also two distinct ticket types in 2026, and they don't transfer between each other:

Metro-Train-RER ticket: €2.55 — covers metro, RER and train journeys across the whole Île-de-France region, except airport routes
Paris Region ↔ Airports ticket: €14 — required for any journey to or from Orly or CDG via metro, RER or train, including Metro Line 14 and Orlyval

You cannot use a standard €2.55 Metro-Train-RER ticket to travel on Metro Line 14 from the airport. You need the €14 Airport ticket. This is a common and expensive mistake.

The quick comparison

Option	Price (one-way)	Time to centre	Frequency	Best for
Metro Line 14 (direct)	€14	25 min	Every 6–15 min	Most travellers
RER B + Orlyval	€14	35–40 min	Every 5–7 min (Orlyval)	Travellers heading to Rive Gauche
Tramway T7 + Metro 7	€2.55 + €2.05	45–55 min	Every 8–12 min	Ultra-budget, south Paris
Licensed taxi	€36–45 flat rate	25–40 min	On demand	Groups, night arrivals
Uber / Bolt / VTC	€30–55	25–40 min	On demand	App users
Private transfer	from €35	25–35 min	Pre-booked	Families, business travel

Option 1 — Metro Line 14: the fast direct connection

Metro Line 14 (purple on the Paris map) is the correct answer for most people arriving at Orly in 2026. The line was extended south to the airport in 2024, and it now runs directly from the Aéroport d'Orly station — located between Terminals 1–2–3 and Terminal 4 — to central Paris without any changes. Key stops include Olympiades (16 minutes), Bibliothèque François Mitterrand, Gare de Lyon (20 minutes), Châtelet (23 minutes) and Saint-Lazare (29 minutes). From Châtelet you can transfer to every other metro line in the city.

The line is fully automated, runs every 6 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes in quieter periods, and operates from 05:30 to 00:30 (until 01:30 on Friday and Saturday nights). The ticket required is the €14 Paris Region ↔ Airports ticket, loaded onto a Navigo Easy card or smartphone. Children aged 4–9 pay €7.

Buy your Navigo Easy card and ticket at the machines in the arrivals hall — there are English-language interfaces on all machines, and card payment is accepted. Do not buy from anyone offering tickets in the arrivals hall; use the official RATP machines only.

The honest take: Metro Line 14 is what Orly needed for thirty years and finally got. It is fast, frequent, direct, and requires zero navigation skills to use. For a solo traveller or a pair heading anywhere on the Right Bank or near Châtelet, it is the obvious choice. The €14 price point is higher than the Copenhagen metro or the Prague trolleybus, but it is Paris — and €14 to the centre of one of the world's great cities is not a bad deal.

Option 2 — RER B + Orlyval: the alternative for the Left Bank

Before Metro Line 14 arrived, the standard public transport connection was Orlyval + RER B, and it remains useful for travellers whose destination is better served by the RER B corridor — particularly the Left Bank (Saint-Michel, Luxembourg, Port-Royal) and Gare du Nord.

The Orlyval is a fully automated light metro shuttle running between the Orly terminals and Antony station on the RER B, about 8 minutes south of Paris. From Antony, the RER B heads north through the city, stopping at Denfert-Rochereau, Port-Royal, Luxembourg, Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame, Châtelet–Les Halles, and Gare du Nord. The Orlyval runs every 5–7 minutes from 06:00 to 23:35, and the combined journey to central Paris takes 35–40 minutes.

The ticket is the same: €14 Paris Region ↔ Airports ticket. Both the Orlyval and the RER B leg are covered by a single ticket as long as you do not exit the network. Buy at the airport before boarding.

The honest take: If Metro Line 14 takes you where you need to go, take it — it's faster and simpler. The RER B + Orlyval combination makes sense specifically if your hotel or destination is on the Left Bank south of Châtelet, where the RER B stops are more convenient than Line 14. Both cost the same, so the decision is purely geographic.

Option 3 — Tramway T7 + Metro Line 7: the budget workaround

This is the option for travellers who want to spend €4.60 instead of €14 and don't mind a longer, more involved journey.

Tramway T7 runs from Orly Terminal 4 (and an Orly 1–2–3 stop) north to Villejuif–Louis Aragon, the southern terminus of Metro Line 7. From there, Metro Line 7 heads north through central Paris, stopping at Place d'Italie, Les Gobelins, Jussieu, Pont Marie, Châtelet, Palais Royal, and Opéra. The tram runs every 8–12 minutes and takes about 25 minutes to Villejuif; the metro adds another 20–30 minutes depending on destination. Total journey: 45–55 minutes.

The ticket is a Bus-Tram ticket (€2.05) for the tram, then a separate Metro-Train-RER ticket (€2.55) for the metro — total €4.60. Both must be loaded onto a Navigo Easy card; you validate again at the metro barrier. Note that the tram stop at the airport is in the open air, outside the terminal — not inside the building.

The honest take: The saving over the €14 Airport ticket is €9.40. For a solo budget traveller that is real money; for two people travelling together that is €18.80 saved. The trade-off is an extra 20–30 minutes, an outdoor tram stop with luggage, and a transfer at Villejuif. If you are tired and have heavy bags, it is probably not worth it. If you are travelling light and have time, it is completely manageable.

Option 4 — Licensed taxi: flat rate, no surprises

Paris taxis operating between Orly and central Paris charge regulated flat fares set by government decree. The 2026 rates are:

€45 for journeys between Orly and the Right Bank (arrondissements north of the Seine: Marais, Opéra, République, Montmartre)
€36 for journeys between Orly and the Left Bank (arrondissements south of the Seine: Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Montparnasse, Latin Quarter)

These are fixed regardless of traffic or time of day, except that a night supplement applies after 22:00 and on Sundays, which can add a few euros. Licensed taxis can also use dedicated bus and taxi lanes, which gives them a meaningful speed advantage over Uber or Bolt during rush hour — a point worth noting if you're travelling during peak periods.

Taxi ranks at Orly are well-signposted outside each terminal's arrivals exit. All licensed Paris taxis are required to accept card payment. Do not accept rides from drivers who approach you inside the terminal.

The honest take: For two people sharing, a €45 taxi to the Right Bank is €22.50 each — more than the metro but door-to-door. For three people, it is €15 each, at which point it is barely more expensive than public transport while eliminating all the connections. For four people, the taxi is genuinely the cheapest per-head option on the list. Run the numbers for your group before assuming the metro is always the right answer.

Option 5 — Uber, Bolt and other VTCs

Both Uber and Bolt operate at Orly, along with French platforms Heetch, FREE NOW and Marcel. Pickup zones are signposted in the arrivals area; drivers must wait outside the airport perimeter by law, so the app will direct you to the designated meeting point. Bolt is generally around 10% cheaper than Uber, and both operate on dynamic pricing — unlike licensed taxis, VTCs are not bound by the flat-rate decree.

During off-peak hours, Uber and Bolt from Orly to central Paris typically come to €30–60 depending on demand. During rush hour, bad weather, or busy arrival windows, the same journey can exceed the taxi flat rate — at which point the licensed taxi is both cheaper and faster (because it can use bus lanes). Check the app when you land; if surge pricing is active and the quote is above €40, the taxi rank is the better option.

One important distinction from Copenhagen or Prague: Uber drivers in Paris are not permitted to use dedicated bus and taxi lanes, which can make them meaningfully slower than taxis in heavy traffic. This is not always obvious when you're comparing prices on a screen.

The honest take: VTCs fill the gap between public transport and taxis — useful for one or two people when the quote is reasonable and traffic is light. When surge pricing kicks in, the regulated taxi flat rate becomes the smarter choice. Install both Uber and Bolt before you land, compare on arrival, and compare both against the taxi flat rate for your specific bank of the Seine.

After midnight: Noctilien night buses

Metro Line 14 stops running around 00:30 (01:30 on Friday and Saturday nights). If you arrive after that, your public transport option is the Noctilien night bus network. Four lines serve Orly through the night: N22, N31, N131, and N144, running toward Châtelet or Gare de Lyon. Frequency varies from every 20 to every 60 minutes depending on the line and time. A Bus-Tram ticket (€2.05) covers Noctilien journeys.

In practice, if you're arriving after 01:00, a pre-booked private transfer or a taxi will be faster, more comfortable and not dramatically more expensive than waiting for a night bus with luggage.

Which option is right for you?

Solo traveller, daytime, heading to Right Bank or Châtelet → Metro Line 14. €14, 25 minutes, no changes.
Solo traveller, Left Bank destination → RER B + Orlyval. Same price, stops closer to where you're going.
Travelling on an extremely tight budget → Tram T7 + Metro 7. €4.60, 50 minutes, one transfer. Perfectly manageable with light luggage.
Two people travelling together → Metro is still best value. But a taxi at €45 split two ways is €22.50 each — worth considering if your hotel is far from a Line 14 or Line 7 stop.
Three or four people → Taxi. The flat rate per head becomes competitive with multiple metro tickets, and you arrive door-to-door.
Family with children → Taxi or pre-booked private transfer. Children under 4 ride free on all public transport; children 4–9 pay half on the Airport ticket. But luggage plus children on the Paris metro at peak hours is an exercise in endurance. The taxi flat rate is generous enough to be worth it.
Arriving after 00:30 → Pre-booked private transfer or taxi. Night buses run but are slow and infrequent.

The one thing that changed everything

Metro Line 14 takes you to Paris-Orly Airport from Châtelet station in 25 minutes. That sentence would have sounded optimistic as recently as 2023. For decades, Orly was the awkward Paris airport — closer to the city than CDG but somehow harder to reach efficiently. The Line 14 extension fixed that. Orly is now as easy to arrive at as any well-connected European airport.

The €14 Airport ticket is not cheap by European standards — it is more than double what the same journey costs in Budapest or Prague. But it is the correct price of a direct, frequent, 25-minute metro connection to one of the world's most expensive cities. Accept it, load it onto your Navigo Easy card, and spend the money you saved on the flight itself on something worth eating near wherever you're staying.

And if you haven't found that cheap flight yet, the Faretus deals page is where to start.

All information in this article is based on publicly available data from official transport providers as of June 2026. Prices, schedules and service arrangements may change without notice. The old Orlybus and magnetic paper tickets are no longer valid. Always verify directly with the relevant provider — RATP/Île-de-France Mobilités (ratp.fr or iledefrance-mobilites.fr), Paris Aéroport (parisaeroport.fr) — before travelling. The author and Faretus bear no responsibility for any decisions made based on the content of this article.