Trains to and from Paris Orly Airport (ORY)

Orly is located to the south of Paris, and straddles two departments and seven communes. Some of the surrounding areas include Orly, Athis-Mons, Wissous and Choisy-Le-Roi, while the centre of Paris is just 13km away. The airport is the second largest in France, handling the greatest number of domestic passengers of all the France airports, while Charles de Gaulle Airport handles more international flights, and is the largest of the airports in the country. In 2010, Paris Orly had just over 25 million passengers. Many of these passengers travel by public transport, and trains are available, as well as several bus services. The train station is however, located at a short distance from the airport, and is connected by the Orlyval.

The airport of Paris Orly has two terminal buildings that are both extremely well equipped for arriving and departing passengers. They are named as the Paris-Orly South and Paris-Orly West buildings, or as the Orly-Sud and the Orly-Ouest in French. Both terminals handle international and domestic traffic, and have various levels for their facilities. The terminals are located at some distance apart, and are therefore connected by the Orlyval automatic light rail system, which is free of charge for passengers transferring from one terminal to another. The Orlyval also runs to the train station of Gare d’Antony, which is the nearest train station to Paris Orly Airport.

The Orlyval shuttle service was opened in 1991, and provides a valuable connection between the airport and the RER B train lines of Paris. Passengers arriving at the airport will find that each terminal has its own station for the Orlyval. The Orlyval line is approximately 7.3km in length and about 2.5 million journeys are made each year. Matra originally operated the line, but due to high costs and low profits, the line was turned over to the RATP transport company of France.

Conventional trains in Paris also provide a very valuable connection to the airports, and the train line in the city that runs from both of the major airports is referred to as the RER B service/line. Passengers can also reach Paris Orly Airport from the RER C train line, by use of a shuttle bus for part of the journey.

The airport train RER C

Airport passengers travelling from Paris should take the trains heading for ‘Massy-Palaiseau’ or ‘Pont de Rungis’. From here a shuttle bus is available which serves both terminals of the airport. The shuttle bus stops at entrance F of the south terminal, and at entrance G on the arrival level of the west terminal. The buses are known as the Paris par le train buses. In the alternative direction, travel by bus to Pont de Rungis, and take the train GOTA or NORA heading for ‘Pontoise’ or ‘Montigny Beauchamp’. The journey time including on the train and bus is approximately 35 minutes.

The airport train RER B

Using the RER B train services to reach Orly is a very convenient option for transport. The RER B line passes by many stations, including Gare du Nord, Chatelet Les Halles, St-Michel Notre Dame, Luxembourg and Denfert-Rochereau. These stations are all located in central Paris, and are accessible by multiple Metro, RER and bus lines. The RER B train stops at all the stations on its way towards the Gare d’Antony. The first train available heading in the direction of Paris Orly leaves the Gare de Nord at 05:20, and will arrive at the Antony Station at approximately 05:48. From here, passengers will take the Orlyval to the terminal of their departure at the airport. The last train to leave the Gare du Nord is at 22:23, arriving at Gare d’Antony at 22:46.

From the RER B Antony station, the Orlyval operates every four to seven minutes from 06:00 to 23:00, and depending on the type of train ticket the passenger has purchased, may cost an additional few Euros. The journey on the Orlyval automatic light rail train is just eight minutes to the terminals.

Paris Orly trains via the Orlyval are considered to be the most reliable form of transport between the airport and Paris, and they provide a regular service every day of the week. The trains are available from the stations approximately every four minutes during morning and evening peak periods. Further information regarding the train services is available from the information desks within the terminal buildings of the airport.