Paris St. Lazare to Orly-best option

1) Even in normal traffic conditions taking the Air France coach would probably be slower than taking the Metro & RER to Antony and the Orlyval from there to the airport.

2) Your train ticket will NOT be good on the Metro or RER.

I would take the Metro/RER, just take line 4 from St. Lazare (the newest, nicest metro) to Chatelet, then the REB B to Orly. If you haven't gotten your ticket yet from Caen to Paris you can ask the ticket agent for a ticket from Caen to Orly and they might give you a metro ticket for a cheaper price (thats what I did to get from Rouen to CDG), however the price is not included in your train ticket.

If you decide to take the Bus, you wil have to buy a sepeate metro ticket. There are ticket stands down on the way to the metro and some even take bills, whcih is nice when buying carnets or RER tickets

Thanks Tim and Vanessa!

So far, 2 votes Metro, no votes Air France bus!

Question about the Orlyval-is that located in the Antony station, and is that included in the ticket we buy for St. Lazare to Antony?

Also, is it a different ticket to take the RER out to Orly as opposed to the ones we'll use around central Paris sightseeing (we're going to buy a carnet while there before we go off to Normandy)? Thanks!

The Orlyval driverless shuttle train requires a separate ticket. The ten-minute rides costs €7.10. Antony is in zone 2. A ticket from St-Lazare to Antony costs €2.20. While a single ticket from a carnet is good anywhere the Metro goes (some lines end in zone 3), it is only good in zone 1 on the RER.

Your cheapest route would be to take the Metro & RER to Denfert-Rochereau (€1.50 or a ticket from a carnet) and the Orlybus from there to the airport (€6.10).

See this zoomable map of the Metro and RER systems. It also shows the Orlyval.

Note: The fares I quoted are current as of today. However, if there is a fare increase, it will take effect on 1 July.

Thanks Tim! I see the Denfert-Rochereau stop is further north. Will it be much quicker to do it from Antony/OrlyVal or not a big difference time-wise? Cost looks like about 1.5 euro cheaper from Denfert-Rochereau. Maybe if we have some tickets left in our carnet from our previous week's visit we'll go through Denfert-Rochereau to use them up.

You're welcome, Jed. The Orlyval site says that the average total time for the RER B from Chatelet-Les Halles to Antony plus the Orlyval to the airport is 35 minutes. According to the RATP site, the average time from Chatelet-Les Halles to Denfert-Rochereau on the RER B is eight minutes. The average time for Denfert-Rochereau to Orly on the Orlybus is 30 minutes. The Orlyval runs every four minutes. The Orlybus runs every 15-20 minutes.

One addition for you regarding all these wonderful suggestions.

1. Take Line 14 from Gare Saint Lazare to Chatelet - first post indicates line 4 - I am assuming this is a typo.

2. I would not recommend the OrlyBus for the same reason not to take the Air France shuttle - traffic. Although the Orly Bus leaves on the far end of town - you are hitting prime driving - and on a Friday - not a good thing. Your short bus ride could end up being long.

3. RER to Anthony are every train EXCEPT the one (every fourth) to Robinson. Check the stop displays on the quai to be sure.

4. MOST IMPORTANT - be aware that there are two terminals at Orly - Orly Sud (south)and Orly Ouest (west) - check your tickets to be sure you get off at the right stop. Orly Quest is the first stop.

How Do I buy tickets to Palace Versailles from internet or by phone Thanks ... Louie

There is no advantage to buying a ticket to Versailles before you get to Paris. Your best deal is a Forfait Loisirs which covers entrance to the chateau and roundtrip transportation from central Paris.

Thanks Jona! Just to clarify: every 4th train that leaves Chatelet turns off the RER main line and goes to B2 while the other three continue down the B4 line (Saint Remy) with a stop at Anthony? Thanks for the advice on that one! Though we would have had a 75% chance to get the right one, that would have been an interesting detour!

I think just for sanity to avoid any potential traffic problems, we'll take the RER to Anthony and the OrlyVal to Orly Sud. Cost a few Euros more for both of us, but that should be fine.

Thanks again for all the travel advice!

Thanks Norm!

One final question....

Can we buy both the Metro/RER ticket and the OrlyVal ticket at St. Lazare, or do we have to buy the OrlyVal when we get to the Antony station?

Thanks!

Yes...just tell them your destination is "aeroport d'Orly" and they will sell you a ticket that is good all the way thru....I think 9.30 Euro for the entire run.