Paris is one of my favorite cities in the world. It’s one of the few cities that I’ve visited for more than just a day or two and never found myself bored. For that reason, I recommend spending a minimum of two full days here (but three or four is better). But sometimes, you find yourself just passing through Paris on a short layover to other destinations. In fact on one trip to Europe, this was my reality. I wasn’t able to spend a lot of time in Paris, but I was able to squeeze in a few hours in the city between when my plane landed and my train departed.
In this post, I’m going to go over how best to spend a layover in Paris. This includes everything that you should consider before you even go out and explore during your layover.
How Much Time Do You Really Have?
Before you go out to explore, you’ll want to consider how much time you have. A two hour layover will be a much different experience than a four hour layover which is even more different than an eight hour layover. Think about how much time you will realistically have to explore Paris, not just how long your layover is.
But don’t forget to also look at other transportation time. If you are at Paris’s Charles De Gaulle (CDG) airport, you’ll automatically lose a bunch of time. From the airport, it will take you one hour to get into the city by train. Plus, that time doesn’t include time to get off the plane and go through Customs and Immigration (if traveling internationally). And if you have to go back to the airport to catch another flight, you’ll need to account for time to take the train back, plus time to get through security.
If you’re using Paris’s Orly Airport, you’ll need to make similar considerations.
If you’re traveling by train, your travel time isn’t as great of a concerns. Many of the train stations are located in central Paris, although you may want to use the metro to get to the sights you want to see.
So How Much Time Do You Need If You Want to Explore?
The amount of time you need for to get out an explore during a layover in Paris depends on your mode of transportation.
Arrival Paris CDG Airport, Departure Paris Train Station
If you’re arriving into Paris CDG, give yourself about an hour and a half to clear Customs and Immigration. Hopefully it doesn’t take that long, but you just never know. On my first visit to Paris, I had my passport stamp in less than ten minutes. On my second visit, it took about 45 minutes. Plus, I’ve read about it taking over an hour. And these times don’t include deplaning and getting to Customs and Immigration. So, I get my hour and a half estimate by combining the time it takes to deplane, get through Customs and Immigration, and make your way to the airport train station.
From the airport, you’ll need to take the RER train to the city. This train will take one hour (depending on where you get off). We’ll talk more about the taking the train into Paris later in this post.
So just to get into Paris, you need to budget at least two and a half hours. But since, you’re leaving by train, you don’t need to account for much extra time (although depending on where you are exploring, you may need time to get back to the train station).
In this instance, I’d say it really only makes sense to go out and explore if you have at least a four hour layover, but even that is cutting it close. Five hours or more is ideal. I had about six and a half hours on my layover and this was perfect.
Arrival Paris CDG Airport, Departure Paris CDG Airport
If your Paris layover is in between two flights, you’ll really need to consider if this is worth it. I believe this only makes sense on really long layovers. You’ll need two and a half hours to get into Paris (for customs and the train into Paris). On the return, you’ll need one hour to take the train back to the airport, plus another two hours (minimum) to go through security. This adds up to a total of five and a half hours, before you account for any exploration time.
Because of the hassle of leaving the airport and going through security again, I’d really only recommend this for layovers that are longer than eight hours. Even with an eight hour connection though, I’d be hesitant.
Arrival Paris Train Station, Departure Paris Train Station
Here’s one instance where travel time isn’t a huge deal. If you have an hour layover, you could go out and explore the area near the train station. With two hours, you could even take the metro and explore a part of Paris a little bit further away.
I also had a layover like this, but I had to transfer train stations. I had a three hours layover where I had to get from Gare Montparnasse to Gare du Nord. The metro took twenty minutes, which would have given me two and a half hours to go out and explore if I wanted to. Despite the time, I opted not to explore and chose to catch up on journaling, reading, and getting some lunch.
How to Get into Paris
If you arrived in Paris via train, you get to skip this step because you’re already in the center of the city. If you arrived in Paris via an airport, you need to actually get into the city before you can enjoy your layover.
From Charles de Gaulle, you can take RER B. In the airport, follow the signs and it will lead you to the train station. You can purchase a ticket from any of the ticket machines. You just need to purchase a ticket from the airport to the Il-de-la-Cite. As of 2023, this ticket should cost you 11.45 euro. With your ticket in hand, follow the signs and board your train.
If you’re arriving into Paris’s Orly Airport, you will have something similar, but a bit more involved. First you need to get the Orly shuttle from the airport to the train station. Then you can board the RER B train to the city.
The RER train makes numerous stops in the city of Paris. You’ll need to figure out which stop is most ideal for your layover based on what you plan to see and do.
Luggage Storage
Before you go to far, you’ll likely have to deal with your luggage. If you’re departing via a train station, you can store your luggage at the train station.
I stored my large backpack at Gare Montparnasse for about 5 euros. When you arrive at the train station, follow the signs to left luggage. You’ll go through a quick security check before you can go and utilize the self service lockers. Just follow the prompts on the screens to safely store your bags.
Getting Around Paris
Once you’re in the city, you’ll need to make a decision about where you’re going to explore. I’ll cover some options later in this post. Before we do that, I want to talk about how to get around Paris as it’s unlikely that the thing you’ll want to see is right by a train station.
Utilize the metro to get around efficiently. This will save you time, which is very important when you’re working with the limited window of a layover. Metro tickets cost 2.10 euro per ride and can be purchased at any metro station.
What to Do in Paris on a Layover
You have loads of options. Depending on the time you have, you could even visit one of Paris’s great museums. You could also take a guided tour or do a self guided walk. The choice is really yours.
Still not sure what to do? Here’s my suggestions:
If you’ve never been to Paris, look into some kind of tour that will give you an overview of the city. You could do this as a group walking tour or use a free self-guided tour (I like Rick Steves’ app for this). Another option is to take one of Paris’s sightseeing boats which allow you to see the city from the River Seine, while also giving you some background on Paris.
If you’re an art lover, visit one of the museums. The Louvre is one of the greatest art museums in the world, but it’s not the only museum you could visit. There’s the Musee d’Orssay which holds some of the greatest impressionist works or the Orangerie for Monet’s Waterlilies. The Rodin Museum has some of the best sculptures while the Pompidou Center is home to modern art. If you choose this route, you’ll need to purchase your ticket online in advance. When you buy your ticket, you’ll pick out a timed entry which will allow you to skip any lines.
If you love magnificent churches, you have some great options. Visit Notre Dame, Sacre Couer, or Saint Sulpice.
If you want iconic Paris, make a reservation to go up the Eiffel Tower.
If you just want to wander a neighborhood, Montmartre is in the 18th Arrondissement and is a favorite among travelers.
Or you could do what I did. I took a stroll along the River Seine, walking from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower. This was a great way to get some exercise after my 8 hour overnight flight and took me past some of Paris’ top sights.
A Detailed Example of a Paris Layover
Here’s what my layover in Paris looked like. These times are not exact and are an approximation of my day.
10:30 – Land at Paris CDG Airport
11:30 – Finish Customs and Immigration
11:45 – Board RER Train
12:45 – Arrive at Denfert-Rochereau Station. Walk to Gare Montparnasse.
1:00 – Arrive at Gare Montparnasse and store my bag. Head out on foot to explore.
3:00 – Take metro back to Gare Montparnasse
3:30 – Arrive at Gare Montparnasse
This does not give a lot of time to explore Paris. I’m aware of that. But I still got to go out and walk around one of my favorite cities. Plus, it was so much better than sitting in a train station for hours (especially since I just spent 8 hours sitting on a plane).
I could have stayed out longer, but I’m a paranoid person and always arrive for transportation long before I need to. And I was hungry and wanted to grab something to eat and didn’t think I’d be able to get a quick meal anywhere else (because meals are generally not quick in France).
If I were to do this again, I’d make one crucial change. I would have taken the metro from Gare Montparnasse to Notre Dame. It was a 40 minute walk, so it wasn’t horrible, but I think it would have been a much better option. Especially since I ended my first day with terrible blisters (which is 100% my own fault—I should have worn better shoes).
Final Thoughts
A layover in Paris is not a great way to see Paris. This is a city that deserves more time. However, you still can see Paris if you’re smart about your planning.
Continue Your Adventure
More in Paris: I’ve already mentioned that Paris is worth more than a layover. Here’s my recommendation for how to spend Five Days in Paris and for those with less time, check out my Two Days Paris Itinerary.
Loire Valley: The Loire Valley is covered with beautiful chateaux and even those traveling without a car can have a great time.
France Train Tickets: For everything you need to know about trains in France, check out this guide to France Train Tickets.
France Travel Guide: For everything you need to know about traveling around France, check out my France Travel Guide.
Europe in 10 Days: Starting in Paris, travel to Belgium before finishing in Amsterdam on this amazing 10 Days in Paris, Belgium, and Amsterdam Itinerary.