Paris-Beauvais Airport Transportation

ABOVE: Budget-airline passengers board a bus for Beauvais-Tillé Airport at Porte Maillot in Paris.

By Durant Imboden

Beauvais Tillé Airport (BVA), also known as Paris-Beauvais Airport, is the Parisian gateway for several budget airlines--among them, Ryanair and Wizzair.

The airport is located 2 km northeast of Beauvais, approximately 80 km or 53 miles northwest of Paris. Here's how to reach Paris from BVA:

Airport bus

ABOVE: At the airport, buses arrive and depart from a dedicated station facing the terminals.

This is by far the most convenient mode of transport, because buses run directly between the airport and the Porte Maillot in Paris. Buses leave for Paris 20 minutes after each flight's arrival, and buses from Paris to BVA depart three hours before the scheduled flight time.

A one-way fare was €17 at the ticket office the last time we checked, with a discount for children from 4 to 11 years old. (Kids under 4 travel free.) You'll save money if you order tickets online.

Travel time is about 75 minutes.

To Paris: Buy your ticket in the arrivals hall, at the kiosk outside the airport, or online. The bus will take you to the coach parking lot just north of the Hotel Concorde-La Fayette at Porte Maillot, across the street from the Palais des Congrès or Paris Convention Center. From the parking lot, you can walk a short distance to the Porte Maillot station of Métro Line 1 or the Neuilly-Porte Maillot station of RER Line "C."

ABOVE: On the map above, the Porte Maillot bus station is in the fan-shaped parking lot just to the left of the Palais des Congrès, where you can read the letters "Bd." Click here for a larger image.

From Paris: Exit the RER or the Métro at Porte Maillot and walk along the north or Neuilly side of the Paris Convention Center and the Hotel Concorde La Fayette (inset photo).

Across the street, you'll see a coach parking lot. Walk to the corner and cross at the light.

If you haven't purchased a ticket online, buy your ticket at the booth in the parking lot or, if it's closed, from the driver.

Try to arrive at least 3 hours 15 minutes before your flight time--or even earlier, to be certain of getting on a bus.

Train

Trains of SNCF, the French national railroad, run between the city of Beauvais and the Gare du Nord in Paris. Travel time is slightly over an hour, and the station in Beavais is within walking distance of the town center. Local bus line 6 connects the Hotel de Ville and the railroad station with Beauvais Tille Airport.

Tip: Consider spending a night or two in Beauvais and using the train for travel to or from Paris. The town is pleasant and has a world-class cathedral.

Shuttle van

Beauvais Airport Shuttle runs vans and minibuses between Beauvais and Paris hotels. It also offers service to Charles de Gaulle Airport and Disneyland Paris. Rates are quite a bit higher than what you'd pay for the airport bus. (Private shuttles are available for groups and spendthrifts.)

Taxi

You can hire a cab from Beauvais into Paris for €100-160, depending on your hotel's location and whether you're traveling in the daytime or after dark. But then, if you could afford a €100-160 cab ride, you probably wouldn't be flying on a budget airline.

For more information on BVA and ground transportation, visit the airport's official Web site at aeroportbeauvais.com and especially its airport bus page.