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Not Really a Paris Airport at All
Paris-Beauvais Airport, coded BVA, is where the phrase “Paris” on a cheap flight ticket needs the most caveats. It sits around 80 kilometres north of central Paris, near the town of Beauvais in the Oise department, and it is not connected to the city by any rail line at all.
What BVA does have is genuinely low fares. It is the main French base for Ryanair and hosts a handful of other budget and charter carriers, which is exactly why so many travellers end up here despite the distance, chasing a fare that a flight into CDG or Orly simply cannot match.
That trade-off is the honest story of this airport, and it is worth stating plainly before anything else: there is no cheap, fast public transport link between Beauvais and Paris. A single dedicated shuttle bus is the only genuinely affordable way to make the journey, and everything else costs considerably more.
This guide covers every realistic way of getting from BVA to Paris: the official Aérobus shuttle, the competing Terravision service, taxis, private transfers, car hire, driving yourself, and the often-overlooked train option via Beauvais’s own station. It also sets out clearly when the low fare that got you into Beauvais in the first place is still worth it once the transfer cost is added on top.
None of this is complicated once the basic shape of the choice is clear. A traveller with hand luggage and a flexible schedule will get on perfectly well here, while anyone expecting a quick hop into the city like at Orly is going to be disappointed unless they plan around the distance properly.
| Transfer Option | Typical Journey Time | Approximate Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aérobus Shuttle | ~75-90 mins | From €17.90 (£15/$21) | The only genuinely cheap option |
| Terravision Shuttle | ~75-90 mins | Similar to Aérobus | A second shuttle to compare |
| Taxi | ~75-90 mins | €185-230 (£159-198/$216-269) | Groups splitting the cost, or no shuttle left |
| Private Transfer | ~75-90 mins | From around €160 (£138/$187) | Certainty over cost |
| Self-Drive/Drop-off | ~75-90 mins | Parking varies | Travellers with their own car |
| Train + Local Bus | ~105-130 mins total | From around €10 (£9/$12) | Cheapest option, but needs a change |
Understanding Paris-Beauvais Airport
BVA is a small budget airport, built and run around fast turnarounds for low-cost carriers rather than the sprawling scale of CDG or Orly. It has two compact terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, linked by a short covered walkway, and everything from check-in to the shuttle bus stop sits within a few minutes’ walk of arrivals in either building.
Ryanair is by far the dominant airline here, operating the large majority of scheduled routes into and out of the airport, with a smaller number of seasonal charter and low-cost services filling out the rest of the schedule. The airport genuinely exists because of that low-cost model, and its whole layout and pricing structure reflect it.
Unlike CDG or Orly, there is no railway station at or near BVA, and no metro, tram or RER line reaches anywhere close to it. Every single transfer option covered in this guide starts by road, which is the single most important fact to plan around before booking a flight here.
Checking the airport’s own current access information before travelling is worth the two minutes it takes, since shuttle timetables and prices can shift between seasons. The official Aéroport Paris-Beauvais shuttle page is the most reliable source for exact departure times on the day you travel.
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Compare ratesWhat’s Actually at Beauvais Airport
BVA spreads across its two small terminals with around 2,000 square metres of shops and eateries between them, a fraction of the retail sprawl at CDG or Orly. That is still enough to cover a coffee, a sandwich, or a last bottle of water before boarding, without ever feeling like a shopping trip in itself.
A handful of duty-free and travel-goods shops sit airside, selling the usual mix of perfume, spirits, and travel accessories rather than anything specific to the region. Landside, vending machines for drinks and snacks fill the gaps in opening hours in both terminals, genuinely useful ahead of an early departure before any café has opened its shutters.
Cash needs are modest but covered: ATMs from Crédit Agricole and Euronet sit in both terminals, and currency exchange runs through the airport’s customs and VAT service rather than as a standalone bureau de change. There is no dedicated airport lounge at BVA, so anyone hoping for a quieter pre-flight seat needs to rely on what their airline offers rather than assume a lounge exists here.
A staffed baggage service desk in the arrivals hall handles lost property and basic queries, and a separate wrap-and-protect counter is available near the airline check-in counters for anyone wanting a checked bag sealed up. Phone-charging points are dotted through the departure lounges, a small detail that matters on a route where a flat battery makes checking the next shuttle time considerably harder.
The airport’s own information desk sits at the bus station between the two terminals, staffed from roughly 7am until fifteen minutes after the last flight of the day, and it is the best first stop for anything not covered here. None of this makes BVA a destination in its own right, but it is comfortably enough to manage a normal wait between landing and catching a shuttle into Paris.
The Aérobus Shuttle: The Only Cheap Way In
For the vast majority of travellers, the Aérobus shuttle is the only realistic way to reach Paris from BVA without paying a genuinely large sum. It is the airport’s own official shuttle operator, running directly between the terminal and Porte Maillot in western Paris, with no intermediate stops to slow the journey down.
Both Aérobus and Terravision use the same pickup point at BVA: the airport’s own bus station, sitting between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, reachable on foot within a couple of minutes of clearing arrivals in either building. Clear signage points the way from both terminals, so there is no need to guess which exit to use.
The bus takes around 75 to 90 minutes depending on traffic on the A16 and A1 motorways, and it runs with real frequency, departing up to a hundred times a day at intervals of roughly fifteen to thirty minutes. Departures are timed around flight schedules, leaving the airport about twenty minutes after a plane lands and leaving Porte Maillot around three and a half hours before a departure.
A one-way adult ticket booked online costs from €17.90 (£15/$21), with a return priced from €29.90 (£26/$35), while buying on the day at the airport desk costs more, typically between €18.00 and €35.00 (£15-30/$21-41). Children aged four to eleven travel for roughly half the adult fare, and infants under four travel free.
The Paris stop sits at the Pershing car park, 22-24 Boulevard Pershing, directly beside the Porte Maillot Métro (Line 1) and RER C station entrance, which anyone continuing further into the city can walk straight into. That last connection matters: Porte Maillot is a genuinely useful interchange, but it is not the historic centre, so budget a little extra time for the final leg to a specific hotel.
Booking online in advance is consistently cheaper than buying at the airport, and it is worth doing as soon as flight times are confirmed rather than leaving it to the day of travel. This is, by a wide margin, the transfer most BVA travellers should be planning their trip around.
Terravision: A Second Shuttle Worth Comparing
Alongside the official Aérobus service, Terravision also runs a shuttle bus between BVA and Paris, and it is worth comparing the two before booking. Terravision is one of Europe’s largest dedicated airport coach operators, and its Beauvais route also ends at Porte Maillot, covering essentially the same ground as Aérobus.
Journey times and pricing are broadly similar between the two operators, since both are working with the same motorway route and the same distance, picking up from the same bus station at BVA and dropping off at the same Pershing stop by Porte Maillot. The main reason to check both before booking is simple availability: whichever departure lines up best with a specific flight time is usually the more useful choice.
Our full Terravision Review covers how the company’s booking process, luggage allowance and cancellation terms actually work across its European network, which is useful background before choosing between the two Beauvais operators.
Neither shuttle is inherently better than the other on a normal day, so the practical approach is to compare live prices and departure times for the specific date being booked. Both remain dramatically cheaper than a taxi, and either is a perfectly reasonable default for a traveller with manageable luggage.
Check Terravision Airport Routes for Beauvais
If Beauvais is served by a Terravision airport route, you can book your coach transfer in advance and travel directly between the airport and the city.
This can work well for city breaks, solo travellers and anyone looking for a lower-cost alternative to a private airport transfer.
Beauvais to Paris by Train: A Genuine Alternative Worth Checking
BVA itself has no rail link, but Beauvais town does, and it is worth a look before defaulting straight to Aérobus or Terravision. Gare de Beauvais sits around six kilometres from the airport, in the town centre, and runs regular SNCF TER services on to Paris.
The local Corolis network’s Line 6 bus, running between the airport and Beauvais town hall, calls at the train station on its way and departs roughly every thirty minutes through the day for a flat fare of around €1 (£1/$1). A taxi covers the same six kilometres in about ten minutes for somewhere between €14 and €20 (£12-17/$16-23), a sensible choice with heavier luggage or a tight connection.
From Gare de Beauvais, SNCF TER trains run direct to Paris Gare du Nord roughly eight times a day, with the journey itself taking around 75 to 80 minutes. Fares vary with how far ahead the ticket is booked, starting from around €9 (£8/$11) well in advance and typically closer to €15-17 (£13-15/$18-20) bought on the day.
Add the local bus or taxi leg to the train time and the overall journey to central Paris comes out broadly similar to the shuttle, sometimes a little longer once waiting time is factored in. The real advantage is the destination: Gare du Nord sits far more centrally than Porte Maillot, with direct Métro, RER and Eurostar connections, which can shave real time off the final leg to a hotel nearer the centre.
This route suits a traveller with light luggage, some comfort navigating an unfamiliar local bus, and a hotel closer to the eastern or central parts of Paris than to Porte Maillot. For anyone wanting the simplest possible single-ticket journey, the direct Aérobus or Terravision shuttle still wins on convenience, even if the train can occasionally work out a little cheaper.
Taxis From Beauvais: Expensive, but Sometimes Necessary
A taxi from BVA to Paris is not a budget option, and it is important to say so plainly rather than letting the headline flight fare create false expectations. Ranks sit outside the arrivals hall at each terminal, and journey times run similar to the shuttle at 75 to 90 minutes, since taxis use the same A16 and A1 motorways.
No single company holds an exclusive concession on the airport’s taxi rank, so most pickups come from one of several independent local firms working BVA rather than one dedicated airport brand. Taxi Pro de l’Oise, a Beauvais-based operator covering both terminals, is one established example that can be pre-booked for a guaranteed pickup, which is worth doing for a very early or very late flight when supply at the rank itself tends to be thin.
Expect to pay somewhere in the region of €185.00 (£159/$216) during the day, rising to around €230.00 (£198/$269) for a night-time journey between roughly seven in the evening and seven the following morning. That is around ten times the price of the Aérobus shuttle for broadly the same journey.
Given that gap, a taxi genuinely only makes sense in a handful of situations: after the last shuttle of the night has already gone, for a group large enough that splitting the fare closes most of the price difference, or for a traveller with accessibility needs that the shuttle cannot accommodate.
Ride-hailing apps including Uber and Bolt do cover pickups at BVA, though availability this far from central Paris is noticeably thinner than at CDG or Orly, and a driver may need to travel some distance to reach the airport first. Checking the app for a live estimate before relying on one for a tight connection is a sensible precaution.
Private Transfers From Beauvais to Paris
A pre-booked private transfer is arranged and paid for before the flight even leaves the ground, with a driver waiting in arrivals holding a name board rather than a queue to join. For BVA specifically, it is worth considering mainly for families, larger groups, or anyone landing on a very early or very late flight when the shuttle timetable is thin.
Given the roughly 85-kilometre distance into central Paris, journey time runs close to the shuttle and taxi at around 75 to 90 minutes on the A16 and A1 motorways, traffic permitting. Prices generally sit close to, or a touch below, the equivalent taxi fare, commonly starting from around €160 (£138/$187) for a standard car carrying up to three or four passengers.
The appeal here is certainty rather than cost. The fare is fixed at the point of booking regardless of how traffic behaves on the day, there is no risk of finding an empty rank after the last shuttle has gone, and the car goes door to door rather than to a Paris stop that still needs a Métro connection.
For a group of three or four sharing one vehicle, the maths often closes much of the gap with several individual shuttle tickets, particularly once the extra time and hassle of navigating Porte Maillot with luggage is factored in. A solo traveller with light bags and a flexible schedule, by contrast, is usually better served by the far cheaper Aérobus or Terravision option covered above.
Most travellers arrange a private transfer through a comparison site or booking platform rather than a single named operator, since availability and pricing shift constantly with demand. Booking a few days ahead of travel, rather than on the morning of the flight, generally secures both a better price and a wider choice of pickup time.
Compare Airport Transfer Companies
Pre-booking your airport transfer can save time and reduce stress when you arrive. Whether you need a private taxi, shared shuttle or executive transfer, comparing providers can help you find the best price and service for your journey.
We’ve selected three trusted airport transfer companies so you can compare prices, vehicle options, cancellation policies and customer reviews before you travel.
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View transfersCar Hire at Beauvais Airport
Beauvais Airport is genuinely well set up for car hire, with desks for several major operators grouped together in a dedicated rental hall in the heart of the airport, sign-posted from both terminal buildings. Sixt, Hertz, Europcar and the budget-focused Goldcar all currently operate counters here, covering most of the mainstream and budget price points a traveller is likely to want.
Rates vary sharply with season and how far ahead a car is booked, but aggregator listings show a small hatchback starting from somewhere in the region of €20-30 (£17-26/$23-35) a day in low season, rising considerably around school holidays and major events. Booking online in advance, rather than walking up to a desk on arrival, is consistently the cheaper route and also helps guarantee the car category is actually available.
Where hiring at BVA genuinely earns its place is for travellers whose plans extend beyond central Paris. The airport sits in the Oise department, with the A16 and A29 motorways giving straightforward access north and west towards Picardy, Normandy, and the Somme, a very different trip to a straight run into the capital.
Hiring purely to reach central Paris rarely makes financial sense once fuel, tolls, and the cost of parking inside the city are added to the rental itself. For that specific journey, the Aérobus or Terravision shuttle remains the simpler, cheaper default, with a hire car better reserved for a trip that genuinely needs one once in the region.
Whichever operator is chosen, it is worth confirming pickup arrangements directly with the rental desk in advance, particularly for a very early or very late flight, since staffing at a small regional airport like BVA can be lighter outside normal daytime hours. Bringing a printed or digital copy of the booking confirmation and flight number, as the airport itself recommends, avoids any confusion at the counter.
Book Car Hire for Your Beauvais Trip
If your plans in Beauvais include day trips, rural areas or several stops, having your own car can make the itinerary much easier to manage.
Discover Cars and EconomyBookings both let you compare available vehicles and prices from a range of rental companies.
Driving Yourself and Parking at Beauvais
Drivers reach BVA from Paris via the A1 and A16 motorways, leaving the city through Porte de la Chapelle towards Lille before joining the A16 towards Amiens and Beauvais. The drive covers around 75 to 85 kilometres and typically takes one hour fifteen minutes to one hour thirty minutes, depending on traffic around Paris itself.
Short kerbside drop-offs are free for a limited window directly outside the terminal, which covers a simple passenger set-down. Anyone staying longer needs one of the airport’s paid car parks instead, all a short walk from the terminal building.
Pre-booking a parking space online ahead of travel is consistently cheaper than paying the walk-up rate on arrival, particularly for a longer trip. This is a genuinely practical option for travellers who live within reasonable driving distance of the airport and would rather avoid the shuttle or taxi cost altogether.
For anyone flying into BVA without their own car in the region, though, driving is not really a transfer option in the way it might be at CDG or Orly. The practical choice for reaching Paris itself still comes down to the shuttle bus, a taxi, or a private transfer.
Is the Low Fare Still Worth It? Weighing Up Beauvais
The honest answer depends entirely on how the numbers actually add up, not on the headline flight price alone. A BVA flight that saves fifty or sixty euros over an equivalent CDG or Orly fare is still a clear win once a shuttle ticket is added, since even a return Aérobus fare stays well under that saving.
Where the calculation gets tighter is time rather than money. Between the shuttle journey itself, the wait either side, and the final leg from Porte Maillot into the actual centre, a traveller should budget close to two hours door-to-door each way, which matters far more for a short weekend trip than for a longer stay.
Beauvais makes the most sense for travellers with flexible plans, light luggage, and enough trip length to absorb an extra hour or so of travel each way without it eating into the visit itself. It makes far less sense for a rushed day trip, a very late or very early connection with no shuttle running, or anyone travelling with mobility needs the shuttle cannot accommodate.
None of this makes BVA a bad choice. It simply means treating the transfer as part of the booking decision from the start, rather than an afterthought discovered only once the low fare has already been paid for.
Rupert’s Handy Travel Tips
Flying into Paris-Beauvais? Rupert has a few tips that can save both time and stress:
- Book your shuttle the moment you have flight times: Aérobus and Terravision fares both rise closer to travel, and a confirmed seat removes one variable from a tight connection.
- Don’t expect a quick hop like Orly: BVA is around eighty kilometres out, so budget close to two hours door-to-door each way rather than comparing it to Paris’s closer airports.
- Compare Aérobus and Terravision before booking: both run the same route to Porte Maillot, so whichever departure suits your flight time best is usually the better pick.
- Remember Porte Maillot isn’t the centre: budget extra time and a Métro or RER connection if your hotel is nearer the Louvre or the Marais.
- Check the last shuttle time before booking a late flight: missing it leaves a taxi as the only option, at roughly ten times the shuttle fare.
Want to meet the reindeer behind our travel tips? Find out more in our page Who is Rupert?.
Frequently Asked Questions About Beauvais Airport Transfers
Is Paris-Beauvais Airport actually in Paris?
No. It sits around 80 kilometres north of central Paris, and there is no train line connecting the two.
What is the cheapest way from Beauvais to Paris?
The Aérobus shuttle to Porte Maillot, with online fares starting from €17.90 (£15/$21) one way.
How long does the Beauvais shuttle take?
Around 75 to 90 minutes, depending on traffic on the A16 and A1 motorways.
How much does a taxi from Beauvais to Paris cost?
Expect around €185.00 (£159/$216) during the day, rising to roughly €230.00 (£198/$269) at night.
Does the shuttle go to central Paris?
It ends at Porte Maillot, which connects onward by Métro or RER, rather than dropping passengers directly in the historic centre.
Is there a train from Beauvais Airport to Paris?
Not directly. BVA itself has no rail link, but a local bus or short taxi ride reaches Gare de Beauvais in town, from where SNCF TER trains run on to Paris Gare du Nord.
Which airlines fly from Paris-Beauvais?
Ryanair operates the large majority of routes, alongside a smaller number of seasonal budget and charter carriers.
Further Reading & Related Guides
Once the shuttle has dropped you at Porte Maillot, our Things to Do in Paris guide rounds up the museums, landmarks and day trips worth prioritising. Our Paris Public Transport guide then covers the Métro and RER you will need to reach the historic centre from there.
Comparing Beauvais against Paris’s other airports before booking a flight is worth doing too. Our CDG Airport Transfers guide and Orly Airport Transfers guide both cover gateways much closer to the centre, worth weighing against the fare saving at BVA.
If you are travelling on Terravision for this route or another one in Europe, our full Terravision Review covers how bookings, luggage allowances and cancellations actually work across the operator’s wider network.
Families planning a side trip to the parks once they land should also look at our Disneyland Paris Guide, which covers tickets and the journey out to Marne-la-Vallée from central Paris.
