Paris Lisbon

Charles de Gaulle is three airports wearing one name. Terminal 1 is the original 1974 brutalist circle with satellite gates reached through underground tunnels. It handles Star Alliance carriers and has a retro-futurist quality that either fascinates or confuses on first visit. Terminal 2 sprawls across sub-terminals labeled 2A through 2G, the largest section by far, with 2E handling most transatlantic arrivals. Terminal 3 is the budget terminal: basic, separate, and a different experience entirely.

The CDGVAL automated shuttle connects the three terminals in about 8 minutes, but the walk from your gate to the shuttle platform can add another 10. Walking between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 is not realistic without the shuttle. Within Terminal 2, some sub-terminal connections are walkable and others require a bus. Security wait times spike during the morning transatlantic departure push from 2E.

The defining fact about CDG is its distance: 25 kilometers northeast of central Paris. The airport itself is well-equipped, modern in the newer sections, and stocked with restaurants and shops. But everything about your trip includes that commute into the city, which takes longer than many short-haul European flights.

Orly is compact, close to the city, and often overlooked by transatlantic passengers who default to CDG. Four terminals numbered 1 through 4 handle a mix of domestic, European, and a handful of long-haul flights. The terminals connect to each other on foot, no shuttle trains or underground tunnels required, which is a genuine relief if you have ever navigated CDG.

The international arrival areas are smaller and immigration moves faster than at CDG. The terminal buildings are functional rather than architecturally ambitious, though recent renovation has added polish to the arrivals hall and retail areas. It lacks the scale and lounge options of CDG, but what it trades in size it gains in speed.

Orly sits 13 kilometers south of central Paris. For anyone staying on the Left Bank or in the southern arrondissements, the ground transfer advantage over CDG is significant: half the distance, half the cost, and less time stuck on the motorway. The airport operates under an overnight curfew, so late-night departures and early-morning arrivals are not an option.

Beauvais-Tillé is a single-terminal airport 55 miles north of Paris. The distance from the city makes it a budget carrier outpost rather than a true Paris airport. Facilities are minimal: a few cafés, limited seating, and no transit rail link. Expect long queues at peak hours in a building not designed for the volume it sometimes handles.

No jet bridges at most gates. You walk across the tarmac to your aircraft. Check-in counters and security share the same compact space. If your flight is delayed, there is not much to do inside.

Lisbon Humberto Delgado sits four miles north of the city center, closer than almost any major airport in Europe. You can see the city from the terminal building, and the taxi ride into Baixa takes 15 minutes on a clear road. That proximity is the airport's defining feature and its main constraint: hemmed in by the city on all sides, with limited room to expand.

Terminal 1 handles full-service carriers, with TAP Air Portugal occupying most of the gate positions. The building is functional rather than architectural, with a long departures hall that moves efficiently for its size. Terminal 2 is a separate low-cost facility connected by shuttle bus. If you're flying a budget carrier, confirm which terminal before heading to the airport.

Immigration moves in waves. During peak arrival periods, the non-EU queue backs up. For EU and EEA passport holders, the dedicated lane clears quickly. Baggage reclaim is compact and bags appear fast, matching the short distances inside the terminal.