Akila Apart City 
The Latin Quarter is one of the best-served parts of Paris from outside: the RER B runs through it and links both airports and three mainline stations directly. Here are the journeys, with the details that matter when you are carrying bags.
From Paris Charles-de-Gaulle
The simple route: the RER B. It leaves from both airport stations, Terminal 2 and the one serving Terminals 1 and 3 via the automatic shuttle. Towards Paris, get off at Saint-Michel Notre-Dame or Luxembourg. Allow roughly 45 to 55 minutes from the platform.
Saint-Michel Notre-Dame leaves you on the Seine, eight minutes' walk from the bottom of rue Valette. Luxembourg leaves you at the top, by the gardens, which saves you the climb.
With luggage: Saint-Michel Notre-Dame has long corridors and stairs. If you are loaded, get off at Luxembourg instead, which is simpler and sits at the top of the hill.
Other options. The Roissybus reaches the Opéra, from where you still need a métro: rarely faster. A taxi runs on a flat fare from CDG to the Left Bank; allow 50 to 70 minutes depending on traffic, more at rush hour.
From Orly
The simplest option today: métro line 14. It has served Orly since 2024 and reaches central Paris with no change. Get off at Châtelet: from there it is a ten-minute walk over the pont au Change and the Île de la Cité, or one stop on the RER B to Saint-Michel. Allow about 30 minutes from Orly to Châtelet.
Line 14 is automatic, recent, with wide platforms and lifts: it is the most comfortable route with luggage.
The alternative: Orlyval to Antony, then the RER B towards Paris, getting off at Luxembourg or Saint-Michel. About 40 minutes, with one change and a separate ticket.
From the Gare du Nord
This is the shortest journey of all. Take the RER B southbound, three stops to Saint-Michel Notre-Dame, about eight minutes. Luxembourg is the stop after.
The Gare du Nord is large and the RER entrances, while signposted, are a long way from the Eurostar platforms. Allow ten minutes inside the station itself.
For the 9th arrondissement and rue de Bellefond, the Gare du Nord is fifteen minutes on foot, or two métro stops on line 7 to Poissonnière or Cadet.
From the Gare de Lyon
Two equivalent routes, around fifteen minutes.
- RER A to Châtelet, then RER B one stop to Saint-Michel Notre-Dame. The interchange at Châtelet is long but well signed.
- Line 14 to Châtelet, then walk or RER B. More comfortable with luggage.
In good weather the walk along the Seine from the Gare de Lyon to the Jardin des Plantes takes about twenty minutes and crosses a handsome stretch of Paris.
Five tips with luggage
- Many Paris stations have no lift. Lines 1 and 14 are the best equipped; the historic network largely is not.
- Buy your tickets on arrival, at the machines or in the app, before going down to the platform.
- Avoid 8–9.30am and 5.30–7.30pm on the RER B: it is the busiest axis in the Paris region.
- Watch your belongings on the RER from the airports; it is the route most exposed to pickpockets.
- Check your accommodation's latest check-in time. With us, entry is by code, with no time limit.
Journey times to the monuments from the Latin Quarter are set out on the Explore Paris page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest way from CDG to the Latin Quarter?
The direct RER B to Luxembourg or Saint-Michel Notre-Dame, in 45 to 55 minutes. No other public transport beats it, and a taxi is only faster outside peak hours.
Can you get from Orly to central Paris by métro?
Yes. Line 14 serves Orly and reaches the centre with no change, in about thirty minutes to Châtelet.
Saint-Michel or Luxembourg?
Luxembourg if you have luggage or are staying at the top of the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève; Saint-Michel if you are near the Seine or boulevard Saint-Michel.
Does the RER B run at night?
No. Service stops around midnight and resumes about five. For a very late or very early flight, plan a taxi or a private hire car.