On this page (6 sections)
Who flies it
Two airlines to the main airport, one to a distant alternative.
Three airlines fly Birmingham to Paris, but not to the same place. Air France, the French flag carrier, and easyJet both serve Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), the main international airport, close to the city and easy to reach. Ryanair flies to Paris Beauvais, a small airport well to the north that is Paris only in name. The Charles de Gaulle route was the ninth-busiest from Birmingham in 2025, carrying 349,505 passengers.
That split is the single most important thing to know about this route, because it decides how long your trip really takes and what it really costs. easyJet joined Air France on the CDG route in recent years, which added a low-cost option that lands at the good airport. The airline line-up at Birmingham shows the full picture, and the destinations guide sets Paris among the European cities.
Flight time and distance
About an hour and a half to Charles de Gaulle, across roughly 300 miles.
Charles de Gaulle is about 300 miles from Birmingham, which Air France and easyJet fly in around an hour and a half. Beauvais is a touch closer as the crow flies and the flight is marginally shorter, but that saving disappears on the ground, as the sections below explain. France runs an hour ahead of the UK.
The flying time is short either way. What varies is the time from the aircraft door to central Paris, and that is where the two airports part company completely.
How often it goes
Up to five a day to Charles de Gaulle, plus the Beauvais service.
To Charles de Gaulle, Air France flies three or four times a day and easyJet once or twice, so there are up to five departures a day to the main airport, spread from morning to evening. That is strong frequency for a city break, giving you a genuine choice of times and an easy rebook if a flight is disrupted. Ryanair adds its Beauvais service on top, though less often.
The upshot is that you rarely need to bend your plans around the schedule to CDG. For what is leaving Birmingham on the day, the departures board shows the schedule over the hours ahead; for dates further out, book against each airline's own timetable.
Fares and the real cost
The cheapest fare is not always the cheapest trip.
Paris is a cheap route to fly. One-way fares often start around £25, and Ryanair to Beauvais is frequently the lowest headline price. Air France and easyJet to Charles de Gaulle usually cost a little more, and the cheapest fares across all three are hand-luggage only, so a bag adds to any of them.
The honest maths is in the transfer. A Beauvais fare that looks £15 cheaper can cost you that and more once you add the airport coach, roughly 17 euros each way and about 90 minutes each way, against a 14 euro, 30 minute train from Charles de Gaulle. Add the time back to your weekend and the CDG airlines often win outright. So compare the full door-to-Paris cost, not the seat price. Know your baggage allowance before you pay, and pack to the liquids rules to keep security quick.
Charles de Gaulle or Beauvais: which airport
This is the decision that makes or breaks the trip.
Birmingham has a single terminal, so departure is simple, with bag drop, security and the airport map to guide you. Where you land is the question. Charles de Gaulle (CDG) is about 21 miles from central Paris, with the RER B train running from beneath the terminal into the city in around 30 minutes for about 14 euros, plus coaches, taxis and transfers. It is the airport to aim for.
Paris Beauvais (BVA) is roughly 55 miles north of the city. The official coach to Porte Maillot takes about 90 minutes and costs around 17 euros each way, and it is the practical way in, since the train option is slow and awkward. Beauvais is fine if the Ryanair fare is genuinely much cheaper and you do not mind the transfer, but treat it as a Paris-area airport, not a Paris one. For most travellers, most of the time, book Charles de Gaulle and take the train.
Practical tips
What regular Paris travellers already know.
- Check which airport before you book. Air France and easyJet fly to Charles de Gaulle, close in; Ryanair flies to Beauvais, far out. The airport, not the airline, decides how long your trip takes.
- Compare the full door-to-Paris cost. A Beauvais fare can lose its saving once you add the 90-minute coach. Price the seat plus the transfer, both ways, before deciding.
- Take the RER B from Charles de Gaulle. It runs into central Paris in about 30 minutes for around 14 euros, cheaper and quicker than a taxi in traffic.
- Price the trip with bags. The cheapest fares on all three airlines are hand-luggage only. Add a cabin or hold bag online in advance rather than at the airport.
- Mind your passport dates for France. France is in the Schengen area, so your passport must be under 10 years old on the day you enter and valid for at least three months after you leave.