A 6 am flight from Orly: what time to leave Paris, and is the metro running yet?
The short answer
Paris Aéroport advises arriving 2 hours before a short-haul flight: for a 6 am take-off, you need to be at Orly by 4 am, so you leave Paris at around 3:15 am. At that hour metro line 14 is not running yet: according to RATP, the first train leaves the terminus at around 5:30 am. That leaves the car: a flat-fare taxi or a private driver, at €95 in an E-Class sedan, the same price as in broad daylight.
There is no point setting off earlier: according to RATP, Orly's terminals close between 00:30 and 03:30, so leaving at midnight "to be safe" would leave you waiting outside. These sums are an example: your airline's instructions come first.
Checked on 28 October 2026 (line 14) and 18 October 2026 (Paris Aéroport and RATP, getting to Orly). Sources: RATP, line 14, Paris Aéroport, check-in and RATP, getting to Orly.
Counting back from a 6 am flight
Start from the departure time and work backwards. Paris Aéroport advises being at the airport 2 hours before a short-haul flight and 3 hours before a long-haul one. For a short-haul flight taking off at 6 am, that puts you at the airport at 4 am.
Then comes the drive. The route planner puts Orly 16 to 22 km from Paris, about 40 minutes without traffic, toll-free (indicative, depending on the address). Take those 40 minutes off 4 am, keep a small margin, and the pick-up lands at around 3:15 am. If you are staying in the north of Paris, bring it forward a little.
Metro 14 at dawn: 6, 7, 8 or 9 am
Line 14 runs from central Paris to the "Aéroport d'Orly" station, next to Orly 3, in 25 minutes, on the Paris Région ↔ Airports ticket at €14. But the first train leaves the terminus at around 5:30 am, and Saint-Denis Pleyel to the airport takes about 40 minutes: the first metro does not reach Orly until after 6 am. The table applies the same 2-hour rule to four short-haul departure times.
| Flight time | At Orly (2 hours before) | Leave Paris by car | Metro 14 possible? | Private driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 am | 4 am | around 3:15 am | No: not running yet | Yes, pick-up around 3:15 am |
| 7 am | 5 am | around 4:15 am | No: the first one arrives after 6 am, too tight | Yes, pick-up around 4:15 am |
| 8 am | 6 am | around 5:15 am | Yes, on the very first trains, a few minutes short of the advised 2 hours | Yes, pick-up around 5:15 am |
| 9 am | 7 am | around 6:15 am | Yes, easily | Yes, pick-up around 6:15 am |
Catching the last metro the night before solves nothing: it reaches the terminus at around 1:15 am Sunday to Thursday, 2:15 am at the latest on Fridays, Saturdays and the eve of public holidays, when the terminals are closed.
At 3 am: taxi or private driver
For a 6 or 7 am flight, the question is no longer "metro or car" but "which car". Between Orly and Paris, taxis work on a regulated flat fare, set by decree, which depends on the bank of the Seine where you are staying. At 3 am, booking one is wiser than hoping to hail one in the street.
| Option | Price | Before 5:30 am? | Drops you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro 14 | €14 per person | No | Station next to Orly 3 |
| Taxi, Right Bank flat fare | €45 (regulated flat fare) | Yes, book ahead | Outside the terminal |
| Taxi, Left Bank flat fare | €36 (regulated flat fare) | Yes, book ahead | Outside the terminal |
| Precelya, E-Class sedan | €95 for the car | Yes, at the agreed time | Outside the terminal |
| Precelya, guaranteed V-Class van | €115 for the car | Yes, at the agreed time | Outside the terminal |
Taxi flat fares checked on 18 October 2026 (decree of 24 December 2025). The taxi costs less than the sedan: the difference buys a pick-up time agreed in advance and a driver whose only job that night is your ride.
What a private driver changes, compared with a taxi or an app
A private driver gives his time to your ride: he takes no ride before yours, prepares and cleans the car, tracks your flight and stands at arrivals holding your name, then helps with the luggage. If the plane lands an hour late, he is still there; if the delay stretches on, he stays or we replace him. The driving is calm and safe. These commitments are written here in black and white; a metered ride or an app estimate carries none of them.
For the price gap shown, you are buying peace of mind: a driver who has only you, a car that is ready, and nobody to look for on arrival.
Why a private driver rather than Uber, Bolt or a taxi: the full answer.
If your flight is at 8 am or later
To be straight with you: for one traveller or a couple with cabin bags, an 8 am flight works by metro, on the first trains, and a 9 am flight without a second thought. Two tickets cost far less than a car, line 14 avoids the traffic and covers the ride from the centre in 25 minutes.
The car takes over again when the flight leaves before 8 am, when your address is far from line 14, when the suitcases are heavy, or when you would rather sleep a little longer than walk to a station in the dark.
Paris to Orly before dawn with Precelya
Our central commitment: a fixed price confirmed before the ride, unchanged at any hour. A 3:15 am pick-up costs what a 3 pm one does. You choose the time when you book; outside the hotel or home, free waiting runs to 15 minutes. Add to that a driver devoted to your ride, no ride before yours, a car prepared and cleaned, help with luggage on arrival and departure, tolls and parking included. Full route, terminal by terminal: page Orly to Paris private transfer.
| Service | E-Class sedanup to 3 passengers · 3 bags | V-Class van (guaranteed)up to 7 passengers · 7 bags | S-Classup to 3 passengers · 3 bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orly ↔ Paris | €95 | €115 | €150 |
Price per vehicle, not per passenger, taxes included · 10% VAT included · Prices checked on .
A dawn flight, a car at the agreed time
Send us your flight time and your Paris address: we reply with the pick-up time we advise and a fixed price, the same at night.