Chicago to Paris Flights (ORD to CDG): Nonstops, Flight Time and Getting into Paris

Nonstop with Air France, United and American

Chicago to Paris Charles de Gaulle is well served. As of recent schedules, Air France and United fly it nonstop year-round, and American has operated a nonstop as well, with its service strongest in the warmer months. Between them there are typically two to four departures a day in summer. Most leave O'Hare in the late afternoon or evening and land in Paris the following morning; Air France has also offered a daytime departure that arrives late in the evening.

Air France is a SkyTeam member and shares the route with Delta under their joint venture, so a Delta ticket from Chicago may put you on the Air France nonstop or connect you through Atlanta, Detroit or New York. United is the Star Alliance option, and American the oneworld one, with British Airways and Iberia connections through London and Madrid as alternatives.

One-stop itineraries through Dublin on Aer Lingus, Reykjavik on Icelandair, Amsterdam on KLM or an East Coast hub can undercut the nonstops, but on an eight-hour flight the stop adds a large share of extra time. The exception worth considering is Aer Lingus on the way home, because its Dublin stop includes US immigration preclearance.

Flight time and distance

The great-circle distance between ORD and CDG is roughly 4,140 miles (about 6,670 km). Eastbound, Chicago to Paris typically takes 8 to 8.5 hours in the air with the jet stream behind you. The return from Paris to Chicago is longer, usually 9 to 9.5 hours, with the same winds against you.

An evening departure gives you about seven hours of darkness. Eat before you board, skip the late dinner service and sleep as the lights dim, and you can land with a usable night behind you.

Departing from O'Hare

United departs from Terminal 1 and American from Terminal 3. Air France uses Terminal 5, the international terminal, as do KLM, Aer Lingus and Icelandair. The three terminals are linked by the Airport Transit System people mover and by shuttle buses, but moving between them means leaving the secure area, so a connection from a domestic flight on a different airline needs at least two hours. Returning from Paris, all three airlines' arrivals clear immigration at Terminal 5.

Late-afternoon departures coincide with O'Hare's busiest security period. Two and a half to three hours before departure is a sensible arrival time, and the CTA Blue Line from downtown to the station in the terminal core, about 45 minutes, is immune to the Kennedy Expressway's rush hour.

Arriving at Charles de Gaulle and getting into Paris

Charles de Gaulle has three terminals and the airline decides which one you use. Air France long-haul flights use Terminal 2, mostly hall 2E. United uses Terminal 1, the round building at the heart of the airport. American has used Terminal 2A. Terminal 2 is a cluster of halls joined by walkways and a shuttle train, so look for your hall letter on the screens. Border control can be slow in the morning when many North American flights land together, and the new EU biometric checks add time on a first arrival.

The airport is about 25 km north-east of central Paris. The main ways in:

• RER B train: from the stations at Terminal 2 and at Terminal 3 (a short CDGVAL shuttle ride from Terminal 1) to Gare du Nord in about 35 minutes, continuing to Châtelet-Les Halles and Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame. Buy an airport-to-Paris ticket, not a standard Metro ticket.
• Roissybus: direct to Opéra in 60 to 75 minutes depending on traffic. Convenient for the grands boulevards.
• Taxi: official taxis charge a flat fare to the Right Bank and another to the Left Bank, which removes guesswork. Allow 45 to 75 minutes in traffic.
• Rideshare: available from designated pickup points, usually similar in time to a taxi.

If you are heading beyond Paris, the TGV station under Terminal 2 has high-speed trains to Lyon, Bordeaux, Lille, Strasbourg and Brussels, which often beats a connecting flight.

When to fly and when to book

June through August is the peak from Chicago, with the fullest flights and highest fares. Paris itself is quieter in August, when many Parisians leave and some small shops and restaurants close, so July is often busier on the ground. The weeks before Christmas and the New Year holiday are a second peak, and spring break in March lifts demand briefly.

April to May and September to October are the best months: long daylight, mild weather and fares below summer levels. November through early March is the cheapest period, cold and often grey, but museum queues are short and hotels are cheaper too. For summer travel, book three to five months ahead; outside summer, six to eight weeks is usually enough on a route with this much capacity.

Entry requirements and documents

As of recent rules, US passport holders can visit France and the rest of the Schengen area for short stays without a visa, but arrival procedures have been changing. The EU's Entry/Exit System, which records fingerprints and a photo at the border instead of a passport stamp, has been rolling out across Schengen airports, and the ETIAS pre-travel authorisation is expected to follow. Check the official EU travel pages and the French consulate in Chicago before you fly, since the timing has moved more than once.

Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure from the Schengen area, and border officers may ask for proof of accommodation and a return ticket.

Time zones and jet lag

Paris is seven hours ahead of Chicago for most of the year. Both cities observe daylight saving time but switch on different dates, so for a few weeks in March and late October the gap is six hours. Check your dates if you have a connection or an appointment on arrival.

Eastbound jet lag is the harder direction. You land in the morning after a short night, and the temptation to nap all afternoon is strong. Stay outside in daylight, walk, eat at local meal times, and go to bed at a normal Paris hour; most people feel normal by the second or third day. The return lands in Chicago in the afternoon and is usually easier.

What travellers on this route get wrong

The most common mistake is buying a Metro ticket for the RER B from the airport, which does not cover the journey and leads to a fine. The second is heading to Terminal 2 at Charles de Gaulle for a United flight that leaves from Terminal 1. The third is a tight domestic connection at O'Hare between airlines in different terminals; the people mover works, but the second security line does not care that you are in a hurry.