Crossing Paris Just Got Easier
Metro Line 14 Extended to Orly Airport
On June 24 th 2024, the city of Paris inaugurated the north and south extensions of Metro Line 14 – a major technological accomplishment, just one month before the start of the Olympic Games. It crosses Paris from north to south in just 40 minutes and makes getting to Apartments du Louvre much easier and quicker. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about using this new, modern, comfortable means of transportation. Line 14 is truly a monumental work, a “first” in so many ways. It is a totally automated, driverless line that has added 15 kilometers of track and 8 new metro stations (for a total of 21 stations that span 30 km). It is the first metro line that will take its passengers directly to an airport, that being Orly Airport, France’s second largest. Line 14 is now the fastest option for crossing Paris from north to south. The northern terminus is the Saint-Denis Pleyel Station, near the infamous Stade de France. This impressive, modern station, with its 3750 square meters of glass façade, was designed by the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who also created the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics.
Metro Line 14 New and Definitely Improved
Some major stations that are serviced by Line 14 include Gare de Lyon, Gare St. Lazare, Chatelet-les-Halles and Madeleine. For our guests arriving at Orly Airport, Line 14 will get them to Chatelet-les-Halles in just 25 minutes. Apartments du Louvre is a short walk from Chatelet. Since it’s brand new, Line 14 has elevators and escalators making it easier when coming from the airport with luggage. It is clean, air-conditioned, and spacious. At Orly Airport, there is a sublime fresco created by the Portuguese artist Vhils using azulejos, traditional ceramic tiles. Each new station has a theme that is characterized by a famous artist. This transportation milestone was more than 6 years in the making. The main upgrades of Line 14 are related to speed and comfort. Eight-carriage cars (with 261 seats) have replaced the old six-carriage metros and there is a train arriving every 85 seconds. It is projected that 800,000 passengers will travel on Line 14 daily. The trains now run at 40 km/h (25 miles) instead of the former 25 km/h (15.5 miles).
The Cost of Convenience
If you already have a Carte Navigo (all zone) you will not need to pay anything extra to get to Orly Airport. However, most visitors are not in that category and there is an extra fee for getting to Orly. A single ticket costs 10.50 Euros – you have 2 options for purchase. The first one would be to download the Ile de France Mobilites Application (https://www.iledefrance-mobilites.fr/en), which explains everything in several languages and on which you can purchase your tickets ahead of time. The second option is to use a ticket machine at the airport or metro station. There might be long lines at the ticket machines in Orly, so it’s best to plan ahead. The extension of Line 14 should prove to be a huge improvement in moving around Paris. It offers better, more streamlined connections between public transportation lines, a fluid journey, improved access and, most importantly, it will save you time in getting to your destination of Apartments du Louvre (among other places)!
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