Which is the best airport to fly to New York?

Flying to New York gives you plenty of options. New York is one of North America’s best-connected cities from Europe. But which airport is best for you? Here’s what you need to know about the main departure airports in France and across Europe.

Paris Roissy Charles de Gaulle: choice and strong competition

• With nearly 66 million passengers each year, Roissy Charles de Gaulle is Europe’s second-busiest airport, behind London Heathrow. Roissy-CDG offers the widest range of flights to New York.
• Air France has a strong presence, but you’ll also find all the major US carriers: American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines. These are direct flights from Paris to New York.
• Roissy also offers connecting flights through Lufthansa, British Airways, and Nordic carriers like Finnair and Icelandair. Don’t overlook budget airlines either, especially Norse Atlantic Airways and Play, which keep prices down. The result: fierce competition from Roissy means you can find great deals when airlines need to fill seats. One note: Play lands at Stewart Airport, about an hour’s drive from New York.

Paris Orly: convenient but pricier than Roissy

• In recent years, Paris’s second airport has seen growing traffic to New York. Air France has returned to Orly with a daily Boeing 777 service to New York. This creates competition with airlines that fly to New York only from Orly, such as French Bee and La Compagnie.
• Orly is well-designed: unlike Roissy’s maze-like layout, Orly is much easier to navigate. You’ll save time getting through security and collecting baggage. It’s also convenient if you’re traveling from southern Paris or the surrounding region.

Nice: the best airport if you’re in the south

• If you live in southern France and plan to fly to New York from April onward, check Delta Airlines’ direct flights first. The direct Nice-New York service from Delta is your fastest option. Compare prices—you may find it’s not more expensive than flying from Paris, depending on your dates.
• Beyond this direct flight, you’ll find many connecting options through London or Amsterdam, sometimes at better prices than from Paris Orly. Nice Airport is also compact, practical and easy to use.

Lyon: connecting flights only

• If you live in Lyon or the Rhône-Alpes region, there’s no direct flight between Lyon and New York. It’s an unfortunate situation that hopefully will change. For now, departing from Lyon means you’ll need a connection.
• This isn’t necessarily a drawback—you can play airlines against each other. Air France connects through Paris, Lufthansa through Frankfurt, British Airways through London, Iberia through Madrid, Finnair through Helsinki. Shop around the airline websites and watch for deals.
• Lyon Airport is convenient, and compared to Paris Roissy, you’ll save time at customs and baggage claim, since your luggage travels directly to Lyon.

Frankfurt: competitive prices on connecting flights

• If you live in eastern France, Alsace or Lorraine, you may already be familiar with Frankfurt Airport. Last year, the German hub was Europe’s fourth-busiest airport with 61 million passengers, just behind Istanbul.
• At Frankfurt, you can take advantage of Lufthansa’s reach—the airline serves New York well with very competitive prices. You’ll also find most major US carriers, including United Airlines and Delta Airlines, plus excellent connecting options, notably from TAP Portugal.
• Frankfurt offers an interesting option: direct flights on Singapore Airlines. You get to enjoy the comfort and service of one of the world’s best airlines while heading to New York.
• The airport itself is large and sprawling—you’ll do a lot of walking. In that respect, it’s more like Roissy than Nice Airport.

Brussels: the best airport for northern Europe

• If you live in Belgium or northern France, Brussels Airport is your best option. First, it’s small and therefore very practical.
• Second, there’s strong competition among airlines, including the local Brussels Airlines, KLM, Delta Airlines and United Airlines. Prices tend to be slightly higher than from Roissy. Consider whether adding a high-speed train trip to Paris makes sense—it may not be worth the extra hassle.

Geneva: an airport where prices are higher

• If you live in Switzerland or the Rhône-Alpes region, Geneva Airport would be your closest option for New York. I say “would be” because unfortunately, Geneva is where fares are generally higher than elsewhere. Swiss and Delta Airlines offer direct flights, but prices are noticeably higher than from Paris or other European airports.
• If you’re near Geneva, monitor fares and book well in advance to catch a good deal. Even if prices are slightly higher, the convenience of flying close to home might be worth it.

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