A trip to France is tops on most travelers' lists. The French countryside, city streets of Paris, art, the wine, the cheese--there's much to love. But practicality must also play a role in your decision. Find out here everything you need to know about a flight to France from New York, including how long it'll take.
As one of the most visited countries in the world, France has international airports in all major cities and regions. However, traveling from New York you're most likely going to be going to Paris, the capital of France and home of the largest airport in the country. Handling tens of millions of passengers per year in three terminals, the Charles de Gaulle International Airport (GDG) is 15 miles northeast of Paris. The second airport near Paris, located south of the city, is the older but still well-traveled Orly International Airport (ORY).
Flights to France depart from Kennedy (JFK), the largest of the three airports serving the New York metropolitan area, as well as La Guardia (LGA) or Newark (EWR). The travel time is essentially the same from any of these airports.
New York and Paris are 3,628 miles apart. With a direct flight, it's likely to take about 7 1/2 hours to get to Paris from New York. Add in a plane change and that could take a lot longer. For example, a five-hour layover in Amsterdam will take more than five hours extra because a flight from New York to Amsterdam takes about 7 1/2 hours then it's another 90-minute flight from Amsterdam to Paris.
Although Paris and New York are still 3,628 miles apart, your flight home is going to take a little bit longer--an hour longer, to be exact.
A plane ride this long can be somewhat uncomfortable. But if you follow some basic tips, you can make your flight as painless as possible.
Airplanes are notoriously dehydrating and drinking plenty of water will help. It'll also help you to get up and go to the bathroom, which will keep your blood circulating. If you don't have to go, get up and walk up and down the aisle anyway.
Bring plenty of activities to pass the time: Books, magazines, a movie to watch, knitting or computer games. Take a short nap, or a longer one if your flight is an overnight flight. Daydream about what you'll do when you finally get to France.
