Paris Is Building a Metro Line That Gets You to Versailles in 30 Minutes
If you’ve ever tried to get from Orly Airport to Versailles by public transit, you know the pain.
You’re looking at a bus, then a train, maybe two trains, somewhere between 90 minutes and two hours if everything connects, and a fair amount of confusion along the way.
Paris is fixing that. Slowly, but it’s happening.
The Metro Paris Should Have Built Years Ago
A brand-new metro line is opening in Paris before the end of 2026. It’s called Line 18, it’s part of a massive project called Grand Paris Express.
When it’s fully finished in 2030, it will connect Orly Airport all the way to Versailles in about 30 minutes.
Orly to Versailles in 30 minutes. One train, no transfers.
The full line doesn’t open until 2030. But the first section launches this year, and the airport connection follows in 2027.
If you’re planning a Paris trip in the next few years, this is worth knowing about.
What Is Grand Paris Express?
Think of it as Paris admitting that its suburb-to-suburb transit has always been a mess.
The Grand Paris Express multi-billion-euro project adds four brand-new automated metro lines to the Paris network.
Right now, if you want to get from one suburb to another, you almost always have to route through central Paris first. Grand Paris Express cuts out that detour.
Line 18 is the first of the four new lines to open. It’s 35 km long, fully driverless, and runs at up to 100 km/h, which puts it among the fastest metro lines being built anywhere right now.
It connects Orly Airport to Versailles-Chantiers, passing through the Paris-Saclay area, a huge cluster of universities and tech companies south of the city.
Paris hasn’t built a metro line this new in 30 years. Line 18 is a big deal.
Opening This Year
The first stretch opens before the end of 2026 and covers four stations between Massy-Palaiseau and Christ de Saclay.
It’s useful mainly for people commuting into the university and research campus at Saclay.
For travelers, it’s more of a preview than a game-changer.
The section that matters for anyone flying into Orly, the connection from the airport to Massy, opens by the end of 2027.
And the Versailles connection wraps up in 2030.
So if you’re heading to Paris this year or next, Line 18 won’t change much about your trip yet. But it’s useful to know it’s coming, especially if you’re planning ahead.
The Versailles Connection
Versailles is one of the most visited places in France, and getting there is genuinely annoying right now.
From central Paris, the RER C gets you there, but it’s slow, often crowded, and involves a long walk from the station to the palace.
From Orly, you’re looking at a multi-step journey with no great options.
Once Line 18 is complete in 2030, Orly to Versailles becomes a direct 30-minute ride. No transfers.
If you’re flying in and Versailles is on your list, that’s a completely different kind of trip than what’s possible today.
It also makes Versailles more realistic as a base. Hotels there run noticeably cheaper than in Paris, and if the transit connection is fast and direct, staying in Versailles and day-tripping into the city starts to make real financial sense.
Also Worth Knowing
Grand Paris Express has been in the works for years and has seen delays across multiple lines.
The line originally targeted an October 1 opening for its first section. That slipped to around November 30.
Line 18 is ahead of the others, but don’t build your itinerary around an exact date. Check closer to your travel time.