Brussels to Paris by air exists mainly for connections — Thalys rail dominates the point-to-point market.
At just 265 km apart, Brussels and Paris are connected more by rail than by air. The Thalys high-speed train covers the route in about 80 minutes, departing every 30 minutes on weekdays. Air service primarily exists to feed connecting itineraries via CDG or BRU, where passengers combine this short segment with a long-haul flight on the same ticket. Pure point-to-point air travel between these two cities rarely makes economic or time sense.
If you do fly, Air France and Brussels Airlines share the route under their Lufthansa-SkyTeam codeshare arrangements. Fares tend to be bundled into connecting ticket prices, so the segment often costs very little when part of a larger itinerary. Standalone tickets, however, can be surprisingly expensive due to limited leisure demand and business-traveler surcharges on the few remaining frequencies.
CDG is the usual Paris arrival when connecting to long-haul, while Orly serves mostly European and North African traffic. If your final destination is central Paris, Orly is actually closer — about 25 minutes to Châtelet by OrlyVal plus RER. CDG takes 35-50 minutes via RER B. Factor these ground transport differences into your total trip calculation.
For point-to-point travel, Thalys is almost always better — 80 minutes, no airport queues, city-center to city-center. Flying only makes sense as part of a connecting itinerary through CDG or BRU.
Standalone tickets range from EUR 80-250 depending on timing. As part of a connecting ticket, the segment may add very little to the total fare. Compare with Thalys advance tickets starting around EUR 29.
Most land at CDG, which is better for long-haul connections. A few serve Orly, which is closer to central Paris. Check your ticket carefully — the airports are 75 km apart.
