Private jet to France

For private flyers France is three destinations in one country: business in Paris, summer on the Riviera and in Corsica, and winter in the Alps. Add the vineyards around Bordeaux, Provence, Lyon and the Basque coast, and almost every trip has its own airport. For the capital the answer is nearly always Le Bourget, the busiest business aviation airport in Europe, with no airline traffic at all and a 0:58 h hop from London.

On this market the airport often decides the aircraft rather than the other way round. Cannes-Mandelieu takes jets only up to 35 t, La Môle near Saint-Tropez needs specially approved crews, Chambéry limits arrivals on winter Saturdays, and jets may not take off from Le Bourget late at night. As a broker with an office in Nice, we match the aircraft to the runway, the hour and the address, and book slot, parking and transfer with the flight. Each region has its own page with more detail.

Send the address, the dates and the size of the group, and we will propose the airport and two or three aircraft that fit it.

Why charter a jet for a French trip

Flight times to the main French airports

Times in a Phenom 300 light jet, taken from the price tables below, including taxi, climb and descent:

Paris is about an hour from the nearby financial centres: Amsterdam and Geneva are 1:03 h away, Zurich 1:09 h and Milan Linate 1:22 h. The south takes longer, because Nice is almost 700 km from Le Bourget: 1:28 h in a Citation CJ3. From Hamburg the flight to Nice is 2:00 h, from Larnaca 3:47 h, from Dubai to Paris 6:41 h in a Falcon 900EX, and from New York about 7 h in a long-range jet.

Prices for private flights to France

Each figure is a one-way charter of the entire aircraft, assuming one is based close to the departure airport; handling, parking and passenger taxes come on top. The flight time shown is for the first aircraft in the row.

From the European hubs

The rows cover the six airports most used by our clients: Le Bourget for Paris, Nice and Cannes for the Riviera, Chambéry for the ski resorts, Lyon and Bordeaux:

London to Le Bourget costs EUR 10,000 in a Phenom 300, and to Nice EUR 13,000. A Challenger 350 to Chambéry costs EUR 16,500 from London and EUR 16,000 from Amsterdam, a common choice for a family with ski bags. Cannes accepts the Challenger 350, but not the heaviest long-range jets.

Domestic flights and short hops from neighbouring countries

Distances inside France are long: Paris to Nice is about 700 km, almost as far as London to Geneva. A Pilatus PC-12 turboprop keeps the price down on these sectors, and the French tax is about half the jet rate:

Paris to Nice costs EUR 10,000 in a Citation CJ3 and takes 1:28 h, against 1:55 h in a PC-12 at EUR 8,500. From Brussels or Luxembourg a PC-12 to Le Bourget costs EUR 7,000. On domestic legs the operator must hold an EU licence, so a British or Swiss aircraft cannot carry passengers from Paris to Nice.

Long-haul flights

Le Bourget and Nice take every long-range jet. All three types below fly non-stop on these routes:

The figure moves with the hours flown, the base of the closest available aircraft and the date. In May on the Riviera, in fashion weeks in Paris and on winter Saturdays in the Alps fewer aircraft are free, and parking can force the jet to fly away empty between the two legs. France charges no passenger tax on arrival. The solidarity tax on business aviation is charged when the aircraft leaves France, on domestic sectors as well: about EUR 420 a head in a jet bound for a European airport, roughly half in a turboprop, higher for long-haul destinations. On the outbound side, a UK departure carries Air Passenger Duty (nothing for a PC-12 or any aircraft below 5.7 t, the standard band for most jets listed here, the higher private-jet rate from 20 t with fewer than 19 seats), an Italian one EUR 100 per passenger up to 1,500 km, and a German one the national departure tax. Each tax is a separate line in the quote.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

What a trip really costs

Price per person

Dividing the charter price by the number on board gives the share below; the solidarity tax on the return is then charged for each traveller:

Online calculator

Enter the departure airport, the French destination, the date and the number of passengers, and the calculator sends an estimate by e-mail within minutes.

Airports and business aviation terminals

France has a dense network of airports with business aviation handling, but several of the most popular ones have limits that are worth knowing before booking. Each card links to the detailed page:

When Le Bourget is closed to jet departures or full, the alternatives around Paris are Charles de Gaulle and Orly for all jets, Toussus-le-Noble for turboprops and Beauvais-Tillé for overflow in event weeks. On the coast, Toulon-Hyères takes groups too large for La Môle, and Ajaccio, Bastia and Calvi have runways of about 2,300-2,500 m for most business jets.

Which aircraft for which region

In France the runway limits the choice more often than the range. A summary by class:

For a late return from Paris after 22:15, a turboprop such as the PC-12 can still leave Le Bourget. For the Riviera in summer, hard suitcases, pushchairs and golf bags usually need a midsize jet rather than a light one. Tell us the number and size of bags with the request.

Want to discuss the airport, the slot or a late departure? Leave your number and a consultant will call you back.

Best months to fly to France

The three regions peak at different times. For the Riviera, June after the Grand Prix and September after the yacht shows give warm weather with easier slots; the Alps are easiest midweek in January and in March; Paris works all year except in fashion weeks. Empty Legs are most frequent in September and October, when aircraft leave the south, and after the February changeovers in the Alps.

Transfers from the airports

In summer the A8 motorway and the coast road slow down sharply at weekends, and on winter Saturdays the valley road to Moûtiers is slow with changeover traffic. For Monaco most daytime guests take the helicopter; with a large dog or heavy luggage a car for the whole way is simpler.

Empty Legs to and from France

An aircraft that has no stand after dropping its passengers flies out with an empty cabin. Short parking limits at Nice, Le Bourget and Chambéry make such flights frequent, and they are sold well below the normal price. Typical directions:

An Empty Leg follows the original charter's timetable, so it suits a flexible date. Send the direction and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights, and we will write when a matching leg appears.

Flying with a dog or cat

A dog or cat stays with you in the cabin, provided the operator has said yes before the booking. Within the EU the rules are the same for every country: a microchip, a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel if it is the first one, and an EU pet passport; up to five animals per person. France requires no tapeworm treatment on entry.

A pet passport issued in Great Britain is not accepted for entry into the EU, so dogs and cats from the UK travel with an animal health certificate issued within ten days before arrival. Dogs flying to the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway need a tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival; for a trip abroad of five days or less, a vet in the UK can give it before departure, as long as it is no more than five days before the return. Arrival in Great Britain is only through approved routes and pet handlers.

Entry rules, customs and taxes

Before departure

• Passport or ID card for every passenger, also for flights inside Schengen.
• Names and document numbers the day before departure.
• The exact address: hotel, villa, chalet or berth, so we choose the right airport.
• Time of the return flight, especially from Le Bourget after 22:00 or from a daytime-only airfield.
• Number of bags, ski bags, golf bags and pushchairs.
• Pet documents, breed and weight.
• Company details for the invoice.

How to book a private jet to France

1. Send the departure airport, the date, the number of passengers and the address in France.
2. We check the airport limits: weight at Cannes, approved crews at La Môle, jet departures from Le Bourget at night, Saturday slots at Chambéry.
3. You receive two to four aircraft with operator, model, photos and the price for the whole aircraft; the French tax on the return is a separate line.
4. Once the contract with the operator is signed and paid, we book slot, parking, handling and the helicopter or car.
5. On landing, the car or helicopter waits at the business aviation terminal.

Questions about private flights to France

• • How much does a private jet to France cost?

  • Prices start at EUR 6,500 one way for the whole aircraft, a Pilatus PC-12 from Ajaccio to Nice. A Phenom 300 from London costs EUR 10,000 to Paris and EUR 13,000 to Nice. Taxes, parking and transfers are added.

• • Which Paris airport do private jets use?

  • Le Bourget, about 13 km north of the centre, used only by business and general aviation. Charles de Gaulle and Orly take private jets too, but they make sense mainly for connections to airline flights.

• • Can I fly home from Paris late in the evening?

  • In a jet, the take-off from Le Bourget must be before 22:15. Later departures are possible in a turboprop, which is exempt, or from Charles de Gaulle or Orly.

• • Can a jet land in Courchevel?

  • No. The altiport has a 537 m strip used by helicopters and a few turboprops with qualified pilots. Jets land at Chambéry, about 15-25 minutes away by helicopter.

• • Which airport is best for Saint-Tropez?

  • La Môle, 15 km away, for turboprops and approved light jets in daylight. Larger groups land at Toulon-Hyères or Nice and continue by helicopter.

• • Why can't every jet land at Cannes?

  • Cannes-Mandelieu limits jets to 35 t, which rules out the Global family and the largest Gulfstreams. Heavier aircraft land at Nice, 30-40 minutes away by car.

• • What is the French solidarity tax?

  • A per-passenger tax on business aviation departures from France: about EUR 420 per person on a jet within Europe and about half on a turboprop. Arrivals in France do not pay it.

• • Do I need a passport for France?

  • Flights from Schengen countries normally meet no border control, yet an identity document is needed for boarding. British travellers show their passport on arrival and must meet the Schengen 90-day rule.

• • Can I take my dog to France?

  • Yes. It flies beside you with a microchip, a current rabies vaccination and either an EU pet passport or, from Britain, an animal health certificate. Category 1 fighting-dog types without a pedigree are banned.

• • Can a foreign aircraft fly me from Paris to Nice?

  • Only if the operator holds an EU licence. British, Swiss and other non-EU operators may not carry passengers between two French airports.

• • Are there Empty Legs to France?

  • Yes, especially between Paris, London and Geneva, from the Riviera at the end of the summer and from the Alps after winter weekends. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • When should I book for the Film Festival or the ski holidays?

  • For Cannes in May, the Monaco Grand Prix and Christmas or February in the Alps, as soon as the dates are fixed. The rest of the year a few days' notice is usually enough.