Skip to main content

Accra ⇄ Paris · One stop · Via Brussels, Amsterdam, Casablanca, Istanbul or Lisbon

Flights from Accra to Paris: France with one change

Aerial view of Paris at sunset, with the Eiffel Tower rising above the rooftops

Paris is the capital of the French-speaking world, and Francophone Africa is everywhere in it: in the markets of Château Rouge, the Senegalese and Ivorian restaurants of the north-east, and the African treasures, some of them looted, in its museums. Ghana sits surrounded by French-speaking neighbours, yet no airline flies nonstop from Accra to Paris. The best ways are one change in Brussels, often with a fast train to finish, or in Amsterdam, Casablanca or Istanbul. Here are the routes, the visa and transit rules, and Paris beyond the postcard.

The best one-stop routes from Accra

Times are approximate, without the connection. France is one hour ahead of Ghana in winter and two in summer.

ViaAirline from AccraAccra → hubHub → ParisTransit visa for Ghanaians?
BrusselsBrussels Airlinesabout 6 h 50about 1 h 25 by Eurostar train, or a short flightBrussels becomes your Schengen entry point; you need your French Schengen visa
AmsterdamKLMabout 6 h 30about 1 h 15Amsterdam becomes your Schengen entry point; you need your French Schengen visa
CasablancaRoyal Air Marocabout 4 h 30about 3 hNo, if you stay airside
IstanbulTurkish Airlinesabout 7 habout 3 h 45No, if you stay airside
LisbonTAP Air Portugalabout 6 habout 2 h 20Lisbon becomes your Schengen entry point

Which one to pick

The smart route: Brussels Airlines to Brussels, then the Eurostar high-speed train from Brussels-Midi to Paris Gare du Nord, straight into the city centre in under an hour and a half, with no second airport. The quickest by air: KLM via Amsterdam. Often cheapest: Royal Air Maroc via Casablanca, which also lands at Orly. If you combine a flight and a train, check whether they are on one ticket; if not, leave a generous buffer in Brussels.

All Europe flights from Accra Accra arrivals today

Transit visas: check before you buy

Ghanaians normally need an airport transit visa to change planes in the Schengen area. If you hold your French Schengen visa, there is no problem: the first Schengen airport, Brussels, Amsterdam or Lisbon, is simply where you enter, and you continue to Paris inside Schengen. Holders of a valid US, Canadian or UK visa are also exempt from the transit visa. Casablanca and Istanbul need no transit visa if you stay airside. Rules change; confirm with the French Embassy before booking.

Ghana and Paris right now

Local time in both cities, the weather at this moment, and a converter between cedis, euros and the main currencies.

Say it in French

Parisians respond far better when you start in French, even badly. Ghanaians who learned some French at school, now is the time.

  • Bonjour / Bonsoir: good day / good evening. Say it on entering every shop, café and office; skipping it is considered rude.
  • Merci / Merci beaucoup: thank you / thank you very much.
  • S'il vous plaît: please.
  • Excusez-moi: excuse me.
  • L'addition, s'il vous plaît: the bill, please.
  • Je ne parle pas bien français: I don't speak French well. It opens doors.

France in brief

Key facts

  • Capital: Paris.
  • Currency: euro (EUR). Cards and contactless payment work almost everywhere.
  • Language: French.
  • Time: UTC+1 in winter, UTC+2 in summer: one or two hours ahead of Ghana.
  • Entry for Ghanaians: a Schengen visa, applied for through the official France-Visas website and France's visa application centre in Accra. If France is your main destination, apply to France, not to the country you change planes in.
  • Entry for UK and US passports: visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 days. The EU's new entry system and the ETIAS travel authorisation are being introduced; check the current rules before travel.
  • Ghana and the French-speaking world: Ghana is an associate member of the Francophonie, the organisation of French-speaking countries, and French is taught in many Ghanaian schools.
  • Plugs: two round pins (types C and E). Bring an adapter from Ghana's three-pin plugs.

Africa in Paris

Paris has one of the largest African populations in Europe, mainly from France's former colonies: Senegal, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, the two Congos and North Africa. Around the Château Rouge metro station in the 18th arrondissement, the streets of the Goutte d'Or are a West African market: wax print, yams, plantain, smoked fish, hair salons and phone shops. The Ghanaian community in Paris is small compared with London's, but Ghanaians who speak French find their way into this world quickly.

The city's museums tell another story. The Musée du quai Branly holds tens of thousands of objects from Africa, many taken during the colonial period. In 2021 France returned 26 royal treasures to Benin, looted from the palaces of Abomey in 1892, and the debate over the rest continues. The Palais de la Porte Dorée, built for the 1931 Colonial Exhibition, now houses the national museum of the history of immigration: a building made to celebrate empire, telling the story of the people who came after it.

Paris: the main attractions

  • The Eiffel Tower at sunset above the River Seine and green treesThe Eiffel Tower and the SeineBook the lift online to avoid the queues, or walk the stairs to the second floor. A boat on the Seine at dusk shows the city at its best.
  • The illuminated glass pyramid of the Louvre at night, reflected in the waterThe LouvreThe world's most visited museum, from the Mona Lisa to ancient Egypt. Book a time slot; closed on Tuesdays.
  • The Arc de Triomphe under a vivid sunset sky, with traffic circling the monumentArc de Triomphe and the Champs-ÉlyséesNapoleon's victory arch, with a roof terrace over twelve avenues. Among the soldiers it honours are African troops of the colonial army.
  • The red windmill and façade of the Moulin Rouge in MontmartreMontmartre and the Moulin RougeThe hill of artists, the Sacré-Cœur basilica, and the famous cabaret at its foot. Château Rouge's African market is a short walk away.
  • Musée du quai BranlyArt from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, next to the Eiffel Tower, and at the centre of the restitution debate.
  • VersaillesThe palace of the French kings, about 40 minutes by RER train. Allow a full day.

Tours in Paris with local guides, from the Louvre to the Seine, booked before you travel. Entrance fees are included in the tour price; tips are not included but always welcome.

Beyond the monuments

Colourful umbrellas suspended above a narrow Parisian street, forming a canopy

The best of Paris is often in its side streets: the covered passages of the 2nd arrondissement, the canal Saint-Martin, the markets of every quarter, and the cafés where a coffee buys you a seat for an hour. Walk, take the metro, and leave the big avenues to the tour buses.

Arriving in Paris

  • Charles de Gaulle (CDG): about 25 kilometres north-east of the city, used by KLM, Turkish and most long-haul connections. The RER B train runs to Gare du Nord and Châtelet in about 35 to 50 minutes.
  • Orly (ORY): south of the city, used by Royal Air Maroc, TAP and others. Metro line 14 now runs from Orly straight into central Paris.
  • Gare du Nord: if you come by Eurostar from Brussels, you arrive right in the city, with metro, RER and taxis outside.
  • Taxis: official taxis from both airports charge fixed fares to central Paris. Use the official ranks only, never drivers who approach you inside the terminal.

Honest tips for this route

  • Pickpockets. Paris has some of the most skilled in Europe, especially on metro line 1, at the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Montmartre. Keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket.
  • Street scams. The petition signers, the "found" gold ring, the friendship bracelet at Sacré-Cœur: smile, say non merci, and keep walking.
  • Strikes. French transport strikes (grèves) are announced in advance. Check the news before travel days.
  • Visa first. Apply for the French Schengen visa before buying your ticket, and only through the official channels.
  • Museum days. Many museums close on Monday or Tuesday. Check before you go.
  • Food parcels. Meat, fish and dairy products cannot be brought into the EU from outside. Dried fish will be taken at customs.

Coming the other way: from Paris to Ghana

French visitors need a Ghana visa before travel. Many French travellers combine Ghana with its French-speaking neighbours: Lomé is three hours by road from Accra, and Abidjan an hour by air. Ghana offers what the Francophone coast rarely does: English, the castles, and a well-trodden route along the coast.

Airport pickup with free internet, private vehicle hire and a three-destination tour, booked before you land. Entrance fees are included in the tour price; tips are not included but always welcome.

Accra International Airport Embassies in Accra Ghana ETA and e-visa

Read and listen across Africa

Before you fly, tune in to the country you are going to. Live radio from all over the continent, in one place.

All African Radio Stations

All airlines and city guides

More of Europe from Accra

French-speaking Africa from Accra

All city guides GhanaFlights.info home Airlines overview

Search the whole network

Search our Network. Start here.

Part of the Ghana-Net network

GhanaFlights.info belongs to an independent network of more than 70 African travel, heritage and information websites, online since December 2000, with its own sites for much of French-speaking West Africa. No Google advertising, no sponsored praise: just the routes and the countries, as they are.

Ghana-Net.com · SenegalVibes.com · BeninVibes.com · GuineaVibes.com · BurkinaVibes.com · DR Congo · Morocco · Denegal.com · AfricanIndependence.com

Updated and fact-checked: 29 October 2026. Routes from the airline timetables on GhanaFlights.info; flight and train times approximate; entry and transit rules checked in October 2026. Always confirm with the airline and the French authorities before booking. Text and research by Remo Kurka for GhanaFlights.info. This website carries no Google advertising.