Best way to get from downtown Paris to Orly
 

Any recommendations other than cabbing it?

I googled 'orly airport' and found several sites with detailed directions using shuttles and the RER. You might try that and see which site best fits your needs.

Go to www.ratp.fr and click on the British flag to view the site in English. Then click on "Airport Access" on the left-hand side of the page. You'll get a list of public transport choices and maps showing their routes.

Yes, but if there are more than two of you a cab is both quicker and cheaper. Three of us went from Orly to the 7th last September for €23, with tip.

:-)

All the modes, pro and con, are summarized here: tinyurl.com/yh97u4

The Orlybus that leaves from Denfert-Rochereau is very popular.

Otherwise, the RER B is the way to go.

Using the Métro program from nanika.net, I get the following for transit from Oberkampf(closest to our hotel):
Take Ligne 5 Direction Place d'Italie to Gare d'Austerlitz; transfer to Ligne RER C Direction Massy-Palaiseau to Pont de Rungis-Aéroport d'Orly; tansfer to Orlyval (Ligne Orly Rail) Direction Orly-Ouest to Orly Sud terminal

I'm figuring about an hour allowing for transfers and such. This reasonable and is there any saving (in money if not convenience) for 2 people over cabbing it?

Believe me, you don't want to take any of the Orly itineraries using the RER C unless your hotel is directly next to an RER C station. The trains stop at every station going to Pont de Rungis and it takes forever. A shuttle bus awaits you there. The Orlyval is not involved.

Aw, c'mon.

Pont de Rungis is the 8th stop from Gare d'Austerlitz. By way of comparison: on RER B from St-Michel, Antony is the 12th stop.

The fare from Oberkampf to Pont de Rungis is 3,45€ according to http://www.transilien.com/web/site/a...et-abonnements

True that it's cheaper but it takes about 4 times longer.

Well, using the nanika Métro program, it's showing a travel time of about 42 minutes by its routing vs. about 52 going by Orlybus and getting from Oberkampf to Denfert-Rochereau. Are these times realistic? I'm assuming a certain amount of fudge factor and walking time at the two transfers, hence my assumption of allowing an hour