How to move in Paris

bus in paris

The buses :

The line number and the direction are displayed above the windshield, on top of the bus. One single travel costs one ticket, and if you change bus during your travel or if you take tram, you can keep the same ticket. 10-ticket books are sold in metro stations and in “tabacs” : the bus driver only sells single tickets. The bus stop indicates the line number, on a white background for daily lines, on a black background for those not working on Sundays nor Bank holidays.

How to use: Bus stops and bus shelters indicate the numbers of the lines stopping, as well as the route map, connections, approximate timetables and the times of first ans last buses. Most bus stops also display a map of the close area.

Night buses: The Noctilien network includes 42 lines, all crossing in Paris. There are 5 main connecting stations : Gare de Lyon, Gare Montparnasse, Gare Saint-Lazare, Gare de l’Est and Châtelet. Buses must be flagged down. You may use Carte Orange, Mobilis and Paris Visite and of course single ticket. Every day from 0:30 am to 5:30 am.

train in paris

The trains :

The French national railway company (SNCF) operates two kinds of trains : suburban lines and long distance lines. The first ones form a network of 8 transport zones, all included in the the Ile-de-France area (called “région parisienne”), and they enable you to go and visit touristic places within the day. Before getting on a train, you must have your ticket datestamped or punched in a machine placed at the beginning of the platform. Suburbans towns are served by the 5 RER lines and by suburban trains, leaving from Paris stations (Saint-Lazare, Gare du Nord, Gare de l’Est, Gare d’Austerlitz and Gare de Lyon). You will find many renowned touristic sites on the suburban lines: Giverny, Chantilly, Fontainebleau, and Versailles. Be cautious : Metro tickets are not valid on these train lines. Tickets for “trains de banlieue” are delivered by automatic machines in station halls. Tickets are sold at automatic machines of every Metro and RER station (working with coins and credit card) which sell single tickets as well as books of ten and season tickets.

the underground in paris

The underground :

The underground net includes 14 lines, identified by their number, directions and by their colour (line 14 is completely automatic). They criss-cross Paris and its close suburbs. First trains are at 5:30 am, last trains by 1:15 am. Service extended until 2:15 am on Friday nights, Saturday nights and nights before Bank holidays.

the RER in Paris

The RER:

The RER lines cross Paris and meet in the centre but go further than the metro, in outlying areas. The 5 lines are referred to by their colours and their letter : A, B, C, D and E. Some stations in Paris are common with the Metro. Each train has a name, which makes it easier to read  the timetables on platforms and even in station halls, before getting down. The panels also indicate directions of travel as well as the stations where the train will stop.

- Transport zone 1 and 2 (“section urbaine”) : simple tickets are valid. You can travel throughout Paris, with any correspondence in Metro and with RER.

- Transport zone 3 to 8 : you will need to buy a special ticket corresponding to the direction of your travel. The RER is particularly interesting to go to some touristic places such as Disneyland Resort (line A4) and Versailles (line C5), or to get to Paris Airport : Roissy-Chrles-de-Gaulle airport (line B3) and Orly airport (lines B4, C2).

the tramway in Paris

The Tramway :

A new means of transport which speed and regularity guarantees a growing success : the tramway. In top of the two lines already working -one between La Defense and Issy-les-Moulineaux, in the west of Paris-, the T3 line serves the big exhibition centre of Porte de Versailles. Just buy a simple ticket to go aboard.

paris-visit-pass

Special Tickets :

- Paris Visit Pass : The ideal solution to travel at your convenience throughout Paris and the Ile-de-France, including the Montmartre Funiculaire, the Montmartrobus and the Noctiliens (night buses) Choose your area : Zones 1 to 3, 1 to 5 (valid for disneyland Resort). It is available for 1, 2, 3 or 5 days in a row. Sold in every RATP and SNCF counter and at Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau. Discount and advantages are offered by some museums and visiting places.

- Mobilis Pass : Unlimited travelling during 1 day. Available in every RATP and SNCF counter.

- Combined tickets from RATP include one entry ticket and 2 transport tickets, with immediate access. They can be gought and used at different times and days. Available at the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau and some Metro and RER stations.

- Combined ticket to Disneyland avoids waiting lines at RATP and Disneyland counters. Available in 2 versions : 1 day/1 park and Passe-partout 1 day/2 parks.

-Combined ticket for the Louvre : In addition to priority access, it allows you a 10% discount in cafés and restaurants inside the Louvre museum. Single entry ticket for the Louvre (without transport tickets) is also to be found in Metro and RER stations.

a Taxi in Paris

The Taxi :

To call a taxi in Paris, you just need to dial one phone number : 01 45 30 30 30. You will be put through to the closest taxi rank to where  you are. If no car es available there, the phone service will offer you to go to the second, then the third closest taxi rank. There are 118 (out of 450) taxi ranks with a call box.