{"id":9543,"date":"2019-03-01T08:15:53","date_gmt":"2019-03-01T08:15:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.headout.com\/?p=9543"},"modified":"2022-03-22T07:14:21","modified_gmt":"2022-03-22T07:14:21","slug":"public-transportation-in-paris-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.headout.com\/blog\/public-transportation-in-paris-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting around in Paris | A guide to Public transportation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paris is a beautiful city lined with shaded boulevards, historic monuments, museums, fashionable boutiques, bistros, bars and a lot more. Ideally the best way to discover Paris is on foot. But knowing that it is a large city with 20 arrondissements, one can easily depend on the elaborate public transport system of Paris to get around the city.<\/p>\n

In this guide, we will take a look at all the major public tranport options available in Paris and what you need to know about them before visiting the City of Lights.<\/p>\n

Paris Public Transportation – An Introduction<\/h2>\n

The city of Paris is divided into administrative districts called arrondissements which start in the centre of the city and pinwheel out clockwise. The Paris public transportation system covers these arrondissements pretty exhaustively.<\/p>\n

It is operated by state owned public transport operator called “R\u00e9gie Autonome des Transports Parisiens” (RATP)<\/b>. It includes the Metro (subway system), the bus, the tramway and the RER. With underground Metro being the most frequented public transport, all these modes complement one another and connect any corner of the city to another.<\/p>\n

Above ground network of buses and tramways take care of the capital\u2019s periphery. The R\u00e9seau Express R\u00e9gional (RER) higher-speed and wider-spaced-station train network connects the capital to more distant suburban regions.<\/p>\n

\"ParisMetroCost: From \u20ac1.90\"ParisParis RERCost: From \u20ac1.90 \"ParisBusFrom \u20ac1.80\"ParisTramFrom \u20ac1.90\"ParisNight BusFrom \u20ac1.70\"ParisTaxi1.05 \u20ac per km<\/p>\n

Paris Public Transportation – Tickets & Where To Get Them<\/h2>\n

T+ Tickets<\/h3>\n

All public transport modes in Paris – metro, RER, bus, tram and the night bus <\/b>– are run by the RATP and use the same ticket, the T+ ticket<\/a>. A single ticket costs \u20ac1.90 while a pack of 10, usually referred to as the carnet, cost \u20ac14.90. With a single ticket, you can travel anywhere within the city of Paris on the public transport networks, and even transfer between lines on the same ticket. These tickets can be bought from ticket vending machines near the turnstiles in M\u00e9tro stations,ticket windows, bus stations, tobacconists or for a slightly higher price from the driver on buses.<\/p>\n

Another ticket option – a pass with unlimited travel – is also a popular, specially among tourists.<\/p>\n

The Paris Travel Card – Paris Visite<\/h3>\n

The Paris Visite card<\/a>is a pass that allows unlimited access to the metro, RER, bus and tram networks in Paris.<\/p>\n

The Paris Visite pass is available in 1, 2, 3 or 5 consecutive day formats. Each of these formats have have the following options:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Zones 1 to 3 : Paris and the close suburbs. \u2022 Zones 1 to 5 : Paris, the suburbs & Orly\/CDG airports, Disneyland and Versailles.<\/p>\n

What Makes Up The Paris Zones<\/h3>\n

\"ParisCredits: www.maps-paris.com<\/a>\"ParisParis Travel Guide<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Paris Visite Card<\/h2>\n

<\/a>Learn all there is to know about the Paris Visite Card and pick up your Visite card before heading out to your Paris trip!<\/a><\/p>\n

Getting to Paris From the Airport<\/h2>\n

Paris is one of the world\u2019s most travelled destinations and thus has world class airports to facilitate the travellers. There are two main international airports in Paris, Charles de Gaulle International Airport<\/a>, also known as Roissy and Orly Airport (ORY)<\/a>. Between these two airport Paris handles millions of travellers each day. As expected the two airports are very well connected to the city through multiple modes of transportation.<\/p>\n

\"londonCredits: www.france-hotel-guide.com<\/a><\/p>\n

From Charles de Gaulle Airport<\/h3>\n

Charles de Gaulle International Airport, one of the largest and busiest international airports of the world is the principal hub for all major airlines. The airport has 3 terminals, split over various levels. The terminals are connected by automated metro with a frequency of 4 minutes.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The RER Train<\/b> is quick and cheap- RER B city trains leave from 2 terminals of the airport. Trains for Paris usually leave from platform 11 & 12. An adult ticket costs about \u20ac10 and that for children(4-9 years) about \u20ac7. The ticket is used to enter and exit the train.<\/li>\n
  2. The cheapest airport bus transfer <\/b>options between Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG) and Paris city centre (Op\u00e9ra Garnier) are the Roissybus service operated by RATP. The ticket cost is about \u20ac11 which can be bought from newspaper stands, ticket machines, or from the driver after boarding for a higher price.<\/li>\n
  3. Cabs <\/b>operate on a flat fare basis irrespective of the traffic conditions or time of day. The set fares are \u20ac50 to the right bank (north of the Seine) and \u20ac55 to the left bank (south of the Seine).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    From Orly Airport (ORY)<\/h3>\n

    Orly Airport serves as a secondary hub for domestic and international flights in Paris but it is still one of the busiest French airports. It is located 14 km (9 miles) south of central Paris, on the opposite side of the city from Charles de Gaulle. It has two terminals, Orly-Sud and Orly-Ouest, both of which are smaller and easier to navigate than their counterparts at CDG.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. The RER B Train<\/b> is a good option for Orly airport transfer to the city. Orly Airport is connected to the RER B train line at Antony train station by the Orlyval shuttle train. The southern branch of the RER-B line goes towards Saint-R\u00e9my-les-Chevreuse. The train has a frequency of 4-7 minutes, it takes about 25-35 minutes for the journey, and costs \u20ac13.25 (RER + Orlyval).<\/li>\n
    2. Bus<\/b> is the cheapest option of airport transfer from Orly Airport to the city. Bus number 183 picks you up in front of Terminal Sud and drops you at Porte de Choisy station in Zone 1 which is quite central. It takes about 50 minutes and costs \u20ac2.<\/li>\n
    3. Taxis<\/b> between Paris and Orly Airport have a flat fare of \u20ac30 for the left bank (south of the Seine) and \u20ac35 for the right bank (north of the Seine) regardless of the traffic situation or time of the day.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Public Tranportation in Paris Deconstructed<\/h2>\n

      1<\/span>The Metro<\/h3>\n

      Metro is the popular rapid transit system for public commute in Paris. Mostly underground this 214 km long network with about 300 stations is one of the busiest metro systems in the world. There are 16 lines( identified by different colours and numbers) operating over different routes covering the length and breadth of Paris. The direction of each line corresponds to its terminal station. Most stations have a large metro map at the entrance and at the platform. You can identify your route and the train you need to take on the map.<\/p>\n

      Timings: <\/strong>Sun-Thur: 5:30 AM- 12:40 AM & Fri-Sat: 5 AM – 1:40 PMFrequency: <\/strong>Every 4-5 minPayment Mode: <\/strong>T+ ticket\/the Paris Visite CardCost: <\/strong>\u20ac1.90 (Single Journey), \u20ac14.90 (10 tickets)\"ParisMetro Map<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

      2<\/span>Paris RER<\/h3>\n

      The RER is a hybrid suburban rapid transit train that goes through Paris and beyond to places like Ch\u00e2teau de Versailles, Stade de France, Disneyland Paris etc. RER functions like the M\u00e9tro, but has fewer stops and hence faster.The RER train network consists of 5 lines represented by different alphabets and each line has a distinctive colour. It has over 250 stations and several connections with Paris Metro. RER has scheduled service and runs mostly above ground, except within central Paris.<\/p>\n

      Timings: <\/strong>RER-A: 5:19 AM – 12:36 AM & RER-B: 4:56 AM – 12:15 AMFrequency: <\/strong>Every 3-5 min to 15-30 minPayment Mode: <\/strong>T+ ticket\/the Paris Visite CardCost: <\/strong>\u20ac1.90 (Single Journey), \u20ac14.90 (10 tickets)\"ParisRER Map<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

      3<\/span>Bus<\/h3>\n

      The ease of travelling in the metro is usually contrasted with the accessibilty and the beautiful views of Paris one gets by travelling on the bus. With a total of 64 bus lines and hundreds of stops throughout the city, travelling on the bus is surprisingly easy and sometimes even quicker than the metro. These bus lines are colour-coded and numbered, and directions are indicated by the station name at the end of the line. You can buy T+ tickets from ticket windows in Metro stations or bus terminals, from automated ticket machines in Metro stations or bus terminals or individually from bus driver.<\/p>\n

      Timings: <\/strong>7 AM – 8:30 PMFrequency: <\/strong>Every 10-15 minPayment Mode: <\/strong>T+ ticket\/the Paris Visite CardCost: <\/strong>\u20ac1.90 (Single Journey), \u20ac14.90 (10 tickets)\"ParisBus Map<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

      4<\/span>Tram<\/h3>\n

      The ease of travelling in the metro is usually contrasted with the accessibilty and the beautiful views of Paris one gets by travelling on the bus. With a total of 64 bus lines and hundreds of stops throughout the city, travelling on the bus is surprisingly easy and sometimes even quicker than the metro. These bus lines are colour-coded and numbered, and directions are indicated by the station name at the end of the line. You can buy T+ tickets from ticket windows in Metro stations or bus terminals, from automated ticket machines in Metro stations or bus terminals or individually from bus driver.<\/p>\n

      Timings: <\/strong>5:30 AM – 1:15 AMFrequency: <\/strong>Every 5-7 minPayment Mode: <\/strong>T+ ticket\/the Paris Visite CardCost: <\/strong>\u20ac1.90 (Single Journey), \u20ac14.90 (10 tickets)\"ParisTram Map<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

      5<\/span>Night Bus<\/h3>\n

      The Paris Night Bus service, also called the Noctilien, makes travelling at night very convenient, especially after the metro closes for the night. There are 47 lines branching out from five major transfer hubs: Ch\u00e2telet, Montparnasse, Gare de l\u2019Est, Gare Saint-Lazare, and Gare de Lyon. All RER stations are served by the Noctilien network. All of the RER stations are connected to the Noctilien network.Tip:<\/b> You can look out for the sign N in a circle with a red star next to it. The bus lines also have an N before the number of the line.<\/p>\n

      Timings: <\/strong>12:30 AM – 5:30 AM Frequency: <\/strong>Every 5-10 min to 15-30 minPayment Mode: <\/strong>T+ ticket\/the Paris Visite CardCost: <\/strong>\u20ac1.90 (Single Journey), \u20ac16.90 (10 tickets)\"ParisNight Bus Map<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

      6<\/span>Taxi Cabs<\/h3>\n

      Taxis in Paris can be easily identified by the “Taxi Parisiens” sign board on top of the car. Unlike other cities, the type and colour of the car used for taxis vary quite a lot. So the best way to look for a taxi is to find cars with the official signage on its roof.There are a total of 18,000 licensed taxis in Paris and you won’t generally face an issue getting one. You can easily hire a taxi at one of the 500 official cab stands, by waving one down on the road or by telephoning a cab stand.<\/p>\n

      Timings: <\/strong>24×7 everyday Payment Mode: <\/strong>CashCost: <\/strong>base price is \u20ac7.10. Additional \u20ac1.07\/km\"Paris<\/p>\n

      Tips on Using The Paris Public Transport System<\/h2>\n

      Paris has an efficient and elaborate public transport system. With little bit of planning and research you can find it very convenient to use it.<\/p>\n