The public transport system of Paris is quite complex, but highly developed. It covers every corner of the multi-million and multinational city. It is here that the main attractions of the country are collected, scattered throughout the capital. Public transport in Paris includes the metro, tram, bus, train, ferry and sightseeing transport. Montmartre is served by a funicular, which is also part of the public transport network. As in other European cities, bike rental is becoming increasingly popular in Paris. I will provide you with information on the cost of travel, tickets, season tickets and how to save money.
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1. Tickets and tourist cards
Most tickets in Paris are provided by the state structure RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens). The Paris Autonomous Transport Operator operates the metro, 8 tram lines (two more - T4 and T11 - are operated by SNFC), the RER and some bus lines.
Tickets of any type can be purchased at newsstands, tobacconists, the metro, train station and airport ticket offices, information desks or special ticket machines.
First, let's look at the territorial division of the region and the current fares. Paris is part of the Ile-de-France region. The area is divided into transport zones. Paris is zone 1, the suburbs are the remaining zones. The Paris metro covers the first two zones. RER covers all zones, but in Paris (i.e. zone 1) you need to buy either a regular ticket (for one trip) or a travel card. If you travel on the RER and leave zone 1, the cost of the ticket will directly depend on the distance to the destination zone.
Children under 4 travel free, children 4-10 years old receive a 50% discount on buses, metro, trams and RER.
Ticket t+ - a ticket for one trip within zone 1. Valid on Île-de-France buses (except Orlybus and Roissbus), the metro, the RER and the Montmartre funicular. The validity period of the ticket after punching and possible transfers (according to the official website of RATP):
- from one metro line to another - 2 hours;
- from the metro to RER or from RER to RER - 2 hours;
- from bus to bus (RATP and OPTILE lines) - 90 minutes;
- from bus to tram or from one tram line to another - 90 minutes.
This means that during this time you can travel with a ticket t+, but do not forget to validate the ticket when changing transport, because if you do not have a temporary stamp, you will be fined. You will have to pay. You will save a lot if you buy Carnet — these are 10 t+ tickets with a discount.
Price of a t+ ticket:
- t+ for one trip --- 2.50 euros;
- Carnet set (10 t+ tickets) --- 17.35 euros (for children 4-10 years old --- 8.65 euros). You cannot buy this set from the driver.
If you add a t+ ticket to your Navigo Easy card balance, it will cost you less, in particular:
- t+ for one trip --- 2.15 euros;
- Carnet set (10 t+ tickets) --- 17.35 euros (for children 4-10 years old --- 8.65 euros). You cannot buy this set from the driver.
Ticket t — a ticket for one journey within zone 1, but without a transfer, as with t+. You can buy the ticket from the driver. The price is 2 euros.
Île-de-France ticket — a ticket for one journey in the Île-de-France region. Valid on the metro, RER and SNCF. The price depends on how many zones you cross. You can see the RATP tariff calculator here. For example, a ticket from Orly Airport to Versailles will cost you 16.10 euros (with a discount - 12.65 euros).
Billet aéroport - to travel from Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports to the city center or vice versa, you need to buy a separate type of ticket, which is valid for buses, trams and RER.
Trip from Charles de Gaulle Airport:
- bus Roissybus (to the Opera) --- 16.60 euros;
- bus No. 350 (to Gare de l’Est and No. 351 (to Place de la Nation) --- 2.15 euros;
- station RER B --- 11.80 euros.
Trip from Orly airport:
- bus Orlubus (to Place Denfert-Rochereau) --- 11.50 euros;
- tram T7 (to Villejuif-Louis Aragon) --- 2.15 euros;
- metro line Orlyval (to Gare d’Antony) --- 11.30 euros;
It is better to buy tickets for travel from the airport at the RATP ticket offices or machines.
Navigo Semaine - Unlimited travel card for one week. There are monthly and annual ones. You can choose two zones or all zones (the price depends on this). The card is personal. You must indicate your first and last name and attach a photo (you can take a photo in photo booths at points of sale). This card will not suit everyone: the card does not start working from the moment of activation, but from 00:00 Monday to 23:59 Sunday. For example, if you arrive in Paris on Wednesday, you do not need to buy a Navigo, since you can do so on the remaining days of the week. You are better off buying a Carnet. But if you come to Paris at the beginning of the week, Navigo will give you the opportunity to move freely around Paris and its suburbs.
The card is valid everywhere except the Orlyval line.
Cost of the card:
- All zones --- 22.80 euros;
- 2-3 zones --- 20.85 euros;
- 3-4 zones --- 20.20 euros;
- 4-5 zones --- 19.85 euros.
Navigo Easy is a new contactless travel card for tourists. Since June 12, 2019, a new travel card has been released especially for tourists, on the balance of which you can simultaneously have several types of regular tickets (t+, Carnet, Navigo jour, Orlybus, Roissybus). The card is designed to replace paper tickets. The price of a refillable card is 2 euros. You can give it to someone else, but it cannot be used by several passengers at the same time during one trip. You can also fill it out using a mobile application. The main advantage of Navigo Easy is that you do not need a photo or ID to register, as it is not personal.
All types of travel cards and tickets can be found here.
(I recommend always having unused metro tickets with you, as not all metro stations have ticket machines at the entrance).
Some cards are designed specifically for tourists, which will save you time and money. Whether to buy one or not is up to you, depending on what attractions you plan to visit.
Paris Museum Pass is a very convenient card. It allows you to visit more than 60 of the best museums in the capital (see the full list here). And also skip the line to visit the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, the Georges Pompidou National Centre for Arts and Culture and Saint-Chanel.
Cost of the card:
- 2-day --- 52 euros;
- 4-day --- 66 euros;
- 6-day --- 78 euros.
Paris Visite — this pass is valid for 1, 2, 3, or 5 days, in pre-selected transport zones, on all types of transport (metro, bus, tram, RER, SNCF), although it must be said that it does not provide a significant discount.
Cost of the card for zones 1–3:
- 1-day (adult/child) --- 12/6 euros;
- 2-day --- 19.50/9.75 euros;
- 3-day --- 26.65/13.30 euros;
- 5-day --- 38.35/19.15 euros.
Cost of the card for zones 1–5:
- 1-day (Adult/Child) --- 25.25/12.60 euros;
- 2-day --- 38.35/19.50 euros;
- 3-day --- 53.75/26.85 euros;
- 5-day --- 65.80/32.90 euros.
This card will help you in the following places:
- at the Wax Museum - 25% discount (regular ticket - 24.50 euros);
- at the Picasso Museum - 2.50 euros discount;
- on the tourist bus L'Open Tour - 6 euros discount;
- in other cases, only a small discount when buying a second or third ticket, but not valid in the most "necessary" and famous museums.
Paris Pass - With this tourist card, you will visit some city museums for free, ride the Hop On Hop Off tourist bus for free, ride public transport for free and without restrictions, get a free tourist guide, a discount when buying tickets, no queues, etc.
Cost of the card:
- 2-day (adults/2-17 years) --- 89/54 euro;
- 3-day --- 119/69 euro;
- 4-day --- 199/74 euro;
- 6-day --- 229/84 euro.
2. Paris Metro
The Paris Metro is the easiest and most convenient way for tourists to travel around the city. There are more than 300 metro stations and 16 lines in Paris. Each line has its own characteristic color. More about the Paris Metro.
3. Electric train RER
The RER (Réseau Express Régional d'Île-de-France) electric train lines connect the outer suburbs of Paris with the center. They are comfortable and modern, move quickly and strictly follow the schedule. RER has 5 lines - A, B, C, D, E. Full information about the electric train (terminal and intermediate stops) appears on the electronic board of the platform. One of the undoubted advantages of the RER system is that you can quickly and inexpensively get from the center of Paris to the Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports.
The fare for the RER train is the same as for the metro, but only until the passenger moves within the city. Ticket machines and ticket offices are located at the train stations. If the route of travel goes beyond the city, it is necessary to buy another ticket valid for the entire Ile-de-France region. If the passenger does not have such a ticket, he will not be able to pass through the turnstile and will have to pay a fine. Tickets for the RER train, like tickets for the metro, fully cover travel within Paris. Metro tickets can also be used to travel on the RER lines.
Some of the (A and B) lines are operated by RATP, the rest (C, D and E) - by SNCF. On the maps, the RER lines are represented by letters written in a circle.
Metro or RER - what's the difference?
- Metro is a classic system: trains run mostly underground, and frequently. There are many stops, the distance between stations is small;
- RER is a passenger transport system that covers most of Paris and the suburbs (Ile-de-France). As we already mentioned, the RER area includes two Paris airports (Rois-Charles de Gaulle and Orly), as well as Disneyland Paris and Chateau Versailles.
A little chaos is created in the city center, where the RER stations are located further from each other and are somewhat reminiscent of the express metro system (longer trains and faster travel). In the center of Paris, the RER stations are connected to metro stations and form six important transport hubs. Metro tickets and Ticket t+ are permitted on RER trains, but within zone 1 or in central Paris, which is bounded by the Boulevard Periphérique.
4. Transilien
Transilien - suburban trains (operated by SNCF). These trains are less popular as a form of public transport in Paris because they are poorly connected to the metro system, meaning that the same ticket cannot always be used for both the metro and the metro. Instead, they are often used for out-of-town trips. On bus lines, the Transilien is indicated by letters written in a square. The route map and schedule for each line are available on the SNCF and Navigo websites.
5. Tram in Paris
The Ile-de-France tramway network consists of 10 lines, of which only two (T3a and T3b) run in Paris. All tram lines (except T4 and T11) are operated by RATP. T4 is operated by SNCF, T11, i.e. tramexpress, is operated by Transkeo, in which SNCF is a shareholder. Note the two lines within the city: T3a runs from Pont du Garigliano to Porte de Vincennes. and is in the first fare zone. T3b runs from Porte de Vincennes to Porte d’Asnières Marguerite Long and is also in the first fare zone. You could say that one line flows smoothly into the other and they completely cover the entire city.
6. Bus in Paris
There are several thousand buses in Paris. Their only drawback is that you can get stuck in a traffic jam during rush hour. Buses run from six in the morning until half past eight in the evening, Monday through Saturday. Some buses only run on weekdays.
Bus stops are marked with route numbers, route map, schedule, possible transfers, and fares. To make the bus stop, you need to signal the driver. Entry is through the front door, the door can be opened from the inside or outside by pressing the red button. Pay attention to the sign on the windshield - sometimes the name of the last stop is crossed out, which means the bus does not go to the last stop.
For the bus, you need to buy the same ticket as for the metro. The price is 2.50 euros. This ticket is valid both in the city and in the suburbs. The exception is the Balabus, Noctilien and routes 221, 297, 299, 350 and 351, as the journey on these routes will depend on the distance to the destination (zonal system).
The Monmartrobus is especially popular, running from Pigalle to Jules Joffin.
The minibus carries passengers along the narrow streets of Montmartre. Along the way you can see the funicular and the Sacré-Coeur Basilica.
Night bus — the Noctilien and Noctambus buses run from half past one in the morning until half past five in the morning. To make it stop at a bus stop, you must signal the driver with your hand. The bus is easy to recognize: there is an owl against the background of the moon. If you are using a t+ ticket, please note that it is valid in zones 1-2. For zones 1-3, you will need two tickets. If you change to other buses, you will have to buy a new ticket. Night bus terminals: Château de la Château, Avenue Victoria and Rue Saint-Martin.
Intercity buses - in Paris, this service is offered by many companies. For example, the bus network Eurolines connects the French capital with all of Europe and the provinces of Paris. The address of the international bus station Gallieni (Gallieni) is 28, av. Du General de Gaulle 93541 Bagnolet, metro station Gallieni.
7. Funicular in Paris
The Montmartre Funicular is more of a walking route than a regular public transport, although you can use metro tickets. The idea of creating a funicular appeared at the end of the 19th century and was implemented at the beginning of the 20th century.
The funicular consists of only two cabins that take passengers to the Sacre-Coeur Basilica. The length of the line is 108 meters and this distance can easily be covered on foot, but visiting Montmartre and not riding the famous funicular is a kind of "crime". The funicular itself is a landmark and appears in many literary works and films.
For more information, please visit the official website - https://en.parisinfo.com/transport/103125/Funiculaire-de-Montmartre.
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