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Paris Public Transportation

Best Ways to Get Around Paris: Metro, Public Transport & Best Apps

Brandon Shaw

There’s a lot to organize when you plan a trip to Paris: what to see, where to stay and what to pack. One detail that you may not think about until you touch down in the French capital is how you’ll get from Point A to Point B.

Paris has great public transportation, but you might feel uncomfortable using it if you’re only used to driving your car on a daily basis.

We’ve laid out all your transport options for you so you can choose what’s right for you and feel confident getting around in the City of Lights.

Last Updated: August 3 2020

Tips & Structured Options

Looking for a place to rest your head in the city of lights? Check out Where to Stay in Paris!

Wandering around Paris aimlessly sounds romantic but not for four days.  Check out our best Paris tours and allow a local expert to show you around the charming city.

In this article we will go over:

  • Getting from the Airports to Paris
  • Paris Metropolitan System
  • Paris Bus System
  • Biking in Paris
  • Paris by Food
  • Taxis & Uber in Paris

Getting from the Airports to Paris

There are tons of transportation options from the three Parisian airports to the center of Paris or Gare du Nord.  Check out our full article on how to get from the airports to Paris.

Paris Metropolitan System

Paris Metro

We talked to hundreds of customers, and a common question was, “How do you use the metro?” The simple answer is to let your Apple Maps or Google Maps app guide you. With 16 metro lines and 303 stops, you can easily get around Paris by train. To make things even easier, download the RATP app—it’s a great resource! The metro even extends to areas just outside the city, and if you need to go further, there are several trains and RER lines available. Remember, the city center is quite compact, so you can often walk to your destinations. I personally use Apple Maps (or Google Maps) to choose whether to walk, take a taxi, or hop on the metro. It’s super straightforward, and buying tickets on your phone or at the machine is a breeze (credit cards are accepted, too).

Paris Bus System

Paris Bus

The city’s bus system is also convenient, with dozens of lines connecting across the city. When you take the bus, make sure you push the red buttons when you see that your stop is coming up next.

If no one pushes the button, the bus driver may not stop. When you hit one of the red buttons, you will see the words Arret Demande light up in red above the space where the driver sits.

Likewise, if you are at a stop waiting for a bus, make sure you give a sign to the bus driver that you would like him or her to stop when you see the bus approaching, much like hailing a taxi.

Cost

The tickets you use on Paris’ buses are actually the same on the metro. You can purchase the tickets from metro stations or directly from the bus driver for a slightly more expensive 2.00€.

If you want to purchase tickets from the bus driver, you need to have cash. If you’re only planning on purchasing one ticket, realize that the driver most likely will not have change if you hand him a 20€ bill, so it’s best to have some coins or small bills on you, and these tickets can only be used on the bus.

Pros:

  • Great views from the window
  • Buses are clean and come frequently

Cons:

  • Traffic

Biking in Paris

Biking in Paris

If the weather is nice and you feel like getting a little exercise in, try out Paris’s bike-sharing program, Vélib.

When you return a bike to one of the stations, make sure you have correctly locked the bike back into position.

To do this, you can pull on the bike as if you were trying to remove it from the station (and make sure it can not be removed). If the bike is not placed correctly into the hold, you can get charged for extra time.

Cost

You can purchase a one-day “V-Découverte” pass or a seven-day “V-Séjour” pass. The card can be used to borrow up to five bikes at one time, which means you’ll need only one pass for a family or small group.

The first 30 minutes with a mechanical bike are actually free, and the first 30 minutes with an electrical bike only come with a small fee.

Pros:

  • Bike sharing can be cheap

Cons:

  • Motorcyclists and drivers can be very aggressive. 

Paris by Foot

walking in paris

Paris is a very walkable city, and it’s often just as fast to walk somewhere as it can be to take the metro or bus.

Before heading anywhere, we suggest looking up how long your walk should be and compare it with the estimated public transportation times.

Cost

Free, unless you stop for a croissant along the way.

Pros:

  • Great way to get acquainted with the city

  • Great exercise and free!

Cons:

  • Paris is large.  Walking is not always a reasonable option.

Taxi and Uber

Paris Taxi

Taxis and Ubers are used frequently in Paris, and are normally a quick and easy option.

Cost

The initial cost of a taxi ride is normally about 2.60€ – this is the amount the meter will start at.

For more exact figures, you can check online or with an app from one of Paris’s main taxi companies, like G7. Using the Uber app, you can see the estimated cost of your total ride.

Pros:

  • Most direct option from Point A to Point B

  • No need to worry about language barrier

Cons:

  • Most costly option

I Want More Paris!

Public Transportation in Paris Pinterest

About Brandon Shaw

Brandon is a co-founder and owner of The Tour Guy and its subsidiary The Roman Guy. He left the States to travel the world at 18 and never looked back! As an official Tour Guide of Rome and Certified Sommelier, he loves to travel the world and share these experiences with his readers.

Reader Interactions

Comment (1)

  1. The Jetset Boyz

    When we do citybreaks we tend to do a LOT of walking and don’t use public transport all that much. So for us, Paris’ Metro Carnet (book of 10 tickets) is perfect. Two great things about them:

    1: They don’t expire so any leftover tickets can be kept & used for the next time you visit Paris.
    2: They’re 10 individual tickets so you can hand tickets to friends who’re travelling with you and you both benefit from the cheaper price per ticket.

    Reply

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