Getting Around in Paris

Public Transport

The Regie Autonome des Transports Parisiens or RATP is an integrated, five-zone system of bus, metro and trains that is both cheap and efficient (except during strikes, which are frequent).

The 14 metro lines extend into zones one and two in central Paris. Metros operate daily 0530-0030, lines are color-coded and designated by numbers. They are also clearly signposted with the names of the terminus station. The newest addition (line 14 metro Meteor) runs from Gare St-Lazare to Bibliotheque François Mitterrand using brand new driverless trains. Free transport maps are available at metro stations, bus terminals and the tourist office.

The RER (Reseau Express Regional) suburban express network has five lines (A, B, C, D and E) covering five zones and operating daily 0500-0110 with journey times generally much faster than the metro for distances covered. The system is linked to the metro network and some SNCF trains.

The bus system is easy to use. Bus routes are numbered and stops display the buses that stop there, while a map shows all the stops on the route and the bus times. Most buses run Monday to Saturday 0630-2100; some continue until 0130. Services are reduced by approximately half on Sundays and bank holidays. Night buses (Noctambuses) run on 18 routes, Monday to Saturday 0100-0530 hourly, with a reduced service on Sunday. The night bus service cuts between place du Chatelet by the Hotel de Ville and the suburbs.

The same tickets are valid on the bus, metro and RER (within zones one and two only) but not night buses (see below). One ticket is sufficient for a single bus ride, for an RER journey (within zones one and two only) or a metro journey (irrespective of zone). One ticket allows for changes (correspondances) of lines on the RER and the metro, however, separate tickets are required for changes between buses or between bus and metro/RER. Tickets should be validated on entry and kept until the end of the journey to avoid on-the-spot fines. Single tickets cost €1.40; a carnet of ten tickets costs €10.50. Tickets, carnets and passes are all available for purchase from stations and tabacs; only single tickets may be purchased from the bus driver.

Night buses require separate tickets, which cost €2.40 each and allow one change. Weekly or monthly travel passes (see below) may also be used on night buses. A mobilis day pass costs €5 for central Paris and €11.70 for five zones including the airports. Paris Visites offer one, two, three and five-day visitors passes at €8.35, €13.70, €18.25 and €26.65 respectively for Paris and its immediate suburbs (zones 1-3), or €16.75, €26.65, €37.35 and €45.70 to include transport to the airports, Versailles and Disneyland Paris (zones 1-5). There are reduced prices for children. These are available for purchase at the airports, metro and RER stations and tourist offices.

For longer stays, the Carte Orange, with a weekly coupon (coupon hebdomadaire), for sale at all metro stations, provides good value. At €15.40, it allows a week of travel in zones one and two. There is also a monthly Carte Orange that costs €50.40 for zones one and two. Tickets covering more zones are also available. The Carte Orange reusable ticket should be validated at the metro turnstile and shown to the bus driver.

Taxis

Taxis can be hailed in the street or caught at taxi ranks (arrets taxis) found at airports, stations and close to main road junctions. A free taxi can be difficult to find, especially when most in demand - Friday and Saturday nights. A yellow light displayed on the roof shows that the taxi is available for hire; an orange light shows the taxi is in use. Taxi ranks have telephones, so if there are no cars in the rank you can call one.

A daytime journey in central Paris tends to cost between €6 and €10 (tariff A). Journeys after 1900, on Sundays, bank holidays and in the suburbs are more expensive (tariff B). The most expensive rate (tariff C) applies for the suburbs and airports at night and districts outside Paris during the day. There are additional charges for pick-up (€2) and various other situations, including extra passengers, luggage (€0.90) and waiting. The minimum charge for a taxi ride is €5.10. Tipping is not compulsory but drivers expect around 10%.

Taxi numbers are displayed at the taxi ranks and listed in the yellow pages. These include Alpha Taxis , Taxis Bleus and Taxis G7 .

Limousines
Major providers are Elite Limousines

Driving in the City

Driving in central Paris is not advised. Most hotels do not have garages, parking is difficult (illegally parked cars are towed away) and traffic jams (embouteillages) are frequent. While the average speed in the metro is 27kph (17mph), the average road speed is 18kph (11mph) and even slower during the rush hours (Monday to Friday 0730-0900 and 1700-1900).

Parking prices vary throughout the city but are in the region of €1.50-€3 an hour, for a maximum of two hours. Most legal street-side parking spaces are marked ‘payant’; coins of €0.20, €0.50 and €1 may be used for the pay-and-display parking machines (horodateurs). Paris also has numerous underground and covered car parks in the city center, costing around €2.50 per hour or approximately €15 for periods of 12-24 hours. These include the Arc de Triomphe, place de la Concorde and near the Forum des Halles. Many municipal garages close at around 2300 and some are closed on Sunday. The only good news is that parking is usually free on weekends and on weekdays before 0900 and after 1900.

Car Hire

The minimum age for car hire varies from 21 to 25 years. Drivers must have held a national driving license for at least one year. It is usually requested that the cost is paid for with the driver’s credit card.

Major car hire companies include Avis In addition, local firms include ADA, with numerous branches Average car hire rates are approximately €60 per day or €200 per week.

Bicycle & Scooter Hire
The Mairie de Paris embarked on a scheme to introduce cycle lanes in 1996, which now total 100km (62 miles). Various maps and cycling guides can be found in bookstores and at some cycle shops. Bicycle hire companies include Bike’N Roller, 38 rue Faubert, 7th , Paris a Velo C’est Sympa!, 37 boulevard Bourdon, 4thand Paris Velo, 4 rue du Fer-a-Moulin, 5th . Bicycle hire costs from around €12.50 per day.

Scooters and motorbikes are available for hire from Atelier de la Compagnie, 57 boulevard de Grenelle, 15th and SEJEM, 144 boulevard Voltaire, 11th . Scooter rental costs from €20-€150 a day depending on the scooter’s cc, the day and place of hire.