The Metro
It simply wouldn’t be Paris with out the Métropolitan (or Métro), one of the vital environment friendly and user-friendly subway methods on the planet. Its 14 strains (plus two smaller bis strains) crisscross the town and the quick suburbs day by day from 5:45am-1am (2am on Saturdays), with connections to the RER and worldwide prepare stations. Every line is designated by a quantity and its terminus factors (ie Line 1: Château de Vincennes – La Défense). Most stations will be reached with one or two adjustments on the most. Maps are posted in Métro vehicles, on platforms (quais), and subsequent to ticket home windows. You can even ask for a free Métro map (un plan) from any ticket agent. You can even have a peek on the on-line map right here (click on on “metro” on the prime blue navigation bar, then on a metro quantity above the map to see a selected line route).
Reminder: In the event you haven’t been to Paris since 2019, you’ll need to replace your maps, since a number of strains have been prolonged (strains 4, 13, and 14) and also you’ll must know the brand new terminus station names.
Tickets & Passes
Particular person tickets
Particular person paper tickets value €2.15 every (€2.50 from the bus driver). Tickets are legitimate all through the RATP (Paris Transit Authority) community of Métro, bus, tram, Montmartre funicular, and RER strains throughout the metropolis and quick suburbs (zones 1-2). Past zone 2, RER fares are greater and require totally different tickets (ie airports, Versailles).
Carnet of Ten Tickets
It can save you cash by buying ten tickets directly, generally known as a “carnet” for €17.30. These are now not obtainable as paper tickets, so that you’ll want the Navigo Simple card (see under) to buy these (and for some purpose they appear to solely will let you load three carnet per transaction, so if you need extra, you’ll want to purchase a number of playing cards and cargo all of them).
Pay-as-You Go Passes for Anybody – Navigo Simple Card
The paper tickets — that are getting tougher to purchase — infamously demagnetize if stored subsequent to a smartphone or bank cards, they usually’re additionally an enormous waste of paper, so the RATP is transitioning to the Navigo Simple card you could simply load the tickets onto the cardboard, then swipe and go. The cardboard is €2 (good for 10 years) that may then be charged with as much as 30 particular person tickets, or three “carnets”, in addition to airport tickets, and one-day passes). The Simple Navigo playing cards don’t want a reputation and ID photograph (so that you may give it to another person once you’re completed with it), however can’t be used greater than as soon as for a similar journey (ie you’ll be able to’t have three individuals undergo the turnstile with you). So every particular person in your group would want their very own card. They are often bought and loaded at any ticket window the place there’s a human, and refilled at any of the ticket machines (or through the Bonjour RATP app with an NFC sensor in your smartphone, however this app doesn’t work on all smartphones, so take the time to check it).
Limitless Day Passes
There’s a limiteless day go for €8.65 inside Paris (two zones), as much as €20.60 if you wish to use it to entry the airports (5 zones). The paper model is named Mobilis, and the one you cost onto your Navigo card is Navigo Jour; however they work the identical.
Multi-Day Limitless Passes for Guests – Paris Visite
There are limitless journey passes for guests known as Paris Visite legitimate for 1 day (€13.95), or 2 (€22.65), 3 (€30.90) or 5 (€44.45) consecutive days, good anyplace in Paris (zones 1 to three). Double the worth for passes that embody Paris and the Île-de-France area (all zones, together with airport connections, Orlyval, Disneyland Paris and Château de Versailles). That is good in the event you don’t need to stress about what number of tickets you might have left and plan on taking numerous quick journeys. There are additionally a bunch of reductions for different vacationer stuff along with your go, like river cruises and cabaret reveals (however truthfully most individuals pre-purchase that stuff anyway). The draw back is that it’s solely obtainable as a paper ticket which may demagnetize (you should definitely preserve the receipt in case you might want to trade it). It is advisable write your identify and the date you begin utilizing it on the ticket to point out in the event you’re stopped by safety.
Découverte: Limitless Navigo Cross for Guests
The Navigo Découvert Cross will be charged up with a limiteless day by day, weekly or month-to-month Navigo go. The cardboard prices €5 and you might want to add your ID photograph and identify (it can’t be shared with one other particular person, just like the Navigo Simple card). Then you definately buy the day by day, weekly or month-to-month go, and at all times preserve the 2 collectively in case of a ticket inspection. The weekly go is sweet Monday-Sunday (€30.75) and the month-to-month go begins on the primary of the month (€86.40), so as much as you if it appears logical to make use of these in your journey if it begins mid-week or mid-month.
Limitless Navigo Passes for Residents
There are additionally limitless weekly, month-to-month and annual Navigo passes meant for Parisians and commuters from the area. Residents don’t must pay for a Découverte card, they get a free Passe Navigo “personnalisé”, which you will get in particular person or delivered to you in the event you join on-line (you want an ID photograph and proof of residence within the Ile-de-France). The weekly go is €30.75 (good Monday to Sunday) and the month-to-month go is €86.40 (good from the primary till the top of the month). You’ll want a French checking account to have the ability to get an annual go (€950.40/12 months), as they take the funds routinely every month, however it may be began at any second.
Pay-as-You-Go Cross for Residents – Navigo Liberté +
In the event you dwell in Paris (or not less than have a checking account right here) and need a pay-as-you-go go, as an alternative of the Navigo Simple card (which requires you to refill it), you’ll be able to subscribe to the Navigo Liberté + card, which merely payments you on the finish of every month (through automated funds out of your financial institution) for the variety of rides you’ve taken. It really works on the metros, busses, trams, and RER inside Paris (zone 1), in addition to the Orlybus (€10.30) and Roissybus (€14.50), and the funiculaire in Montmartre. Other than the comfort, it’s additionally cheaper, charging the worth for a carnet ticket (€1.73) even in the event you don’t use 10 rides, and in the event you take a number of rides in someday it should routinely remodel right into a Mobilis go so that you’ll by no means pay greater than €8.65 regardless of how a lot you journey in someday. Clearly in the event you don’t journey in any respect in a month, you’re not charged something. Lastly, the Liberté + card permits at no cost transfers between bus-tram and metro-RER (usually switching from bus to metro requires one other ticket). Not like the Navigo Simple, this card is hooked up to your checking account and thus has your identify and photograph on it. In case it’s misplaced or stolen, you merely report it and get a brand new one (whereas in case your fully-charged Navigo Simple go is misplaced, you’ve misplaced the entire tickets on it, too).
Different Passes
Lastly, in the event you’re a pupil or unemployed resident of Paris, there are different passes particularly tailored for you, take a look at the RATP web site.
The way to Use the Tickets
In the event you’ve obtained a paper ticket, stick it within the slot and take it when it pops out the opposite aspect earlier than transferring via the turnstile. You’ll must preserve this till you exit the metro as proof of cost, and also you’ll want it to exit the RER by placing it via the turnstile once more. When you have a plastic go of any form, you simply wave it in entrance of the purple circle and also you’ll hear a ding and see a inexperienced gentle to go via the turnstile (it should additionally present you what number of tickets you might have left).
Inside the Métro, a single ticket is sweet for one journey with limitless transfers (correspondences) so long as you don’t exit. You’ll be able to switch between metros and RERs with the identical ticket for as much as 2 hours, and you’ll switch between busses and trams with one ticket (for as much as 90 minutes). However oddly, you’ll be able to’t switch between metro and busses, or between trams and metros (you might want to use one other ticket), except you might have a Navigo Liberté+ card.
Reminder: Have your paper ticket or card on you always when touring; you’ll want it to show you’ve paid if the RATP officers do a random test. You’ll additionally want it to exit from RER stations.
Reductions for Children
All RATP tickets, carnets and passes are 50% off for youths 4-9. Children below 4 journey at no cost (in the event you’re a Paris resident, test the charges as a result of youngsters often have free transport in the event you dwell right here). Mother and father with cumbersome strollers (which aren’t really helpful) can keep away from the turnstiles by asking brokers on the ticket window to open the aspect gate, if there’s one. Be ready for lengthy tunnels and quite a few stairs all through the Métro and RER.
Common Public Transport Guidelines, Etiquette & Security
Smoking, consuming and ingesting on the Métro and RER is just not allowed (though it’s mildly tolerated on the platform). Don’t put your ft or baggage on the seats. The fold-down seats shouldn’t be used when the automotive is crowded. Don’t try to leap on on the final second, even in the event you see daredevil Parisians doing it.
It’s additionally not really helpful to speak so loudly that everybody can hear your dialog. It’s thought-about impolite in France, and even in the event you suppose they’ll’t perceive you, most of them can (and so can the entire different native English audio system who’re cringing in horror).
The most secure place for anybody touring alone at night time is within the first automotive immediately behind the motive force. When you have any issues, use the yellow emergency name containers discovered on each platform. In the event you witness or are the sufferer of harassment, there’s a particular quantity to name, 31177, or to textual content, 3117 (there’s additionally an app in the event you’re a daily public transport consumer).
Watch out for pickpockets in crowded vehicles, particularly through the jostle of getting on or off. Some individuals will squeeze in proper behind you on the ticket turnstiles to get in with out paying; be sure they’re not going via your pockets on the similar time!
Entry for these with Impaired Mobility
Solely Line 14 is totally accessible at present. The remainder of the Métro/RER system is simply partially accessible for individuals with lowered mobility. There are turnstiles, lengthy halls with many stairs, and escalators and elevators which can be often out of order. Which means anybody carrying heavy baggage, pushing a stroller, in a wheelchair, or having a nasty knee day ought to take the bus (which have ramps) or taxi.