From A to B – the Local Trafic
Five million people moves the métro day after day! There is no fixed timetable, the trains drive in a non-stop rhythm. An intermission takes place only between 1:15 (on fridays and saturdays from 2:15 a.m.) and 5:00 a.m. in the night. This applies also for the A, B, C and D lines of the RER («Réseau Express Régional») which completes in fact the city traffic as suburb trains. But for you there is no difference between it because your métro ticket is also valid for the RERs. By the way: In order to be able to calculate the running time with the métro to your destination, calculate with approximately 90 seconds per station.
Besides the métro you have the choice between 80 scheduled bus lines and 17'000 cabs (z.B. «Taxi», phone 01.49.17.01.01., «Alpha», phone 01.45.85.85.85, «G7», phone 01.47.39.47.39). Although cab drives are in principle cheap in Paris, the invoice can become horrendous dimensions for short ways, too, because also in France the taximeters count time not kilometres and in Paris, there is no higher dependance than on the eternal stucking in the daily traffic jam! For tourists the buses make sense especially during the night when they substitute each day recently as «Noctambiles» the pausing métro service. Please mention that since 2005/21/09 an enlarged concept with now 31 lines is valid: The central bus-stop is no more only Châtelet but additionally the Gare de Lyon, the Gare Montparnasse, the Gare Saint-Lazare and the Gare de l'Est, too. The frequency has been increased and reaches even a ten-minutes-time on week-ends. Tickets are available from the conductor.
► Download:
Ticket zones of the métro
► Download:The Paris métro route map
Tickets – which one when, where and how much are them?
The network of métro and bus is divided in different zones which are responsible for the suburb trains of the RER (q.v. also«Arrival and Departure»), too. You find all big Parisian sights in the zones one and two. Accordingly, tickets for the zones three to eight make sense only when the station of your starting-point (hotel or anything else) is found outside the first and second zones.
Please keep your ticket in any case until your final métro stop. For entering as well as leaving the stations you have to insert it into controll automations that verify their validity. If you have no valid one you are a fare dodger and the frequent, unavoidable ticket controlls in the subterranean walk tunnels will have expensive consequences for you!
Besides the single tickets the RATP offers as operating company of métro, buses and RER trains a multidude of special arrangements which are only possibly useful for you. In the case that you favour long walks from sight to sight over the transfer of public transport, the «Carnets» – ten temporarly unlimited valid single tickets for a reduced package price – are probably the best offer for you. As tickets with an on the other hand unlimited number of drives within the validity period we recommend you the following ones. For each of them you need a supplementary voucher which is available only direct at the ticket offices and not at the ticket machines. You can use these ones also for eventual coming stays – especially for the «Carte Orange» for which a passport photo is absolutely necessary.
Kommentar
Pay attention to your luggage at the Métro
Do not lose sight of your baggage during arrival or departure by the Métro. Thieves are on the qui vive of careless moments to snaffle especially purses, mobiles and cameras.
A special risk exists when the train stopps at its stations.
Rides during the rush-hours mean unnecessary stress. Trains and buses are hopelessly overcrowded from mondays until fridays between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. as well as from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m.
If you want to or not – you will not get around the métro! The route network keeps the city alive like the system of veins keeps us humans alive. Without the métro Paris would suffocate in the daily traffic infarct. It is not only the best and fastest means of travel but also the most reliable – the streets can be crowded in the worst way, the métro holds everyone up. The running of the 16 lines and the position of the 366 stations are thought through in such a good way that you have to walk from no point in the city more than five minutes directly to the next stop.
Pay attention to your luggage at the Métro
Do not lose sight of your baggage during arrival or departure by the Métro. Thieves are on the qui vive of careless moments to snaffle especially purses, mobiles and cameras.
A special risk exists when the train stopps at its stations.
Rides during the rush-hours mean unnecessary stress. Trains and buses are hopelessly overcrowded from mondays until fridays between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. as well as from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m.
Five million people moves the métro day after day! There is no fixed timetable, the trains drive in a non-stop rhythm. An intermission takes place only between 1:15 (on fridays and saturdays from 2:15 a.m.) and 5:00 a.m. in the night. This applies also for the A, B, C and D lines of the RER («Réseau Express Régional») which completes in fact the city traffic as suburb trains. But for you there is no difference between it because your métro ticket is also valid for the RERs. By the way: In order to be able to calculate the running time with the métro to your destination, calculate with approximately 90 seconds per station.
Besides the métro you have the choice between 80 scheduled bus lines and 17'000 cabs (z.B. «Taxi», phone 01.49.17.01.01., «Alpha», phone 01.45.85.85.85, «G7», phone 01.47.39.47.39). Although cab drives are in principle cheap in Paris, the invoice can become horrendous dimensions for short ways, too, because also in France the taximeters count time not kilometres and in Paris, there is no higher dependance than on the eternal stucking in the daily traffic jam! For tourists the buses make sense especially during the night when they substitute each day recently as «Noctambiles» the pausing métro service. Please mention that since 2005/21/09 an enlarged concept with now 31 lines is valid: The central bus-stop is no more only Châtelet but additionally the Gare de Lyon, the Gare Montparnasse, the Gare Saint-Lazare and the Gare de l'Est, too. The frequency has been increased and reaches even a ten-minutes-time on week-ends. Tickets are available from the conductor.
► Download:
Ticket zones of the métro
► Download:
The Paris métro route map
Tickets – which one when, where and how much are them?
The network of métro and bus is divided in different zones which are responsible for the suburb trains of the RER (q.v. also
«Arrival and Departure»), too. You find all big Parisian sights in the zones one and two. Accordingly, tickets for the zones three to eight make sense only when the station of your starting-point (hotel or anything else) is found outside the first and second zones.
Please keep your ticket in any case until your final métro stop. For entering as well as leaving the stations you have to insert it into controll automations that verify their validity. If you have no valid one you are a fare dodger and the frequent, unavoidable ticket controlls in the subterranean walk tunnels will have expensive consequences for you!
Besides the single tickets the RATP offers as operating company of métro, buses and RER trains a multidude of special arrangements which are only possibly useful for you. In the case that you favour long walks from sight to sight over the transfer of public transport, the «Carnets» – ten temporarly unlimited valid single tickets for a reduced package price – are probably the best offer for you. As tickets with an on the other hand unlimited number of drives within the validity period we recommend you the following ones. For each of them you need a supplementary voucher which is available only direct at the ticket offices and not at the ticket machines. You can use these ones also for eventual coming stays – especially for the «Carte Orange» for which a passport photo is absolutely necessary.
- «Paris Visite»: Unlimited number of drives within the according zones as well as reduced or free entrance to a couple of museums, attractions and sights. «Paris Visite» is valid independently from the week-days. Valuation price-performance ratio (updated 2007/11/01):
- «Carte Orange»: The «Carte Orange» is available e.g. for one week («hebdo[madaire]») and for a whole month («mensuel»). The number of drives is unlimited. You need a passport photograph, which could also be produced expensively and in bad quality by commercially operated camera services on site. You can get the «Carte Orange» for the running week only between monday and wednesday. It is a discontinued model of the RATP und will be replaced little by little by the new «Passe Navigo» which will be no more available for tourists. Valuation price-performance ratio (updated 2008/07/01):
Zones 1-2 1-3 1-4 1-5 1-6 1 week € 16,80 € 22,30 € 27,50 € 33,00 € 37,20 1 month € 55,10 € 72,90 € 90,20 € 108,40 € 122,10 - «Mobilis»: So to speak the «little sister» of the «Carte Orange». Unlimited number of drives for one day. It is combinable excellently with the «Carte Orange», when this one is e.g. at arrival between thursday and sunday not available before the next week. Valuation price-performance ratio (updated 2008/07/01):
| Zones | 1-3 | 1-6 |
| 1 day | € 8,50 / children € 4,25 | € 17,25 / child € 8,50 |
| 2 days | € 13,95 / children € 6,95 | € 27,15 / children € 13,55 |
| 3 days | € 18,60 / children € 9,30 | € 38,10 / children € 19,05 |
| 5 days | € 27,20 / children € 13,60 | € 46,60 / children € 23,30 |
| Zones | 1-2 | 1-3 | 1-4 | 1-5 | 1-6 |
| 1 day | € 5,80 | € 7,70 | € 9,60 | € 12,90 | € 16,40 |
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