How do buses travel in Paris? Public transport in Paris, France. Paris Visite Day Pass

How can a tourist get around Paris? What types of transport should I use?

  • The easiest way is: walk! All the main attractions, from Notre Dame to Arc de Triomphe, are on a straight line. Walking through the whole of Paris in a couple of hours is a very real task.
  • Still, sometimes it’s easier to move around metro. Firstly, this is the fastest way, and secondly, it is easier to get to some attractions remote from the center of Paris: for example, Montmartre. Cost of one ticket: 1.7 euros.
  • If you come to Paris for just a couple of days, then you should take advantage of the tourist by bus. With it you can quickly get around all the main attractions without thinking about the city map and the intricacies of the Parisian metro. You can get off at any stop, take a walk, and then continue the tour. However, the ticket will not be cheap: at least 25 euros per day.
  • You can also pretend to be a Parisian and sit on Velib. In other words, use the bicycle rental system. There are 1,450 Velib parking lots in Paris, with them in all areas of the city. Rental price for one day: 1.7 euros (or 8 per week).
  • The choice of a resident of Greater Paris (close and distant suburbs) is RER, fast train network. 5 REP lines cross Paris, and diverge in all directions of Ile-de-France. Tourists also use the RER, at least to get from Charles de Gaulle and Orly Airport to the city center, as well as to get to Versailles.
  • However, instead of REP you can take Taxi, although it is quite expensive in the French capital. You need to catch a taxi at special parking lots. If you prefer freedom, rent a car - electric car rental stations have recently appeared in Paris Autolib.
  • But to be honest, the French capital is just as famous for its traffic jams as Moscow. That's why real Parisians prefer cars scooter so as not to simply waste time in traffic jams. By the way, the favorite brand of Parisians is the Italian Vespa.
  • In 2013, the Paris City Hall plans to launch 3 branches river transport along the Seine(Vogueo). Moreover, ferries will be part of the public transport network in Paris, and a ride along the Seine will cost the same as taking the metro. In the meantime, tourists can use the Batobus tourist ferries: the same offer as on tour buses (audio guide + the ability to get off and on again at any of the 8 stations) for about the same money...
  • Finally you can rollerblading around Paris! There are even special excursions for rollerbladers, most of them free. Many French people, even adults, also use trottinettes.
  • Visitors to the Le Bourget Air Show, among other things, have the opportunity to get to the salon on your private jet. All you need to do is reserve a place in the hangar in advance!

Those who come for a day, several days, a week or more, wanting to save on public transport, are looking for more economical travel options and... that's right! Regular ticket + tickets will literally ruin you if the transport is actively used. How to save on transport in Paris and how to choose the right travel card - this is what this article will be about.

Types of travel cards

There are four types of travel cards, which are beneficial under certain conditions (day of arrival, length of stay in the capital):

Paris Visite Day Pass

If you are in Paris in transit and plan to move through all five transport zones, for example, from the airport to Paris and back (respectively from the fifth to the first zone and back), it will be beneficial to purchase a Paris Visite pass.

It is also possible to purchase a subscription for Paris itself and the nearest suburbs (zones 1-3), children from 4 to 12 years old are given a discount.

You can top up the card from one to five days, but I recommend using the card only for one-day use, with the condition of crossing the entire region, due to the inadequacy of prices.

Cost of travel throughout the Ile-de-France region (zones 1-5):

  • 25.25 euros - adult ticket
  • 12.60 euros - child ticket

For those coming with children under 12 years old, Paris Visite is an excellent option to save on train travel from the airport and around Paris during the day!

Navigo day pass

Navigo is suitable if you arrive from Friday to Sunday, with the condition of departure next week. In this case, the card is topped up for one day for travel from/to the airport, and then around Paris itself. Next, the card will need to be topped up for a week.

The price is fixed, there are no discounts for children.

  • 17.80 euros - travel within the region
  • 7.50 euros - travel around Paris

Mobilis day pass

If you arrive from Friday to Sunday, then you can purchase a Mobilis day pass. However, remember that the pass is not valid for all types of transport from the airport; you can get there by bus.

The price is fixed, there are no discounts for children.

  • 7.50 euros - within Paris
  • 17.80 euros - by region

Pass for children and youth – Jeunes Week-end

On weekends, Saturday and Sunday, children and youth under 26 years old have a reduced fare - Jeunes Week-end.

This is a ticket for the whole day, issued in exactly the same way as Mobilis. Enter the date, first and last name. It is possible to purchase various variations, both in Paris and in the region, at the price:

  • 4.10 euros - within Paris
  • 8.95 euros - by region

Navigo Weekly Pass

The only and most profitable option is Navigo. It can be purchased for all those who arrive in Paris from Monday to Thursday inclusive; it can only be refilled on these four days, so the replenishment will be valid until the end of the current week, that is, until Sunday.

It is replenished automatically for all five zones, the price is fixed, there are no discounts for children.

  • 22.80 euros – replenishment for a week
  • 5 euros - cost of a reusable card

General rules for using travel cards

1. Absolutely all travel passes must be issued. The Paris Visite, Mobilis, Jeunes Week-end pass must include your first and last name and date of use. When registering for Navigo, you will also need a photo.

2. The pass can only be used by one person whose details are indicated on the pass. When checking tickets, the information on the travel card and your personal document must match.

Where to buy travel cards

Paris Visite, Mobilis, Jeunes Week-end passes can be purchased from ticket machines. Essentially, these are paper tickets with missing fields for entering data.

Navigos are sold at Relay newsagents, in ticket offices, at information desks. After purchasing and registering the card, you will need to top up the card in a special machine, which is easy to find in the Paris metro.

So, the most profitable option is the Navigo weekly pass. For transit tourists and children under 12 years old, Paris Visite is suitable. For children and young people under 26 years of age, it will be beneficial to use weekend tickets. For others staying in Paris and not wanting to purchase a Navigo card, Mobilis will be an excellent alternative to a travel card within the city.

Updated: 08/05/2019

In this article I will talk in detail about the different types of urbantransport in Parisand I will try to give my maximum useful information for each of them.

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MetroRERFunicular railwayBuses and tramsBicycle rentalTaxi

Metro

The entrance to the Parisian subway is usually markedletter "M"or a sign with the inscription"METRO". The spelling and color of this letter, unlike the Moscow metro, can be anything (red, yellow, gold, etc.). Tickets for travel are purchasedat the cash register or through a machine. But the usual cash desks are not at every entrance.

Ticket vending machines installedat the entrance to the metroand are indicated at the top by an image of a ticket with a logo. The machine menu is in 5 languages, includingin English. To travel you need to purchaseTicket t+(one trip for any type of transport in Paris).

With this ticket you can travel on the metro (with any number of transfers), RER (with the possibility of transferring from RER to the metro), on the funicular, as well as by bus and tram (with an unlimited number of transfers)within 90 minutes, but only by ground transport). You can also use the machinebuy a ticket to the airport. Vending machines accept paymentcoins or cards, rarely - paper money.

The most advantageous price is to purchase tickets not for 1 trip, but for 10 trips (Carnet). I advise you not to throw away your tickets until the end of the trip. You may find them useful when moving from a metro station to the RER and when exiting.

The Paris metro lines look a little more confusing than those in Moscow. But the main principle is the same -each line has its own number, color and name.

The main landmark at transfer stations ispointers with circles of the desired colorand numbers. The arrival time of the train is displayed on the board. The exit from the metro is marked with a sign"Sortie".

Attention: the doors in the metro car do not open automatically, as in Moscow. Here you need to pull the handle (exceptions are lines 14 and 1).

Parisian metro opening hours:6:00 – 00:30 (on weekends and holidays the metro operates an hour longer).

Official site Paris metro: ratp.fr

You can view and download the diagram in pdf.

Information on prices and types of tickets: ratp.fr

RER

This abbreviation in Paris meansnetwork of expressways commuter trains . (“Regional Express Metro”). RER linesdepicted on general scheme with metro lines(they can be identified by the RER symbol). These are 5 lines - A, B, C, D, E. Each has its own color and is indicated by a letter. RER routes run both within the city itself and beyond.

Using the RER, it is convenient to get from the city center to train stations and airports, to Disneyland and other sites.

RER opening hours:6:00 – 00:30 (unlike the metro, the RER does not extend work on weekends).

Metro and RER zones

Zone 1 – Paris

Zone 2 - Stade de France and Vienna Woods

Zone 3 – Orly airport

Zone 4 – Versailles

Zone 5 – Disneyland and Charles de Gaulle Airport

Types of tickets

  • Single Use Tickets(1 trip within the city) –1,90 €
  • Carnet(10 trips within the city) —14,50 €
  • Mobilis(pass for 1 day) —7,30 € (city), 20 € (city + all suburbs, including Versailles and Fontainebleau)

Paris Visite(tourist ticket valid from 1 to 5 days) –from 11.65 to 63.90 €(depending on the number of days and zone coverage). Entitles you to discounts at some museums and on the L'Open Tour bus.

For children under 4 years of age travel is free. From 4 to 10 years - a special rate, which is ½ the cost of an adult ticket.

Funicular

The same age as the Paris metro and the mostexotic type of urban transportin the city. There is one funicular in Paris, it is locatedin Montmartre. Its route is short but very picturesque. If you are too lazy to climb the steep steps of Montmartre, use the funicular, which will take you up in 1 minute.

Funicular operating hours:6:45 – 00:45 .

Buses and trams

Entry to the bus is carried outthrough the front dooron t and t+ tickets. Ticket t can be purchased directly from the driver (unlike Ticket t+, it does not give the right to transfer to another ground transport). On bus stops There are diagrams with bus routes. There are also boards at the stops with the bus schedule and arrival time.

Around townBuses with two-digit numbers run (buses with three-digit numbers go to the suburbs). Paris also has night bus routes -Noctilien. They work with 00:30 to 5:30 morning.

Trams- the oldest form of transport in Paris. The tram network consists of 4 lines, three of which connectsuburbs of Paris. Parisian trams look very modern and move almost silently. For travel there is a single ticket, the same as for the metro and bus.

Bicycles for rent

This type of public transport, which is very popular in many European cities, cannot be ignored in Paris.PrincipleIts operation is as simple as possible - we take the bike at any rental point and return it to any point convenient for us.

Here you can see a diagram of where public bike rental points are located in Paris, as well as find out prices:velib.paris .

The first 30 minutes of bicycle rental are free, then various options are possible depending on the duration of the rental. Velib rental is open 24 hours a day.

Taxi

It is not customary to vote or catch cars while they are moving in Paris. Taxis can be taken at official parking lots marked with a sign.with the inscription “Taxis”. These places are immediately visible by the accumulation of cars with characteristic icons“Taxi Parisien”with colored light bulbs on top.

You need to get into the very first car in the queue. Keep in mind that in France it is not customary to sit in the front seat next to the driver in a taxi.

Payment for travel is by meter (which is completely unprofitable if the route runs through traffic jams).Taximoto (motor taxi). It is especially convenient in places where it is necessaryavoid traffic jams, but not everyone can use this slightly extreme means of transportation.

They are located quite far from the city center. Therefore, tourists usually have to use public transport.

Getting around by public transport in Paris is quite convenient. But in order to save both time and money for the trip, it is better to prepare. Remember (or better yet, write down) the name of the metro station (RER) or bus stop you need to arrive at. Remember the names of the final stations on the route in the direction of which you need to go (so as not to go in the opposite direction), as well as the names of the transfer stations.

In the photo: the entrance to the metro station on Place Pigalle.

RER

RER is a rapid transit system railway transport in Paris (Reseau Express Regional d "Ile-de-France, Express Network of the Ile-de-France region). RER has 5 lines (A, B, C, D, E) and 257 stations, of which 33 are located in the city RER stations are available both in the city and in the nearest suburbs. Total length lines are about 600 kilometers. Some of the lines are underground (in the city).
Unlike the metro, RER stations are less frequent and the lines are less curved. This allows you to move longer distances faster. The cost of the trip depends on the distance of the trip. Depending on the distance of the trip, there are 5 payment zones.

The RER has several metro connections throughout Paris. Within the city limits (zone 1), the same tickets as for the metro and ground transport are valid. You will probably find it convenient to use RER trains to get to, for example, Orly and Le Bourget airports, Versailles and Disneyland.

Bus

Paris has an extensive network bus routes. Buses are a useful addition to the metro. Lines of intracity routes have (usually) two-digit numbers. Bus routes with three-digit numbers also pass through the suburbs. Most bus lines operate from 6:30 to 20:30. There are also night buses (Noctilien).
You can find a map of Paris bus routes on the RATP website ().

Tickets


Ticket t+(single ticket) valid for:

  • Metro.
  • RER inside zone 1 (city area).
  • Buses (except for some routes, Orlybus, Roissybus and others).
  • Tram and trolleybus.
  • Funicular in Montmartre.

Transfers are allowed bus/bus, metro/metro, metro/RER and RER/RER (within 90 minutes from the moment of activation). Transfers between different modes of transport are not permitted.
Tickets are sold from vending machines and kiosks. It is more convenient to buy a set of 10 tickets (carnet) for 14.50 euros (2017).


Paris Visite Card can be very convenient for tourists. The card gives you the opportunity to travel on various modes of transport (not all) for a selected number of days within selected zones. Cards are issued with a validity period of 1, 2, 3 or 5 days and for transport zones 1-3 or 1-5. The card is valid until the end (midnight, 24:00) of the day you selected. Using a card is not always cheaper than buying single tickets, but definitely more convenient.

Travel contactless refillable card NaviGo(Passe Navigo) is valid on all types of public transport. The NaviGo card is valid for a week (Monday to Sunday) or a month. To design a card you will need a 3x2.5 photo. Upon purchase, two cards are issued (smart card and identification card). This card is beneficial if you are visiting Paris for more than a few days.


Mobilis transport card valid for different types transport during the day from 00:00 to 24:00. Before you start using it, you need to write down the date, first name and last name (Prénom - first name, Nom - last name) in the appropriate fields on the card. Cards are issued for different transport zones. Cost from 7.3 euros (2017).

Tourist buses Paris l"OpenTour allow you to visit most of the attractions of Paris. You can get off the bus, see the sights and then get back on the bus (hop-on and hop-off). From the second floor of the bus it is convenient to explore the city. The buses have four circular routes with stops in the most popular tourist destinations. You can buy a ticket for one or more days. The audio guide is available in 10 languages. Ticket price from 33 euros (2017).

Airports

Charles de Gaulle International Airport(Roissy) is located 25 kilometers northeast of Paris. It is the largest airport in Paris in terms of the number of passengers served. The airport can be reached by train RER B, by buses (for example, 350, 351), by taxi.

Paris-Orly Airport(L"aeroport de Paris-Orly, ORY) is located approximately 14 kilometers south of Paris. From the airport to Paris you can get by bus, RER train, and T7 tram.
Bus line 183 runs from Porte de Choisy metro station.
Orlybus buses operate on the route Orly - Villejuif-Louis Aragon.
The airport can be reached by bus from the RER Pont-de-Rungis/Aeroport d’Orly (line C) and Antony (line B) stations.

Paris-Le Bourget Airport(Airport Paris-Le Bourget, LBG) is located approximately 12 kilometers from the center of Paris. The Paris Air Show in Le Bourget is held here. The airport houses an aviation and space museum.
Bus route 350 goes to Roissy airport (Paris - Charles de Gaulle) past Le Bourget airport (stop Musee de l"Air et de l"Espace).
The airport can be reached by train RER-B, heading to Roissy Airport. The nearest station is "Le Bourget".

Beauvais Airport(Aeroport de Beauvais-Tille) is located near the city of Beauvais, at a distance of approximately 70 kilometers from Paris. Airport buses depart from Porte Maillot station.

Airplane tickets to Paris for the dates and dates you need best price.

Paris train stations

Rail transport allows you to travel from Paris to other cities in France and to neighboring countries. There are seven train stations in Paris.

In European countries it is sometimes better to buy online. At a minimum, you can check train schedules and ticket prices online and buy a ticket at the station later.

  • North Station (Gare du Nord). From here there are trains to the north of France, as well as to the UK (Eurostar), Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany (Thalys). Located in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. The nearest metro station is Gare du Nord. From this station you can travel to Charles de Gaulle Airport by RER train line B (RER B).
  • Gare Saint-Lazare is the second busiest train station in Paris. Trains depart from here in the direction of Normandy and commuter trains. The station is located in the 8th arrondissement. The nearest metro station is Saint-Lazare.
  • Eastern Station (Gare de L "Est). Trains depart from the station to east direction(Nancy, Strasbourg, Reims), as well as international destinations: Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria. Situated on Place du 11-Novembre-1918, in the 10th arrondissement of Paris.
  • Gare de Lyon. Trains depart from Gare de Lyon to the central and southeastern regions of France, as well as to Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. The nearest metro station is Gare de Lyon.
  • Bercy station (Gare de Bercy). The station is located in the twelfth municipal district of the city near the Lyon Station. Trains depart from the station to Italy. Bercy metro station.
  • Gare d'Austerlitz. The station is located in the south of Paris, in the 13th municipal arrondissement. Trains depart from the station in a southern direction, including to the cities of Nice, Barcelona, ​​and Madrid.
  • Montparnasse station. Trains depart from this station to the west and southwest of France, including cities on Tours, Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes, Brittany and the West of France (TGV). Nearest metro station: Montparnasse - Bienvenüe.

Presented in Paris wide choose passes for public transport. Any pass is suitable for all types of transport. There are single tickets, a set of 10 or 20 trips, passes for one or several days, a week, a month, or a year. We will tell you in detail about each type, how much it costs, what its features are and the savings.

Some passes are limited to a specific area. The diagram shows that Zones 1-3 are the central part of Paris. Zones 4-5 include airports and Disneyland.

Single trip pass

This is what he looks like. This is the simplest type of travel pass suitable for tourists. Parisians call them Ticket t+. With one ticket you can travel on public transport in Paris for an hour and a half. During this time, you can change from one metro line to another, including RER commuter trains, but you cannot use both the metro and bus on the same ticket. One train means one entrance to public transport.

The ticket is valid only within Zone 1. This is the center of Paris, where all the most famous attractions are located.

  • You can use the metro and transfer to RER commuter trains (only within Zone 1)
  • buses Ole-de-France(except for buses serving airports)
  • trams
  • funicular Montmartre

Ticket t+ travel tickets can be purchased at metro ticket offices or through special machines that accept euro coins or credit cards.

You can buy one ticket or ten. When you buy ten, you will receive a discount of 20% .

The cost of Ticket t+ is as follows.

1 day pass

A travel card that is valid during the day is called Ticket Mobilis.

It is important to understand that this is not a daily pass, the timing of which starts from the first trip, but a ticket valid on the day of purchase. Therefore, it is not profitable to buy such a ticket in the evening.

With this ticket you can make an unlimited number of trips within one day.

The Ticket Mobilis travel card looks almost the same as the Ticket t+.

The cost varies depending on the number of zones you will be crossing. Looking ahead, let us tell you that Zone 1-2 includes all Paris metro stations and all the most tourist places.

In order for the Ticket Mobilis travel card to be considered activated, you need to hand-write the date, first and last name on it.

We received letters from our readers who stamped the date with a special erasable pen, and thus used the ticket within a few days. Whether this is true or a joke can only be checked in Paris, at the risk of paying a ticketless fine of 45 euros.

To purchase a card, you will need a photo measuring 2.5 by 2 cm, color or black and white. The photo is needed for the additional card that is issued along with the travel card. Both cards must be carried with you.

So, the cost of one trip on the Paris metro is 1.90 euros, but you can save a lot by buying a pass for several days or just 10 trips. Invest in an unlimited multi-zone pass, as this price also includes travel to and from the airport.

 

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