Paris Transportation Guide

by Parisgirl

Paris, like most dense cities, is most easily conquered using public transportation. Sure, if you lived in Paris, you might own a car - but if you’re just visiting for a few days (or even a few weeks) it’s really not worth the trouble. Here are your main options for getting around in Paris.

>> Looking for information about the best way to travel between European capitals? Then check out this article about getting from Paris to Rome, and this one detailing your options from getting from London to Paris. Want to get straight from Old Blighty to the beach? Then you’ll want to know how to get from London to the South of France.

>> To head out of Paris and get to one of the country’s many famous wine regions, here’s what you’ll need to know about getting from Paris to Bordeaux.

>> And if the Mediterranean is calling your name, find out how to get from Paris to the South of France… Then, if you’re looking to go further afield, learn how to get from Nice to Barcelona.

>> For some easy day-trips from Paris, be sure to check out the following posts: How to Get from Paris to Versailles, How to Get from Paris to Disneyland Resort, and How to Get from Paris to Monet’s Garden at Giverny

Many people looking to master the transportation in a city are also looking for other travel-planning advice - which is why I’m happy to point you to our helpful visitor’s guide to Paris, complete with links to just about every subject you could wish for.

Train Travel in Paris

France’s train system the SNCF is one of the best in the world. Trains normally depart and arrive on time - exactly on time. The TGV or Tres Grand Vitesse (bullet trains) move smoothly and cut your travel time between European capitals. Getting to London and Geneva from Paris was never easier. Second class accommodations are so comfortable that there’s really no need to opt for first class. The only negative here would be some of the WCs which are not always kept in spotless condition. Trains that have meal service will show a knive and fork on the departure board (this might be as simple as ambulating sandwich cart). Be particularly careful about meal service between Paris and Frankfurt. We’ve had trips with no meal service whatsoever, and once, not even water was available.

>> For trips beyond Paris, also check out this information about train travel in France

Buying Train Tickets
Easy as pie. If you haven’t already bought your Eurail Flexi-Pass before you left home, all is not lost! Gone are the days of waiting in interminable lines to buy a train ticket. At the SNCF train stations, you can use the automated ticket machines to reserve your ticket in advance. They’re easy to use,

Click the British flag for directions in English. Choose your destination and departure day. You have options for regular tickets, senior rates, excursion rates, etc. (for these you’ll want to visit the www.voyages-sncf.com to get the details). In second class you’ll be asked whether you want ‘galley’ or ‘compartment’ configuration. The galleys are aisles of seats similar to airplane configurations while the compartments are traditional train compartments composed of eight seats facing one another . Thiis configuration is better for conversation but less useful if you’re bringing excess baggage (the baggage racks are too high for short people).

Before boarding your train, you’ll need to look for a small machine to ‘composter’ your ticket. Once your ticket has been stamped with the date, you can board the train, take your seats and eventually, the conductors will come by your compartments to ask you for your tickets. In some cases for short train trips, your tickets may not even be checked.

If you’re planning an elaborate trip which may include travel through several European countries, you may choose to buy a Eurail pass before arriving in France. If you’re already in Paris, you can visit one of the SNCF agencies (either in the train stations or at various commercial centers throughout Paris). We normally go to the SNCF travel agent located on the upper level of the Gaite Centre Commercial Metro: Gaite.

Be sure to take a ticket as you enter the agency. Customers are attended to in the order of their ticket numbers. You can also reserve tickets on the Voyages-SNCF website. After booking your trip, you pick up your tickets at the train station either from an SNCF agent or through the automated services.

Paris’s major train stations are:
Gare du Nord (Eurostar from London)
Gare de l’Est (Trains for Germany)
Gare St. Lazare (Normandy)
Gare Montparnasse (Brittany, Chartres, Bordeaux)
Gare d’Austerlitz (Spain)
Gare de Lyon
Gare de Bercy (Italy)

Be sure to confirm from which train station you’ll depart and return. In some cases (i.e. Spain), you may depart from one station and return to a different station in Paris. For example, we departed from Montparnasse for a train to Leon in Spain and returned from San Sebastien to Gare D’Austerlitz.

>> More information about Eurostar which connects Paris to London (Gare du Nord, Paris & St. Pancras Station, London), and tips on your other options of how to get from Paris to London

City Transportation

The Metro
Paris’s subway system called the Metro is an institution. It’s the quick, inexpensive way to get around town. Generally, the Paris Metro is reasonably safe - watch out for your personal belongings in the same way that you would do so in any major cosmopolitan city.

Be aware that you should be in good physical condition to use the Metro. There are steps just about everywhere you go. ‘Seeing eye’ dogs are allowed in the Metro - and those people accompanying visually impaired travelers can ride for free.

The current price for a single ticket is 1.60 Euros and 11.40 (as of this writing) for a set of 10 tickets called a ‘carnet’. For a complete listing of prices for cards such as the Paris Visite, or Carte Orange or the day-pass Mobilis, you can visit the official RATP site.

Note! The French version of the official site provides more information about the Carte Orange and the Mobilis as well as other passes used by full-time students such as the Navigo card. You will want to be sure to check out these options if you plan on staying in Paris for longer than a few days or weeks.

The Mobilis card works in a similar way to the Paris Visite - you can use it for as many trips as you please during a 24 hour period. It’s also a little cheaper than the Paris Visite card! 5.80 Euros as opposed to 8.50 Euros for the Paris Visite which includes an additional Zone 3. Mobilis is good for Zones 1 & 2.

RER Trains
While you may spend your whole time in Paris riding the underground trains and never know when you’ve hopped on an RER train, it’s a good idea to know about them. Within the Paris that most tourists are spending time in, they’re interlinked with the Metro lines to such a degree that many share the same stops and will take you to the same places. But they also go far beyond the borders of Paris - to places like Versailles and Disneyland Paris, as well as Charles de Gaulle Airport.

If you’re riding any of the five RER lines within the city center, all you’ll need is the same ticket you’ll use on the Metro, so that part is simple. It’s when you leave the city and head out for a day-trip somewhere that you’ll need to get a special ticket.

Buses in Paris
Even below the RER on most tourists’ radar is the network of buses in Paris, but depending on where you’re staying you might find that the most convenient form of public transportation from your Paris hostel’s front door is a bus rather than a Metro stop. So it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the buses, especially if you’re going to be staying in or visiting any of the areas that are well-covered by bus lines.

More Articles About Public Transportation in Paris

Driving in Paris

If you feel absolutely compelled to rent a car in Paris (and clearly we can’t stop you if you’re so determined), then you’ll want to make sure you’ve studied these France driving tips - because although many of the laws will be similar to what you’re familiar with, many will not. You really want to find out about that beforehand, and not from a French police officer. Also included on that post about driving in France are some estimated drive-times from point to point in the country, which is handy whether you’re doing a day-trip from Paris to somewhere nearby or whether you’re setting off on a tour of the whole country.

original photos, top to bottom, by: slimmer jimmer, wallyg