Getting around

Arrondissements

Paris is divided by the Seine into left bank (near the dorms and the Institut Catholique) and the right bank (Louvre, Champs Elysées, Bastille, etc.).  The right bank is on the north side of the city and the left bank on the south.  Unlike American cities, the best parts of Paris are mostly in the center city—arrondissements (zones) like the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 4th, 16th etc.  The arrondissement numbers begin in the city center and spiral out in a snail pattern.

Parisians know their city by neighborhoods which are smaller subsections of the arrondissement; neighborhoods are often named after a prominent street, marketplace or landmark.  For example, we live in the St. Germain-des-Prés neighborhood which is in the 6th arrondissement but nearby the Ste. Famille dorm is the Montparnasse neighborhood. The Latin Quarter, where students took classes in Latin until the mid-eighteenth century, is just to our east in the 5th arrondissement, and so is the rue Mouffetard neighborhood. The French Asian neighborhood is in the 13th arrondissement around the Place d’Italie as is the Butte-aux-Cailles.  

You can buy a little city map book, and the best have three views of each district, for bus, metro and walking.  They cost about $15.00.  Or you can use Google maps on your smart phone or other similar apps, such as Citymapper.

Here is a map of Paris's arrondissements:

Transportation: Navigo pass

Each participant has a Navigo pass which permits you to take either Métro or city buses for the month at no cost.  Protect this pass because a replacement will cost you about $105. These are nominative passes (i.e. they have your name and picture on them)—you may NOT lend your pass to someone else.  Keep all three pieces in its plastic case together always.  Each time you encounter a fare gate, touch the Navigo to the purple oval and it should “ding” and open the gate for you. If you are caught by a "contrôleur" without all the parts of the pass, you will be fined.

Your Navigo pass also gives you reduced rates at many museums, cinemas, chateaux, etc. in the Paris area. Read about it here at the Sortir à Paris site (in English) or check out the interactive map (en français).

Transportation: the RATP

The unified Paris transit system is comprised of the Métro (subway), buses, trams and regional trains.  Service runs frequently and reliably. The Métro is often the most rapid way of travel although you will see and learn the geography of the city better from the buses or trams.  The network covers the city very thoroughly, and you are seldom more than a few blocks from a Métro station.  If you think you’re lost, just find the closest big M above the Métro entrance and you’re found again.

The bus stops in many cases offer a very nicely designed shelter with lots of information on where the bus goes and how long you need to wait for the next bus (there is also a USB port you can use for a quick phone charge!).  While the Métro trains are  often infested with clever pickpockets especially on the touristy lines (where better to get some free money?), pickpocketing can be less of a threat on the bus because it is more difficult to make a quick escape.

The Métro

The system is composed of two interconnected underground train networks:  the Métro proper, built about 1900, and the RER, regional train network built in the 1960-80’s.  The RER trains go farther into the suburbs as well as crossing the city more quickly than the older Métro.  The Métro stations we are closest to are Odéon by the Condé dorm and St Placide by the Ste Famille dorm.  The closest RER station is at Luxembourg, about 5 minutes’ walk from the Condé.  The RER can take you to the Paris airports, Versailles, etc. (Watch a short video about using the Metro.)

Safety 

Transit in Paris is safe provided you take big-city precautions against pickpockets:

• Women should carry their purses in front of them with the zipper closed and a hand over the zipper

• Never carry a wallet in your back pocket.  

• Carry just the money you need for the day and a credit card (if you need it). Leave the rest of your money and credit cards locked in your dorm room for safe-keeping.

• It may sound funny, but carrying money and credit cards in your sock or inside your underwear is also safer.  Some people will wear a money belt under their clothes.

What do pickpockets look like?  

Pickpockets need to blend in and they come in all ages and sizes.  They may be anyone from cute children to homeless to well-dressed business people. Often they operate in teams of two or three with one distractor while the other(s) try to grab the money (if you see a three-card monte game going on, then pickpockets are nearby!). Pickpockets are very clever in their work:  you won't feel a thing when they steal from you.  So pay attention to your surroundings and be cautious!  

Practical Information:

Métro hours:  from about 5 AM to 12:45 at night.  Later returns may be possible on the night buses—info on bus stops.

Tickets:  Your Navigo pass with your picture on it will take you all over the city.  If you have visitors in Paris for a shorter time, have them buy a plastic pass loaded with 10 tickets at a Métro station. That is cheaper per ticket than a single ticket.

Internet info on the Métro is located at www.RATP.fr.  There is also an RATP app (though it can be somewhat unreliable).  Remember that when you are using apps in Paris, you'll need to have a good data plan or you will incur surcharges!

Buses:  Some buses do not operate after about 8 PM—check the bus stops for hours.  Some bus lines do not operate on Sundays, either.

Bus Etiquette:  As you board the bus, touch your Navigo pass to the purple oval near the door.  On most buses, board at the front and exit at the middle or back doors.  As you board the bus, greet the driver with “Bonjour, Madame or Monsieur”.  Each bus stop has a name written on the shelter.  If you look at the bus line maps (in the bus or on the shelter) you can see how many stops til your destination.

Getting To and From De Gaulle Airport (aka CDG or Roissy airport)

You have lots of choices:  

• taxi about $70 (flat, fixed rate to any address within the city)

• RER train about $12 to/from CDG>> Luxembourg station (this line is notorious for pickpockets preying on jet-lagged passengers! Be careful!). We do NOT recommend this option because of the high incidence of theft.

• City bus from the Opera station is about $12

• Uber (about $60). You can use the same app as in the US.

• Shuttles about $45 per person (but you may stop at several hotels to drop others off at their hotels around Paris before reaching your destination)

Train Travel from Paris

Because the French train system (SNCF) started out as private lines each with its own Paris terminal, the city has a number of stations and you must determine where your train starts according to your destination.  For example, if you plan to train to London, you need to start at the Gare du Nord (north station). Or if you want to go to Nice or Italy, you must start at the Gare de Lyon.

The train stations are all connected by Métro and bus lines, too.  

To obtain train schedules and fares, the best source is Rometorio.com.  Train tickets become available about 2 months before the departure date and like airfares, the tickets can be cheaper bought in advance.

Using the SNCF Connect app makes booking a train easy and convenient (the app can be switched to English). Your tickets can be accessed on the app.

TGV:  super fast trains are one of France’s showcase products, but you are required to have a reservation as well as a ticket for these trains.

Tickets may be purchased online, at SNCF agencies (one at 54 Blvd St Michel near the Condé dorm) and in the train stations.  For your first train trip, it is sometimes advisable to make a brief trip to your departure station to check out the layout before your actual travel date.