PARIS PUBLIC TRANSPORT TOURIST GUIDE – DO NOT GO TO PARIS! (UNTIL YOU READ THIS)

Have you ever visualized yourself dressed in a coat walking through the captivating lanes of Paris with small cafes on either side, the air full of enthralling smell of fresh bauguettes from the Boulangerie on the sixth street? Or sitting on an open terrace catching glimpses of the Eiffel Tower looking down the River Seine?

Isn’t it enchanting? Well you may even find yourself in the fairytale tale towns of Colmart or Provence and find Beauty and the Beat dancing on the narrow streets looking past the small flower shop.

The only key is to get your hands on the cosiest and cheapest transport in Paris.

For the readers ease, I have simplified the information into two parts – one, How to Reach Paris and secondly, simplified the various options for Transport in Paris.

(Related: there are various Paris metro passes (and other travel passes) available for tourists that makes travelling much simplified and cheaper. Know all options and choose the one best for you.)

HOW TO REACH PARIS (TRANSPORT TO AND FROM PARIS AIRPORTS)

The transport facilities available to and from Paris airports are enormous. Though each option has its own pros and cons, assessing by the number of stops, travel – time and available time of service, we have arranged them in increasing order of cost. Choose the one best for you!

P.S. You may even find options not listed here such as Roissybus, Orlyval. I have selected the options most trusted and used by tourists.

ORLY AIRPORT

This Paris airport is located 15 km from the south of Paris city centre.

1) Taking the Paris city bus (line 183) to enter Paris seems to be the most cheapest way costing €1.90 only that offers much views of the city to relish taking about 50 mins. You have to board at the South Terminal/ West Terminal gate D or G and get down at station Porte de Choisy. Tickets are available in the bus directly.

2) Take the Noctilien – night bus service – if you arrive at night that runs between 00.30 am to 05.30 am every hour between Orly – South (line N31, N131) or Orly – West (N144) and Gare de Lyon (N31, N131), Gare d’Austerlitze (N31), Plce d’Italie(N31), Gare de l’Est(N144). It takes about 25 mins with line N131, 1 hr with N31 and 41 mins to 45 mins with line N144. Tickets can be bought once on board that usually costs about 5.70€

3) Next cheap option comes Paris Orlybus shuttle service from South Terminal gate C/ West Terminal gate D to Denfert Rochereau. This drops you in half and hour and charges about 7.70€ . You will find a bus every 15- 20 mins from 6.00 am to 11.30 pm everyday except on Friday and Saturday when it runs from 6.00 am to 00.30 am. Tickets can be bought at vending machines or offices in every subway or train station.

4) Another shuttle exists that is more expensive but drives you more to the central places in Paris than the previous ones. This is known as the – Bus Direct Paris Aѐroport. It runs everyday from 5.30 am to 11.30 pm. Buses are available from South Terminal Gate L/ West Terminal Gate D that runs to stations Montparnasse/ la Motte-Picquet/Tour Eiffel/ Trocadѐro/ Etoile Champs Elysѐes. Ticket costs 12€ for adults and are free for children under 4 yrs of age. It takes 30-60 mins for a complete tour and tickets can be bought on their website.

5) Ofcourse the most expensive but the most comfiest always turns to be a taxi that are readily available 24/7 from South Terminal Gate L/ West Terminal Gate D and takes 15- 50 mins to reach the city center but its costs are at the higher end – about 30€-50€. The only way to book a taxi is to wait in their official line at the terminal.

6) You may also take an Uber from Paris airport for to and from transport that is very common among Parisians and charges vary from time to time.

CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT

This airport is located the and is the main Paris airport used by tourists.

1) The cheapest comes to be the Paris bus with lines 350 or 351. Tickets costs only 6€/3 tickets but it takes 60 – 90 minutes to reach its destination Paris Gare de l’Est (line 350) or Nation (line 351) from Terminal 3 (stop Gare routiѐre Roissypôle) from where it starts. Buses run every 15-35 minutes from 7.00 am to 9.30 pm everyday and tickets can be bought once on board the bus.

2) Noctilien – night bus service – taking the line N143 or N140 that takes 60 – 80 minutes and costs 8€. Buses run every 30 mins for line N143 and every hour for line N140 starting from 00.30am to 5.30am. You will find Noctilien from Terminals 1, 2 and 3 serving the Paris-Gare de l’Est area.

3) You can also use a very Parisian mode of travel that is much appreciated by natives for its speed : the train called the RER with line B. Though you must be extra careful about your belongings when on this route.

The closest RER B station from Paris’ CDG Airport is located 500 metres away from Terminal 3. You will have options to stop at stations in Paris like Gare du Nord, Châtelet-les-Halles, Denfert – Rochereau. Trains run every 15-20 mins, from 4.50 am to 11.50 pm everyday, takes 25-35 mins to reach the destination and costs 10€.

4) Next on the list is the Paris Roissybus (city bus line 352) – a special Paris airport shuttle that takes off from Terminal 1 (stop Paris Charles de-Gaulle) and Terminal 3 (stop Fare routierѐ Roissypôle) and stops at the bus stop Opѐra (9^th district) taking about 75 minutes with buses every 15- 20 mins from 6.00am to 00.30 am every day. This Paris airport shuttle costs about 11€ and can be bought at any Paris metro/RER station.

5) You have another Paris airport shuttle option too. You can take line 2 or line 4 with shuttle Bus Direct the station being located 500 metres from Terminal 3. It takes 60-75 mins to reach its destination which are as follows : line 2 –Porte Maillot, Etoile, Champs Elysѐes, Trocadѐro, Tour Eiffel ; line 4 – Gare de Lyon, Gare Montparnasse. Buses are available every 30 minutes from 6.00am to 10.30pm everyday costing 17€ and can be booked on www.lebusdirect.com

6) Lastly, the most expensive but the most comfortable option would be a taxi from CDG Airport that may cost you anywhere between 50€-55€.

7) You can also rely on Uber for the same.

For travelling to a Paris airport from the city, airport buses from Denfert – Rochereau are recommended as it is the simplest and cheapest.

DAY- TO – DAY TRAVEL OPTIONS

1) WALK

If one wants to experience the best of French culture- the charm of the city and to see how the Parisians live, walking should be the first choice. Walk along the Seine river, visit the beautiful parks or some of the grand boulevards of the world or you may even aimlessly stroll along the streets, cafes with no visitors. You may come across travel experiences that are as priceless as life treasures.

The easiest way to find out your location is to follow the street signs – one is always there in every street, inscribed in blue with green trims and will never fail you again not to mention Google Maps which always turns up to be the savior. You will also find Paris city maps every now and then at crossings or subway stops which are accessible free of cost to everyone.

Next, comes the amazing way in which the Parisian lanes have been laid out that often leaves tourists in awe. There are 20 arrondisement in Paris that are organized in clockwise concentric circles starting at the center of the city. Thus, if you are at the 1^st arrondisement that means you are at the center whereas 18^th arrondissement indicates more towards the periphery, the Montmartre area actually. Consequently, you may also find numbers are not located opposite to each other.

Tip: Though a room or hotel in Paris’ city center may cost a little more but it always saves up much time and cost of travelling to and from the periphery. So book accordingly!

2) SUBWAY

The subway in Paris is super simple and cheap to get around. 15 connecting Paris metro lines connect the city, linking up with five RER lines towards the suburbs. However, the Paris metro doesn’t remain operational 24 hrs a day and closes at 12.40am on Sundays through Thursday and on 1.40 am on Fridays and Saturdays.

All Paris metro passes are valid on Paris metro (subway), Paris RER train (within zone 1), Tramways, RATP Paris city bus, Noctilien (night buses), Optile buses (aris suburban bus), Montmartre cable car. Paris metro passes and transfers are allowed between:

• One metro line to another without leaving the confines of a station

• Metro to RER trains

• 2 RATP city bus lines

• 1 RATP bus and 1 Optile bus

• Tramway and any bus line that crosses it

• Noctilien buses (except those requiring special fares)

Here is the easiest breakdown of various Paris metro passes.

A single ticket costs about 1.90€ but a packet of 10 cards (carnets) in cardboard form is available that costs about 16.90€ and allows 10 rides split between any number of persons. An electronic carnet in the form of rechargeable card called Navigo easy is even cheaper – 14.90€. Or you can buy a Paris Visite card for successive 1, 2 ,3 and 5 days valid on all transport options. The pros and cons of various cards are explained here. You should not waste money on Navigo Decouverte if you plan to stay in the city itself and not visit Disneyland Paris (zone 5) or Versailles (zone 4). Carnets cover the central city area fully and has an added advantage of allowing splitting between people.

Just ensure to pull the lever on the door to enter or exit as they don’t open automatically.

(Don’t eat inside a subway or donate to any performer. That’s not cool!)

Try out the best Parisian cuisines

3) THE TRAIN (RER)

Trains are included in the subway system, require the same stations and tickets. The only difference being there are less stations than subway that makes them faster. Travelling within the central Paris zone through RER is easier as it uses the same Paris Metro passes however travelling beyond that requires special ticket called Ile – de – France. Lines A, B and C covers the areas of Disneyland Paris, CDG Airport, Versailles respectively. But travelers should be cautious on these lines as these are the prime site of pick pocketing. Also, do not try to purchase Paris RER tickets (in case you don’t have a travelcard already) from Grandes Lignes TBV ticket machines which only sell/exchange TGV and intercity train tickets.

For travelling between different cities in France you need to purchase separate tickets that won’t be covered under any travel card options offered by the Government.

4) CITY BUS

47 bus lines makes a circuit round the city. Most of them allows a city tour on hop-on-hop-off basis using Paris travel pass or metro/bus tickets (same lines as metro/RER) while others may not allow hopping off but is provided with guided Paris city tour with commentary in different languages. The major ones and their routes include:-

NOCTILIEN –

• night bus service – from 12.30am -5.30am everyday.

• branches through five major hubs : Châtelet, Montparnasse, Gare de l’Est, Gare Saint-Lazare, and Gare de Lyon

• serves all RER stations.

• Accepted cards: Navigo, Imagine R student travel pass, Mobilis, Paris Visite, carnets (16.90€), t+ tickets , tickets on board (2€).

• Serves Orly and CDG airports

• Buy tickets on board.

Usage rules:

• One ticket for travel between first two zones, and then one ticket for each zone crossed thereafter. Example: zones 1-2 = 1 ticket; zones 1-3 = 2 tickets.

• Each time you change buses, you must validate a new ticket. The t+ ticket is not valid for transfers between Noctilien night buses.

BIG BUS HOP ON HOP OFF BUS TOURS

• Pre recorded commentary or live commentary sometimes

• Large double-decker open-top buses

• Runs from 9.30am- 6.00pm every 30 mins.

• To return back to your starting point, you should hop on prior to 17.00 (5pm) – the last tour that ends at Trocadero.

• Hop on and hop off facility (not in night tours) at 11+ major attractions in Paris

• Passes valid for 1- 3 consecutive days

• Popular packages like classic tour, night tour, seine river cruise + classic tour

• Day tour tickets starting at 35€ for adults. Discounts for children, students.

• 2 hour guided Night tour tickets : 27€ adults/ 14€ children

• Website : BigBusTours

• Recommended to buy tickets online as they are cheaper.

L’OPEN HOP ON HOP OFF SERVICES–

• Day tour Adult ticket prices:

1- day : 34€ , 2 days : 38€, 3 days : 42€, Add Seine river cruise for more 9€

• 1.5 hour guided non – hopping off Night tour ticket price: 23€ adults/ 15€ children

• Discounts for children

• 30+ stops at major Paris attractions

• Personal earphones on night tour to listen audio

• Runs every 10-25 mins from 9.30 am to 6.00pm

• Guided commentary in 10 languages

• Buy tickets online/ with driver/ office at 13 Auber street 75009, Paris

• Website : opentourparis

FOXITY –

• Least inexpensive hop-on-hop-off in Paris

• 1 children entry free on each adult ticket

• Runs every 20 minutes from 9.30am-6pm

• Commentary and audio equipped

• Commentary in 9 languages

• Day tour Tickets : 18€ for adults for 1 day

• Non – hopping off guided night tour for 2 hours. Tickets : 17€ adults

• Tickets : online / office near Opѐra at 3 Chaussѐe d’Antin, 75009 Paris

• Fewer stops than others but covers major attractions

• Recommended for 1 day stay in Paris

CITYRAMA –

• No hopping off facilities available

• But audio guided city tour at day : 17€ adults/ 9€ children

• Non hopping off guided night tour ticket : 22€ adult / 14€ children

• 11 different languages

• 1-1.5 hrs covering all major attractions

• Runs daily 10am, 12pm, 3pm

• Quick, inexpensive, informative

• Ticket prices : 17€ adults/ 9€ children

• Website : Cityrama

5) TRAMWAY

There are currently seven tram lines in Paris major ones being:

T1 : Connects Saint – Denis with Noisy – le – Sec in the north of the city

T2 : Connects La Defense with Porte de Versailles in the south

T3: Links Pont du Garigliano (RER station) with Porte d’Ivry (subway)

As tram runs mostly in the outskirts of the city, its not worthwhile for tourists. But t+ tickets, Paris Visite and Navigo Pass are accepted.

6) INTERCITY TRAINS

Connecting cities within and outside France. Some of them offer the following connections:

i) TGV : Paris – Lyon, Paris – Marseille, Paris – Montpellier, Paris – Tours

ii) TGV LYRIA : Paris to Geneva and Zurich (Switzerland)

iii) RENFE-SNCF EN COOPERACION : Connects Paris and Marseille to Barcelona and Madrid (Spain)

iv) INTERCITES DE NUIT – connects Paris to Gap, Briancon, Toulouse, Rodez, Latour de Carol, Perpignan, Cerbere

v) EUROSTAR : connects France and Belgium with UK; also connects Lille, Lyon, Avigon, Marseille, Marne – la- Vallee, Calais with UK (London) and Lille to Brussels.

vi) EURAIL : connects Paris to Lyon, Bordeaux, Nice, Marseille,

vii) THALYS – connects France with Belgium and Netherlands. Connects Paris, Lille, Lyon, Marseille with Brussels, Rotterdam, Amsterdam

viii)LYRIA : travels between France and Switzerland. Connects Geneva, Basel, Zurich, Lausanne from Paris, Lyon, Nice, Marseille, Lille, Dijon

ix) THELLO: currently serves Paris – Venice, Milan – Marseille, Milan – Nice. Thello night train connects Paris to Verona, Venice, Milan

x) ICE – Paris to Frankfurt and Munich (Germany)

For more info, visit the official website of Eurail.

7) CABS/ TAXI/ UBER

Not going deep into this option as it is more or less the same everywhere.

8) BICYCLE ON RENT

Many companies provide bicycles on rent all over the city within 1-3 euros per 30 minutes that works on the self serving concept of ‘Pay and Go’ where you can just swipe your credit card to rent the bike for a day/week/month. The most popular app for this – Paris Velib app provides all information on where to find a Velib bike, the nearest Velib station, how much time is left to return it. The credit cards are usually charged a deposit (about 150€) to ensure bikes are returned in proper condition thus make sure not to leave it unattended even with a lock. But city residents often advise only experienced urban cyclists to ride bikes in Paris as there is a hell lot of traffic and pedestrian crowds often reckless. You may head to their official website for detailed info.

Other apps include Jump, Donkey, Mobike. You can also find rental shops here and there around the city.

Remember: Always wear a helmet while riding and if possible, turn onto a cycle-only lane.

P.S. The RATP app and Next Stop Paris app are a travelers’ best friend.

Signing off for today, comment below was this blog useful to you. Let us know in the comments below if you have any tips for us.

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