Getting Around In Paris

The city offers excellent transport options for getting around, with the Metro being the easiest way to quickly get from one destination to another. Alternatively, visitors can use the city’s bus and suburban rail services to get to places which are not easily accessible by metro, while those looking for convenience can use taxis.

By metro

The Paris Metro is a great way to get about and for the most part is easy to navigate. There are 380 stations in total and 16 lines, most places in the city that are of interest to visitors are accessible. Distances between stations are generally quite short, meaning it is usually very easy to find a station when you are out and about in the city, even if you do not have a map.

Tickets can be purchased for a single journey or you can buy a carnet of 10 tickets. One to five-day passes are also available, as are weekly and monthly passes, but visitors can sometimes encounter difficulty in trying to purchase the latter two, which are not aimed at tourists and require a photograph.

By train

In addition to the Metro services, the city operates five express rail lines, known as RER. These stations connect more distant parts of the rail network and the suburbs. Metro tickets can also be used on these trains, with services running approximately every six minutes.

By bus

Travelling by bus in Paris is a god way to reach destinations that are not covered by the Metro, but it is worth noting that bus travel in rush hour can be very slow, making it advisable to travel by train as far as you can before taking a bus. The same tickets that are used for the Metro are used on buses and the buses themselves are easy to negotiate, with electronic signs inside the vehicle listing remaining stops and informing passengers of the current position of the bus.

There is also a network of night buses in Paris, known as Noctambus, but women are advised against using these when alone at night.

Taxis

Taxis are a very convenient means of getting around the city, but they can be very slow during rush hour. While it is perfectly acceptable to hail a taxi in the street, you may find it takes several attempts before one will stop for you. Likewise, when they do, stop, they may not want to take you where you want to go, or may try and drop you off at a nearby location if it is easier for them; this is just typical Parisian taxi etiquette. Passengers are expected to sit in the back of the vehicle and it is a good idea to tell the driver your destination before getting in.

Tourist services

There are various open-top bus tours of the city available from travel agents across the city, through hotels and at the city’s airports. These are a good way to get your bearings and see the main sights of Paris of you are short on time. Meanwhile, another quintessential way to see Paris is by taking a cruise along the River Seine. These are available from central, strategic locations along the river and provide excellent commentaries in several languages, giving details of the sights as you pass them by. 

From the airport

Getting from both of Paris’ airports to the city centre is easy. From Orly, there are also regular bus services into the city, operating every 12 minutes from 06:00 to 23:30. The journey takes around 30 minutes. There are door-to-door shuttle services operated by Paris Airports Services or Airport Shuttle, but these must be booked in advance. Taxis are a convenient option for getting into the city, with a journey time of around 30 minutes. Free shuttle buses also run to the nearest RER rail station, for trains to the city.

From Paris Charles de Gaulle, there are comfortable shuttle services linking the airport with the city, which depart every 12 minutes between 06:00 and 23:00; there are different bus lines covering different city destinations. There is also a slightly cheaper bus service running from the airport to Opéra every 30 minutes.

Taxis are also available, with the journey taking around 30 minutes and prices varying depending on traffic conditions. Arriving passengers can also take a free shuttle service to the nearest RER station and take a suburban train into the city, taking about 30 minutes.