A Complete Guide To Public Transport In Paris
- Helen
- Nov 12, 2018
- 7 min read
Updated: May 25, 2019
What transport options are there to a tourist travelling around Paris?
When visiting a busy city for the first time, the transport options available to do the sightseeing you want to do can be daunting.
You want an option that is safe, cost effective and easy to navigate.
When you do not speak the native language, this can feel like an additional barrier to finding the best city transport solutions.
Visiting Paris recently, I experienced this issue and did some thorough research to find the best transport options for tourists travelling around Paris...
To save you the trouble of jumping from one website to another to find this information, I will share my findings with you here!
I should say initially that the centre of Paris, particularly the main tourist spots, are very walk-able. It is advisable to walk about the streets and sights of the city to fully soak in Paris and all it offers! However, when you do get tired or you want to travel further then public transport is the solution.
As a tourist in Paris there are several transport options you might consider. The solution that fits you best might not be the same as suited me.
Factors, such as how long you are staying in Paris, how far out of the city you wish to go and how much public transport you envision using will all come in to play.
What Does The Public Transport System In Paris Consist Of?
Before we jump into the nitty gritty of the types of travel passes or tickets you might consider, a quick overview of what the public transport system in Paris consists of:
Paris Metro
The main underground train system for the city.
The Metro covers zones 1-3 of central Paris and has frequent stops. There are 16 metro lines in total so it's a busy network!
RER Trains
These are suburban rapid commuter trains.
The RER is similar to the metro but has less stops and goes further out of the city.
The RER also covers zones 4-5 which you might need for Charles de Gaulle airport, Disneyland or Versailles. There are 5 RER lines in total.
Buses
Paris has 64 bus lines running through the city centre. You will find bus stops as you are walking around and if you choose to use a bus the direction of it's travel will be displayed on the front. Paris does have some dedicated bus lanes but due to how busy Parisian roads can be the bus might not always be the quickest option!
Night Buses
Available every night if you are to be in need of transport in the small hours. The Noctilien runs between 12.30am and 5.30am and offers 47 lines across the city.
Tramway
Few realise that Paris also has a modern tram network which has 7 lines and forms a network of 51 miles...
Montmartre Funicular
If you want to visit the Sacre Coeur at Montmartre and do not fancy the climb then there is a funicular to take you to the top! This is a short ride lasting 1 min and 30 seconds and it is included in many of the options discussed below.
SNCF Trains
SNCF is France's national, state owned railway company. Within Paris they run the RER trains but also run further overground trains serving regions on the outskirts of the city. This train system is called Transilien and typically used by French commuters.
Maps of the travel routes for any of the above options are widely available at ticket offices, displayed at stations or you can download them on line.
How Safe And Simple Is Public Transport In Paris To Use?
Travelling by public transport in Paris is not complicated once you get to grips with the differing train lines and transport options available.
If you are familiar with travelling on public transport in any other big city in the world then you should find the system in Paris comprehensible. Once you understand the different metro and RER lines and how they interact then you are most of the way there!
Before visiting Paris I also had concerns about how safe the public transport would feel to use.
As a woman travelling alone would I feel threatened or intimidated using the Parisian system?
Reading up about the Metro before travelling I found many warnings about the number of pick pockets on the underground trains and I was concerned that the trains would feel unsafe.
Of course, there are many pick pockets in Paris, as in many big European cities, particularly in busy tourist areas.
Ensuring you know where your bags and valuables are at all times and adopting general measures to deter pickpockets should reduce your risk.
Overall, I found the Parisian system felt safe, clean and light.
It can be a busy system especially in rush hour as would be expected. However, I did not feel intimidated or threatened when using the trains or other public transport in Paris.
Using the public transport systems, particularly if you leave the well trodden tourist paths, also has the advantages of making you feel more like a local and able to experience the true city.
Parisian Public Transport Ticket and Travel Pass Options for Tourists:
1. Paris Metro Pass / Paris Visite Card
A pass designed for tourists to the city offering inclusive travel and tourist attraction discounts.
This option provides:
- Unlimited travel on Metro, RER, buses, Montmartre funicular, Noctambus (night bus), tramway and more.
- Passes for zones 1-3 or 1-5 and for 1, 2, 3 or 5 days.
- No need for a photo.
- The possibility to order in advance and have the pass delivered to you.
- A pass that starts from first use, not date of purchase.
- Discounts on some of the tourist sites to Paris but check these first to see if they will suit your interests.
The cost of the pass starts at around 14 Euros for a one day, zone 1-3 pass and rises to approximately 73 Euros for a five day pass covering zones 1-5.
If you are travelling from the airport to the city (using RER) then this is covered on a zone 1-5 pass.
The pass can be purchased in advance (and delivered) from various tourist websites or directly from tourist offices in Paris.
This is a popular option with many tourists as it is convenient but it might not be the cheapest solution.
2. The Navigo Pass
The Navigo is the travel card that most Parisians use.
It offers unlimited travel for a week or a month and there is nothing to stop a tourist from purchasing one.
Main points to know:
- The Navigo covers all transport options, as discussed above, across Paris
- The weekly pass runs for 7 days - only from Monday to Sunday. You can buy it mid week up until Thursday (as I did) but it will still expire on the Sunday night... This can still work out more cost effective though, particularly if you will be travelling out to zones 4 & 5.
- Travel to and from Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports are included.
- First purchase of the Navigo pass requires a passport photo to buy the card and this costs 5 euros. Once the card is purchased it does last 20 years so bring it back on future Paris trips!
- The pass can be purchased from any main train station that has the RATP or SNCF signs in ticket windows.
The Navigo works like an Oyster card in London -just hold it over the sensor at the station gates to gain entry or exit.
The one week cost of a Navigo is just under 23 Euro for unlimited travel across all zones.
Certainly a good option, particularly if you are staying more than 2-3 days and want to include travel to zones 4-5 or airport transfers.
If you do wish to use the Navigo from the airport then you can purchase it with the card at the airport station but ensure you have a passport photo with you to do so.
This is the option I used and found it very easy. I also felt more like a local just swiping through each day!
3. Individual Tickets (t+ ticket) or a Book (Carnet) of 10 Single Use Tickets
If you are only likely to be travelling infrequently on the public transport system then the best option might be t+ tickets.
These are the single use tickets that you can buy individually or as a book (a carnet) of 10.
Each ticket will serve one journey (including connections) to travel on the metro, RER lines within the centre, bus and tram.
To travel beyond zone 3 will require an additional appropriate ticket.
Each t+ ticket costs 1.90 Euro and a carnet of 10 makes an overall saving at 16 Euro.
4. Mobilis One Day Pass
If you just want to have unlimited travel on Paris transport for one day then the Mobilis pass might be the answer.
- Mobilis offers unlimited travel across the transport options in the zones you select.
- Passes run from 12am to 11.59pm.
There are a range of zone options available but an example of cost - if you want to travel zones 1-2 this will be 7.50 Euro for the 24 hours or to cross all zones 1-5 will cost you 17.80 Euro.
The zone 1-5 card will include transport options to and from both airports, so worth considering on days you are having to make transfers.
5. Ticket Jeune - for under 26 year olds
For those among my readers who are fortunate to still be young enough, there is a weekend and public holiday option for you!
The weekend day pass 'for youth' is an ideal solution for any young person wishing to make use of all the public transport in Paris for an entire weekend.
Each pass is valid for 24 hours over a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday.
The pass will allow travel across the range of transport options and can be purchased for zones 1-3, 1-5 or 3-5.
The cost for these passes is reduced at 4.10 Euro for zones 1-3 and up to 8.95 Euro for zones 1-5...
Being young has it's advantages!
Conclusion
If you are planning a trip to Paris then I hope that this has helped to answer some questions about the transport options for tourists travelling around Paris.
Don't let the unknown systems put you off using them... get out there and explore.
Paris has so many wonderful areas to see and you will find their public transport helps you discover more of them.
** No affiliate links are used in this post
***Prices quoted are accurate as of November 2018 but check official websites for the latest prices.
**To make my travels possible and affordable I do so through international house-sitting, using both Trusted Housesitters and Kiwi Housesitters**
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