Using Paris Public Transport

Public transport in Paris is one of the most comprehensive and dense systems in the world, meaning you are never far from an option to get around the city or beyond.

About Paris Public Transport

Whatever Paris public transport you use, whether it's buses, night buses, the Paris Metro, trains or trams, there is an option suitable for all that will get you within walking distance of numerous monuments, tourist attractions, museums and entertainment venues, plus accessing the Paris airports.

Ile de France Mobilities organises public transport within Paris and the region of Ile de France, and there are two main operators for Paris, being RATP and SNCF Transilien that work together for public transport in Paris.

There are also operators such as Keolis and Transdev that provide transport options within Ile de France as well, meaning that well over 3000 tourist attractions are in reach of the public transport network, including castles like Chateau de Fontainebleau etc.

Paris Metro

Metropolitain is the full name for the Paris Metro, from the company that first started this rapid transport system, and with the word Metro now commonly used, the Paris Metro is one of the most dense and busiest Metro systems in the world, running since the first line opened in 1900, and the first Paris Metro maps were produced in 1901, continuing to this day.

Paris Metro lines operate from 5:30am to around 1:15am, yet on a Friday and Saturday evening along with the eve of a bank holiday the service finishes around 2:15am and the ticketing for this public transport option works on a zone system.

RER Trains

Reseau Express Regional, or RER for short, is the Regional Express Network, and was designed as a commuter and rapid transit system to operate in Paris travelling to the suburbs of the city.

Incorporating over 250 stations and over 30 located in Paris with some being underground, they are operated in collaboration between RATP and SNCF, running daily from around 5:30am through to about 1:20am, travelling to key destinations including the RER B line for Charles de Gaulle Airport and the RER A line for Disneyland Paris.

Transilien Trains

Transilien are suburban trains that connect Paris to areas in Ile de France and are a great way of being able to reach famous tourist attractions in the region including Chateau de Versailles, the Medieval town of Provins, etc.

The name comes from transit and from the word Francilien, meaning a person residing in the Paris region of Ile de France, hence Transilien, which is the train network operated by SNCF running daily to and from the major Paris train stations including Gare du Nord and Gare Saint-Lazare, operating from around 5:30am to approximately 12:50am.

Paris Tramway

Started in the 1850s, the Paris tramway network ran until the 1930s, yet in the 1990s it started again within Ile de France. Most tram lines operate in the suburbs of Paris, yet there are some that are classed as within the city itself.

Transport connections link up at stations of the tramway system to other transport in Paris like buses, where you will find that one ticket links to both when transferring, with the Paris tramway service operating from around 5:30am through to 12:40am daily.

Paris Buses

A vast bus network in Paris, mainly run by RATP, with central lines and many others that travel in the Paris region of Ile de France, you will also find that there are other companies that have buses operate in specific areas such as Keolis.

The RATP Paris buses operate from around 5:30am to 12:30am daily, but check each bus line and timetables carefully as some Paris bus routes go further or stop at a different terminus during weekends or French holidays compared to a week day, and times also vary from one bus line to another.

Noctilien Night Buses

The majority of Paris public transport stops running during the early hours and this is where the Paris Noctilien transport service take over.

Paris Noctilien is a night bus service that operates between approximately 12:30am and 5:30am starting from 5 key points in Paris, which are trains stations and major transport hubs, and travelling to over 200 different towns and cities in the Paris region, the Noctilien Paris night buses are run by the transport companies RATP and SNCF Transilien in conjunction with each other.

The Montmartre Funicular

Funiculaire de Montmartre in French, the system opened in 1900 as a true funicular with two counterbalanced cars that moved up and down the steep incline in opposite directions at the same time. After being rebuilt, it now has independently operated cars, but still retains its original name.

For the same price as a Paris Metro ticket you can use the Funicular to reach the top of Montmartre Hill where Sacre Coeur Basilica is located, which is a ride of approximately 90 seconds, and operates year-round from 6am through to around 12:30am.

Paris Airport Buses

There are two dedicated buses that offer a direct service to the Paris airports, which are operated by RATP and these are called the OrlyBus that goes from Gare Denfert-Rochereau in Paris to Orly Airport and RoissyBus that goes from Palais Garnier Opera in Paris to Charles de Gaulle Airport.

With a journey time of around 60 to 75 minutes, the RoissyBus operates daily from around 5:15am to 12:30am at intervals of around 20 minutes, whereas the OrlyBus runs from around 5:30am to midnight daily at approximately 15 minutes intervals with a journey time of around 30 to 40 minutes.

However there are also dedicated Airport shuttle bus services called Le Bus Direct operated by the Paris Airports with 4 different routes that have stops at various locations in Paris including at the Eiffel Tower, plus one operates as an airport shuttle bus service between Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY) airports.

Travel Zones

Travel within Paris and Ile de France is based on a zone system with zone 1 being central Paris, then as you go further out and hit downtown Paris you will reach zones 2 and 3. Zones 4 and 5 are more distant areas of the Paris region, which include places such as Rambouillet, Versailles, Fontainebleau, Disneyland Paris and CDG Airport.

Tickets for Paris Public Transport

The T+ ticket is for occasional users of public transport in Paris and 1 ticket will allow you to travel on a single journey utilising the Paris Metro, although you can also transfer to the RER trains for a journey in Zone 1 or vice versa within a limited time period of 90 minutes.

A T+ ticket is also valid for the RATP buses and the Paris Tramway, where you can change between the two, again for a duration of 90 minutes. Yet for the Noctilien night buses, 1 T+ ticket is valid for those with two digits such as bus line N01 and 2 T+ tickets are needed for the three digits like bus line N144. Yet a T+ ticket will not provide access to the Paris Airports, plus if you are travelling further than Zone 1 like using Paris RER trains, then you must purchase a ticket stating the destination.

If you are on holiday in Paris for a few days, then you can obtain a Paris Visite pass that allows unlimited travel on the Metro, the Paris tramway system, buses, RER and Transilien Trains.

You can obtain a pass for 1 day or for 2, 3 or 5 consecutive days allowing you to travel within Paris and the nearest suburbs in tariff zones of 1 to 3. Alternatively, if you wish to visit tourist attractions like Chateau de Fontainebleau or even want the option to get back to one of the Paris airports within the cost, then you would need a Paris Visite Ile-de-France Region ticket, which then covers all the zones from 1 to 5.

So if you are thinking of visiting or just want to see more of Paris in France then let the EUtouring Team help you discover even more about the city of lights and romance, including the many Paris attractions, its public transport systems, public toilets, accommodation and much more, then visit www.eutouring.com.

Thinking of visiting Paris in France then let the EUtouring Team help you discover even more about the city of lights and romance just visit https://www.eutouring.com