The
Paris Metro service is for most visitors and locals the transport
mode of choice within Central Paris.
There is a spiders web of lines, so in the centre you are never that
far from a Metro station.
The Paris Metro is run by RATP, (Régie Autonome des Transports
Parisiens) who also run the buses
and RER train
system.
As a result the transport network is highly integrated, tickets are
interchangeable between buses, metro and trains. |
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The
RER is a suburban rail system whose lines do not terminate in a central
station in Paris, but go right through to a destination on the other
side of the city. The RER can therefore be very useful for some cross-city
routes and are certainly speedier as stations are much further apart
than the Metro.
The bus network really only plays a supporting role to the Paris Metro
in the centre. You will find yourself using the Metro for the majority
of your journeys.
Do spend time planning your journey in advance. For many journeys
you will need to interchange onto another line. This is easy to do
but can be time consuming. In large stations like Chatelet and Gare
Du Nord it can be a very long way between platforms in the same station.
For
most lines the first train is about 05:30 and the last well after
midnight.
Frequencies are very high, a few minutes between each train at most.
There is a strict non-smoking policy.
To access the Metro system you will need a ticket of one kind or another.
Whatever ticket you have, (including travel
passes) you insert the ticket into an automatic barrier which
after validating the ticket allows you through. The first time, just
position yourself behind a local and follow what they are doing -
it really is simple and identical to many other systems like the London
Underground.
Metro
Tickets & Fares
A single ticket is valid for one journey. A journey can involve as
many interconnections as you want. A time limit of two hours is applied
by the ticket machines for your journey, you have to pass through
another barrier on exiting the system.
RATP tickets are interchangeable between the Metro, RER, Bus and Tram.
Single tickets are sold either individually or in packs of 10, called
a 'carnet'.
A carnet is a booklet of 10 single tickets.
You can purchase tickets from Metro stations or bus drivers, though
bus
drivers do not sell carnets of tickets.
If
you're feeling brave there are lots of automatic ticket machines at
all metro stations. These dispense travel passes as well as single
tickets, many are multi-lingual.
We would recommend that you examine the various travel passes available. |
Paris
Single Ticket Fares (€)
July 2007 - June 2008 |
| 1
Ticket Metro, Bus or RER within Paris, Zones 1&2 |
1.50 |
| Carnet
of 10 tickets, as above for Adult |
11.10 |
| Carnet
of 10 tickets, Child (4 to 10 years old) |
5.55 |
| Travel
Passes |
See
Travel Pass Page |
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