Paris is a very large city and it is unthinkable to move around exclusively on foot. The centre of Paris is very large and some of its most important attractions and monuments are far from each other.
Using public transport therefore becomes indispensable to optimise time and travel. Fortunately, the transport network is extensive, efficient and well-organised. Depending on your itinerary, you can choose between buses, trams, RER trains, riverboats and, of course, the metro, the fastest and cheapest way to get around Paris.
The Paris metro is one of the oldest and most extensive in Europe and will allow you to move quickly from one point to another in the city without too many changes and without losing precious time to visit Paris.
The Paris metro network consists of 14 lines (plus line 3b and line 7b): each line has a different colour and number. To these is added the Orlyval line, the light surface metro line that connects Paris-Orly Airport with Antony station.
The Paris metro is capillary and well organised: its 302 stations are strategically distributed so as to reach every corner of the city. It is said that no place in Paris is more than 500 metres from a metro station.
For a tourist, having the layout of the lines and their respective stops well in mind is essential to better organise a visit to the city and optimise travel. Knowing in advance the main lines leading to the most important neighbourhoods and attractions in Paris becomes essential in order not to waste precious time.
To give you an idea, Line 1 is the main one, the most used by tourists, as it connects the most visited locations and passes through the main interchanges.
The Paris metro map is essential for studying the route to follow to move between the various districts of the French capital.
You can download the metro map in PDF format in advance or pick it up free of charge at one of the Paris stations.
Download PDF mapMetro trains run approximately every 5 minutes and waiting times can be found on the station notice boards.
The metro begins its service at 05.30 from the various terminals, with the last trains leaving around 00.30 on weekdays and around 01.30 on Friday and Saturday evenings.
If you need to use public transport at night, the only alternative to taxis are the Noctilien, a night bus line whose routes follow those of the main metro lines.
A variety of transport tickets and subscriptions are available in Paris that can also be used on the metro.
Solutions range from the simple Ticket T+ (the single ticket), also available in a carnet version of 10, to multi-day passes such as the Paris Visite, valid for 1 to 5 days, or the Navigo Decouverte pass.
The single metro ticket can be purchased at all RATP points of sale and from automatic machines in stations not only on the metro but also on buses, trams and RER, or at tobacconists in the city.
The ticket allows you to make a single metro journey or one of these combinations without leaving the metro network:
Please note that with this ticket you are only allowed to travel in fare zone 1-3, which covers all of central Paris but will not allow you to travel to, for example, Charles de Gaulle Airport, Orly Airport, Disneyland Paris and the Palace of Versailles.
The Paris Visite card can be for 1, 2, 3 or 5 consecutive days in fare zones 1-3 or 1-5, and includes unlimited travel on the metro and other means of transport such as the RER, buses, trams and Transilien connecting both zones 1-3 (the centre of Paris) and zones 1-5, where Charles de Gaulle Airport, Orly Airport, Disneyland Paris and the Palace of Versailles are located.
It is certainly one of the most common solutions among tourists.
The Passe Navigo Découverte, on the other hand, is an empty card onto which weekly or monthly passes can be loaded. It is valid from Monday to Sunday and can only be purchased until Thursday for the current week.
The choice of a season ticket, card or type of ticket depends very much on the areas you intend to visit during your stay in Paris, the number of daily rides and therefore the actual use of the means of transport for your travels, and how many days you have available.
Considering that the main points of interest in the city are in zones 1-3, you only need to estimate how many trips you plan to make each day. For those who plan to use the metro frequently and move quickly, it certainly makes sense to consider a season ticket such as the Paris Visite or Passe Navigo, while those who prefer to move around on foot and circumscribe the area to be visited, without major journeys, can easily take a single ticket or a carnet of 10 to use as needed.
All tickets and subscriptionsThe metro is a real underground labyrinth, made up of tunnels, long connecting tunnels, passages between the tracks and exit tunnels. Finding your way around is not always easy, but thanks to the numerous indications and planning beforehand, you will have no great difficulty in finding the direction of the trains and identifying the terminus.
Inside each station you will find ticket machines, which are always in operation. Remember that not all ticket offices accept credit cards. In any case, at the main stations you will find ticket offices staffed by personnel, whom you can contact if you have any doubts or problems. This is the case for the first issue of the Navigo Decouverte card, which can only be issued by an operator. For subsequent top-ups, on the other hand, you can safely use the ticket machines.
Please note that using the same ticket, you can make several line changes, without ever leaving the turnstiles, simply by following the signs to the junctions with the other lines.
The Paris metro is designed to connect every corner of the city and quickly reach the most important points and monuments. It can therefore be very useful to know the stations and stops that will take you to the city’s most famous attractions.
The Paris metro is one of the oldest in Europe and its construction dates back to 1900, when it was inaugurated for the Universal Exhibition. Even today, many of the stations reflect the art nouveau architecture of the time: some of the entrances to the metro are true works of art, which have remained intact over time.
The most famous are those created by the artist Hector Guimard and have become some of the most photographed places in Paris, thanks to their exquisitely vintage look. Most of them can be found at stations on line 1, the city’s oldest line. If you plan to photograph them on your commute, know that the most iconic ones are at the stops:
City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.
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