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Transport in Paris Guide for Expats

Transportation in Paris 

A guide to transportation in Paris is in order for visitors, tourists and new arrivals in the city. Paris is divided into 20 Arrondissements or districts named from 1 onwards. Paris is also a highly walkable city, offering ample scope of exploration over the charming cobbled pathways, wonderful green zones and posh avenues. 

Transportation in Paris - Major Options

Paris Metro

The quickest way to get around the city is to take the popular Paris underground metro railway network, encompassing 303 lines and more than 136 miles in total. The very first line came up in 1900, linking Porte Maillot and Porte de Vincennes. The metro has gradually evolved since then with the final line being unveiled in the year 1998. The letter M or the words Metropolitain or Metro are used as signage for the network with lines being numbered between 1-14 and two additional ones which are 7bis and 3bis. The Metro links smoothly with RER trains in Paris and the same travel card may be used for both means of transport. 

The subway starts from 5.30 AM while closing for the night at 1 AM. The first metro leaves at 5.30 AM and the last metro comes into the station at 1 AM. The timings are extended till 2 AM for Fridays and Saturdays. The T+ Ticket is the single-journey ticket while monthly cards are called Passe Navigo. You can also opt for weekly cards known as Paris Visite

Paris RER

The Regional RER train network is a major backbone of transportation in Paris. This links various airports and destinations like Disneyland to the city centre with five lines, namely A, B, D, E and C and 250 stations. It covers a whopping 365 miles in total. The A line for instance, links the city centre to Disneyland while B connects to the Charles de Gaulle Airport. The C line links to the Versailles Palace and Orly Airport. Bear in mind that there are express and regular trains available for users. The same line may also have varying destinations at times. Timings may hover between 4.56 AM and 12.36 AM on average. 

Buses

Buses are one of the most popular transportation options in Paris. There are numerous bus routes and varying fares. However, you should consider taking buses for shorter distances and avoid them in the rush hours owing to traffic congestion. Taking the metro or RER would be a better bet during peak hours. Timelines greatly vary on the basis of the route. Buses usually begin plying from 7 AM and complete their journeys by 8.30 PM between Mondays and Saturdays. Some main routes do ply till 12.30 AM as well. 

Some buses do not operate on public holidays and Sundays too. Always check the bus stop of the line where you wish to travel. You will find all details on the schedule, frequency of buses and the first and last bus details. Noctilien represents the night buses which run between 12.30 AM and 7 AM. They usually run for every 10-15 minutes throughout the weekends while this frequency threshold is around 15-30 minutes throughout the week. They have an N positioned before their regular registration numbers.

Funicular 

The Montmartre Funicular is an automatic railway system which links to the Butte Montmartre summit and you can avoid clambering up the tedious 197 steps from the foot. The Funicular started operations in the summer of the year 1990 and ever since, it has been renovated and rebuilt numerous times. The last major rebuilding exercise took place on the 1st of June, 1991. The Funicular is completely electric, helping more than 2 million people travel each year. 

The journey itself is only a 90-second ride and is fully automatic as mentioned. The original Funicular was powered by water and a system of numerous cisterns was used. They would be emptied or filled up, based upon the passenger count! The Montmartre Funicular is open between 6 AM and 12.45 AM and the ticketing office downs its shutters before midnight each day. 

Trams

Trams vanished abruptly in Paris at the heart of the 20th century although they were revived afterwards and have attained immense popularity once again. There are 7 tram lines that run in Paris and they include the following: 

  1. T1- This tramway line links Noisy-le-Sec in northern Paris with Saint-Denis. 
  2. T3- This route is between Pont du Garigliano which is also an RER station and the Porte d’Ivry metro station in Paris. 
  3. T2- This line links Porte de Versailles in southern Paris with La Defense. 
  4. T5- This tramway line connects Garges-Sarcelles and Marche de Saint-Denis. 
  5. T7- This tramway line connects Athis-Mons and Villejuif-Louis Aragon. 
  6. T6- This route links Velizy-Villacoublay and Chatillon-Montrouge. 
  7. T8- This tram route is a connector between Epinay-Orgemont and Porte de Paris along with Saint-Denis. 

Taxis

Paris has more than 20, 000 taxis plying on its roads on a 24-7 basis. Licensed vehicles have Taxi Parisien signs on the top while they will have badges with the driver’s license number and a fare meter inside. Taxis will usually ferry you to the intended destination although cab drivers may sometimes refuse in case of excessive luggage or other considerations. The rates are €2.60 as the minimum fare while they are €0.96 per kilometre between Mondays and Saturdays (between 10 AM and 5 PM). Rates are € 1.17 between 5 PM and 10 AM from Mondays to Saturdays. 

The price per kilometre is € 1.21 and € 1.47 for Sundays between 7 AM and 12 AM and on Sunday nights and public holidays. Fourth passenger charges are € 3 as well. The extra charge for each suitcase from the second one onwards is € 1. A waiting period of 1 hour will cost between € 30.33 and € 35.05 approximately. 

Paris has a robust transportation network for tourists and locals to enjoy, offering seamless connectivity to almost every part of the city including all major attractions and business hubs. 




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