Transportation
The Paris Tourism Office has printed a small brochure whose purpose is to better inform tourists during their stay in Paris. Here is a particularly vital excerpt.
Taxis • Using the taxis You can get taxis at Taxi's stations located on avenues, boulevards and major streets or have a look for the one driving without any passengers inside (a light located on the roof of the taxi will be turned on). Be aware that Taxis can refuse to pick you up if you are close to taxi station (100 meters minimum). • Useful tip You should call or reserve a cab (if you are going to the Airport for instance). The 2 main taxi companies are : -Taxis bleus : 0 825 16 10 10 -Taxis G7 : 01 47 39 47 39
Metro • Using the metro RATP’s metro network in Paris has 14 lines, each identifiable by its own number, colour and terminus. The first metro is at 05.30 a.m., and last trains depart from the ends of each line at 12.30 p.m. Exact departure times for last trains are displayed inside stations.
• Let’s go… You need a ticket or a Paris Visite travel card : insert your ticket in one of the validating machines upon entering the station and retain it until the end of your journey. You can make any single metro journey with one ticket. • Where to buy your ticket ? In RATP stations (ticket window or vending machine), or from selected tobacconists and newsagents.
• Heading further afield The RER (short for “regional express network”) has five lines A, B, C, D and E serving Paris and the Ile-de-France region. • Let’s go… You need a ticket or a Paris Visit travel card : insert your ticket in one of the validating machines upon entering the station and retain it until the end of your journey. Please make sure that your ticket is valid for the entire length of your journey.
• Where to buy your ticket? In RATP Stations. Please note : outside zone 1 and for travel to certain stations (Stade-de-France, Vincennes, etc.), special fares apply on RER services. Bus •On the right road… Numbered bus routes generally operate between 6.30 a.m. and 20.30 p.m. Some routes operate evening/late-night services until 1.30 a.m. or later. A route map is displayed at each stop as well as inside the bus. •Let’s go… You need a ticket : insert it in the validating machine upon boarding the vehicle (but not if you have a “coupon” travel card), then retain it until the end of your journey. Make sure that your ticket is valid for the entire length of your journey. A single ticket is required within Paris, except when you use more than one bus. If you are the holder of a Paris Visite travel card, you must not insert your coupon in the validating machine. Simply show it to the driver along with your card. •Where to buy your ticket? In RATP stations (ticket window or vending machine), or from tobacconists and newsagents. •Useful tips Never buy your ticket from a stranger and keep a close eye on your personal effects. This will help you avoid difficulties… Beware of pickpockets ! Remember : if you fail to validate your ticket, you will be considered to be travelling without a ticket ! If the validating machine rejects your ticket, contact a RATP member of staff immediately. Make life easier during your stay with the Paris Visite travel pass : a single ticket covering all your public transport needs and offering a host of benefits : in a city and region with as many attractions as ours, you’ll save money in no time ! Paris Visite •Go-as-you-please… Paris Visite is a travel card that allows unlimited travel for a set period on all Paris public transport services : metro, bus, RER and suburban rail, the Montmartre funicular, Montmartrobus, etc. Your Paris Visite travel card comes complete with a voucher, entitling you to take advantage of the discounts offered by 18 prestige partners, plus a map showing the capital’s main tourist sites. •Let’s go… When you buy your Paris Visite travel card, you choose the duration of your ticket (one, two, three or five days from the moment you first use your ticket) and the number of zones : 1-3, 1-5, or 1-8. Keep your card and coupon with you: on buses, show them to the driver ; in the metro and RER, insert the coupon in the validating machines. •Where to buy your ticket At any RATP station, from the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau, in selected hotels and at the city’s airports. Abroad, Paris Visite travel cards are sold through travel agencies and tour operators. •Benefits galore… Your Paris Visite travel card comes complete with a tourist map and a discount voucher entitling the holder to a host of benefits : reduced admission, gifts and invitations await you at our various partners, ranging from the Bal du Moulin-Rouge to boat trips on the Seine, the Galeries Lafayette department store and open-top bus tours.
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