Paris is a huge city, but with a fairly compact centre, so many of the sights can be explored on foot during the day. But you probably won't be able to avoid public transport anyway.
Public transport in Paris is provided by RATP, which operates the metro, RER trains, Transilien trains, buses, trams and the Montmartre funicular.
Detailed information is available on the official website ratp.fr
Public transport tickets
The same fare applies to all modes of transport, i.e. metro, trains, buses, trams and the Montmartre cable car, but the conditions of use may vary slightly in detail, for example for RER trains.
The range of tickets is quite wide and buying them requires a bit of thought about how many times you will use public transport in Paris and where you will go. The same fare applies to all modes of transport, i.e. metro, trains, buses, trams and the Montmartre cable car, but the details may vary slightly in terms of conditions of use for RER trains, for example.
To travel around Paris, it is first necessary to explain the zone system.
Public transport zones in Paris
Paris and its surroundings are divided into 5 zones, the higher the zone, the more you will pay for your ticket.
- Zone 1 - the historic core of Paris and the administrative boundaries of the city
- Zone 2 - the immediate surroundings of Paris (e.g. Stade de France, Vincennes, Saint-Ouen, Boulogne, Issy, Ivry)
- Zone 3 - the wider area around Paris (e.g. La Défense, Saint-Denis, Antony, Viroflay, Villejuif, Choisy)
- Zone 4 - places further away from the centre (e.g. Orly Airport, Chateau de Versailles, Le Bourget Air Museum)
- Zone 5 - places furthest from the centre (e.g. CDG airport, Chateau Fontainebleau, Disneyland Paris)
- Map of public transport zones in Paris
Single and multi-day tickets
For visitors to Paris, there are 4 variations of day or multi-day tickets, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, and you should always calculate in advance where you want to go and how often you want to travel around Paris.
Navigo Pass
Although the Navigo pass is primarily for locals, with full personal details being filled in, there is a 'lighter version', the Navigo Découverte, which is also available for visitors and tourists.
Prices and variants
Two fare options can be purchased on the Navigo Découverte card or on the mobile app.
- All-day - valid only on a given calendar day until 24:00.
- 8,65 eur - for 2 zones (e.g. 1-2, 2-3, etc.)
- 11,60 eur - for 3 zones
- 14,35 eur - for 4 zones (convenient for travel to Versailles or Orly Airport)
- 20,60 eur - for 5 zones (convenient for travel to Disneyland or CDG airport)
- Weekly - always valid for the calendar week from Monday to Sunday. The latest a weekly pass can be purchased is Thursday, with the proviso that it will only be valid until the following Sunday.
- 30,75 eur - for 5 zones
- The option for the lower number of zones with Paris city centre is not sold
- Weekend for persons under 26 years of age, called Navigo Jeunes - valid for the calendar day from 0:00 to 24:00 on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays only
- 4,70 eur - for zones 1-3
- 10,35 eur - for zones 1-5
How to buy?
- Physical card for 5 eur (reloadable) with your own photo
- Via the Île-de-France Mobilités mobile app (Google Play / App Store)
Bring your own photo from home or have your photo taken at one of the many photo machines at the stations. Photos do not have to meet any specific dimensions. The attendant at the counter will cut the photo to fit the card.
You can only buy a physical card at SNCF Transilien offices in major stations and at some RATP branches typically at CDG airport or major stations (not in regular metro stations).
In the mobile app, you must register, fill in your personal details and agree to use the ticket via NFC technology.
Once the ticket has been purchased and loaded on your phone, you don't have to open the app each time, but just hold your phone up to the NFC reader in exactly the same way as when you pay by card.
Where does the ticket apply?
All public transport in Paris and the Île-de-France region, according to the zones purchased.
Who benefits from the ticket?
The Navigo Découverté all-week version is the most advantageous ticket if you travel to Versailles, Disneyland or by train to CDG airport, for example, and arrive in Paris on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.
The daily version is the best value if you make more than 4 journeys by public transport in a calendar day.
Official information on Navigo Découverte: iledefrance-mobilites.fr/navigo-decouverte.
Paris Visite Pass
These tickets are the most frequently used.
In addition to unlimited travel on all types of Parisian public transport in a given zone, the Paris Visite pass also offers interesting discounts on admission to certain monuments (for a detailed list of discounts, see for example this website: transilien.com).
The Paris Visite is worth buying if you plan to use public transport as much as possible and don't like to walk long distances.
Prices and options
Children under 11 years old get a 50% discount and children under 4 travel free.
| Zones | 1 day | 2 days | 3 days | 5 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | 13,95 eur | 22,65 eur | 30,90 eur | 44,45 eur |
| 1-5 | 29,25 eur | 44,45 eur | 62,30 eur | 76,25 eur |
Similar to Navigo, the Paris Visite Pass is only valid for calendar consecutive days, i.e. from 0:00 to 24:00.
So, for example, if you buy a 1-day pass at 22:00, it will only be valid until the next midnight, i.e. only for 2 days. If you buy a 3-day ticket at 20:00 on Monday, it is only valid until 24:00 on Wednesday, not 72 hours.
How to buy?
- Paper ticket - it has a magnetic strip, so don't keep it in the same compartment as your credit cards in your wallet
- Via the Bonjour RATP mobile app (Google Play / App Store)
You can buy Paris Visite tickets from all machines at metro, train, tram and major bus stops. You must write your name and the dates you want to use the ticket in pen on the ticket.
In the mobile app, you must agree to use the ticket via NFC technology.
Once the ticket has been purchased and loaded on your phone, you don't have to open the app each time, you just need to put your phone to the NFC reader in the same way as when you pay by card.
Where is the ticket valid?
All public transport in Paris and the Île-de-France region, according to the zones purchased.
Who benefits from the ticket?
Only use the Paris Visite Pass if you travel a lot. To make the pass worthwhile, you must make more than 6 journeys in 1 day.
The 5-zone pass can only pay off against the Navigo Découverte if you arrive in Paris on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, days when the Navigo Découverte is no longer on sale for that week.
Official information on the Paris Visite Pass: ratp.fr/paris-visite-travel-pass.
Single-use ticket t+
Single-use public transport tickets are referred to as ticket t+.
Prices and variants
There is only 1 ticket variant for adults and children aged 4 and over. Children under 4 travel free of charge.
- 2,15 eur - 1 ticket
- 17,35 eur - Carnet of 10 tickets (can only be purchased via mobile app)
Where is the ticket valid?
All public transport in Paris and the Île-de-France region according to the following rules:
- Metro - all routes regardless of zones
- RER trains - only in zone 1
- Buses and trams - all routes throughout the Île-de-France region regardless of zones
- Not valid on OrlyBus and RoissyBus
- Not valid on tram lines T11, T12 and T13
- Montmartre cable car - valid for 1 ride
- Transilien trains (lines H, J, K, L, N, R, U) - ticket not valid here
Each mode of transport has a different validity period. With ticket t+ you can change trains freely, but only between certain means of transport:
- Validity 90 minutes - transfer metro-metro, metro-RER, RER-RER
- Validity 90 minutes - bus-bus, tram-tram, bus-tram
With the ticket, transfers between metro/RER trains and surface transport (bus/tram) are not possible. In this case you must always buy a new t+ ticket.
How to buy?
- Paper ticket - it has a magnetic strip, so do not store it in the same compartment as credit cards in your wallet
- Via the Bonour RATP mobile app (Google Play / App Store)
In the mobile app, you must agree to use the ticket via NFC technology.
Once the ticket has been purchased and loaded on your phone, you don't need to open the app each time, but just put your phone to the NFC reader in the same way as when you pay by card.
Who benefits from the ticket?
Ticket t+ They are advantageous if you make 4 or fewer journeys in Paris in 1 day. If you buy a carnet of 10 tickets, travelling with a t+ ticket is more advantageous than day tickets even if you make 5 journeys in a day.
Official information on ticket t+: ratp.fr/ticket-t.
Point-to-point fares
These tickets are available on RER and Transilien trains.
They are classic point-to-point train tickets with no specific time validity and can only be used for a given route on a given day. However, you do not have to use the train at a specific time.
You can use this fare if you are travelling around Paris with a t+ ticket or a day pass for zones 1-3 only, and you want to take a trip outside the city limits for one day (for example, to Versailles).
The fares will be displayed, for example, in the ratp.fr search engine.
Tickets can be bought at Transilien ticket machines.
Connection search engines and apps
Find your route from a specific stop to your destination easily without complicated searches on maps and timetables. You can use several websites to search for connections.
- Website ratp.fr
- Bonjour RATP mobile app on Google Play / App Store
Metro and RER
The metro, complemented by the faster RER trains, is the fastest and most frequently used mode. Many travellers never use a bus or tram during their stay, simply because the metro or train can get you absolutely everywhere. It's quick and quite easy.
Book a hotel near a metro station
As the metro is by far the most important means of transport in Paris, we have compiled detailed information into a separate chapter on the Metro in Paris.
Buses
Buses are a neglected mode of transport. After all, the metro is more straightforward and it's easier to find out where a particular line goes.
Unfortunately, bus stops and websites lack clear maps of the bus network.
Nevertheless, buses are often a great way to get around and save a lot of time compared to the metro. Metro lines are often quite winding, and station entrances or transfers are through very long corridors. In contrast, you will always find the bus stop clearly marked right on the street.
In the details of places to see in Paris, we therefore describe useful bus lines that you can easily use as a tourist.
Routes and timetables
Timetables for a specific line, as well as a simplified route map, can be found at ratp.fr/en/horaires-bus.
Normal daily services run from approximately 5:30am to 12:30am.
Frequency is usually between 5 and 10 minutes, but can be up to 30 minutes at weekends and on marginal routes.
If a bus route number is diagonally crossed out, it means that the bus does not run its entire route.
The ratp.fr/plan-bus website does show a map of bus routes in the city centre, but only high frequency routes (4-7 minutes) are plotted and many other useful routes are missing.
Bus stops and boarding
At bus stops, you will always find timetables and a digital screen with the time the line will arrive.
On regular buses, you only ever board through the front door, where you mark your ticket in the validator (or put your phone to the reader).
On some lines, there are articulated buses - you can board through all doors, and readers and validators are always at all doors.
All stops are on signal, so you have to wave to the driver before boarding and press the stop button well before getting off at the stop.
Trams
Another less used means of transport are the trams that run around the centre of Paris and its suburbs.
They have only 13 lines, designated T1-T13.
You must mark your ticket when you enter the tram, and you can board through all doors. All tram stops are equipped with ticket machines.
- Tram timetables: ratp.fr/en/horaires-tramway
- Map of trams in Paris: ratp.fr/en/plan-tramway
Bicycle-sharing app
A very good alternative for getting around the city besides walking and public transport is the bicycle.
A big advantage in this direction is the fact that Paris is (except for Montmartre or the Latin Quarter) a flat city and also with a great cycling infrastructure.
Most of the sights and attractions are in the flatlands, and the cycle path along the Seine is very popular with locals. In total, there are several bike-sharing companies.
Vélib is one of the most popular due to its affordability. You'll find bike racks all over the city, mostly at metro stations and tourist spots. You can buy a bike rental on the spot from a vending machine using a credit card or a mobile app.
There are 2 major bike-sharing apps in Paris, with stations scattered around the city:
- Velib' - Google Play / Appstore mobile app
- Bolt - Google Play / Appstore mobile app
Velib' prices are set as follows for those who are not subscribers:
- 0-30 minute rides: 1 eur
- 30-60 minute ride: + 1 eur extra
- Every additional 30 minutes of driving: + 1 eur extra
Montmartre cable car
A popular tourist attraction is the short funicular in the Montmartre district, which leads to the famous Sacré-Coeur Basilica. The cable car is only 108 metres long and overcomes a height difference of 36 metres in the process. Two cabs run on rails along the route.
The cable car operates daily from 6:00 am to 12:45 am and runs at roughly 5 to 10 minute intervals.
The fares are the same as on all other RATP vehicles, and all the ticket types described above apply.
For information on the funicular to Sacré-Coeur: parisjetaime.com//funiculaire-de-montmartre.
Night transport
Paris invites romantic night walks, a long sit in a bar, or you just need to be at the airport so early that the regular daytime lines aren't running yet.
Paris' night transport is catered for by the Noctilien network of bus lines with the letter 'N' and a number. Each line runs at roughly 20 to 30 minute intervals and the network is very dense in the centre.
The night buses have all-day and multi-day tickets as well as t+ tickets, but in a slightly different way to the daytime services.
If you travel by night bus within zones 1-2, you only need 1 t+ ticket for 90 minutes (you can change lines as you like). If you cross the border of any other zone, you need a new ticket t+.
So if you take a night bus from, for example, the city centre to CDG airport in zone 5, you need 4 times ticket t+.
Night bus timetables: ratp.fr/en/horaires-noctilien.
Taxi, Uber, Bolt
Thousands of taxis ply the streets of Paris, but they should be the last choice in terms of transport.
Traffic in the city centre is very dense, and in the vast majority of cases you'll get there faster and significantly cheaper by metro or RER train.
The starting rate for classic taxis is 2,75 eur, and you'll pay around 0,90 eur per kilometre during the day or 1,20 eur at night. If you are stuck in traffic, the hourly rate (around 30 eur) may also apply.
Alternative taxi services Uber and Bolt also work well in Paris and usually have significantly lower prices than conventional taxis. Download their apps and hail a car anytime, anywhere:
- Uber (Appstore / Google Play)
- Bolt (Appstore / Google Play)
Transportation to the airport
For detailed information on transport to Paris airports, see our special guides to airports around the world.
Check out the cheapest and fastest connection options, how long it takes to get to the airport, and other practical information about the number of terminals and the location of airlines in each building.
