METRO, BUS, BIKES, TAXI... ALL ABOUT TRANSPORT IN PARIS

The pricing for public transportation in Paris and the Paris region (metro, bus, tram, RER, commuter trains, funicular) was significantly revised on January 1, 2025. While some fares have been simplified, the options remain complex, with numerous exceptions. A thorough reading of this guide is highly recommended!

This guide is specifically designed for occasional visitors staying in Paris for up to 10 days, whether for tourism or business. If you are a Paris resident, other options better suited to your situation may be more appropriate.

WHERE CAN YOU TRAVEL? WHICH ZONES ARE COVERED?

The Paris and Île-de-France public transport network is organized into five fare zones covering the capital and its region. Here’s an overview of the zones and the main sites they include:

• Zone 1: Covers Paris (75) (where your apartment is located).
• Zones 2 and 3: Cover the inner suburbs, including Hauts-de-Seine (92), Seine-Saint-Denis (93) (Stade de France), and Val-de-Marne (94) (Orly Airport).
• Zones 4 and 5: Cover the outer suburbs, including Seine-et-Marne (77) (Disneyland Paris, Fontainebleau, and Provins), Yvelines (78) (Versailles), Essonne (91), and Val-d’Oise (95) (Roissy Airport).

Some tourist sites, such as Parc Astérix and Claude Monet’s House in Giverny, lie outside these five zones, as does Paris-Beauvais Airport.

All the tickets listed below are valid in zones 1 to 5.

WHICH MODES OF TRANSPORT ARE COVERED?

• Metro: 16 lines numbered M1 to M14, mainly running in Paris, operated by RATP.
• Bus: Numerous lines operated by RATP in Paris and other companies in the suburbs.
• Tramway (“tram”): 14 lines operated by RATP, running in the outskirts of Paris and the suburbs.
• “Transilien” trains: Operated by SNCF, serving the suburbs from major Paris train stations.
• RER trains: Five lines (A to E) operated by RATP and SNCF, serving the suburbs and crossing Paris.
• Montmartre Funicular: Operated by RATP, providing access to the Sacré-Cœur in montmartre.

The following are not included in the tickets and passes discussed in this guide: tourist buses (Tootbus, BigBus), Disney shuttles, or riverboats on the Seine.

HOW TO BUY TICKETS?

You must obtain a magnetic card called “Navigo Pass” and load it with tickets or passes. There are two types of passes:

• “Navigo Easy Pass”
• “Navigo Découverte Pass”

A pass can store up to 20 “Metro-Train-RER” tickets and 20 “Bus-Tram” tickets. They can be purchased at metro stations or train stations (ticket counters or machines) using cash or credit card. Passes can be reloaded at metro stations, train stations, authorized retailers, or via smartphone apps (Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP).

Each traveler must have their own pass, except for children under 3 years old who travel for free.

The pass must be validated at the control gates (metro, train) or each time you board a bus or tram by tapping the card on the reader.

“Navigo Easy Pass”

• Price: €2, valid for 10 years.
• Not personal (can be shared).
• Can store “Paris Visite” and “Navigo Jour” passes, but not “Navigo Semaine.”

“Navigo Découverte Pass”

• Price: €5, no expiration.
• Personal (requires a photo ID; a photocopy is acceptable).
• Can store “Paris Visite,” “Navigo Jour,” and “Navigo Semaine” passes.

ARE NAVIGO PASSES REFUNDABLE?

No. It is not possible to return your pass and recover the €2 / €5.

SMARTPHONE STORAGE

Tickets and passes purchased via apps can also be stored on iPhones or Android phones. The phone can be used to validate tickets at station gates. Note: iPhones can validate up to five tickets simultaneously, while Android phones cannot validate multiple tickets.

WHERE TO FIND HELP?

You will always find staffed counters with physical agents in large metro stations (e.g., “Jules Joffrin” or “Gambetta”), termini (e.g., “Porte de Clignancourt”), and train stations where they can provide effective assistance. Unfortunately, for budgetary reasons, agents in smaller stations have become multifunctional: they will assist you if they are at their counter, but they are often “on duty elsewhere in the station,” leaving you to handle the machines on your own.

Shops that sell transportation tickets are run by physical retailers, but their ability to provide advice is limited (they will sell you what you ask for, but nothing more).

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR NAVIGO PASS GETS DEMAGNETIZED?

Friction with keys in a pocket or bag can demagnetize your pass. You can exchange it for a new one free of charge at a station. However, your tickets and passes will be permanently lost. Only the “Navigo Semaine” pass can be reloaded onto your new card.

tickets

For occasional trips, buying individual tickets is often more economical. Three main options:

Metro-Train-RER Ticket

It is valid for travel on the metro, train (RER and Transilien), funicular, and three tram lines (T11, T12, and T13) for a maximum duration of 2 hours.

Connections are allowed but only between these modes of transport and for one-way trips (returning to your starting point is prohibited).

Price: €2.50 (reduced fare: €1.25 for children aged 4 to 9 and holders of a “Large Family” card).

• It can be purchased at metro stations or train stations (ticket counters or machines).
• It can be reloaded at metro stations, train stations, authorized retailers, or via smartphone using the Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP apps.

Notes:

• This ticket is not valid for the “Aéroport d’Orly” station on metro line 14, Roissy airport stations (RER B), or the “Orlyval” metro: see “Paris Region ↔ Airports” tickets.
• This ticket cannot be loaded onto a pass that already contains a “Paris Region ↔ Airports” ticket.

THE BUS-TRAM TICKET

It is valid for travel on buses and trams for a maximum duration of 1.5 hours.

It is not valid for tram lines T11, T12, and T13, nor for the “Orlybus” and “Roissybus” (see “Paris Region ↔ Airports” tickets).

Connections are allowed but only between buses, buses/trams, and between trams, and only for one-way trips (returning to your starting point is prohibited).

Price: €2 (reduced fare: €1 for children aged 4 to 9 and holders of a “Large Family” card).

It can be purchased:

• At metro, tramway stations, or train stations (ticket counters or machines).
• It can be reloaded at metro stations, train stations, authorized retailers, or via smartphone using the Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP apps.

No bus or tram driver sells tickets.

This ticket can also be purchased via SMS (for RATP buses only) at a flat rate of €2.50:

Send an SMS to 93100 containing only the word “BUS” followed by the bus line number. Example for bus 95: “BUS95”.

• • You will immediately receive an SMS with a boarding ticket valid for 1 hour without connections.
  • For multiple passengers, you can send multiple SMS messages.
  • Note: This service is only available to customers subscribed in France with Bouygues, Orange, SFR, or Free.

THE PARIS REGION ↔ AIRPORTS TICKETs

This ticket allows travel to Orly Airport (metro line 14 + metro connections only) and Roissy Airport (RER B + metro connections only).

It is not valid for “Orlybus” and “Roissybus.”

• Price: €13.00 (reduced fare: €6.50 for children aged 4 to 9 and holders of a “Large Family” card).
• It can be purchased at metro stations or train stations (ticket counters or machines).
• It can be reloaded at metro stations, train stations, authorized retailers, or via smartphone using the Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP apps.

GOOD TO KNOW ABOUT TICKETS

There is no bulk discount: the price per ticket remains the same regardless of the number of tickets purchased.

There is no “family ticket” option, such as “2 adults + 2 children,” which is common in some other cities.

PASSES

For frequent travel, I recommend purchasing a pass.

THE PARIS VISITE PASS

This is the simplest pass as it allows unlimited travel on the entire Paris and Paris Region public transport network, including airports. However, it is also the most expensive!

Prices (Adult): 1 day: €29.90, 2 days: €44.45, 3 days: €62.30, 5 days: €76.25

Reduced Fare (for children aged 4 to 9 and holders of a “Large Family” card): 1 day: €14.95, 2 days: €22.20, 3 days: €31.15, 5 days: €38.10

The days are consecutive.

• It can be purchased at metro, tramway stations, or train stations (ticket counters or machines).
• It can be reloaded at metro stations, train stations, authorized retailers, or via smartphone using the Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP apps.

THE NAVIGO JOUR PASS

This pass allows unlimited travel on the entire Paris and Paris Region public transport network, except for airports.

Price for an adult: €12.00 per day (no reduced fare available).

• It can be purchased at metro, tramway stations, or train stations (ticket counters or machines).
• It can be reloaded at metro stations, train stations, authorized retailers, or via smartphone using the Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP apps.

THE NAVIGO SEMAINE PASS

This pass allows unlimited travel on the entire Paris and Paris Region public transport network, including airports.

Price for an adult: €31.60 per week (no reduced fare available).

• It can be purchased at metro, tramway stations, or train stations (ticket counters or machines).
• It can be reloaded at metro stations, train stations, authorized retailers, or via smartphone using the Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP apps.

Note:

• The week always starts on Monday morning and ends on Sunday night.
• The pass is available for purchase starting on Friday for the following week.

MY ADVICE

HOW MANY TRIPS MAKE A PASS MORE ADVANTAGEOUS?

If you take the metro 5 or more times in a day, the Navigo Jour pass is more cost-effective than the “Metro-Train-RER Ticket.”

WHICH PASS TO CHOOSE?

• For adults: The Paris Visite Pass is overpriced. I strongly recommend the Navigo Jour pass. If you are arriving by plane, purchase a “Paris Region ↔ Airports Ticket” for your arrival and departure days.

• For children: The Navigo Jour pass is better for a single day. For multiple days, the Paris Visite Pass is more economical.

HOW MANY DAYS MAKE A NAVIGO SEMAINE PASS PREFERABLE TO A NAVIGO JOUR PASS?

• For a stay of 1 or 2 days, or one that overlaps two weeks, buy multiple Navigo Jour passes.
• For a stay of 3 days to a full week, the most economical choice is the Navigo Semaine pass. Note: The Navigo Semaine pass requires a “Navigo Découverte” pass, not a “Navigo Easy” pass.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

WHAT ARE THE OPERATING HOURS OF THE PARIS METRO?

The Paris metro operates every day of the year, including public holidays. The first trains depart from the termini around 5:30 AM.

On weekdays, the last metro arrives at its terminus around 1:15 AM.
On Friday and Saturday nights, as well as the nights before public holidays, service is extended by one hour, with the last trains arriving around 2:15 AM.

IS IT EASY TO TRAVEL WITH A STROLLER IN THE PARIS METRO?

Honestly, it’s nearly impossible. Only a small number of the 300 Paris metro stations are equipped with elevators. While escalators are more common, they don’t always go down, and rarely reach the platform level.

If you’re traveling during peak hours, boarding a train can be very challenging.

If using a stroller is essential, opt for the RER, metro line 14, or buses, as many buses have low-floor vehicles.