Getting around Paris and beyond | Pairs metro information | paris visite pass

Getting Around

Travelling To and From Paris - Getting Around Paris

Depending on your location there are two main options to get to France: by Air or by Train.

France and Europe have a wonderful train system and it is very easy to use. You can in fact check the train fair, train schedule at more information at our Paris Train Travel page.

Air France, also offers great service and very competitive fares for going in and out of Paris.

There are 2 major airports in Paris, France: Charles de Gaulle and Orly. They both cater to international and domestic flights. Orly is smaller and closer to Paris, about 14 km south of the city whereas Charles de Gaulle is about 23 km Northeast of the city.

Getting Around Paris

Paris has one of the best transportation systems in the world. Taxis are relatively cheap and it is very easy to use the Metro. You can get a free metro map at any metro station. Metro lines are color coded as well as numbered. For example line 1 is Grande Arche de la Defence and Chateau de Vincennes. Where different lines meet you can switch trains. In most stations there are also big maps on the wall which you can choose your destination and it will illuminate your route.

In Paris, the metro normally runs between the hours of 5:30AM - 12:30 PM.

If you are travelling to the suburbs RER is an excellent option. RER lines are alphabetized and there are 4 main lines A B C or D to choose from depending on your destination.

RER normally runs between the hours of 5:00AM - 12:00PM.

To save money when you buy your metro ticket ask for "Un Carnet" - a bundle of 10 tickets instead of one. There is also a Paris Visite Pass which you can purchase online and have it handy as soon as you get to Paris.

Paris Visite Pass gives you access to public transportation such as the metro, buses, and RER. It is divided into 2 different zones and available for 1, 2, 3 or 5 consecutive days.

Another obvious option is the Bus which runs between the hours of 6:30AM - 8:30 PM. Keep in mind that the metro is a much faster option.

A fun way to get around Paris is to use the Batobus. It is basically an aqua-bus that takes you on the Seine river with 8 stops along the way.

The stops are as follows:

The Eiffel Tower - Port de la Bourdonnais

Musee d'Orsay - Quai de Solférino

St. Germain-des-Prés- At Quai Malaquais

Notre-Dame - Quai de Montebello

Jardain des Plantes - Close to Pont d'Austerlitz

Hotel de Ville ( City Hall) - Close to Pont d'Arcole

The Louvre - Between Pont Royal and Pont du Carrousel

Champs-Elysées - Near Pont Alexandre III

During summer months Batobus has departures every 15-20 minutes. Batobus runs from early February to early January.

paris seine river image