Know Paris transport better than the Parisians themselves！ The ultimate 2017 guide to getting around central Paris

Text & Photos /INSIDR PARIS

Paris is a city that everyone dreams of visiting, but it must be said that language barriers can sometimes be a real challenge; the public transportation system in Paris is incredibly complex, with as many as 303 metro stations alone, and an overwhelming variety of ticket types. Add to that the difficulty of not speaking the language, and it can be quite a struggle for travelers！

Compiled in collaboration with Insidr and Paris transport expert Ian Huang, this guide offers the latest 2017 transport tips for central Paris, covering various ticket types and travel options. After reading this, you'll definitely know Paris transport better than the locals！

1. The Paris Zones

Since 2015, the entire Île-de-France region (Greater Paris) has been divided into five zones. What we commonly refer to as "central Paris" consists of Zones 1 and 2, where the vast majority of must-see attractions are located. Exceptions include the Palace of Versailles (Zone 4), the Château de Fontainebleau (Zone 5), and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (Zone 5), all of which are in the outer zones and require special attention when planning your transport.

The 20 arrondissements (districts) of Paris refer to administrative divisions—all 1 to 20 are within Zones 1 and 2 of the public transport system, which means they fall within central Paris.

You can obtain the Paris public transport map at the Information desks in metro stations. When you look at the Metro+RER+Tram map (as shown above), you’ll notice there are two background colors: light orange indicates Zone 1 of the public transport network, while dark orange marks Zone 2 and beyond. *If you want a clearer understanding of the boundaries between the five Île-de-France zones, we recommend referring to the RER transport map below.

2. The 4 Main Modes of Public Transport in Paris

1. Metro:

Generally, travelers will only use the metro within Zones 1 and 2. The Paris Metro, operating since 1900, is over a century old, and some lines are quite old-fashioned—even the train doors need to be manually turned to open！ The metro is indicated by differently colored circles with numbers → see illustration.

2. RER:The RER is a suburban rail network that stops only at major stations and spans Zones 1 through 5. It is indicated by “RER” along with differently colored circles and letters → see illustration.

. RER A: Disneyland, La Vallée Village Outlet

. RER B: CDG Charles de Gaulle Airport, Orly Airport

. RER C: Palace of Versailles

3. Train (Transilien):

These are regional trains that you’d typically take from major railway stations. They operate similarly to long-distance trains. The symbol is a differently colored square with a number → see illustration.

4. Tramway:

Paris tramways have relatively fewer lines compared to other modes. They are marked with a “T” followed by a differently colored circle and number → see illustration.

3. Ticket Types

A. Single Tickets:

Valid for all Paris Metro services and other forms of public transport (bus, tram, metro, RER) within the range of the Metro+RER+Tram map. *Note: This ticket is not valid for RER travel beyond Zone 2.

As of 2017, the price of a single ticket is €1.90; a pack of 10 tickets ("Carnet de 10") costs €14.5. For children aged 4–10, a 10-ticket half-price carnet is €7.25.

Note: Buses do not offer the 10-ticket carnets—only single tickets at €2 each.

A single ticket (as shown above) can only be used once. With this ticket, you can transfer to another mode of transport within one and a half hours, but there are specific transfer rules:

1. Metro to Metro
2. (Within the two central zones on the Metro+RER map) Metro to RER; RER to RER
Alternatively, if you see a “magic little black line” between two RER stations on the Metro+RER map, traveling beyond that line will invalidate your ticket.
3. Bus to bus transfer
4. Bus to Paris tram Tram; Tram to Tram... but the machines often malfunction, so this method is a bit of a gamble

B. Inner Paris (Zone 1–2) to other zones – specific ticket types:

When traveling from Inner Paris (Zones 1–2) to other zones, or when returning from outer zones to Inner Paris, you need to select your departure and arrival stations on the ticket machine. The fare is calculated based on the number of zones crossed and the distance traveled.

>> Paris – Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) point-to-point ticket:
- Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport → Anywhere in Inner Paris: €10 one-way; Departure times: 06:00–00:30, every 15–20 minutes
- Anywhere in Inner Paris → Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport: €10 one-way; Departure times: 05:15–00:30, every 15–20 minutes

C. Navigo weekly/monthly pass: Highly recommended, extremely convenient！

1. With this card, you don’t have to worry about zones—meaning once you’ve paid for the week or month, you can use all five zones of Paris transport basically as much as you want
2. Cost: First-time card issuance fee of €5 + transport costs + one passport-sized photo

INSIDR reminder: Navigo cards for the current week are only sold until midnight on Thursday; those for the next week go on sale early Friday morning
 

Photo credit: ratp.fr

3. Validity period:
Paris transport weekly/monthly passes start counting from Monday of each week. So, a weekly pass is valid from Monday to Sunday. Even if you load it on Tuesday or Wednesday, it’s still only valid until Sunday—so the later you buy, the less value you get. Similarly, monthly passes start from the first day of the month, and regardless of when you load it, it’s only valid until the last day of that month.

>> Click here to learn more about how to use the Navigo weekly pass

D. Mobilis one-day ticket:

Not valid for airport round trips！ Although the Mobilis one-day ticket covers all five zones, if you want to use it to go to/from the airport, you can only take regular buses 350 or 351. The Roissybus airport shuttle from Opéra is not valid.

1. Recommended for: Weekdays → all ages; Weekends → 26 years old and above (those under 26 have cheaper one-day tickets for weekends, see E.)
2. Price: Based on zones (1–2 zones: €7.3; 1–3 zones: €9.7; 1–4 zones: €12; 1–5 zones: €17.3)

E. Youth Weekend One-Day Ticket – Ticket Jeunes Week-end

Just like the D. Mobilis one-day ticket, even though it covers all five zones, travelers going to the airport can only take regular buses 350 or 351. The Roissybus airport shuttle from Opéra is not included！

1. Eligible users: Under 26 years old (does not include 26-year-olds)
2. Valid days: Every weekend and French public holidays
3. Price: 1–3 zones: €4; 1–5 zones: €8.7; 3–5 zones: €5.1

F. PARIS VISIT Paris Pass + discount voucher feature

1. Available in 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-day options
2. After selecting the number of days, choose the transport zone coverage (only two options: 1–3 or 1–5). This pass includes access to the airport!!!
3. Price: (To go to the airport, you must buy the 1–5 option with the small airplane icon)
4. Discount information:

Attractions/discounts/notes:

- Arc de triomphe (Champs-Élysées) / 20% off ticket price
- Espace Dali Dalí Space / €6 admission fee / (original price €11.5)
- Conciergerie Paris Conciergerie / 20% off on tickets
- Musée d’armée Army Museum / 20% off on tickets
- Château de Fontainebleau Château de Fontainebleau / €2 discount on ticket
- Musée Picasso Picasso Museum / €2 discount on ticket
- Transport ticket discount to suburban Provin: single railway ticket €7.50 / (original price €11.4)
- Cité de science Science City: Exploration area + one selected exhibition / €9 / (original price €11)
- Tour Montparnasse Montparnasse Tower / 30% off on fees
- Bateau parisien Paris boat cruise / €10 / (selected operators) / (original price €14)
- L’Open Tour sightseeing bus / €26 for one day / (original price €32 for one day)
- Musée Grévin Grévin Wax Museum / 30% off

>> After learning about Paris city transport, >>Click here to check the “Unlimited data internet in France” options