Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For information on the metro, RER and bus systems, visit
www.ratp.fr
.
Metro maps of vari-
ous sizes and degrees of detail are available for free at metro ticket windows; several can
also be downloaded for free from the RATP website.
Metro
Metro lines are identified by both their number (eg ligne 1; line 1) and their colour, listed on
official metro signs and maps.
Signs in metro and RER stations indicate the way to the correct platform for your line. The
direction
signs on each platform indicate the terminus. On lines that split into several
branches (such as lines 7 and 13), the terminus of each train is indicated on the cars and on
signs on each platform giving the number of minutes until the next and subsequent train.
Signs marked
correspondance
(transfer) show how to reach connecting trains. At stations
with many intersecting lines, like Châtelet and Montparnasse Bienvenüe, walking from one
platform to the next can take a very long time.
Different station exits are indicated by white-on-blue
sortie
(exit) signs. You can get your
bearings by checking the
plan du quartier
(neighbourhood maps) posted at exits.
Each line has its own schedule but trains usually start at around 5.30am, with the last train
beginning its run between 12.35am and 1.15am (2.15am on Friday and Saturday).
RER
The RER is faster than the metro but the stops are much further apart. Some attractions, par-
ticularly those on the Left Bank (eg the Musée d'Orsay, Eiffel Tower and Panthéon), can be
reached far more conveniently by the RER than by the metro.
If you're going out to the suburbs (eg Versailles, Disneyland), ask for help on the platform -
finding the right train can be confusing. Also make sure your ticket is for the correct zone.
Tickets & Fares
The same RATP tickets are valid on the metro, the RER (for travel within the city limits),
buses, trams and the Montmartre funicular.
A ticket - white in colour and called
Le Ticket t+ -
costs €1.70 (half price for children aged
four to nine years) if bought individually and €13.70 for adults for a
carnet
(book) of 10.
