Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
When the bus pulls up, double-check that the sign on the front of the bus has the end-of-the-
line stop going in your direction.
Board your bus through the front door. (Families with strollers can use any doors—the
ones in the center are wider. To open the middle or back doors on long buses, push the green
button located by those doors.) Validate your ticket in the machine and reclaim it. With a
Passe Navigo, scan it on the purple touchpad. Keep track of what stop is coming up next by
followingtheon-boarddiagramorlisteningtorecordedannouncements. Whenyou'reready
to get off, push the red button to signal you want a stop, then exit through the central or rear
door. Even if you're not certain you've figured out the system, do some joyriding.
More Bus Tips:
Avoid rush hour (Mon-Fri 8:00-9:30 & 17:30-19:30), when buses are
jammed and traffic doesn't move. While the Métro shuts down at about 24:30, some buses
continue much later (called
Noctilien
lines,
www.noctilien.fr
)
. Not all city buses are air-con-
ditioned, so they can become rolling greenhouses on summer days. You can transfer from
one bus to another on the same ticket (within 1.5 hours, revalidate your ticket on the next
bus),butyoucan'tdoaround-triporhoponandoffonthesameline.Youalsocan'ttransfer
between the bus and the Métro/RER systems using the same ticket, or between buses with a
ticket bought on board (go figure).
I've listed the handiest bus routes for each recommended hotel neighborhood under
“Sleeping in Paris,” later.
By Taxi
Parisian taxis are reasonable, especially for couples and families. The meters are tamper-
proof.Faresandsupplements(describedinEnglishontherearwindows)arestraightforward
and tightly regulated.
A taxi can fit three people comfortably. Cabbies are legally required to accept four pas-
sengers, though they don't always like it. If you have five in your group, you can book a
larger taxi in advance (your hotelier can call), or try your luck at a taxi stand. Beyond three
passengers, expect to pay €3 extra per person. For a sample taxi tour of the city at night, see
here
.
Rates:
All Parisian taxis start with €2.40 on the meter and have a minimum charge of
€6.40. A 20-minute ride (e.g., Bastille to the Eiffel Tower) costs about €20 (versus €1.27/
person to get anywhere in town using a
carnet
ticket on the Métro or bus). Drivers charge
higher rates at rush hour, at night, all day Sunday, for extra passengers (see above), and to
anyoftheairports.Eachpieceofluggageyouputinthetrunkis€1extra(thoughitwon'tap-
pear on the meter, it is a legitimate charge). To tip, round up to the next euro (at least €0.50).
How to Catch
un Taxi:
You can try waving down a taxi, but it's often easier to ask
someone for the nearest taxi stand (
“Où est une station de taxi?”;
oo ay ewn stah-see-ohn
duh“taxi”).Taxistandsareindicatedbyacircled“T”ongoodcitymaps,andonmanymaps
