Tube/Metro
Paris is the centre of 8 radial zones for public transport (zone 1 is Paris
2-8 are the suburbs). The cost of the ticket depends on the number of zones
you want to travel through. Zone 1 is related to Paris but all metro tickets
are available for zones1&2. The metro is made up of 14 lines identified with
the number or the name of the first and the last station (e.g. 3, Galliéni –
Pont de Levalois). You have also 5 RER (suburban trains) called by a letter
(RER A, RER B...).
In order to travel on the RATP (the state-owned
company managing the metro) network, you must be in possession of a valid ticket
at all times. Tickets must be validated in the turnstiles, found in the entrance
of all metro and RER stations. When boarding a bus (with a metro ticket you
can get on any bus) you must show your ticket to the driver if it is a travel
card, or validate you metro ticket (not the travel
cards!) in the machines provided.
A single ticket, 1.50 €, is valid for one journey.
They are sold in any station or bus, either individually or as a
book of 10, called a “Carnet” (11.10 €). A single ticket can be used
for metro, RER and bus alike to any destination inside Paris as long as you
don’t exit the underground (interchange is allowed in the metro and RER but
not by bus). Fares from journeys outside Paris depend on the length of the given
route, the departure and arrival station. You can buy your tickets in most of
the stations, metro, RER or SNCF stations.
You can buy a pass, valid 1 day only for any transport within the zone, called
Mobilis. For zone 1-2 (Paris) the price in 2008 was
5,60 €.
A travel card (monthly or weekly) is called a “Carte Orange”
and allows access to all transport in and through zones identified in the area
around and inside Paris without limitation. From 2008, the
Carte Orange is being replaced by the Navigo Pass (magnetic car).
This new pass, similar to the Oyster card currently in use in the London Underground,
is waved over a turnstile, carries a photo of the user on the card itself and
is based on an account that the user has with the RATP. Therefore, you
will need to ask a form to get a card for free if you live or work in the Paris
area (Le passe Navigo), or with a fee for anybody else
(Le passe Navigo Découverte). Price examples (2008)are displayed below:
| Zones |
Weekly |
Monthly |
| 1-2 |
16.30 € |
53.50 € |
| 1-5 |
32.10 € |
95.50 € |
An annual travel card is called “Abonnement Intégrale”.
You can pay in one shot or by standing order every month. If you loose it, it
can be replaced immediately in any station for free. Its price
is about 10 ½ months the price of 12 monthly travel card.
And good news, your company will pay to your salary half
of the cost of a monthly or annual travel card.
Train
You can reach a train from 6 main train stations (Gare Montparnasse, Gare
d’Austerlitz, Gare de Lyon, Gare de l’Est, Gare du Nord, Gare St Lazare). The
state-owned company is called SNCF
and manages most of the suburban and regional trains as well as main lines and
TGV (high speed train) and international trains such as Eurostar
(London) or Thalys (Amsterdam).
In order to purchase a ticket, you can go to train stations, travel agencies,
automatic ticket machines or through the Internet (where you can enquire and
validate your order). You can also use the telephone:
- for timetable information: 08 36 67 68 69
- for information and buying your ticket: 08
36 35 35 35
- for the Eurostar: 08 36 35 35 39
You can buy your ticket more than 2 months in advance and collect your ticket
from any ticket office or ask for it to be delivered at home (+1.3 €).
If two of you make a return journey together, whether or not have any direct
family link, you can benefit from a 25% discount on the basic fare.
Taxi
If you call a taxi from any telephone including a taxi-stand telephone, you
will be charged for the journey made to pick you up. The driver may also add
a charge for extra luggage, a fourth person or an animal.
If you have a preferred route, inform the driver of this. Tipping is optional.
Cheques and credit/ debit cards are not usually accepted.
Meter starting amount: 2 € (+ luggage + additional charges)
A few numbers:
- Allo Taxi / Taxi Bleu (www.taxi-bleus.com)
01 49 36 10 10
- Aéro-Taxi
01 47 31 30 30
- Artaxi (www.atraxis.fr)
01 42 41 50 50
- Flash Radio Taxi
01 47 46 11 11
- Radio Alpha
01 45 85 85 85
- Taxi Radio Étoile
01 42 70 41 41
- Taxis Sept Mille
01 42 70 00 42
- G7 Taxi (www.g7.fr)
01 47 39 47 39
Coach
The coach is not frequently used in Paris. You will find an international
coach station at Galliéni (near to the metro).
Airports
You have 2 airports around Paris: Roissy-Charles de Gaulle (RER B, north
of Paris about 8 € for a single ticket from Paris) and Orly (RER B, south
of Paris; it’s quicker to get off at Anthony and take the OrlyVal – about
19 €).
For cheap flights, you can try
Cars
With a car, you will notice obviously right at the beginning (except if you
come from Hong-Kong or Australia) that you drive on the right side of the
road! Saying that, you might want to hire a car:
Parking
We can give you some advice about parking downtown. It’s forbidden to park
nearby a main boulevard with “axe rouge” (red road) sign. Parking is allowed
during daytime (after 6pm during the week and after 1.30pm on Saturdays) in
most of the areas with ticket machines. You can ask for a resident card and
you can park your car in the area where you live for the price of a single
ticket during all working day. Good news: parking is free throughout Paris
in the month of August.
When you drive, remember that for most of the roads priority is given to
traffic on the right hand side.
Insurance
It is compulsory to have car insurance. There are many insurance companies,
which can provide car insurance (http://www.matmut.fr,
http://www.agf.fr, http://www.axa.fr).
You can also look for through the Internet or the yellow pages.
Map
As anyone, you will buy an A-Z of Paris to find
your way (is it possible to live without this book?).
If you need a specific map, you can find your way in France with www.ismap.com.
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Comments
13/01/2003
