If you have a story you’d like to share to help others avoid the same scam, please contact ben@parisbytrain.com.

Scam: Ticket purchase help

Where: At Metro / RER ticket vending machines, especially at Gare du Nord train station

How: Scam artist offers to help you purchase tickets using his bank card/credit card claiming that foreign cards do not work (true in some cases). After purchasing the tickets he asks you to pay him in cash for the tickets, but at an amount demanded is much higher than face value. Variations include purchasing a carnet (booklet of 10) of single use Metro or RER tickets and offering you only 1-2 tickets for the price of an entire booklet, claiming they are good for multiple use or something similar.  Scam is commonly run at Gare du Nord due to high tourist traffic coming from RER B trains from CDG Airport and Eurostar London – Paris trains, with plenty of first-time travelers to Paris.

Avoidance:

• buy tickets from a ticket window
• buy Metro/RER train tickets from ticket machines using your own bank/credit card
  • bank & credit cards with a chip, taking 4 digit PIN numbers from most countries will work fine
• politely refuse help from apparently good samaritan locals

Scam: Pick pocket teams

Where: Train car doors

How: Two-man team. One is a decoy attempting to expose your wallet.  He stays on train.  Partner picks pocket & gets off train as doors close.  I had this attempted on me on the Barcelona Metro, but the method works anywhere.  One member waits to get on train at a 45º angle in front of you (keeping you in his peripheral view).  When the train arrives and doors open, passengers exit train, then you and pickpocket move to door, he enters just ahead of you and drops something on the floor of train.  A mobile phone in pieces, coins, etc.  The point is to get your help to bend over and pick up the pieces with him, exposing your back pocket & your wallet.  His partner then picks your pocket while leaving train and walks off.  After picking up pieces, the original pickpocket stays on train and plays innocent, offering himself to be searched for your wallet.

Avoidance:

• Don’t help to pick up items dropped.
• Keep your wallet in front pants pocket.

Scam: Unregistered Taxi / Limousine Rides

Where: Near train station & airport passenger pickup stands for taxis, limousines, etc.

How: Illegal taxi or limousine offers you a ride to destination of your choice at discount or flat rate because their reserved passenger has been delayed.  After driving begins the car takes you to an unsafe neighbourhood and demands extra fee or they will eject you into the unsafe area.

Avoidance:

• Take taxis from designated taxi stand areas at train stations and airports.
• Only take taxis from reputable/recommended companies which includes:
  • Taxi G7
  • G7 Horizon
  • Alpha Taxis
  • Les Taxis Bleus
  • ABC Taxis 93

Scam: Bag Placement & Pickup

Where: Anywhere you put your hand bag down

How: When you put your handbag on floor at your feet, thief puts their bag down beside yours, stops, bends over and ties her shoes.  When done, she picks up her bag and yours and walks off.

Avoidance: when you put your purse down, put bag between your feet, not on your left or right sides of your feet.

Scam: Mobile phone theft with closing doors

Where: near train doors as they’re closing

How: As you talk or text on your mobile phone, holding it up near your face in plain view with a weak grip, the thief will wait until train is about to depart and doors are about to close.  He will grab your mobile phone from your hands and escape through the closing doors and run out of the station.

Avoidance:

• Use your mobile phone after the train doors are closed and train car is in motion (no escape route).
• Don’t text or talk on phone when the train doors are about to open or close.
• Don’t sit immediately in front of doors (minimizes distance to escape route).
• Hold onto your mobile phone like an orange (hand wrapped around it), not like a Christmas card (holding bottom edges, exposing phone, easy to grab).

Final Thoughts

Simply go about your business of arriving and leaving this station in an efficient manner and you’ll be fine.

Enjoy your trip and stay safe!

(If you have a story you’d like to share to help others avoid the same scam, please contact ben@parisbytrain.com).

Paris Metro maps, schedules, tickets, passes, helpful travel tips.

The Paris Metro consists of 300 stations on 16 lines covering the 10x10km area of central Paris. ^[1][2] Metro lines are numbered from 1 to 14 with two “bis” or secondary lines 3b and 7b.

Paris Metro Maps

The public transit authority of Paris (RATP) offers three Metro system maps that can be downloaded together at ParisByTrain.com :

a basic Paris Metro map of lines with stations and interchanges

a condensed small format Paris Metro map

a Paris Metro map with city streets

Other Metro maps such as individual line maps can be downloaded directly from RATP.fr (in french).

Paris Metro Schedules

The Paris Metro runs from roughly 05:30 till 00:40 (5:30am – 12:40am) Sunday thru Thursday and 05:30 – 01:40 on Fridays, Saturdays and on days before a holiday. Frequency between most trains range from 2 minutes during rush hour up to 8-10 minutes during off hours, holidays, and sundays.

Download a schedule/timetable of first and last Paris Metro trains. Updated January 2013. Times are approximate! This includes schedule of first/last Paris RER A (Disneyland) and RER B (airport) trains.

Route Planning

The RATP offers a route planner via their website which can use street addresses, station names or well known locations to create a travel itinerary for you, including necessary connections and total travel time. Route options under “Criteria” can be chosen for fewest connections, least amount of walking and quickest route (the default).

Tickets & Passes

There are a wide variety of tickets available including single ride tickets, books of 10 or 20, single day passes, multi-day passes, Monday to Sunday week passes, monthly passes and year passes.

Single Use Tickets

Single tickets for the Metro are known as “Ticket t+”. These tickets are valid for a single continuous journey of any length, throughout the Metro system, including changes to other Metro lines and RER interurban trains within Zone 1. These tickets are sold as single units or in books of 10.

Tickets can be purchased from ticket windows inside stations or through automated ticket vending machines accepting Euro coins and smart chip credit cards.The single ticket price as of January 1, 2013 is 1,70€.

Books of ten, called a “carnet” [kar-nay], are sold at a discount for 13,30€ (1,33€ each, a little over 20% off the regular fare). Children from ages 4 to 9 years old can use reduced fare tickets, which are available only in books of 10, for 6,65€ per book of ten. Children 3 and under ride for free. Keep in mind that non-smart chip credit cards will not work at either the automated ticket machines nor at ticket windows, thus Euro cash or coin would be required.

Day tickets

A day ticket is called the Ticket Mobilis which is good for unlimited rides on the Metro system during operating hours for the day it is used. Physically it’s a coupon of about the same size as the Paris Metro Ticket t+.

Ticket Mobilis is available in various fare zone coverage from 1-2 zones to 1-5 zones. If you’ll be traveling strictly within central Paris, zones 1 & 2 cover the entire Metro system, and a 1-2 zone Ticket Mobilis is the recommended ticket. Price as of March 1, 2013 is 6,60€.

The complete price schedule for this Paris day ticket is as follows:

As the Ticket Mobilis can be purchased on one day and used someday in the future you must print the date of use on the ticket before use. To prevent people sharing tickets, first and last names are also required.

Multi-Day Paris Metro Tickets

Multi-day tickets aimed at tourists and visitors are known as the

The Carte Paris Visite consists of a plasticized ticket coupon (similar to a Ticket Mobilis) and a black paper folding card. The card requires the printed name of the bearer and the ticket coupon requires the card number and date of use to be written on in pen, as to avoid ticket sharing between passengers.

Discounts to attractions in and around Paris are included with the Paris Visite card, which are obtained by showing the black card along with a valid coupon ticket (like the orange ticket shown above).

Paris Metro Week Tickets/Passes

Week long tickets are sold in the form of plastic contactless smartcards known as the Pass Navigo Découverte.

This pass is valid for travel strictly from Monday till Sunday, rather than any continuous 7 day period, which makes it less attractive for visitors arriving mid-week. It is purchaseable for use in the current week from ticket windows at most Metro, RER and large train stations up until Wednesday end of service. No week passes are sold on Thursday. Starting from Friday, week passes for the following week are on sale. The Pass Navigo Découverte week pass is not available from automated ticket vending machines. 4 different fare zones are available with prices as follows (Tarifs Semaine = Weekly Price, Tarifs Mois = Monthly Price, updated March 1, 2013):

Zones 1-5 will cover travel to & from Airports Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY) , which are in zones 5 and 4 respectively and Paris-Versailles trains (zone 4).

The prices above do not include the 5€ fee for the plastic card itself, non-refundable, unlike the London Oyster card.

To purchase the pass Navigo Découverte you will be required to present and attach a face photo measuring 2.5cm tall x 2cm wide to the paper nominative card that comes in addition to the plastic smartcard.

Home printing of this photo, black & white or colour, is acceptable. You will be required to print your name on this card as well. After the paper card is completed a self-adhesive clear plastic cover is folded over the face of the card, protecting the picture and name of the holder. The contactless smart card and the paper card must be carried together to be valid for travel.

There is some confusion between the Carte Orange and Pass Navigo in terms of week passes. Carte Orange was previously a physical coupon like ticket (much like the Ticket Mobilis) and paper nominative photo card that is now no longer in use. This coupon and paper card has been replaced by the new contactless smart cards known as the Pass Navigo and Pass Navigo Découverte (for non-residents of France). The regional transit authority decided to keep the name “Carte Orange” as the name of the weekly or monthly “subscriptions” that you must purchase and “add” to your Pass Navigo or Pass Navigo Découverte.

Riding the Paris Metro

Paris Airports

Paris airports are accessible via the RER train system, rather than the Paris Metro. See instructions on the RER B from CDG to Paris, Orly to Paris and Paris Beauvais Airport Train for more information.

Paris Stations & Metro Tickets

Most of Paris’ 300 Metro stations are located underground with a handful above ground. Stations are marked with various styles of signs as shown below.

Some Metro stations are joined with large train stations (“gare”) serving other types rail transport such as intercity surface trains and RER regional express trains which travel both above and below ground. Some notable large stations within Paris serving all three types of train transport include: Gare St. Lazare, Gare du Nord , Gare de l’Est, Gare de Lyon, Gare d’Austerlitz and Gare Montparnasse. Most stations and Paris Metro lines are not handicap accessible save for a few exceptions . Stations have multiple entrances/exits, up to ten for the largest underground station, Chatelet Les Halles.

Street maps are posted throughout central Paris providing information on the local district (“arrondissement”). These maps can be useful in locating nearby Metro stations.

Within a Metro station, tickets can be purchased from manned ticket windows and from automated ticket vending machines. Most passes are only sold from ticket windows although the Ticket Mobilis day ticket is available via the machines.

Ticket windows may not be open nor manned at all times thus requiring use of the vending machines. Certain entrances to stations may give direct access to train platforms, which require that you already have your ticket or pass. Ticket vending machines such as the one shown in the photo accept Euro coins (for purchases up to 30€) and smartchip credit cards. Cash notes or bills are not accepted at these machines. See the guide on using Paris Metro ticket vending machines for more information.

Access to Metro train platforms is controlled via turnstiles or gate type barriers which are operated by either magnetic stripe coupon tickets (Ticket t+, Mobilis, etc.) or contactless smart cards such as the Pass Navigo Decouverte. To operate the barrier with a ticket, insert the ticket magnetic stripe side down, into a turnstile that is not marked with a red X or red circle which indicates an exit only turnstile. The ticket slot should be on your right while inserting the ticket (see the photo below). The ticket will be ejected on the top of the turnstile which you must retrieve to unlock the barrier.

If the ticket is accepted a short high pitched buzzing sound will be emitted, sometimes along with a message displayed on the turnstile requesting you take your ticket back (“Reprenez votre ticket”). Remove the ticket and walk through the turnstile or approach closely the gate barrier and wait for it to open. Some gates are slow to open, especially side swinging double door gates. If your ticket appears to have been accepted, yet the gate has not swung open, be sure you are sufficiently close to the gates in order to trip the sensor. Be patient and don’t panic. The gate should swing open within 5 seconds maximum. A ticket that is not accepted will cause the turnstile to emit a longer, lower pitched (unpleasant) buzzing noise, sometimes with a message in red indicating your ticket was not valid. See an employee at a ticket window or information booth for help in this case. They will usually open a wheelchair accessible gate for you to pass through.

Operating barriers with contactless smart cards works by passing the card over the purple reader zone on the tops of the turnstiles or barriers. The smart cards may take a second or two to be recognized by the transponders, so keep the pass over the reader area until a “ding” sound is emitted for an accepted pass. Keep in mind that passes near expiration will cause the barrier to emit a buzzing noise instead of a ding, along with a message noting the date of expiry. Pass through the turnstile or gate as per normal.

Many Metro stations serve multiple lines through several different train platforms within a single station. To find your way to the correct platform in the correct direction requires that you to keep a mindful eye on signs posted throughout the pedestrian tunnels.

At each subterranean intersection you will see Metro line numbers and possibly station names which are used to denote direction of travel. Direction of travel is always denoted by the terminus station, the last station or stop on the line, rather than magnetic pole directions such as north, south, east, west. To understand whether the line is going in the direction you wish to travel, you should refer a Paris Metro map, which are posted near station entrances and on all train platforms.

Nearly all train platforms have overhead signs showing the time remaining till the next two trains arrive at the station, denoted in minutes. These signs are also a way to verify that you’re on the correct line, heading in the correct direction. The photo below shows Metro Line 4 in direction of Porte d’Orleans with 4 minutes remaining till the next train arrives. On the opposite side of this platform will be another sign of exact same color and number, but the direction will be marked as Porte de Clignancourt, the opposite direction. Keep in mind that the train arrival times posted on these signs are only estimates and are not always accurate. Due to traffic congestion and rider issues minutes may be added or subtracted at any moment.

On rare occasion, but worth mentioning, some Metro line platforms are accessed by traversing another platform for a different line. This means you’ll arrive at a platform and think the current platform is the correct one, but in reality, your desired line is further along. Pay special attention to the overhead signs and the system maps posted on the platform walls to ensure you’re on the correct platform.

Paris Metro Trains

Metro train cars come in a variety of different shapes, colours and sizes.

Nearly all Metro cars require manual operation to open their doors. This is done through either a lever or a button on the door itself near the centre opening. Metro Line 14 is a notable exception being completely automated and driver-less.

Fold-down seats are available just inside Metro train car doors, but these seats should only be used when there is sufficient space for travelers to easily enter and exit the train car. Rush hours will generally be too busy to use these seats.Rush hour travel on the Metro in Paris is a chance to exercise your “personal space” limits. Don’t be surprised if you end up completely pressed up against other passengers. It’s normal, it’s accepted… it’s simply a slice of commuter life in Paris.Don’t worry about not being able to descend the train when your stop arrives. Simply say “Excusez-moi” and people will immediately begin making room for you to alight, even if it requires that they descend the train also, just to let you off. Parisiens are very well versed in Metro manners and if you’ve read up to this point… you are now as well.

Exiting

After having arrived at your desired station you can make your way out of the station by following the blue “Sortie” signs.These signs will often be mixed with directional signs for various Metro lines shared by a station. This photo shows the multitude of exits and lines available for both the Metro and the RER at the world’s largest underground station: Chatelet Les Halles.

Each exit is usually referred to by the street or landmark upon which it exits.

To determine which exit is best for you refer to an exit map located within the Metro station, usually just after exiting the fare paid zone (see next paragraph).

To exit the fare paid zone within stations you’ll either pass through exit turnstiles (look for green lights on the face of the turnstiles or for open gates) or through doors opened by pressure plates or infrared sensors.(Pressure activated doors are visible on the left hand side of the photo below.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Paris Metro vs. RER – What’s the difference?

The Metro is a classic subway system: mostly underground, many stops, frequent service, short line distances, serving the urban city centre, non-scheduled train timings. The RER (Réseau Express Régional) is a commuter train system that covers much of the greater metropolitan area of Paris (Ile-de-France ), much further out than that covered by the Metro, including specifically both Paris Airports: Paris Roissy-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Paris-Orly (ORY) , Disneyland® Paris, and Chateau Versailles. The confusing part is that the RER traverses central Paris with a handful of stations, acting like an express Metro system with fewer stops, larger trains and faster movement. Paris fare zones apply to the RER train system, unlike the Metro and there are six of them. Using a Metro ticket, the Ticket t+, is permitted on the RER, but only to the limits of Zone 1, the true center of Paris, bordered by the ring road surrounding it, the Boulevard Periphérique.

Have a question? Ask it at the ParisByTrain forums and I’ll answer it. Commonly asked questions will be reposted here.

Have a suggestion on improving this article? Don’t hesitate to post a comment or edit this article directly.

Further Reading

History, facts and figures of the Paris Metro (wikipedia, en français )

Paris Regional Transport Authority, RATP (partial site available in in English )

Photos of the Paris Metro system (wikipedia commons)

Guides on Paris Airport trains, Paris Disneyland train and Paris train stations

References

1. STIF: Les Chiffes, 2005. “Le Reseau du Transports en Commun”. http://www.stif-idf.fr
2. Extension of M14 & M13 lines in 2007 & 2008 has added 3 new stations, now totalling 300. http://extension-reseau.ratp.fr

• Costs 1,70€ per journey (with an individual Ticket t+, price as of January 2013)
• Children 4-10, cost is 0,85€. Discounted individual children tickets no longer available.
• Children 3 and under ride for free.
• Books of 10 tickets are discounted: 13,30€ adults (1,33€ each), 6,65€ (0,66€ each) children 4-10 years old
• Passes Accepted => Pass Navigo, Navigo Découverte, Paris Visite Card, Ticket Mobilis
• First train in morning begins running at 05:30
• Last trains in evening at 00:40. Last train on Fridays, Saturdays and nights before holidays 01:40

Paris Metro

The Parisian subway is known as the Metro, short for “chemin de fer Métropolitain” [metropolitan railway].  The network of underground rail lines has 245 stations scattered throughout central Paris’ 20 “arrondissements” [districts].

Tickets for the Paris Metro are purchased from blue or green “billetteries” [ticket vending machines] or from “guichets” [manned ticket windows] within stations. The current price (January 2013) for a single ticket known as a “Ticket t+” is 1,70€. Tickets can also be purchased as a book of ten or twenty, known as a “carnet” [booklet], for a slight discount (booklet of ten Ticket t+ is 13,30€ or 1,33€ each).

During your journey, keep your ticket with you until you arrive at your destination station and pass through the exit gates or turnstiles.  “Controleurs” [ticket inspectors] may stop you at any point during your journey to ask to see a valid ticket or pass.  Failure to provide a valid fare will result in a fine of €35, payable on the spot through credit card.

Paris Metro stations are mostly located underground with a few above ground due to local geography. Entry into the Metro stations is free up until the turnstiles which mark the area from which you must have a valid transportation ticket or pass. Some station entrances are unmanned, having no ticket window nor ticket vending machines, only turnstiles which accept tickets and smart card passes (Pass Navigo) for entry.

Metro lines are numbered from 1 to 14, each a different color, with two “bis” [b or secondary] lines making 16 in total.

Each Metro line has two (or more) terminus stations. These end-of-line stations are used to note the direction the train is traveling. Each Metro line platform within a station will be marked with the line number and the direction the trains will travel from that platform.

Signs within Paris Metro stations mark the way to train platforms on a given line, in a given direction. Metro lines are signified by the letter M within a circle.There are several Metro stations that serve multiple lines in various directions. This causes some stations to have several vertical levels accessible sometimes only by stairs, but often with escalators and sometimes with elevators for extremely deep stations.

As you make you way toward the line platforms within a station, stairs often descend or ascend onto the either side of the rails.  Each stairwell is often marked with a detailed Metro line sign showing number, direction, and stations that will be visited as the train travels toward the terminus.

(photo by roboppy)

Exits from Metro stations are marked by blue “sortie” [exit] signs and often note the street or area they give access to.

(photo by kygp)

Stations often have several exits leading out to various streets and pathways.  There is often a map provided within the station, outside of the ticketed turnstile area, but still within the station, showing all exits in relation to above ground streets and establishments.

Links

Paris Metro

More Metro photos & information at nycsubway.org

The Metro is

• the Métropolitan chemin de fer (Metropolitan railway)
• a subway/tube/underground train system
• 16 lines, 1 through 14 plus two short secondary lines (3bis and 7bis)
• just central Paris (see Metro map)
• short distances between stations
• one single fare zone
• unscheduled service
• mostly underground (subway/tube like)
• no bicycles allowed on Metro, except on Metro Line 1 on Sundays and holidays

The RER is

• the Réseau Express Régionale (Regional Express Network)
• a commuter train system
• 5 lines, RER A through E
• central Paris plus much of Ile-de-France (see RER line map)
• used interchangeably with the Metro in central Paris
• faster than the Metro, with fewer stops & greater distances between stations
• separated into fare zones 1 -5
• tickets (billet origine-destination) are priced from station to station (when outside central Paris zones 1-2)
• scheduled service (see RER schedules)
• mostly above ground, except within central Paris
• bicycles are allowed on the RER except during rush hour (not allowed between 6:30-9 AM and from 16:30 – 19:00)

Resources

More information on the Paris Metro (Google Knol)

Metro Tickets (Ticket t+)

RER Tickets (Billet Ile-de-France)

(RER sign photo by Gregory Deryckère)

Basic Metro Map

Shows all 14 main Metro lines and 2 secondary “bis” lines, RER lines A through E and Trams lines 1, 2 and 3.

Condensed Metro Map

Same as the Basic Metro Map but in a smaller format, good for printing on a 4×6 sheet of photo paper.

Metro Line Map with Streets

Same as above Metro maps but shown in relation to Paris city streets.

All maps are provided by Paris’ regional public transit authority: RATP.

For TGV intercity train route planners & ticket sales, see below.

Route Planners for Paris and surrounding region (Ile-de-France)

• Paris Route Planner for Metro, Bus, RER, Trams (RATP.fr) – For central Paris and suburbs connected by RER train (Versailles, Roissy [CDG Airport], Marne la Vallee [Euro Disney], etc.).  For a detailed example of using this Paris Metro Planner see CDG to Paris Metro Route Planner.
• Paris Train Route & Schedule Finder (Transilien.com) – To and from major train stations in Paris to cities within surrounding Ile-de-France region. Major train stations in Paris are: Gare du Nord, Gare de Lyon, Gare de l’Est, Gare Montparnasse, Gare d’Austerlitz, Gare St. Lazare.
• Detailed Itinerary Builder with fares (www.vianavigo.com – see extensive train route finder help documentation) – For all of central France (Paris + Ile-de-France) on all modes of public transportation. Includes fare prices.

Below is a photo of the route planner tool at RATP.fr.

TGV Train Route Planner from Paris to other cities in France

• TGV & InterCity Train Route Builder / Schedule Tool (www.Gares-en-mouvement.com) – Detailed route planner for train travel from major Paris train stations to cities within France. Includes TGV, Ter, Transilien, RER, Corail trains. No ticket sales. INSTRUCTIONS: First click on a blue dot to choose a departure station. On the following page, click Search the Timetable on the left column, last link, to access the route planner/scheduler.
• Routes, Schedules, Ticket Sales for UK residents (RailEurope.co.uk)
• Routes, Schedules, Ticket Sales for US residents (RailEurope.com)
• Routes, Schedules, Ticket Sales for Canada residents (RailEurope.ca)
• Routes, Schedules, Ticket Sales for Paris – London Train (Eurostar.com) – See notes on finding cheap Eurostar fares.
• Routes, Schedules, Ticket Sales for Other Countries (TGV-Europe.com) – See notes on using TGV-Europe.com for ticket sales.

Useful Resources

Metro, RER & Train Maps

RER & Train Schedules

1. Plan your route. Before making a trip, use a Metro map and the official RATP Paris Metro route planner to find the shortest route with the least number of line changes.  Station to station a Metro train will take just over a minute. Making connections will cost you about 3 minutes at small interchanges with few intersecting lines and up to fifteen minutes at mega stations Chatelet Les Halles, Gare du Nord, Gare Montparnasse, Saint-Lazare.  These stations are enormous, sprawling, multi-level, and likely confusing (especially Chatelet Les Halles). You could be walking up to a kilometer to reach the next train platform. If you’re changing trains more than twice, search for a more direct route.
2. Don’t wait till Monday morning or the first day of the month to buy your Metro ticket t+ or  Navigo Semaine for the week.  The lineups for both vending machines and ticket windows are extremely long on these particular days, since Navigo Semaine expires on Sunday evening / last day of the month.  Thus, an unusually large number of people will be renewing their pass.
3. Take the RER if you can, even if it means back tracking on the Metro.  With far fewer stops and higher speed, the RER is almost always faster than the Metro.  Use it as much as possible.
4. At rush hour on the station platform, walk to the far end, furthest away from the entrance stairwell.  People tend to bunch up just next to the platform entrance, reducing your chance of getting on the train.  You’ll also get last second “jumpers” who push themselves onto the last metro car as the doors are about to close, squishing everyone else already on the over-packed car.
5. Time flies: Most platforms have overhead signs showing minutes till the next train.  These are hardly atomic clocks.  2 minutes can mean immediate arrival or actually 6 minutes.  Don’t wander off in the meantime.
6. Choose the best train car.  Many people stand at the edge of the platform near the rails to be closer to a car door when the train arrives thinking this will guarantee they get on. This is untrue.  Trains often arrive with cars which are full and no one is descending. If you happen to be waiting at the doorstep of such a train car, you’re not getting on. Furthermore, when you turn around to go to the next train door, you’re no longer at the head of the line, you’re at the rear, as everyone else behind you has turned toward the next train car as well, and you’re behind them.  By standing back, you can survey the train cars as they pass, allowing you to quickly move to the one that is not overly full and where there are people descending.  Stand back as the train arrives to watch multiple doors. Some train cars will have many people descending, some none at all.  Your best chance of getting on a busy Metro train is with a car somewhere in between these two extremes.  Standing back from the fray allows you to see the action from afar and choose the best train car.
7. Take off your backpack & keep it near your feet/between your legs. You’ll take the personal space (at a premium on the Metro) of two people with it on your back.  It’s bad form, screams “ignorant tourist” and is more prone to having uninvited “inspections” for wallets and other valuables (not common, but possible).
8. During rush hour, stand, don’t use the folding seats near the train doors, which allows more people to be crammed into the train car, a national past time in Paris.
9. Prepare for takeoff: Make your way to the door (carefully) before the train arrives at your station. If this is not possible at least make motions that you’re getting off at the next stop.  Everyone reads that body language and will prepare to get out of your way when it’s time.  This allows you to alight quickly so that others have time to enter the train before it departs.
10. Wash your hands after your journey. The amount of other people’s lives on handles and poles on a Metro train would make the monkey in Outbreak shudder.

(Photo by jmanners)

• Metro
• RER (within Zone 1)
• Tramways,
• RATP buses
• Noctilien buses (night bus)
• Optile buses (Paris suburbs)
• Cable car of Montmarte (Funiculaire de Montmarte)

Ticket t is currently priced at 1,70€ for a single ticket (as of January 2013). A package of 10 tickets, a carnet ["car-nay"] costs 13,30€.

The ticket t can be used for transfers, made within 1 hour 30 minutes of first use, only between certain methods of transport and depending on the type of transport used. You cannot mix and match the transfers listed below, each bullet point should be regarded as separate transfer type. For example, you cannot transfer from Metro to Bus. Ticket t transfers are allowed between:

• Metro lines, without exiting the confines of a station, or
• Metro and RER lines, or
• 2 RATP Bus lines, or
• 1 RATP Bus and 1 Optile bus, or
• Tramway and any bus lines that cross it, or
• Noctilien buses (except on Noctilien buses requiring special fares)

Notice that there are no “and”s in the above list. That’s on purpose. You can’t mix any of the above transfer situations.

Special note: single tickets purchased on buses, directly from drivers are not valid for transfers.

With these tickets you will not be able to transfer to another bus nor tramway.

References: RATP

Find a route from CDG to Paris Metro Station

Here is a step by step example of finding a route from CDG Airport Terminal 1 to St. Sulpice Metro station in Paris.

Step One – Route Planner

First, open up the Paris Metro Route Planner in a web browser. You’ll see a page similar to the one shown here.

Step Two – Departure Metro RER Station

Start typing the French name of the station and results will pop-up.  For CDG Airport – enter “Aeroport Charles” which will show a list of matches.

If you’re arriving at Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 of CDG, choose the first result: Aeroport Charles de Gaulle 1 (RER), Tremblay-en-France.

If you’re arriving at CDG Terminal 2, select the second result: Aeroport Charles de Gaulle 2 Tgv (RER), Tremblay-en-France.

Both of the above are RER B train stations at CDG Airport.

Step Three – Destination Metro Station

Next, we’ll select a Destination station.  In this example we’re going to République Metro station.  Select the Station radio button and type Republique in the text box below.

Step Four – Departure Time & Date

There is an option near the bottom of the Route Planner that allows you to enter the Date and Time that you plan on making this journey.

It’s important to specify the same day of the week and approximate time of day (in 24 hour clock) that you will be making this trip to get accurate results.  You do not have to specify the exact date & time of travel if this information is not available.  If you’re not sure of when you’re traveling, simply choose a time and day that makes sense, i.e. don’t use a time in the middle of the night. Somewhere between 8am to 9pm (21 hours) will give you good results.

Step Five – Options

Mode & Criteria

Mode specifies which types of transportation: Rail, Bus & street cars/trams or both.  For simplicity and reduced transfers, I choose Rail.

For Criteria, there are options to minimize transfers between lines using Fewest Changes or minimize walking distance by selecting Least amount of walking.  I’ve tested these options out and they’re not exactly great. Fewest changes can have you literally walking 1-2 kilometers to get to your final destination, just to avoid a transfer.  Not smart.  For the moment, I suggest leaving Criteria on “The quickest” option.

Step Six – Review Route Planner Results

The Paris Metro RER Route Planner results will up beneath the search panel similar to this (red highlights added by me for discussion below):

Examining Route Planner Results

Looking closer at the results we see that the Paris Metro RER Route Planner gives total Travel Time beside your chosen Criteria, in this case: The quickest: 47 min for the journey (from CDG Airport Terminal 2 to Republique (METRO).  The journey requires some walking, taking the RER B train, taking Metro 5 and some walking to get to the final destination.

The above 47 min. example journey starts from Airport CDG 2 station at 15h37 (3:37 PM), passes through Paris fare Zones 1-5, and will have the traveler arriving at 16h24 (4:24 PM).  The fare Zones 1-5 determine how much trip will cost, in this case 9,50€, which will be the same cost for arriving anywhere within the Paris Metro system from Airport CDG.

Just above the results box are two buttons labeled Leave later and Arrive earlier.  These allow you to shift the search results to the next closest trains either earlier (Arrive earlier) or later (Leave later) to better accommodate your schedule.

Below the search result is a link entitled “Show the detail of the route“.  Clicking this link will expand the results to show you important information about your suggested route.  An example is provided here:

The key information on the details page (which I’ve highlighted by red underlines) are the directions you need to the take the two trains, first for the RER B train then the Metro 5 subway line.  The direction tells you which train platform you’ll need to travel in the correct direction.

The terminus station used to signify direction of travel for trains leaving CDG is not important if you’re destination is within city centre Paris, since the RER B train stops at all RER B stations within Paris itself: Gare du Nord, Chatelet Les Halles, St Michel Notre Dame, Luxembourg, Port Royal, Denfert Rochereau, and Cité Universitaire.

If you’re at Aeroport CDG 1 train station, you’ll need to get on the train going towards Paris and not the train going to CDG Terminal 2 train station. For the example above, the RER B happens to be terminating at Massy-Palaiseau in southern Paris. Not very important since we’ll be getting off at Gare du Nord.  At the airport train stations, on the train platforms, you can verify the direction of the RER train by looking at the overhead television screens which show the direction and departure time of the train.

See the following photo guide articles for more information on catching the RER B train from Paris CDG Airport to Paris city center: CDG Airport Terminal 1 to Paris and CDG Airport Terminal 2 to Paris.

In the above example, the second leg of the journey is completed on a different type of train: the Paris Metro, Line 5.  In this step, direction is very important.  Every Paris Metro line will have two (or more) directions which are specified by the name of the last station on the line (the terminus station) at that end of the line.  In this case, the direction is Place d’Italie.  The station we’re after is République, which is between Gare du Nord and Place d’Italie stations.

When transferring from the RER B train line to Metro Line 5 at station Gare du Nord, one would follow signs within Gare du Nord that show Metro Line 5 and the direction Place d’Italie, if the sign you’re reading denotes directions.  Not all signs within Metro stations show line directions (to save space) and some signs show both directions, since you’re so far away from the actual Metro train platforms that the path you’re on leads to both sides (and directions) of the Metro line.  Only when you get close enough to the two train platforms, each heading in opposite directions, will the Metro signs start specifying a single direction/terminus station.  For this particular trip, the opposite direction for Metro Line 5 is Bobigny Pablo-Picasso, but we’re after Place d’Italie.

The Duration column on the right specifies walking times (3 min, 2 min, 3 min) and train travel times (31 min, 6 min) for the journey.

The final piece of information on the Route Planner results is the Paris Fare Zones you’ll be crossing during your journey.  This tells you the approximate cost of the trip and the type of ticket required for the journey.

In this case, CDG Airport to Paris (any Metro station) is a special fare and is priced as such: 9,50€.  For journeys purely within the Paris Metro system, the Fare Zones are 1-2, and will require only a single Ticket t+ at a current cost of 1,70€ (as of January 2013).  Any journeys beyond zones 1-2 will require additional Ticket t+ tickets good for the Metro and Bus, or special station to station priced tickets called Billet Ile-de-France.  Tip: Billet Ile-de-France tickets, when arriving or departing in central Paris, such as on this trip from CDG Airport to Paris, are good for both the Paris RER and the Paris Metro; you’ll use this single ticket on both types of trains to complete your journey.

Enjoy your trip!

Paris Metro lines operating all night: 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 et 14 the evening of New Year’s eve.

Paris RER lines operating all night: RER A and RER B the night of 31 December.

Paris Noctilien (night bus) will operate as per normal.

All Paris Metro, Buses, RER, Trams will operate free of charge from 17h (5pm) on Dec. 31 until 12:00 noon January 1.

Please keep in mind that not all Metro stations along the above noted lines will be served during the extended service hours, rather only the more popular stations and stations with connections to other lines.

Paris Metro & RER lines not mentioned above will operate as per normal with service ending at 01:40 for the Metro. For more information RER hours of operation see the Schedules page.

(Thanks to Didier Rouger of RATP for some of the above information).