The best ways to get around Paris

Alexis is one of the authors of our latest Paris guidebook. Here she shares her tips on navigating Paris' public transport, taxis and more.

Paris is a gorgeous sprawl of beautiful monuments and interesting neighborhoods, and for many, walking is the way to go.

To cover the most ground, the convenient Paris metro blankets the city. Meanwhile, the comprehensive bus system allows you to sightsee while traveling, and cycling in the open air is as delightful as it looks.

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Here's what you need to know about Paris’ transport network, tickets and taxis.

Metro and RER: the quickest way to get around Paris

Paris’ train network consists of two separate but linked systems: the metro and the RER. The metro currently has 16 lines (numbered 1–14, plus two secondary lines, 3bis and 7bis). The network is being expanded to add another four lines as part of the Grand Paris Express project.

The RER has five main lines, A to E. The two systems are fully integrated, and you can easily transfer from one train to another. RER express trains save time crossing the city and serve the suburbs.

Escalators and elevators ease long climbs within the stations, but are not available at every station. Service is very frequent, with wait times generally under five minutes. Some metro lines run above street level, offering scenic views.

Local tip: It's often quicker to walk than to take the metro for only one or two stops.

Catch the bus for more scenic travel

With no stairs, buses are widely accessible and are good for parents with prams/strollers and people with limited mobility.

Bus lines complement the metro, and for some journeys a bus is the more direct – and scenic – way to go. Bus stops show schedules, routes and often the wait time until the next bus.

A local’s tips for taking the metro, RER and bus

The metro runs until 1:15am most nights (until 2:15am on Fridays and Saturdays). The RER also finishes at 1.15am. If you want to catch public transport later than that, you'll have to rely on the Noctilien (night bus). There are 32 night bus lines, running from 11:45 pm to 6am. 

Use the RATP, IDF Mobilités and SNCF apps for journey planning, route maps and wait times for the next train or bus, and to charge up your travel pass. Metro and bus maps of various sizes and degrees of detail are also available for free at metro ticket windows if you prefer a physical map.

Local tip: In metro and train stations, and on board carriages, keep your eyes out for pickpockets – these are top zones of action.

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Sail in style on the Batobus

Combining scenery and convenience, the Batobus is a handy hop-on, hop-off service stopping at nine key destinations along the Seine.

In warmer months, the service runs regularly throughout the day and offers a chance for a river cruise at a fraction of the price of a commercial tour boat. An audio guide for your journey is available to download for free. 

Purchase a pass online for 24 or 48 hours and make the most of this unique way to get around the city.

Join the cycling revolution in Paris

Paris has famously become a cycling-friendly city thanks to Mayor Anne Hidalgo. The well-priced Vélib’ bike-share scheme has over 20,000 bikes, both classic (green) and electric (blue), at 1400 stations citywide. Bike lanes have made cycling in Paris more popular, but never entirely safe. If you're not a confident city-cyclist, take note.

If you do want to get on a bike to travel around in Paris, you can buy a subscription online using your Navigo Pass (see next) or credit card, or at docking stations (it only accepts European-compatible chip-and-pin credit cards). There are single-trip, day-long and multiday pass options to choose from.

Get a Navigo pass

The traditional Paris "carnets" (with 10 rides sold at a discount) have been phased out as the city's transport goes digital. The easiest way to use public transport in Paris is via the Navigo Easy card. Like London’s Oyster card or Hong Kong’s Octopus card, the Navigo system provides a full range of fare options. 

Sold for €2 at all metro and RER ticket windows, as well as RATP-affiliated outlets (eg, tobacconists and markets), the credit card-sized Navigo Easy card can also be loaded onto your phone, and be charged up virtually on the RATP app.

You can buy various passes with a Navigo that are good for unlimited rides across a range of fare zones and durations. Options include single fares (you'll add credit to your account, and each fare is deducted), plus daily or weekly unlimited travel options. There's also a Paris visitor pass option, which includes travel to the airport.

One disadvantage of the Navigo passes, however, is that they are tied to the calendar rather than when you activate it. For example, a one-day pass starts at 12:01am and runs until midnight; a seven-day pass always begins on Monday and runs until Sunday; and a monthly pass always begins on the first day of the month.

Paris transportation FAQs

Is parking widely available in Paris?

Parking in Paris is costly and difficult. If you’re renting a car to take to the countryside, don’t pick it up until you are leaving town. And if you’re driving your own car, know that to enter the city within the Boulevard Périphérique (ring road) between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday, a Crit'Air Vignette (compulsory anti-pollution sticker) is needed for all cars, motorcycles and trucks registered after January 1, 1997, including foreign-registered vehicles. Older vehicles are banned during these hours. The sticker is not necessary for the ring road itself.

How do you get into the city from the airport?

Trains are the best ways to get to and from Paris' airports. The RER B line from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) crosses under the middle of Paris, with stops that include Gare du Nord, Châtelet–Les Halles, St-Michel–Notre Dame and Luxembourg. Some trains run express through the suburbs, saving about 10 minutes. An even faster express route is slated for 2027. From Orly Airport, you can connect to the RER B. As of mid-2024, the airport is also served by Line 14 of the metro. Aéroport de Beauvais, used by some budget airlines, is a long and slow 75km (47 miles) by bus from Paris.

Taxis and rideshares are also convenient, especially if you have a lot of luggage, but they can get mired in traffic and end up costing more.

Is it OK to use taxis or rideshare apps in Paris?

Find taxis at official stands, or via private companies and apps. There are queues of available cabs at major train stations.

Paris taxis are expensive, but are a blessing if you have a lot of luggage and can't face the metro steps. And yes, rideshare apps like Uber are active in Paris.

Is transportation in Paris accessible?

Paris is an ancient city and therefore not particularly well equipped for visitors with mobility issues: curb ramps are few, and older public facilities and the metro are mostly inaccessible for those in a wheelchair (fauteuil roulant). However, efforts are being made to improve things.

Paris’ airports are fully in line with international standards for accessibility. But transport to and from the airports may be an issue, as many metro stations in the city are not fully accessible. Check station-by-station accessibility in the RATP app before traveling.

Paris buses are all wheelchair accessible, with low floors and wide doors. The SNCF has made many of its train carriages more accessible to people with disabilities, including the RER trains. For information and advice on planning your journey from station to station, contact the service Accès Plus.

Taxis G7 has hundreds of low-base cars and over 100 cars equipped with ramps, and drivers trained in helping passengers with disabilities. Guide dogs are accepted in the entire fleet.

An excellent first stop is the Paris Tourist Office's website for a wealth of useful information organized by theme, as well as practical information such as where to rent medical equipment or locate automatic public toilets.

You can download the up-to-date Accessible Paris guide, which is also available in hard copy from tourist information centers in the city.