Paris Public Transportation has long been praised as the safest, fastest and most efficient in the world.
The Paris Metro rapid transit system is also one of the oldest in the world; the first line opened for the World’s Fair in 1900.
Paris Metro (Wikipedia)
The Metro stations are surprisingly close together; If you wander past one station, you will soon come to another one.
The system was conceived so that you never have to transfer more than twice to reach your destination.
Some Metros stations are works of art in themselves.
The City is constantly modernizing the stations, making them brighter, cheerier and more user-friendly.
The announcements are now presented in several languages. Panels are clearly marked to prevent you from getting lost.
The Metro is the most rapid and economical way to get around Paris.
There are 2 metro lines within steps of the apartment:
Metro line 7, PLACE MONGE, which runs north/south, is at the end of your street.
This line takes you directly to the Opéra Garnier, the Louvre and Palais Royal in 10 minutes, as well as to Gare de l’Est in about 15 minutes.
Metro line 10, CARDINAL LEMOINE, which runs east/west, is 2 minutes the other way on your street. Westbound, it takes you to Odeon (Saint Germain-des-Prés) and Bois de Boulogne; eastbound to Gare d’Austerlitz.
Click on any plan to open a large version in a new windowThe Bus offers the luxury of being above ground to enjoy the sights along your route.
The Bus takes longer and is a little trickier to figure out. But well worth a try when you have the time.
There are also direct buses nearby to the Eiffel Tower and to Montmartre/Sacre Coeur.
Metro tickets are no longer used in Paris. If you have old ones from former visits, they will still be honoured.
Today, there is the NAVIGO PASS. There are various versions of Navigo.
The EASY NAVIGO PASS does not require a photo and is an anonymous card. Each person must have their own Easy card.
For weekly stays, a ‘CARNET’ is practical and economical. A carnet is 10 tickets for 17,35 euros. A single ticket costs 2,50 euros.
Navigo Easy (price 2€) is a Paris public transport travel card that can hold up to thirty Paris Metro tickets, an Orly Airport Ticket on Metro 14, up to two Navigo Day Passes, several Roissybus (CDG Airport Bus) and Orlybus (Orly Airport bus) tickets, plus a few other less common tickets (although not all at the same time).
Navigo Easy can only be purchased in-person in Paris at any Paris Metro/RER/Transilien ticket window or RATP partner (such as newspaper stands, tobacconists, corner stores) and at automated ticket vending machines at train & Metro stations around Paris.
Anyone can buy the Navigo Easy card; Tourists and residents of Paris & Ile-de-France.
Where To Buy Navigo Easy ? You can buy Navigo Easy cards at:
Any Paris Metro, RER, Transilien ticket window in Paris metropolitan area (Ile-de-France) Train station ticket offices at CDG Airport, RATP partnered retail stores such as tobacco stores, book stores, newspaper outlets displaying an RATP sign or sticker
How Much is Navigo Easy?
Navigo Easy costs 2€ for the card fee, plus however many tickets you buy and add onto the card.
To check ticket balance on an automated Metro ticket vending machine‘s Navigo reader, place the Easy card on the purple Navigo card reader or inserted into the Navigo slot (depending on the machine). This will prompt the ticket vending machine to show the current ticket balance on an Easy card.
When you validate an Easy card by holding it on the purple Navigo reader on turnstiles & fare gates, the number of unused Metro tickets on Navigo Easy is shown on the screen.
Same with Navigo purple validation machines on Paris buses & trams: when you hold the card to the reader, the remaining ticket balance will show on the display.
You can also download on your phone from the Appstore or Googleplay the RATP (paris transport authority) app called « BonjourRATP » which will automatically be displayed in english if your phone uses english language.
At the very bottom of the screen on the right side you can access to the fares choice.
Then you will be asked to choose between « on my phone « or « on my pass »
If you chose « on my pass » and hold the pass behind the phone, you will be able to read the content of the pass or to buy more tickets using a credit/debit card
If you chose « on my phone » it means you have already set up an account with a virtual debit/credit card on your phone (you will be guided along the process by the app)
And finally you can ask any ticket window staff at Paris Metro / RER stations to check the balance on the Easy card. In French this would be: “Combien des tickets restent sur cette carte ?”
When you travel on the RER (the suburban trains), keep your Navigo Pass handy; you will need it to exit the turnstile at your destination.
The Metro is fast, efficient and easy to navigate.
The Bus is a little trickier to figure out, but well worth the effort; you travel above ground and really get to see Paris and experience its winding streets and different neighborhoods.
Remember, your little home is in the center of Paris and you can walk everywhere! (Wear comfortable shoes!).
But it’s convenient to be able to jump on a bus or take a nearby metro when time is of the essence, the weather is bad, or your feet are tired!
One last important thing: all of this will change on January 2nd 2025 including the prices of the fares
We will update this page in due time