The bus network essentially duplicates the coverage of the rail network within Paris. It is more complicated to use and somewhat slower because of heavy traffic (the average speed of a public bus in Paris is equivalent to a brisk walk, about 9 km/h). For these reasons, it is not well suited to the visitor (although it can be very useful for Paris residents themselves), and this is why it is not described in this guide.
The full name for the Métro is the Chemin de Fer Métropolitain, or Metropolitan Railroad.
RER stands for Réseau Express Régional, or Regional Express Network.
The suburban network also provides connections with the national rail network that serves the rest of France.
Régie Autonome des Transports ParisiensSociété Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français"Conventional" means light, electrified, unitized trainsets of a few fixed types. A few lines in the Métro operate rubber-tired trainsets.
Except for two tiny lines, 7B and 3B, and one branch of line 13, called 13B. The Funiculaire de Montmartre (the little
inclined railway that takes you up the hill to Montmartre) doesn't have a number, but it is part of the Métro system.
Walking between one line and another for a connection may be as simple as stepping to the other side of the platform, or (exceptionally) as complicated as a two-minute walk underground, involving escalators, stairs, moving sidewalks, or even elevators.
Unless your trip takes you out of Zone 1, and you are using a multiple-use ticket such as a coupon mensuel.Single tickets are good for any station in the Métro, including the handful of stations that are in Zone 2. Note that the station Grande Arche de la Défense is in Zone 2 if you are in the Métro, but it is in Zone 3 if you are in the RER (this station is served by both line 1 of the Métro and RER A).
Unlike the Métro, the RER operates full-size trainsets on standard right-of-way, and the RER lines are underground only during their passage through the city.
There were 64 RER stations operating in 1992.
Line A serves primarily the western and eastern suburbs. Line B serves the north and south. Line C serves the south only. Line D serves the north only.
This is true for a few Métro lines also, namely lines 7 and 13. Lines 7B and 10 also have loops in them at one point. But these are exceptions made to improve traffic patterns.
There are no exceptions to this rule on line A.
There are eight zones, of which six are served by the combined Métro (Zones 1 and 2) and RER. The two outer zones are served by commuter trains.
The elevated portions can be quite scenic; for example, line 6 between Passy and Bir-Hakeim provides a nice view of the Eiffel Tower.
You can also buy tickets from automatic vending machines in some stations. Outside the Métro, tobacco shops and newsstands often sell tickets, although it is easier and perhaps more logical to simply buy them in the Métro itself.
See the Glossary for pronunciation of this and other key French phrases.
The color of single-use tickets was changed from yellow to green in March, 1992, as part of a general program of the RATP to update the image of mass transit in the Paris region.
Some stations have electric maps that light the route to take from one station to another at the touch of a button. A handful
of stations have computer terminals that will explain, in written French, how to get from the station you are in to the station you want to reach, giving priority to travel time, minimal walking, or minimal connections, at your discretion.
We're talking here about the French word direction, which means the same thing as the English word, and appears on
many subway signs.
There is one important exception, namely, the case of lines 2 and 6, both of which have their eastbound terminus at the Nation
station, and both of which stop at the Charles de Gaulle-Étoile station. In this particular case, at the Charles de Gaulle-Étoile
station, signs will indicate directions as NATION PAR DENFERT-ROCHEREAU (meaning line 6, which crosses the southern half of the city and
stops at the Denfert-Rochereau station), or NATION PAR BARBÈS-ROCHECHOUART (meaning line 2, which crosses the northern half of the city and stops at the Barbès-Rochechouart station).
The controlled area is the area beyond the turnstiles. Once in this area, you can change trains as often as needed to reach
your destination with only a single ticket. However, if you leave the controlled area, you'll need to use another ticket to reenter the Métro. One-way doors and signs like LIMITE DE VALIDITÉ DES BILLETS mark the exit from the controlled area.
All signs (or almost all) are defined in the Glossary.
More precisely, do not leave the "controlled area."
In fact, the only connection you can make between the Métro and the RER outside the Paris city limits is at the station Grande
Arche de la Défense. At this station, you'll need an appropriate ticket to move from the Métro to RER line A.
High-speed means up to 140 km/h (about 88 mph) at some points.
If you manage to do this after getting off the last train of the evening, retracing your steps may take quite some time.
With one exception: the part of line B that is operated by the SNCF, which does not have automatic turnstiles at the exits.
In some stations with full-length "body-crusher" turnstiles, you are literally stuck, since you cannot jump the turnstile. In others you can jump over a railing or turnstile to escape, or you can ask an RATP agent to let you out. In any case, be prepared to prove that you aren't trying to avoid paying for your trip, or you risk a very stiff fine, or (rarely) worse. You can be fined for jumping a turnstile in any case, but if you explain the situation and in fact have a valid ticket, an agent is unlikely to fine you.
This general rule is often broken at the end of a line. Follow others to make sure you exit the train on the correct side, or you may find yourself surrounded by PASSAGE INTERDIT.Yes, there are exceptions, on lines 7, 12, 10, and 13, for example.
If you are really interested in details, you can read the tiny schedules posted in each station and find the train that serves the station you want; all the trains are coded and these codes are shown on displays on the front of each train.
All Métro trains are second-class only, so there's no reason to buy first-class tickets if your travel will be limited
to the Métro. In any case, first-class cars are only useful during rush hour, when they tend to be slightly less crowded.
There are six such stations: Gare de Lyon, Gare Montparnasse, Gare de l'Est, Gare d'Austerlitz, Gare du Nord, and Gare
Saint-Lazare, each serving a different region of France and a different section of the suburbs.
Gare de Lyon and Gare du NordDon't ever time-punch a reusable ticket, such as a coupon mensuel or coupon hebdomadaire.This is true for the Métro and RER as well, but with trains spaced so closely and the inevitable small deviations that occur during rush hour, it usually isn't worthwhile to check a schedule.
In other words, if you have luggage other than carry-on luggage, it is best to take a taxi. However, if you are determined to absorb local culture, or save money, or both, it is entirely possible to drag suitcases through the Métro, albeit somewhat tiring. Avoid rush hour if you plan to do this.
Charles de Gaulle is often called Roissy (pronounced "rwah-see"), after the name of the small town (Roissy-en-France) next to the airport.
There are low-cost shuttles operated by Air France between both airports and Paris (32 F to or from the Orly airport, for example), but with suitcases they are almost as awkward to take as rail transit, and you would probably still need to take a taxi or Métro once in Paris (unless your final destination were within walking distance of the shuttle stops, at Porte Maillot, Invalides Air Terminal, and Montparnasse). A taxi may run in excess of 200 FF.
Called Orly Ouest and Orly Sud, respectively, in French.
Orlyval has stations right inside the air terminals, as well as a direct correspondance with RER line B at the Antony station of the RER. One ticket gets you past all of the turnstiles all the way into Paris.
The cost of a ticket into Paris in August, 1992, was 42 FF, or about $US 8.50.
Trains in both directions pass through Paris on the way from Antony to their final destinations.
This same shuttle also makes a complete circuit of the airport, if you simply need to change terminals.
Line A of the RER splits into two branches east of the VINCENNES station. Only the northern branch has MARNE LA VALLÉE-CHESSY as its terminus.
Useful tip: All eastbound trains with MARNE LA VALLÉE-CHESSY as their terminus have train numbers beginning with the letter "Q". Check the display on the front of the train as it enters the station, or look at the destination boards.
Thanks to heavy government subsidies, intended to make mass transit affordable for anyone. Only a third of the RATP's revenue comes directly from ticket sales. About 6% is lost through fraud (jumping turnstiles), and part of the rest is lost through the very numerous discount plans for certain classes of travellers. Even a single, standard ticket is artificially maintained at a very low price. This accounts in part for the success of mass transit in Paris.
Few ticket agents speak English, although you might get lucky in some of the larger stations.
The price, in August, 1992, of a single ticket was 6.00 French francs, or about $1.20. First-class tickets cost 9.00 FF (note that a first-class ticket is a waste of money unless you plan to use the RER or the commuter trains).
If you cannot afford to be deprived even temporarily of your credit card, and if you aren't sure that your VISA or MasterCard can be used in Europe (although it probably can), using it in one of these machines may be unwise. Pay cash in this case.
The price of a second-class carnet is 36.50 FF.
For a ticket allowing travel out to Zone 2 (Paris and immediate area around the city limit), the price is 80 FF. For a ticket out to Zone 4, including the airports, the price is 125 FF.
For three days and Zone 3, the price of a Paris-Visite ticket is 85 FF. For five days and Zone 3, the price is 135 FF.
Meaning a 7-day period beginning on a Monday, irrespective of when you buy the ticket. If you buy the ticket on Saturday and use it the following day (Sunday), it will no longer be valid the day after (Monday). The price of a coupon jaune for Zone 1 through Zone 2, in second-class, is 57 FF.
A coupon mensuel for a given month may be purchased between the 20th of the month preceding the month of intended use, and the 19th of the month of intended use, inclusive. For a coupon mensuel covering Zones 1 and 2 in second class, the price is 201FF.
For a ticket covering the Métro, RER, and suburbs, the price ranges from 56 FF to 112 FF, depending on zones and class.
One possible exception: children. If you have children under four years of age, they may ride for free on the Métro and RER (you must still have a ticket). Similarly, children under ten years of age pay half-price for tickets.
If you aren't given one and you don't already have one, ask for it.
If a transit police agent checks your ticket and finds that it lacks a number, or has a number different from your envelope, or if you cannot show a corresponding envelope, or if the envelope doesn't have a photo and you have no other form of identification, you can expect to pay a fine.
This little identification card is orange in color, whence the name Carte Orange.Ten-franc coins are useful for this.
Thus, if you spend two months in Paris, you can keep the same card with the photo and simply buy a new coupon mensuel for the second month.
If a transit agent asks you for your ticket, show him both the ticket itself and the envelope. Remember that, although you use your ticket to open turnstiles, you must not time-punch it in rail stations.
Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les-Halles, and Grande Arche de La Défense are good examples.
There are several thousand incidents per year in the Métro, in a system that moves roughly nineteen million commuters per day. Draw your own conclusions.
A loss of air pressure in the train line, triggered by pulling this alarm, will cause application of the brakes and will be noticed by the engineer (in addition to his cab alarm). On most trainsets, the doors will be unlocked as well.
If the doors appear to be locked shut as the train comes to a stop in a station, it is because the conductor is pressing a button that forces them shut, in order to prevent people from opening the doors until the train has slowed to a safe speed.
The Métro uses 750-volt third-rail electric power distribution. The RER uses 1500-volt catenary distribution (25,000-volt distribution
on the northern, SNCF-operated portions of the RER). In both systems, electrocution is virtually certain for anyone touching the catenary or third rail; whence this alarm.
There is nothing unusual about this; virtually every mass transit system in the world has the same restrictions.
Smoking has been prohibited in all cars of all commuter trains since January 1, 1991. This is true even if the NON FUMEUR (no smoking) sign is not present. The more general ban on smoking dates from November, 1992, and is part of legislation prohibiting smoking in public places.
Guide dogs for the vision-impaired are permitted to accompany their masters.
Including unused tickets.
A few concessions - newstands, tiny boutiques, etc.- have official authorizations.
The last Métro trains leave their terminus at least 20 minutes after midnight, but in order to be on the safe side, it is best to take midnight as a deadline (11 PM if you plan to use the RER or commuter trains).
They may be less reliable for persons speaking with Received Prononciation, for example, subjects of the United Kingdom.
Seen on vending machines.
This appears on the pushbuttons that open the doors on newer trainsets.
Seen over ticket windows, ticket machines, or on signs leading to either of these.
Seen at the exit from the "controlled area."
In other words, this entrance leads directly to turnstiles and the platforms; there is no ticket window. Alternate entrances to the same station frequently carry this sign. Such entrances are often closed at night and on Sundays or holidays.
See on a tiny indicator on turnstiles if you attempt to use a previously-used ticket, or a ticket that is not valid for the trip you are making or have just made. The turnstile will beep at the same time.
Appears on an indicator when a turnstile returns your ticket. This is the case for multiple-use tickets and for tickets used to enter the RER (in this latter case, the turnstile will keep the ticket when you finally leave the RER, unless it is to make a connection).
That would be a second-class Carte Intégrale for zones 1 and 2, which costs 2,110 FF.
This appears on the little yellow alarm boxes on station platforms and elsewhere in stations.
This is what you must do with single-use commuter-train tickets. Slide the ticket into the little orange machine with a green arrow on it. The machine clips off a corner and stamps the date and time on the ticket.
This sign appears in cases where the passageway leading to a different line is located right on the platform. Walk down to the platform and look for another correspondance sign, which will lead you to the connection you want.
Used specifically when referring to conventional rail stations, as opposed to subway or RER stations.
The French word is derived from the Greek word hebdomas, week.
For the commuter-train network.
On the street, this means "no parking."
Seen on a ticket machine, this phrase means that the machine can make change.
Seen only on platforms in SNCF stations.
This sign appears over the entrance to stations that provide an underground passage across major streets. You need not enter the "controlled area" of the Métro in order to use this passage to cross the street.
Hors service and en service appear on machines. Service perturbé and service interrompu are hand-written on signs, or announced, usually when there is a transit strike.
Used when referencing Métro and RER stations, as opposed to conventional rail stations.
This usually means that you are entering the RER.
You'll hear this announced on a train at the end of the line, along with "tout le monde descend," everyone must get off the train.
Seen in RER stations, on destination boards in particular. During off-hours, short trains are used to carry RER traffic.
This appears on signs in SNCF stations, or is announced in Métro stations, to indicate that the train currently at the platform is not in service, or is being removed from service (after rush hour, for example). Don't board such a train or you'll end up in a deserted switchyard somewhere.
