I Love Paris

Whether you’ve just moved in to Paris, or you’re passing by on vacation, using the Parisian metro railway can be pretty unnerving. Just looking at the map of Paris is enough to make you feel nauseous and alienated. It’s not so hard, though, once you’re introduced properly to the French capital.

First off, you need to understand how to use the railway ticket. A simple train ticket (t+) costs about 1.69 euros. This covers a one-way trip by train to the metro, by RER, by bus, or by the tramway. You can also choose connections on a single ticket (metro-metro, metro-RER, bus-bus) but not bus-RER and bus-Metro. Also, the transit shouldn’t last for more than 90 minutes from your initial validation.

Compared to London, public transportation in Paris is cheap. However, when you add the cost of all of those one-way tickets, you’ll spend a pretty hefty amount. You’ll save more money if you buy a book of 10 tickets (also called a carnet) which costs 11.60 Euros.

There are fourteen train lines in Paris. All of them are included in standard city maps sold all over Paris, with designated colors. You’ll easily find your way around Paris if you know the end station of the line you’re taking. In other words, you shouldn’t be too ashamed of using your map in public while you’re in Paris. It’s better than getting lost with poor French and a handful of coins in your pockets.

While you’re exploring the metro, make sure that you have your ticket with you until you’ve passed through the barrier exits. You may be required to pay huge fines if you lose the ticket before you reach your destination.