World City Guide

Getting Around

Public Transport
The Rgie Autonome des Transports Parisiens or RATP (tel: (08) 9268 4114 for information in English or (08) 9268 7714; website: www.ratp.fr) is an integrated, five-zone system of bus, mtro and trains that is both cheap and efficient (except during strikes, which are frequent).

The 14 mtro lines extend into zones one and two in central Paris. Mtros operate daily 0530-0030, lines are colour-coded and designated by numbers. They are also clearly signposted with the names of the terminus station. The newest addition (line 14 mtro Mtor) runs from Gare St-Lazare to Bibliothque Franois Mitterrand using brand new driverless trains. Free transport maps are available at mtro stations, bus terminals and the tourist office.

The RER (Rseau Express Rgional) suburban express network has five lines (A, B, C, D and E) covering five zones and operating daily 0500-0110 with journey times generally much faster than the mtro for distances covered. The system is linked to the mtro network and some SNCF trains.

The bus system is easy to use. Bus routes are numbered and stops display the buses that stop there, while a map shows all the stops on the route and the bus times. Most buses run Monday to Saturday 0630-2100; some continue until 0130. Services are reduced by approximately half on Sundays and bank holidays. Night buses (Noctambuses) run on 18 routes, Monday to Saturday 0100-0530 hourly, with a reduced service on Sunday. The night bus service cuts between place du Chtelet by the Htel de Ville and the suburbs.

The same tickets are valid on the bus, mtro and RER (within zones one and two only) but not night buses (see below). One ticket is sufficient for a single bus ride, for an RER journey (within zones one and two only) or a mtro journey (irrespective of zone). One ticket allows for changes (correspondances) of lines on the RER and the mtro, however, separate tickets are required for changes between buses or between bus and mtro/RER. Tickets should be validated on entry and kept until the end of the journey to avoid on-the-spot fines. Single tickets cost 1.40; a carnet of ten tickets costs 10.50. Tickets, carnets and passes are all available for purchase from stations and tabacs; only single tickets may be purchased from the bus driver.

Night buses require separate tickets, which cost 2.40 each and allow one change. Weekly or monthly travel passes (see below) may also be used on night buses. A mobilis day pass costs 5 for central Paris and 11.70 for five zones including the airports. Paris Visites offer one, two, three and five-day visitors passes at 8.35, 13.70, 18.25 and 26.65 respectively for Paris and its immediate suburbs (zones 1-3), or 16.75, 26.65, 37.35 and 45.70 to include transport to the airports, Versailles and Disneyland Paris (zones 1-5). There are reduced prices for children. These are available for purchase at the airports, mtro and RER stations and tourist offices.

For longer stays, the Carte Orange, with a weekly coupon (coupon hebdomadaire), for sale at all mtro stations, provides good value. At 15.40, it allows a week of travel in zones one and two. There is also a monthly Carte Orange that costs 50.40 for zones one and two. Tickets covering more zones are also available. The Carte Orange reusable ticket should be validated at the mtro turnstile and shown to the bus driver.

Taxis
Taxis can be hailed in the street or caught at taxi ranks (arrts taxis) found at airports, stations and close to main road junctions. A free taxi can be difficult to find, especially when most in demand – Friday and Saturday nights. A yellow light displayed on the roof shows that the taxi is available for hire; an orange light shows the taxi is in use. Taxi ranks have telephones, so if there are no cars in the rank you can call one.

A daytime journey in central Paris tends to cost between 6 and 10 (tariff A). Journeys after 1900, on Sundays, bank holidays and in the suburbs are more expensive (tariff B). The most expensive rate (tariff C) applies for the suburbs and airports at night and districts outside Paris during the day. There are additional charges for pick-up (2) and various other situations, including extra passengers, luggage (0.90) and waiting. The minimum charge for a taxi ride is 5.10. Tipping is not compulsory but drivers expect around 10%.

Taxi numbers are displayed at the taxi ranks and listed in the yellow pages. These include Alpha Taxis (tel: (01) 4585 8585), Taxis Bleus (tel: (0891) 701 010) and Taxis G7 (tel: (01) 4739 4739).

Limousines
Major providers are Elite Limousines (tel: (01) 4720 7020; website: www.elitelimousines.com); ExecutiveCar (tel: (01) 4265 5431; website: www.executive-car.com); and Paris France Limousines (tel: (01) 4344 1272; website: www.pf-limousines.com). Rates start at 60 per hour, with driver.

Driving in the City
Driving in central Paris is not advised. Most hotels do not have garages, parking is difficult (illegally parked cars are towed away) and traffic jams (embouteillages) are frequent. While the average speed in the mtro is 27kph (17mph), the average road speed is 18kph (11mph) and even slower during the rush hours (Monday to Friday 0730-0900 and 1700-1900).

Parking prices vary throughout the city but are in the region of 1.50-3 an hour, for a maximum of two hours. Most legal street-side parking spaces are marked ‘payant’; coins of 0.20, 0.50 and 1 may be used for the pay-and-display parking machines (horodateurs). Paris also has numerous underground and covered car parks in the city centre, costing around 2.50 per hour or approximately 15 for periods of 12-24 hours. These include the Arc de Triomphe, place de la Concorde and near the Forum des Halles. Many municipal garages close at around 2300 and some are closed on Sunday. The only good news is that parking is usually free on weekends and on weekdays before 0900 and after 1900.

Car Hire
The minimum age for car hire varies from 21 to 25 years. Drivers must have held a national driving licence for at least one year. It is usually requested that the cost is paid for with the driver’s credit card.

Major car hire companies include Avis (tel: (08) 2002 4034 or (01) 4418 1054; website: www.avis.fr), Budget (tel: (01) 4884 6029; website: www.budget.com), Europcar (tel: (01) 3044 9384; website: www.europcar.fr), Hertz (tel: (01) 3938 3000 or (01) 4703 4912; website: www.hertz.fr), National Citer (tel: (01) 4438 6045; website: www.citer.fr), and Sixt (tel: (01) 4438 5552; website: www.sixt.fr). In addition, local firms include ADA, with numerous branches (tel: (08) 2516 9169; website: www.ada.fr) and Rent A Car (tel: (01) 5358 4000; website: www.rentacar.fr).
Average car hire rates are approximately 60 per day or 200 per week.

Bicycle & Scooter Hire
The Mairie de Paris embarked on a scheme to introduce cycle lanes in 1996, which now total 100km (62 miles). Various maps and cycling guides can be found in bookstores and at some cycle shops. Bicycle hire companies include Bike’N Roller, 38 rue Faubert, 7th (tel: (01) 4407 3589), Paris Vlo C’est Sympa!, 37 boulevard Bourdon, 4th (tel: (01) 4887 6001; website: www.parisvelosympa.com) and Paris Vlo, 4 rue du Fer--Moulin, 5th (tel: (01) 4337 5922; website: www.paris-velo-rent-a-bike.fr). Bicycle hire costs from around 12.50 per day.

Scooters and motorbikes are available for hire from Atelier de la Compagnie, 57 boulevard de Grenelle, 15th (tel: (01) 4579 7724; website: www.atelier-de-la-compagnie.com) and SEJEM, 144 boulevard Voltaire, 11th (tel: (01) 4493 0403; website: www.sejem.com). Scooter rental costs from 20-150 a day depending on the scooter’s cc, the day and place of hire.