Paris is a big and magnificent city not to visit by car as parking is a nightmare and expensive. Fortunately, the public transportation are quite efficient and diversified.
Paris Metro
- Parisians mostly use the famous Metropolitan (subway) or RER (express transit subway). Its transportation network is well spread all the way to the suburbs including the Paris Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport, Disneyland Paris and the Chateau de Versailles.
We will provide you with a metro & bus map before you arrival. Moreover, we will also tell you which line to take in the daily itineraries we plan for you.
- Concerning the metro tickets, they are on sale in the metro stations and in newspaper or tobacco shops. Because of the immensity of Paris, it might be wise to buy tickets by 10 which come out cheaper than buying units. We warmly recommend to make calculation about transportation passes as they are worth investing on if you take more than 6 trips a day - which you are quite unlikely to make as you will also walk a lot.
Paris Bus
Paris also has a great network of buses, a good way to also appreciate the views on the city while transiting. The tickets are the exact same ones as the Paris metro.
We warmly recommend buses over metros: you avoid a lot of tiredness in the metro stairs and stay in the daylight! If you wish, we can recommend the best bus rides in Paris (using the regular lines - no need to buy expensive tourist bus passes which will use the same roads as the regular buses).
Taxis in Paris
Taxis in France are ordinary cars with the taxi sign on their roof. French government is trying to reform the way taxis are organized in Paris to better serve the users but that’s a very difficult task: taxis are a huge lobby and at the first disagreement they go on strike and totally block all the roads to the city: that’s France!
To avoid getting ripped off, we will explain you how it works and the tricks to use.
Metro, Bus & Taxi in Paris
Seine River Cruise
One of Paris main attraction is the unavoidable Seine River cruise. On the famous “bateau mouche”, you will discover Paris from a unique perspective taking you to the most famed sites of Paris along the bank river. Be ready for a touristy activity. If you don’t mind the cost, you may consider buying the Paris Boat hop on- hop off for a day or two to travel along the Seine river.
We will also recommend a gorgeous river boat to enjoy a romantic dinner (away from most of the crowds).
Bike in Paris
Another way to discover the magnificent city of Paris is by bike with the Velib. Velib is a bike sharing company operating in the entire city and offering the opportunity to visit the Louvre, the Champs Elysées, the Eiffel Tower, etc. with the Velib bike. For those who don't feel like biking on their own in Paris, we will be happy to include a great bike tour with a local guide.
Check out our itineraries including a stay in Paris !