Le Métro de Paris
By Rick Steves
Paris' Métro is one of Europe's great bargains. Hopping from railed strand to railed strand, you pass musicians pulling Brahms out of plugged-in cellos and beggars with greasy hair pasted to their faces. Hoping for step-across-the-track transfers, you end up on 500 yards of moving sidewalk sliding past a parade of meaningless ads repeated and repeated and repeated. And budget travelers — the kind who eat too much at a buffet — delight in the thought that you could go around and around forever on just one ticket!
Waiting for my train, I peer down the tunnel. In the distance is another subterranean bubble, a hamlet of light with more people waiting for the same train. Two-hundred eighty-eight such bubbles — some hamlets, some virtual cities — fill that parallel world...under the streets of the City of Light.
Trains whistle, wheeze and screech around corners and past venous intersections. Gazing out the window into the darkness and recalling the "Lara on the tram" scene from Dr. Zhivago, I accidently make eye contact with the reflection of the lady across from me.
Upon arrival at my station, I seek out its Plan du Quartier. This neighborhood map generally offers a few unexpected sightseeing treats. Happy blue and white signs announce sortie (exit). Another slice of Paris...right this way.
Using the Métro
In Paris, you're never more than a 10-minute walk from a Métro station. Europe's best subway allows you to hop from sight to sight quickly and cheaply (runs daily 5:30–24:30 in the morning). Learn to use it.
Tickets and Passes
One ticket (€1.40) takes you anywhere in the system with unlimited transfers. Tickets are also good on the RER suburban trains and on city buses, although one ticket cannot be used as a transfer between subway and bus. To save 30 percent, buy a carnet (kar-nay) of 10 tickets for €10.90 (that's €1.09 per ticket — €0.31 cheaper than single tickets). It's less expensive for kids (ages 4–10 pay €5.40 for a carnet). Big Métro stations have staffed ticket windows, but at smaller stations you need to buy tickets at machines (using coins).
If you're staying in Paris for even just a few days, consider the Carte Orange (kart oh-RAHNZH), which pays for itself in 15 rides. For about €16, you get free run of the bus and Métro system for one week, starting Monday and ending Sunday. Ask for the Carte Orange hebdomadaire (ehb-doh-mah-dair) and supply a passport-size photo. Larger Métro stations have photo booths. The month-long version costs about €54 — request a Carte Orange mensuelle (mahn-soo-ehl, good from the first day of the month to the last, also requires photo). These passes cover only central Paris. You can pay more for passes covering regional destinations (such as Versailles), but for most visitors, this is a bad value (instead, buy individual tickets for longer-distance destinations). Despite what some Métro agents say, Carte Orange passes are definitely not limited to residents; if you're refused, simply go to another station or a tabac to buy your pass.
The overpriced Paris Visite passes were designed for tourists and offer minor reductions at minor sights (1 day/€9, 2 days/€14, 3 days/€19, 5 days/€28), but you'll get a better value with a cheaper carnet of 10 tickets or a Carte Orange.
How the Métro Works
To get to your destination, determine the closest "Mo" stop and which line or lines will get you there. The lines have numbers, but they're best known by their end-of-the-line stops. (For example, the La Défense/Château de Vincennes line, also known as line 1, runs between La Défense in the west and Vincennes in the east.) Once in the Métro station, you'll see blue-and-white signs directing you to the train going in your direction (e.g., direction: La Défense). Insert your ticket in the automatic turnstile, pass through, reclaim your ticket, and keep it until you exit the system (some stations require you to pass your ticket through a turnstile to exit). Fare inspectors regularly check for cheaters and accept absolutely no excuses, so keep that ticket!
Transfers are free and can be made wherever lines cross. When you transfer, look for the orange correspondance (connections) signs when you exit your first train, then follow the proper direction sign.
Even though the Métro whisks you quickly from one point to another, be prepared to walk significant distances within stations to reach your platform (most noticeable when you transfer). Escalators are common, but they're often out of order. To limit excessive walking, avoid transferring at these sprawling stations: Montparnasse-Bienvenüe, Chatelet-Les Halles, Charles de Gaulle-Etoile, Gare du Nord, and Bastille.
Before taking the sortie (exit) to leave the Métro, check the helpful plan du quartier (map of the neighborhood) to get your bearings, locate your destination, and decide which sortie you want. At stops with several sorties, you can save lots of walking by choosing the best exit.
After you exit the system, toss or tear your used ticket so you don't confuse it with your unused ticket — they look virtually identical.
Pickpockets and Panhandlers
Thieves dig the Métro. Be on guard. For example, if your pocket is picked as you pass through a turnstile, you end up stuck on the wrong side (after the turnstile bar has closed behind you) while the thief gets away. Stand away from Métro doors to avoid being a target for a theft-and-run just before the doors close. Any jostling or commotion — especially when boarding or leaving trains — is likely the sign of a thief or a team of thieves in action. Make any fare inspector show proof of identity (ask locals for help if you're not certain). Never show anyone your wallet.
Paris has a huge homeless population and higher than 11 percent unemployment; expect a warm Métro welcome by panhandlers, musicians, and those selling magazines produced by the homeless community.
Updated for 2008. For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' France guidebook — or join us on one of our free-spirited tours in France.