What's The Deal On Transport in Paris
Public transportation is a godsend in Paris. The metro is super affordable, just under two euros for a one way ticket (and if you plan to use it often, you can buy a pack of 10 which saves you about a euro). Citymapper is a great app that gives detailed directions and updated reports of traffic and strikes (they happen often). These tickets also work for buses, which are quite reliable and have more stops in between metro stops, which is especially helpful for handicapped individuals, as all buses have lifts for wheelchairs, while not all metro stops do. There is even a tramway that is useful if you are going along the periphery of Paris. It’s worth noting that you can’t transfer from a metro to a bus or a bus to a tram with the same ticket. But you can transfer between metros with the same ticket. The metro closes around 1:30am and on Friday and Saturdays at 2:30am and reopens at 5:30am. Never throw away or bend your metro ticket until you are out of the metro. Sometimes there are controllers within the metro to check that you have a valid ticket. If you throw yours away you might have to pay an expensive fine.
If you’re coming from the airport or train station, you might have to take an RER train, which is more of a long distance metro within and around Paris. This is an affordable transportation option, as it is usually around €10 to go from Charles de Gaulle airport to the city centre, while taxis are a flat rate of around €50. With this RER ticket, you can even transfer to the metro without having to buy a new ticket.
Uber and Bolt are quite reliable as far as carsharing is concerned, but there is also G7, which is the taxi service of Paris, that has its own app now. They are usually pretty similar in price, originally Uber and Bolt were thought to be cheaper, but many have found recently G7 to be cheaper and more reliable (recently some people have been having issues with drivers parking and waiting for the rider to cancel). Sometimes taxi drivers will say you have to pay in cash, though.
Many people use the applications Lime and Dott for renting scooters or Velib for renting bikes. After you download the app, you can quickly create an account and connect your credit or debit card. This is an affordable option and allows for more sightseeing, but be sure to always ride with the flow of traffic and in a bike lane, unless otherwise noted on the pavement (it will show a bike symbol and say vélo with an arrow pointing to the direction you are able to ride). Always stop at crosswalks for pedestrians, they have the right of way.
If you're planning to visit Paris, check out our local guides for the best things to do.
