Public transportation in Paris

When it comes to public transportation in Paris, you have the following options: metro, RER, bus and tram. Keep reading for the best bus lines for sightseeing!

Metro
The metro is the most popular choice in Paris when it comes to public transportation.

• The metro runs daily between 05:30 and 00:30. On saturday nights the metro runs until 02:00 in the morning.
• Every metro line is named after the number and the terminus and has its own color. Remembering the color and direction will help you not to get lost.
• There are several metro maps in each metro station. To transfer from one line to another, follow the orange and white ''correspondance'' sign. If it's a big metro station it may take a few minutes to walk to the other metro line.  
• One metro ticket will take you anywhere as long as you do not go out of the system. Stay underground! Keep your ticket during your trip. Sometimes ticket inspectors stand at the exit of a metro station. If you can't show a valid pass or ticket, you will get a fine.
• Metro stations often host small shops that sell magazines and tobacco. You may also come across musicians. Some musicians even enter a metro to sing or play an instrument with the hope you will give them some money after finishing the song. Beggers are also present at almost every metro station. Some sit with their child or dog.   

RER
The RER is a rapid transit system serving Paris and its suburbs. Within the city, the RER functions like the metro, but it is faster as it has fewer stops.  

• The RER runs from 05:30 until 00:30.
• It's a rail system with 5 lines and it connects the city centre of Paris with the suburbs.
• The RER uses the same tickets as the metro and the bus.  
• When you transfer from the metro to the RER, remember that you have to put your canceled ticket in the automatic gates.  

Bus
The bus can be a good alternative to the metro.

• 60 bus lines operate from 06:30 until 20:30. There are a few bus lines that have an evening service until 00:30. Make sure you check in advance at what time the last bus leaves! Furthermore there are 42 night buses operate between 00:30 and 05:30.
• Be aware that many buses have a different schedule on sundays and holidays. Some may not ride at all.
• You can use metro tickets for the bus as well. Use one ticket within Paris. If you exit the bus to transfer to another one, you can use the same ticket within one hour. The Imagine R pass (for students) and Navigo pass (a monthly subscription) are also valid.
• The bus doesn't stop at all points. If you want to get out, press the red button or the bus driver may not stop.   

Claire de Circourt has discovered scenic routes by bus that cross Paris’s picturesque neighborhoods. If you have a free afternoon, catch one of the following buses: 

Line 27 Gare St-Lazare / Porte d’Ivry-Claude Regaud
Highlights: Chinatown, Place d’Italie, Jardin du Luxembourg, Saint-Michel.

Line 38 Gare du Nord / Porte d’Orleans
Highlights: Notre Dame, Latin Quarter, Pompidou, Gare de l’Est.

Line 63 Porte de la Muette / Gare de Lyon
Highlights: Trocadéro, boulevard St-Germain, Odéon, Gare d’Austerlitz.

Line 68 Place de Clichy / Châtillon-Montrouge
Highlights: Opéra, Musée d’Orsay, Rue de Bac, southern Paris.

Line 95 Porte de Montmartre / Porte de Vanves
Highlights: Montmartre, Louvre, Saint-Germain, Montparnasse.

I have found a few more bus lines that are good choices for sightseeing: 20, 21, 24, 47, 73 and 82. 

Tram
Paris and the inner suburbs are served by four tram lines:

Line T1 connects Saint-Denis to Noisy-le-Sec, parallel to the Paris northern city limit.
Line T2 connects Pont de Bezons with Porte de Versailles via La Défense.
Line T3 is divided into two sections called T3a and T3b.
- T3a connects Boulevard Victor – Pont du Garigliano RER station in the western part of the XV^e arrondissement with Porte de Vincennes metro station in the XII^e arrondissement.
- T3b connects Porte de Vincennes with Porte de la Chapelle in the XVIII^e arrondissement.
Line T4 connects Bondy RER station with Aulnay-sous-Bois station.

With the T+ ticket you can travel by tram.