So, you are going to the wonderful city of France - Paris. You will need to use public transport to see the most amazing sights. Wasting no time, we will get to know the Parisian metro.
Metro stations and operating hours
Most of Paris metro stations are located underground, and only a few of them are above ground. The entrance to the metro can be marked with both the Metropolitain sign and the letter M.
Some of the old stations are still decorated with Art Deco entrances. However, those who have visited the Moscow metro at least once will probably not be surprised by the Parisian metro. There is nothing like palaces in the design of the stations; it has a rather modest architecture.
In total, the metro has 300 stations. Each of them is equipped with several entrances, but only 50 of them can boast wheelchair accessibility. The Paris metro includes 15 zones, however, tourist routes are laid only in zones 1 and 2.
In addition, the metro, with the help of some stations, is connected to the network of suburban RER lines. Navigation between platforms is carried out using signs and banners located on the walls of the passage tunnels.
The Paris Metro operates from 5:30 am to 00:40 am on weekdays, and until 01:40 am on weekends and holidays. As a rule, the interval between trains is up to 2 minutes, but on weekends and holidays it can increase to 10.
Louvre: Time-Specific Entry Ticket
1-hour cruise "Lights of Paris"
Skip-the-line tickets to the roof of the Arc de Triomphe
Eiffel Tower: Second Floor Access
Versailles & Gardens: Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket with Audio Guide
Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour. Class., Prem. or Lux
Paris museums subscription: 2, 4 or 6 days
Tickets for Montparnasse: 56th Floor Roof Terrace
Show at the Moulin Rouge with champagne
What are the tickets and prices for them
The decision to go for a ride on the subway is a bad idea. In this case, you run the risk of earning a fine of 80 €. Or worse: get stuck at one of the stations. Some of them have turnstiles not only at the entrance, but also at the exit.
The Paris Metropolitan offers a variety of fare payment options, focusing on the needs of its compatriots and tourists arriving for different purposes and for different periods.
Types of tickets and their cost (children under 3 years old - free travel):
- Ticket t + - one-time, valid for an hour on all metro lines, including transfers and the high-speed RER line (zone 1). Price: 1.80 €.
- Carnet is a one-time ticket, the same as a ticket, but includes 10 tickets. Price: 14.10 €.
- Carnet enfant - the action is similar to that of "carne", but it is intended for a child under 10 years old (there is no piece version). Price: € 7.05.
- Jeunes weeke-end - designed for young people up to 26 years old. Works on weekends and holidays. The price varies from the selected metro zones: from 3.85 € to 4.90 €.
- Mobilis - gives you the freedom to move around the metro, RER and other modes of transport during the day. The price depends on the selected zones: from 7.00 € to 16.60 €.
Paris Visite - unlimited travel for a period of 1 to 3 or 5 days. Zones to choose from: 1-3 or 1-5. When visiting museums, you are entitled to a discount. Price: from 11.15 € to 61.25 € (50% discount for children 4-10 years old).
Pass Navigo Decouverte - a subscription for a week or a month. An essential point: regardless of the day of purchase, weekly - works strictly from Monday to Sunday, monthly - during the current month. The price varies depending on the zones: weekly - from 18.45 € to 21.25 €, monthly - from 60.70 € to 70 €.
Please note: some tickets have fields for filling. The data is entered by hand, as a rule, you need to indicate: the date of the first trip and the surname with the name of the person who will use the ticket.
How to buy and use a ticket
Travel tickets can be purchased through RATP ticket offices or vending machines available at all metro and RER stations. In this case, subscriptions are purchased strictly at the box office. Be careful: the machines only accept coins and bank cards with a chip. In addition, cards with magnetic stripes are not accepted even at the cashier's offices.
The entrance to the platform is realized through turnstiles or swing gates by means of a ticket machine reading. To pass, you need to bring the ticket to the lower connector with a magnetic stripe away from you, then pick it up from the upper connector. Hearing a short beep (also “Reprenez votre ticket” will light up on the turnstile display), come closer to the doors. This must be done in order for the sensor to work and the doors to swing open.
If you are the owner of the Pass Navigo Decouverte contactless card, then instead of the ticket slot, present the card for 1-2 seconds to the purple sensor (upper part of the turnstile). He reads the information from your card and then proceed exactly as described above.
Among other things, it is worth remembering that the ticket must be kept until the end of the trip. At some stations, as previously discussed, it may be required to exit.
Exit from the subway
It is quite difficult not to find the exit from the station, all of them are marked with the corresponding Sortie sign. You can choose the one that will be the most successful for you using the subway map. Such landmarks are usually placed in the lobby of each station.
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Use the services of kiwitaxi and at the airport, at the specified time, the driver will be waiting for you, help with the luggage and promptly take you to the hotel. Several car classes are available - from economy to Minibus with 19 seats. The price is fixed and does not depend on the number of passengers and the address within Paris. A taxi from / to the airport is a convenient and comfortable way to get to your destination.